Cruising in November-- is it a good idea??

[Oswald the Canuck]

Saw the Cruising in October thread and thought it was a great question.

We're thinking of going November 14 (4-day Bahamas). Doesn't the hurricane season last until the end of November? What sort of temperature should I be expecting and what will it be like on Castaway Cay at that time of year?
Any info will be appreciated.

 

[Mama Lisa 911]

We've sailed twice on the Dream, both during the 1st week of November. The weather was great, in the low 80's during the day. We did need a light sweater out on deck at night. Castaway Cay was also about 81-82 degrees, perfect weather! If it starts to rain on the island don't rush back to the ship! The clouds would move in quick and it would rain for about 10-15 minutes then go away again and be back to mostly sunny. While not impossible, hurricanes are pretty rare in late October thru late November. Have fun!

 

[dclpluto]

There only 12 months out of the year where taking a Disney cruise is a good idea. Yes November is one of them. You Should be fine with no hurricanes

 

[Otimon]

Enjoy your November cruise. We've sailed 3 or 4 times in November over the years with no problems at all. Bon voyage.

 

[lorimay]

We have cruises several times during November, we have had really good weather and no issues with storms.

 

[CamColt]

There only 12 months out of the year where taking a Disney cruise is a good idea. Yes November is one of them. You Should be fine with no hurricanes

Agreed!

While I certain see the concern, hurricane season is so long, I wouldn't not sail during it. We have been affected by hurricanes in the past when sailing in August (once we changed to San Juan instead of St Maarten, and once we had to change our sea day with CC day) but even with those changes those cruises were still wonderful! Weather issues can really pop up at any time of the year but the Captain will do anything he can to make the cruise a magical experience.

 

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

We have done both October and November. We do not like heat and humidity, so the only reason we would choose November over October is because I think the odds are better that the weather will be a touch cooler and dryer. In November the water at CC may also be a little bit cooler .

You are nearing the end of hurricane season in November so while it isn't impossible that one could affect your itinerary, I would think that the odds are very low of one blowing in. If it does happen it becomes a mystery cruise. The captain will sail around it and if needed change the ports of call that are affected by the storm. The DCL CM are very good at filling in the days when changes are made. We had this happen once when the wind was too strong to dock at CC. In a very shot time a new Navigator was printed and handed out with all the new activities.

 

[phinz]

(once we changed to San Juan instead of St Maarten.

We should be so lucky. I'd trade Sint Maarten for San Juan every single time if it was possible. I love San Juan and couldn't care less about Sint Maarten anymore other than the access to rum from that island south of us that should be open soon.

 

[squirk]

You are nearing the end of hurricane season in November so while it isn't impossible that one could affect your itinerary, I would think that the odds are very low of one blowing in. If it does happen it becomes a mystery cruise. The captain will sail around it and if needed change the ports of call that are affected by the storm.

^ This. The hurricane season peaks between the beginning of August and the middle of September. There are exceptions, like Hurricane Sandy, which hit in late October. But by mid-to-late November, the ocean temperatures have cooled enough so that the activity really dies down.

I mean, you should be buying trip insurance regardless, but if you are asking about the odds of a hurricane disrupting your trip at that time of year, I would say the chances are extremely low.

 

[phinz]

Heck, they had a hurricane in the Atlantic in January this year, so you're never fully in the safe zone anyway.

 

[IWannaBeAMousketeer]

We've cruised around that week in 2009 and Hurricane Ida was in the Atlantic. The ship found the calmest waters to sail, but we still had some rougher seas. That said, I don't feel like it impacted our enjoyment at all. In fact, it sort of made it even more memorable. They did have to close the pools one afternoon because the water was sloshing out and one show was delayed a night because it wasn't safe to perform & move scenery. None of us got sea sick and we never felt in any danger. I would not hesitate to cruise in November again.

 

[MinnieMouse64]

We are booked for a 4 day cruise the first week on November. This will be our first cruise this time of year and was kind of wondering what kind of clothes to pack. Can we still wear shorts? Do I need to pack warmer clothes, such as pants and jackets? What is your thoughts? We will be cruising to Nassau and CC with a fun day at sea. We have always cruised in July and August and have always burned up. So I am kind of looking forward to less humidity.

 

[DizneyNutz]

Saw the Cruising in October thread and thought it was a great question.

We're thinking of going November 14 (4-day Bahamas). Doesn't the hurricane season last until the end of November? What sort of temperature should I be expecting and what will it be like on Castaway Cay at that time of year?
Any info will be appreciated.

In the last 164 years, there have only been 88 Tropical Storms and 57 Hurricanes in November. Compared to
335 TS/200 H for October, 566 TS/ 393 H September and 375 TS/ 236 H August. This information was pulled from NOAA/NHC. Odds are in your favor in November. We went to Castaway Cay the second week of December 2015 and I snorkeled for 2 hours. We had a perfect beach day. This was 12/12/15.

 

[Oswald the Canuck]

Thanks for all the replies. Sounds like I should be OK for November.

In the last 164 years, there have only been 88 Tropical Storms and 57 Hurricanes in November. Compared to
335 TS/200 H for October, 566 TS/ 393 H September and 375 TS/ 236 H August.

I LIKE numbers. Thanks for those statistics.

 

[RedSox68]

We've sailed twice in November -- early and late. Never had a problem. The water on one of the cruises (2000) was nippy at CC, but the other sailing it was fine. The only time we've hit hurricanes was in August -- once on a west coast sailing in 2005 (Hurricane Hillary) and once in the Caribbean in 2004 (Hurricane Frances). Both times Disney took remarkable care of us, provided alternative ports and we never felt in danger or disappointed.