Is January too cold?

[jcemom]

Obviously there are many people who cruise in winter, so somebody must like it, lol. Are we going to freeze? My choices are a bit limited due to a combination of school/work schedules and cost. Basically I can do late September (I'm thinking too hot for my tastes), or January. November is a possibility but doesn't fit as well as the others and would put us in the parks on a Veteran's Day Holiday weekend.

We're really not interested in going into the ocean water, though laying on the beach would be nice. The boys will want to swim in the ship's pool...is it heated well? We are happy with the weather for the parks in January/February, but have never cruised before. I'm wondering if there is wind from the ship moving on the ocean or something that will make it feel downright frigid. Is there?

Any advice is appreciated. TIA

Edited to add: We'll be doing the 4 night, probably won't even get off the ship at Nassau, but do want to visit Castaway Cay.

 

[disneygatorfan]

It might be chilly that first day you are still at Port Canaveral. So I would pack accordingly, and bring a jacket to be up on the deck.

But once you leave florida and head south, sunning on the beach and swimming in the pools will be no problem. It's very pleasant. I did 4 day during the first week of Feb, and wore a sleeveless top in Nassau, and did lots of sunning on Castaway.

 

[mmouse37]

We have sailed both in January and Feb and have another cruise booked for this January 6th.

It is very windy up on deck but not a cold wind....the pools were fine...plenty of people in them.

We were on the Western Itinerary and in January Key West was cool, Cozumel was hot and we could not get to Grand Cayman due to the winds....Castaway Cay was breezy and partly cloudy... people were in the water.....I had no desire to get in the water...the water looked OK....I was more worried about being cold when I came out....

Here are pics of CC the first week of January '03....it was breezy and nice when the sun came out!!!


http://community.webshots.com/photo/61027011/61028593AVkuaB

http://community.webshots.com/photo/61027011/61028753nnWUzE

 

[jcemom]

Thanks for the quick replies.

I'm okay with windy as we live on top of a hill where it's always windy...we're used to it, lol. However, mmouse37 -- you guys sure do look cold in those pics!

 

[mmouse37]

The girls were chilly and that was for about an hour when the sun was hiding.....at least it was warmer than the 9 degrees it was back at home in New York!!! Of course I would have liked it much warmer but it was good to be away!!!

MJ

 

[TheWog]

we went in January and loved it. Weather was warm and we swam at CC. It was great.

 

[mickeyfanmom]

As I posted before, you just never know. We went to WDW in January (during Super Bowl time) one year and were quite chilled!

The next year at the same time (during the Super Bowl again) we thought we had it all figured out and took mainly sweatshirts and jeans. We all had to wear our two pairs of shorts that we each brought about 7 times since it ended up being in the high 80's the whole week. We talked to some people who had just returned from the cruise and they said that they had roasted in the Bahamas because they also had brought mostly cooler weather clothes.

So the moral is be prepared for anything!

 

[Robert and Kelley]

We cruised in January and it was just fine..The water at Castaway Key was cold at first but you got used to it quick. I would bring a light jacket just in case.

 

[aprilgail2]

Originally posted by mmouse37
We have sailed both in January and Feb and have another cruise booked for this January 6th.


Here are pics of CC the first week of January '03....it was breezy and nice when the sun came out!!!
QUOTE]

Wow you all look to cold for me!! To have to cover up with towels to lay on the beach is not for me!! I cruised once in Jan and it was to cold for me, I like to be able to just walk into the water at the beach and not have the whole "shock factor" thing going on! April and May were perfect times for cruise for us.

 

[mmouse37]

As I said in another post...it was really chilly for about an hour or so when the sun went in. It was definately cooler than let's say July...but as long as we were not in 9 degree weather back home we were happy!!


MJ

 

[jcemom]

Originally posted by mmouse37
as long as we were not in 9 degree weather back home we were happy!!


MJ

I know exactly what you mean! I've read posts where people were complaining about the weather at Disney this past February when we were there. We did have a couple of cooler days...50's to low 60's. We did wear sweatshirts on those days...but if we had been home we would have needed winter coats, hats, scarves, gloves...the entire closet, lol.

This past year at the end of January OUR lowest low was -1 and our highest high was 22. That shouldn't be too hard to beat, LOL.

 

[TheWog]

Originally posted by jcemom
I know exactly what you mean! I've read posts where people were complaining about the weather at Disney this past February when we were there. We did have a couple of cooler days...50's to low 60's. We did wear sweatshirts on those days...but if we had been home we would have needed winter coats, hats, scarves, gloves...the entire closet, lol.

This past year at the end of January OUR lowest low was -1 and our highest high was 22. That shouldn't be too hard to beat, LOL.

I'm with you guys. It was 12 below 0 when we left home for the cruise. While we were in ST. Thomas in 80 degree temps they were closing schools and everything because of the the subzero temperatures. I'll take 80's and swimming any day. and compared to going in the water of So. Maine, CC was warm, very warm. No problems for us.

 

[tkd lisa]

This is completely a personal preference. We went in the 4 day in Jan 2003 (Martin Luther King Weekend). Boarding Day, temps were highs around 70, with a strong breeze. The kids went in the pool, but they had goosebumps!

2nd day (Nassau), highs around 75, nice sunny day. Beautiful shorts/t-shirt weather. I was able to sunbathe, but no way was I going in that pool. The kids did though, and they were fine in the water, goosebumps when they got out.

3rd day (CC), also highs about 75. DD went wading, but it was too cold to get all the way in the water.

Unfortunately that night, my family came down with the stomach virus, and we were quarintined the rest of the cruise. I think the next sea day was a bit colder, probably 70 for a high. When we got back to Port Canaveral, it was in the mid-60s (sweatshirt/jacket weather). The next day was a record low though! 28 degrees!

So if swimming is important to you, I'd say you're taking your chances if you stay on the shorter cruise. The 7 day cruises go far enough south that it gets warmer. If you just want a nice time, with relaxing weather, January should be fine.

 

[poopie]

I have been in Jan when it's been in the 90's and then when it has been in the 60's

 

[brack]

This January is our 4th seven day cruise during that month. We love it. It sure beats the snow, ice and 30 mph chilled winds of Oklahoma!(that's on a calm day)