January Cruise to the Bahamas Too Cold?

[Hardheadedwoman]

Thinking of celebrating my birthday next year with a Disney cruise to the Bahamas! The only bad part is that my birthday is in January. Would love to hear from other folks who've sailed there during that time of year and what the weather was like.

Thank you!

 

[BlondieinFL]

We went this past January and thought that the weather was amazing! It was blue skies and not too hot - maybe upper 70's/very low 80's. Of course, the weather can vary. But, I wasn't expecting it to be as nice as it was. It made me want to cruise every year in January. As for the water, we found it to be warmer than when we have gone in late March.

 

[anna08]

We had one that was pretty miserable. Coats out on deck, too cold for swimming, and no docking at Castaway Cay for rough seas. We've had too many great weather cruises March - November that we won't ever do the winter months again to the Bahamas. Caribbean is a safer bet.

 

[lorimay]

We sail in Jan/Feb often, we have never had a bad cruise. The water is a bit nippy at CC but my husband swears you get use to it once you are in. We are from South Florida so I am use to warmer water.

 

[gzmtlock]

Sailed in January 4-5 times. Agree with PP that last year was great - best Jan experience we've had! It was very comfortable swimming on Castaway Cay, even at Serenity Beach (often windier than the family beach). That trip is in sharp contrast to about 5 years earlier, when it was mid-50's on deck, windy, and just plain cold. No one was swimming, hardly anyone went on deck, so all inside areas were more crowded. We were able to dock at CC (after a third try), but very few people went in the water.

All that said - I'd go again in January in a heartbeat! A cruise is a great mid-winter break (it was well below freezing back home during the cold cruise, so I was still warmer than I would have been!), and it's just about the cheapest time of year to go.

 

[CluelessDisFan]

We are giving it a shot cruising on the magic January 2016! We've been to Orlando in January and loved the weather. We were in southern Florida last February and it was sweltering hot even in the middle of the night. I'm not too concerned.

 

[SaraSpringsIsHome]

I've done 2 January cruise and have a 3rd booked for next year. Between our work schedules (January is a very slow month and we can actually take a week off) and the cost, it's the best time for us to cruise. On the past 2 January cruises, we had lovely weather and enjoyed our CC days both times. My experience was similar to BlondienFl- the water temp seemed warmer than in March!

 

[AndreAggie]

We've done 3 January cruises...2 to the Caribbean and 1 to the Bahamas. The Caribbean cruises were great, the Bahamas one was a little cool for us to swim...air temps were awesome (we're from Texas, so cold water temps don't work for us!). Plenty of folks were swimming, but all the southerners were too cold in the water! Weather was hit or miss. The first night out on the cruise, the ship was ROCKING from waves...people were getting sick left and right. It settled a little and the rest of the weather was fantastic. It's such a crapshoot, but any day on a ship is better than a day in the office!

 

[beach baby]

We did a cruise in January of 2014. The weather was mostly great with one day being overcast. Even though the weather was good, the wind was cool on deck. We enjoyed sitting in the sun but with towels on our legs. Castaway weather was warm, sunny and perfect, but the water was chilly. Overall I would do a January cruise again, but not plan on swimming at Castaway cay too much. Enjoy your cruise!
Happy Birthday!!

 

[sunryzez]

If you are looking to just celebrate your bday and have a great cruise I say book it! Prices are great in January! With that said, if you are expecting a hot, sunny, lay on the beach and swim in the water I would say don't have high expectations for that. With any cruise weather is hit or miss but in January you are taking a big chance. I did it once and Castaway Cay was FREEZING!!! So decide first what you are looking for and chose according to that.

 

[RebelHawk]

We loved our Jan 2015 Bahama cruise. Our weather was perfect for us being in the low to mid 80's. We found the morning at Castaway Cay to be a bit chilly and the water was a bit cold for our comfort but we loved it. There was one evening I spent out on deck enjoying a cigar where I would have wished I had something a little warmer than a polo shirt. We are already looking forward to our December Christmas cruise but will pack at least one light jacket.

 

[EPCOTatNight]

Have cruised in January and could not tell that it was Winter once we left PC. The coldest the water at CC has been for me was actually in May.