Best off-season time to cruise?

[Manda_Lizabeth]

We originally planned on a July 2018 cruise to the Caribbean for our first trip. Looking at prices we could save $1,000 if we set sail late September/early October or go in February or March. Any suggestions? We are also planning on land and sea so to get away from the heat and humidity of Florida part weather would be nice, but I don't want to get stuck not being able to do deck activities on the ship or excursions due to cold/bad weather.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

September and early October is often a bit cheaper. Due to schools being in, and the possible hurricanes in season. But a lot depends on how many cruisers book at that time.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

I'd pick September/October over February/Early March. September and October are in hurricane season but it is still unlikely your cruise will be affected by a hurricane. According to polls done here on the Disboards, February is the month with the most missed docking at Castaway Cay due to weather.

 

[2prettygirl]

We have cruised at the end of January 2 times and I will tell you that the Caribbean weather is beautiful, still in the 70s, which is perfect....but water temp can be very cold in the Caribbean this time of the year. We are form the Midwest and we had the expectations for it to be hot with warm water temps but it wasn't either time. The water temps were just frigid in all the ports and of course, while the weather is beautiful for cruising, the swimming pools can be pretty chilly too once you step out. Our visit to Castaway Cay was sunny, warm but very breezy and turned cool by mid-day, so cool that many were walking around with jackets on. By the time the cruise was over, there was quite a few from the ship who had come down with H1N1 flu virus, which is another factor when cruising in the winter months, there is a higher chance of various bugs going all around.

We are looking to book a September or October cruise. The water temps are warmer this time of the year so we are going to give it a try. I am thinking October will have to be it for us due to school starting mid-August, September is probably not the most ideal.

 

[darnheather]

But for the parks September is still going to be very hot. February and November are my favorite times to visit the parks.

 

[ludari]

I agree with the previous posters that Sept/Oct are typically a bit less expensive. For other cruise lines it's January (they call it the Wave Season) when prices are a bit less expensive.

 

[Macprincess]

We have cruised the Caribbean in May, March, Feb, October, and twice in the first part of Nov. By far the best weather, in my opinion, was the November cruises. May was a bit humid but doable. Both March and Feb had decent temps, but the water temps were way too cold to enjoy. October would be my second choice as the weather was beautiful. I went with November as my first choice because it was less expensive, ship was less crowded, and we were able to upgrade both of these cruisers at the port to much nicer cabins for far less then what we would have paid in advance. For one of our November cruises we were even able to get a great deal on a one bedroom concierge cabin at the port.

 

[The Sasquatch]

we have loved April and May. Also October

 

[darkwing818]

October

 

[jahber]

We always sail in September, if we can. The weather is hot, but not full summer hot, and anyway I'm used to that here in Florida. We liked late October, too, but mid-November was just on the cusp of too cold for us. We sailed a southern Caribbean in March once and the weather was lovely. But the water was almost too cold for me even in Honduras. As you can see, I'm a bit of a cruise Goldilocks . And for me, September is juiuuuusssst right

 

[Sytrace]

We have sailed in January (2), April (1), June (2) , September (this will be our 3rd), November (1) and December( 1).
We prefer September in the middle of the month for good temperatures of water and air in the Caribbean. The hurricane season is from June 1 to November 30th, so if you do go in September/October and are on the fence about trip insurance, you really want to make sure to get some..mainly for peace of mind.

As for weather in Florida in September/October. It is still pretty hot and steamy (especially after the daily rainstorms that we have) but not nearly as bad as June thru August when locals try to stay as close to a pool or body of water as possible. The water is still warm and the air temps are balmy, but by far my favorite time of the year for going to Disney AND taking Disney cruises.

 

[fifthdimensiondweller]

We did a cruise in late February and the weather was amazing (check out my profile pic to the left as proof!)It was like that every day. It was the slightest bit chilly when you were in a swim suit but not so much that it kept us away from an activities. I think we'll try to always cruise that time of year in the future.