Cruises during the winter months...

[dizzy_gal]

I realize to people up north the colder weather we experience down here in Florida is quite comical but relatively speaking, how is traveling on a cruise in Jan/Feb different than in the summer months? I'm booked on two 3 day cruises for the month of January and am wondering what to expect. Are the seas rougher? If so, how bad? Are you spending less time outdoors?

I'm an explore the ship, spa, spend time in the room kinda person so I don't think it will matter to me but I'm concerned for the people I travel with.

 

[Cruiser76]

Well what cruise are you on?

You will already know what temperatures are regular for Jan/Feb so when embarking and leaving port they will be just that!

The further south you go expect them to get slightly warmer!

The temperature inside the ships are regulated so expect them to be the same as most land venues (comfortable in most common inside areas, but some feel the dining rooms are chilly, staterooms again are regulated (self regulated) so if too cold or to hot ask your stateroom host to get maintenance to adjust the AC either way)

The seas can be bad at any time of year, but your not sailing in hurricane season so thats a plus, the ship's has stabilizers (like aircraft wings that stop the side to side rolling as much as they can, but forward to aft motion cannot be compensated for without changing course)

You will be fine and have a great cruise whatever ship your on!

 

[OrcaPotter]

I was on the Dream last January, and will be again this January.

It was chilly the day we left port here in FL, and while the ship was in motion, the wind kept it very chilly outside. I was only in a bathing suit on the ship to get in the hot tub and for 2 goes on the Aqua Duck. It was too cold for me to enjoy watching the giant screen for movies. It warmed up a bit at the end of the cruise during the day, though.

Nassau was overcast and breezy, too, so I stayed in Jeans. Castaway Cay was perfect, but the water was glacier cold. I forced myself to snorkel and regretted it--the cold I was getting over took the opportunity to come back and grow worse.

I have a pool at home and am less than an hour from the beach, so it was no big loss to have so little pool/swim time. Enjoying the ship was much more of a priority!