Any suggestions for hot,humid weather

[greenolaker]

We are booked on the Voyager Singapore to Singapore cruise in December, 2019. I do not do well in heat and humidity. I’m seeking suggestions for things to use to stay cool while on excursions. I have cooling towels but is there anything that works better?  How cold are the cabins?  I like it to be very cold. Thanks. 

[ArtsyCraftsy]

I'm like you -- I don't do well in heat and humidity at all -- I have far too much insulation < ahem! >, but beyond that, I also have some health issues that are made worse by certain weather conditions.  

 

I just returned 10 days ago from a cruise on the Mariner that meandered through Central America and the Panama Canal and a few ports posed some significant challenges -- temps around 90 with 85-90% humidity.  When I went ashore, I carried cooling towels and a portable battery-powered person fan that helped.  But I didn't take excursions given that most involved extended periods in the heat (a lot of the busses were NOT air conditioned).  I know my limitations and I didn't want to risk it.

 

Regarding the indoor temperature in your cabin -- if the Voyager is like the Mariner, that is totally settable by you.  I, too, like a cooler temperature in my cabin, so I just set it colder and it worked fine.  Kept the cabin cool enough without a lot of variation in temp.  I would occasionally notice a slight rise in temp just before the air conditioning "kicked in" again (maybe a degree or two), but it was momentary, so I'm convinced the thermostat was fairly accurate.  No issues there at all.

 

Lana in Bellingham, WA

[OCruisers]

We deal with extremely hot & humid weather where we live every summer.

Hint:  Do NOT wear tight fitting clothes -- the looser ... the better!  

[SkystheLimit]

I wear loose fitting natural fiber clothes.  As a female I choose dresses.  Also use cooling neck scarves(place in the freezer of the mini frig. the night before),  wear vented wide brim hats, and secure my hair off the back of my neck.  I do not apply sunscreen to my face other than my nose.  Know this goes against recommendations but my face and pores have to breath. Keep hydrated drinking lots of water.  I pack  a small fan and use that in the cabin to keep air circulating.  It's about 6 inches in diameter.  Acquired it a Bed Bath and Beyond for $10.  The most important thing is realize you might be getting overheated.  If that happens, stop and go into overdrive cool down mode.  Do not keep going and think you are okay.

[greenolaker]

Thank you ArtsyCraftsy, OCruisers and SkystheLimit for all of your suggestions.  I always bring a small fan to help cool a hotel room as it never is as cold as I like it!  My husband suggested getting a small insulated freezer bag and putting freezer packs in it to take on excursions. Hope that the Voyager is like the Mariner and the mini frig has a freezer. And individual thermostats in the cabins. Putting the cooling towels in the freezer is a good idea. I have just soaked them in cold water in the past but they don't last that long. 

[Travelcat2]

I also have difficulty in hot, humid weather.  When we were in the Amazon last year I packed a thermos (not too big - kept it in a backpack) and filled it with ice before leaving on an excursion.  During the excursion I dispensed ice cubes into a small ice pack and put it on my wrist.  It was the most effective thing that I did.  Secondly, purchase a sun umbrella.  They are not expensive (available on Amazon and other places) and helps keep you cooler and the sun doesn't beat down on you directly.

 

For times when it is not extraordinary hot, I purchased an "Embr Wave" (product introduced last year) that I wear on my wrist and keeps me cool (alternatively, in Alaska, I used the heat portion and it kept me warm).  Unfortunately, it does not help much in extreme temperatures but it works great when the place you are at feels to warm.  Sometimes, for instance, Compass Rose gets really warm when it is full (to me 74 degrees inside is quite warm) and I use it to cool down.

 

With temperatures around the world rising, you would think that there would be more and more products on the market to cool us off.  

[greenolaker]

Thank you Travelcat2 for your suggestions. I was looking at Embr Wave but good to know it doesn't really work in extreme temperatures Unfortunately our Southeast Asia itinerary will most likely be very hot and humid but it is somewhere that we have wanted to visit.  I'm thinking we might just book private cars so I can escape to the a/c if I get too hot.  Good to know about the temperatures in the ship. I, too, think 74 is too warm. How was the cabin on the Voyager?  Glad to know I'm not the only one who has a problem with heat. Thanks,  Bonnie

[Hambagahle]

To lessen the impact of hot and humid weather - stay out of air conditioning.  The contrast is hard to handle.  Of course this is difficult on a ship which is totally AC'd and cold inside!  Personally I drink Apérol Spritzs which (a) cool me down and (b) allow me to forget the hot conditions (and the AC too...)

[Travelcat2]

1 minute ago, greenolaker said:

Thank you Travelcat2 for your suggestions. I was looking at Embr Wave but good to know it doesn't really work in extreme temperatures Unfortunately our Southeast Asia itinerary will most likely be very hot and humid but it is somewhere that we have wanted to visit.  I'm thinking we might just book private cars so I can escape to the a/c if I get too hot.  Good to know about the temperatures in the ship. I, too, think 74 is too warm. How was the cabin on the Voyager?  Glad to know I'm not the only one who has a problem with heat. Thanks,  Bonnie

When we were in Asia on the Voyager last April, we kept our suite quite cool - the air conditioning worked just fine.  We'll be on the Voyager again next month but will be in cooler weather (thankfully).  

 

I guess there are a. lot of us that feel too warm,  It's about 58 degrees right now where we live and I'm about to go shopping in flip flops and a light cotton jacket (and light pants and top of course)

Jackie

[Wendy The Wanderer]

In SE Asia, we were doing a private tour.  Ah, those lovely cool vans with ice water and cool cloths whenever we came back!  I'm thinking the ice is a good idea.  

 

You'd be surprised how common parasols are in Asia (umbrellas.) Our guide while in Bangkok always had one.

 

I also wore a sarong-like long skirt while touring the Buddhist sites in Thailand and Laos.  It was not only respectful, but it was cool.

 

I frankly found that going out in the mornings and evenings was the only thing that did the trick in some places.  Of course, on a cruise, you have the lovely cool ship to go back to.

[gnomie1]

I am not sure how much you want to spend, but there are new high tech cooling vests that you may want to investigate. Previously these were quite bulky but with new technology, the weight and bulk has been reduced substantially (unfortunately, the newer technology products tend to be among the more expensive). Some MS patients (as well as other patients with varying medical conditions) require these vests in order to tolerate heat and humidity so you might want to check out various web sites that rate these type of vests and the requirements to not only get them cold, but how long they remain cold.

 

gnomie

[JMARINER]

For your cabin. Keep the drapes closed all the time. Never leave the balcony door open. Keep all the light off  when not in the cabin. Unplug any laptops. Never have the hall door and balcony door open at the same time as the draft thru the room will heat/humidity the room up in seconds.

 

Tell the steward/ess to be sure that the TV is off, lights out and drapes closed when they are finished cleaning.

If you think the room is too warm or humid, complain early in the cruise. There are thing they can do such as adjust the dampeners. 

 

Some of the Voyager balcony doors seals are old and leak in hot air. So check the door and if you feel a draft call and get it fixed asap.

 

J

 

[forgap]

Also, if you have a good camera be sure to take precautions as you go from AC to heat/humidity and back.   After a very expensive repair, the camera doctor told me to put the camera in a baggie with those little sachets that absorb moisture.  Keep the camera in the bag until it comes up to temp or cools down.   This method also applies to cold climates and heated interiors.  

[greenolaker]

Thank you Wendy the Wanderer for the umbrella tip

 gnomie1 for the cooling vest. I will definitely look into it.

JMARINER for all the cabin tips. Hope I don’t need them and we have a freezing cold cabin!!

and forgap for the great camera tips. I stopped using my camera and just use my IPHONE now. 

 

Bonnie 

 

 

[RachelG]

To keep your room cooler, keep the drapes closed during the day when you are out and about.  You will need to tell your butler or room steward you specifically want them kept closed.

 

we were in Singapore , Vietnam, etc in February, and it didn’t seem that hot or humid to me at all.  Actually it was quite comfortable (and that was with my arm in an immobilizer due to breaking my shoulder the day before we were to fly out for the cruise.). We live in Oklahoma though and are used to 100F+ temps in the summer, so anything less than 90F is totally comfortable to us.

[greenolaker]

Thanks RachelG   for the tip. How awful to break your shoulder before leaving for the cruise. We were in Israel on a private land tour two years ago and I fell and broke my pelvis the 2nd day of our trip. Our guide brought a wheelchair and I managed to do most of what we had planned!

[RachelG]

33 minutes ago, greenolaker said:

Thanks RachelG   for the tip. How awful to break your shoulder before leaving for the cruise. We were in Israel on a private land tour two years ago and I fell and broke my pelvis the 2nd day of our trip. Our guide brought a wheelchair and I managed to do most of what we had planned!

Pelvis would be even worse.  At least I could walk.