What is more rough in the caribbean in January?

[just4steven]

I understand storms, different days, different wind, heck even different moods people wake up in :rolleyes: but I was just wondering on average what people thought was more rough or what they have experienced.

 

I've only been on a 7 day Western Caribbean out of Tampa and other than a few hours on the going and coming sea days it was pretty smooth. The rough part both sea days was right around where the caribbean sea meets the gulf of mexico. This was on the Legend by the way, so a smaller ship.

 

I am going on the Valor Southern caribbean this coming January and it had me curious as I have stayed on all the USVI islands the last couple of years, but never cruised there. Has anyone every noticed rough seas on January cruises that at least include St Thomas, San Juan, St Maarten? I know when we rent a condo in January the beaches can be hit or miss this time of year with the "Christmas winds" and was not sure if that made a difference on the ships or not. In fact the last time we stayed on St Thomas we went over to Trunk Bay on St John twice and both times the snorkel trail was closed to rough seas and there was literally almost no beach! The waves pretty much sucked up all the sand! I'm guessing on cruise ships in the nearby areas it had to have been kind of rocky?

 

I am just rambling on here and I really don't have a point to make, I am just curious what others have seen in January. I do not get sea sick (at least not yet!), but I find the high seas kind of interesting. And as I said at the beginning, I know every day can be different, but from a storm standpoint January is not going to be that different for the most part, but I know the winds can vary greatly day to day.

 

Has anyone had some rough sea days in Jan/Feb throughout any part of the Caribbean? Oh and I am new to cruising but I thought it was the coolest thing at night with the crowds pretty much gone, sitting at the lido bar sipping on a drink, almost no one around and the air was awesome seeing all the stars, and this was a sea day when we were right where the Gulf meets the caribbean sea, and it was just the coolest thing watching all the pool water splash out and realizing how much we are actually tilting back and forth! Pretty cool :cool:

 

Oh, and I'm not looking for "death and destruction type" videos from youtube on heavy storm days, lol, already have seen all of them. Basically just looking for general conversation on what people have experienced in all parts of the Caribbean on different ships but in January or February. If you had a super smooth cruise I'd like to hear about that too! As I said my Legend cruise last January was pretty much incredibly smooth the entire time other than the few hours on the sea days I mentioned. To me it was so cool being on an "official" bigger ship for the first time and just seeing how we basically glided through the waves for the most part and you couldn't even tell you were at sea :)

 

 

Thanks!

[Cruisin 4 Ever]

I sailed to San Juan and St. THomas last January and the seas were completely calm. It was a beautiful time of year to sail.

[Homosassa]

If you are leaving from east coast Florida ports and are going to the Bahamas as a first port, it can be rough crossing the Gulf Stream.

 

Anytime you are going against a strong current it can be rough. Sailing south along the west coast of the USA. sailing south from east coast northern ports, and sailing against Gulf of Mexico currents are a few examples.

[dolfndreams]

I only have my experience, like you said anything can happen; but I'm going in January, on my 4th time on the Southern Itinerary from San Juan (3 times on Victory) and this time on the Valor. If I remember right one was early January, mid and the last was the last part of January. The weather has been perfect and no rough seas so far. A bit of rain in San Juan on two of the years, but just passing showers.

 

Crossing my fingers for the same for the 4th sailing.

 

Actually January has become my favorite travel month, not to cold, not to hot. Counting down the days to my favorite itinerary. St. Thomas, Barbados, St. Kitts, St. Lucia and St Maarten

[just4steven]

I only have my experience, like you said anything can happen; but I'm going in January, on my 4th time on the Southern Itinerary from San Juan (3 times on Victory) and this time on the Valor. If I remember right one was early January, mid and the last was the last part of January. The weather has been perfect and no rough seas so far. A bit of rain in San Juan on two of the years, but just passing showers.

 

Crossing my fingers for the same for the 4th sailing.

 

Actually January has become my favorite travel month, not to cold, not to hot. Counting down the days to my favorite itinerary. St. Thomas, Barbados, St. Kitts, St. Lucia and St Maarten

 

crossing my fingers too and this is what I was looking forward to hearing :)

 

As I said I have only been on one cruise, a 7 day in January and all I can say is if everything continues to go the same weather wise, late January is definitely the time to go! A couple brief downpours in Roatan, but that was at the end of the day and just beautiful the rest of the time. And you said it best when you said "not to cold, not to hot". It was amazing that every port was about 80.5 degrees and water temps 81.2, you couldn't ask for better!

 

Oh, I'm getting off my main subject here of bumpy caribbean boat rides, lol. And thanks everyone for the other responses, that is interesting about the Bahamas gulf stream but that makes sense. The good news is I do not have any plans of hitting the Bahamas in January, thanks again everyone.

[OCruisers]

We almost always take a Caribbean cruise the January/February time frame and have normally had calm seas. :)

LuLu

[cb at sea]

You can feel seas over 10 ft....on almost any ship! You can't tell by "season" what the seas will be...it's dependent on winds, and frontal systems....rough or calm...no one knows, or has control over it!