A newbie looking to cruise in August..

[sweetu4ria]

Hi everyone, my name is Nina and I'm from NY. My husband, myself, my daughter (15) and her friend are looking to go on a cruise in August. My daughters birthday is Sept. 1st and this vacay would be instead of a 'sweet 16'. But I'm worried about some things.. I'm worried that it's Hurricane season during that time and although you can't guarantee weather anywhere at anytime, I dont want our vacation being a total washout. Unfortunatey our family doesn't take many vacations (last one being a drive down to Florida, almost 4 years ago) and we're all ready for one, soon!! The other part of it is, my daughter is a Cancer survivor and we really want to give her what she wants.. We can't afford a big extravagant party so this was her next choice and I don't want to disappoint her, but I'm torn, not sure what to do with the whole 'hurricane season' thing, etc.. We had also figured we'd sail out of NY to save some $$. Any input you can give me would be much appreciated. I hope I've posted this in the right section, I apologize if I didn't. Thanks :) Nina

[retired rascal]

If you can get to Seattle on Jet Blue or Southwest which are reliable and reasonable, I'd go to Alaska...much better than anywhere else at that time of the year....otherwise I'd look to go north to new england and canada.

[fsuhockette]

What a fabulous idea! Making a weeks worth of memories with a fabulous family vacay!

 

My husband & I took an Alaskan cruise and I would not recommend it. Its cold & blah. If you ever want to go to AK I'd just fly to Anchorage and rent an RV. IMO. My family has a home in AK and I've been numerous times. I cannot imagine a 16yo girl enjoying it. Who wants to don parkas, scarfs and boots in August?! ;)

 

We also took a cruise on the Epic last September 25th and the weather was lovely. But you're right, you just never know. However, if you look at the other weeks when the weather was iffy where the boat was headed; they just altered the itinerary. They wont put you in danger and will still do all they can to ensure you get a good/safe vacay. Last summer/fall the boat did Western instead of Eastern or vice versa when necessary. I'd not hesitate to book it and just let it fly.

 

PS - congrats to your daughter!! I'm a CML survivor of 2y6m, myself. :)

[fshagan]

What a great idea for a sweet 16 birthday gift! I think going to the Caribbean is probably the right choice if your daughter likes activities like snorkeling, swimming, etc. It is usually hot and sunny there in the summer.

 

They try to stay out of the way of storms so no one gets injured, so the risk is really small of that happening. But you are right; you can have your itinerary disrupted. We've had ports cancelled, and couldn't visit NCLs private island because of weather. We "go with the flow" and always enjoy ourselves, so it doesn't bother us.

 

That being said, at least the cruise lines try to compensate with alternatives. There are sure to be other teens on board, and teen activities your daughter and friend will enjoy, even if you miss a port.

 

If her health issues preclude water sports and other "fun in the sun" activities, then a New England cruise from NYC might also be appropriate.

 

Saving the airfare is certainly a way to reduce the cost (we find airfare to be almost as much as the rest of the vacation, and flying is such a hassle these days).

[cantwait2cruise926]

What a great idea for a sweet 16!!

We sailed out of NY and NJ and both were great if you're from the area. Royal Caribbean as well as NCL (maybe Carnival too, i'm not sure) both leave from those ports. Our first cruise we sailed Aug 11th and that was fine and our 2nd cruise was Aug 17th and though we experienced a storm (it wasn't a hurricane) and didnt affect us at all. Though you can't predict a hurricane, the ships are diverted as best as possible. Just be aware that in case there is a hurricane you may not stop at one of the ports on your intinerary.

Every one of our land vacations has been disturbed by a hurricane or tropical storm. It usually blows in and messes up one day but leaves fairly quickly and by the following day we were out on the beach enjoying ourselves.

IMO a rainy day on vacation is better than a rainy day at home :)

[bakerintn]

If there was a hurricane around when your cruise takes place, probably the worst that would happen is a few days with lots of clouds and some rain. But...you can get the same thing without an actual hurricane, too.

 

I would not worry about safety because of weather, but I would be prepared to not have perfect weather every day and maybe even have your itinerary changed a bit.

 

Historically, hurricanes have been just about everywhere in the Caribbean as shown in this image.....but they come one at a time, so it is fairly easy to be where they are not.

[patseacruiser]

I went on ncl jewel last September 4. The cruise coming back before us was very rough running ahead of a storm. Our cruise was as smooth as glass. There is no way to predict but the ships stay out of harms way and you'll still have a great time.

[sweetu4ria]

Thanks for all the information, guys!! I so appreciate any and all of it :) We def don't want a cruise to Ak or Ca.. Our Winters are way to cold and gray here in NY, there's no way we want to do that for once every 4 year vacay! We def want white sandy beaches, palm trees and exotic drinks!! You guys def made me feel better about cruising that time of year.. It's not the safety I was worried about too much it's more of wet rainy vacation. I just didn't wanna get caught up in bad weather and be stuck on a ship and not out by the pool or something.. That's always been my fear when going anywhere, lol.. Who wants to go on vacation and have gray skies? Not me!!

[screwcork]

If you can find cheap flights, you should go to Europe! Go to the Med if you want nice wheather - without hurricanes, and to Northern Europe for beautiful sights!

 

Screwcork

[fiftyguy]

Sweetu4ria - would you consider Bermuda out of NY? It is a nice trip with two and a half days on the island. There is plenty of things to do with your daughter from sightseeing to jetskis. In the event of bad weather they sometimes divert to the Bahamas which isn't a bad second option.

Good luck with your planning and my best to your daughter for her continued good health.

[smrtypnts]

I too live in NY and going out of NY is very appealing, due to the proximity thing and not having to fly, etc. BUT, it is not cheaper. Look at both a cruise out of NY (or Bayonne if you want RCCL) and you'll see that the NY cruises are approximately $250pp more than the ones out of Florida. Therefore if you add the airfare at approximately $250pp then it becomes the same price. If you want to avoid the hassle of a flight, then NY is a great option, especially to Bermuda. Bermuda is an expensive port, however and a cruise to Florida and the Bahamas would probably be less expensive, if that's a consideration (I imagine it is, since you only vacation every few years). That said, I personally would go for the flight and take a cruise out of Florida to either Eastern or Western Caribbean. We've done Western, where I think there is more to do than shop and lay on the beach, but if beautiful beaches is your priority then Eastern would probably be a better fit for you and your family. Good luck and have fun!!

[camz]

We have sailed to Bermuda in August the past three years in a row. We had calm seas and beautiful weather each time. However, there were other cruises around our time which were less fortunate. Weather is impossible to predict. However, there are many activities that keep you busy on the ship. Also, if you haven't been on vacation for awhile, I am sure you will be happy just getting away. Bermuda is amazing. :)

[mitsugirly]

I was going to suggest Bermuda as well. Beautiful beaches, snorkeling, and I hear it is suppose to be one of the best vacation spots. Plus the added fact that (depending on how long your cruise is) you dock and stay there for 2 or 3 days and you can come and go off the ship whenever you'd like. No hassles on trying to get everything done in a certain amount of time before having to be back on the ship at a certain time.

 

We sailed last year in September and the weather was beautiful every day. But we went a few weeks after a hurricane and there were multiple hurricanes during that time. Just be assured that they will steer the ship clear of them. I have been on a cruise before in bad weather and even not able to dock because of the high waves. There are still a lot of things to do on the ship.

 

Go and have a wonderful vacation. You deserve it and happy sweet 16 to your daughter and a very healthy future. :)

[crystalaziza]

Sweetu4ia- My heart goes out to you & your daughter. I am myself a breast cancer servivor of going on 8 years now. Let me tell you the ONLY good thing that came out of it was cruising. At the time I was 44 & never ever been on any kind of vacation. I decided after I was diagnosed in Nov. of 2003 I was gonna see things befor I left. Less than a year later My husband, my now 11 year old son, & I left on our first cruise. Now my son & I go atleast twice a year. I've learned to just do what you want & don't worry about what "could" happen, cause it might "not happen" , then you have possibly lost out. Just take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy yourselves. Good Luck, and Hugs & Kisses to your daughter.

[cruiser1955a]

We sailed the Spirit last Sept 14, planning to see Bermuda. This was our first cruise. For more than a week prior to our cruise, we watched news reports of IGOR, the strongest hurricane in years, slowly crossing the Atlantic. 2 days before our cruise date, they were already predicting that it would hit Bermuda with full-force on the very day we were to dock. We were not advised of any change in itinerary prior to arriving at the cruise terminal. Needless to say, we were very concerned about having a dissapointing cruise experience.

 

Upon boarding, we were handed a written notice that our ship would be heading to Port Canaveral, FL., then on to Nassau, rather than our scheduled visit to Bermuda. Let me tell you......We had a wonderful time ! The ship was rocking as we skirted past IGOR, but not enough to ruin our cruise. We had sun & warm air for the whole cruise. There are so many things to keep you busy on the ship, you can't help but have fun (even if you are a teen). We got to see ports we never expected to see. And now we get to look forward to seeing Bermuda on our next cruise.

 

Bottom line..........Book the cruise. You can't NOT have a great time. Your daughter & her friend will have the BEST time they've ever had, no matter what happens with the weather. Give them some freedom on the ship and they'll surely make their own fun. I can't even imagine what you and your family has gone through (thank God). Don't let the small stuff interfere with your daughters's sweet 16 cruise.