Is August OK for Western Caribbean?

[Tedferg]

I was looking at a Western Caribbean cruise in August and compared with Holland America. HAL only does Oct, Nov, Dec in Caribbean. Made me wonder if they avoid August etc.

[Wishing on a star]

Assume you are prepared for the heat!!!!!

[reedprincess]

Just now, Tedferg said:

I was looking at a Western Caribbean cruise in August and compared with Holland America. HAL only does Oct, Nov, Dec in Caribbean. Made me wonder if they avoid August etc.

All of the Caribbean and most of the Atlantic basin is under Hurricane seasons June through November..

 

August is, statistically, peak hurricane/storm season (along with September).  

 

Whether there will be a storm, in the exact areas you're due to be at the time your due there is anyone's guess, and statistically, unlikely. But a possibility.

 

If you're cool with the ship potentially changing itinerary last minute, and with hot and very humid weather - go for it.   The ship can move, and will - to avoid any storms. The ports and islands cannot - and may be unable to be visited, either due to current conditions or prior storm damages, etc..

 

Personally, I wouldn't hesitate if the date and times worked for me. Ships can move. Lol...

[memoak]

It will be hot. And I do mean hot

[Ken the cruiser]

The average temps in August don’t appear to be all that hot, although I do live in Alabama. 
 

 

We were on a Western Caribbean cruise on the Edge back in Aug 2021 and the weather was warm but not overly oppressive. My Live From thread is at the bottom of my expanded signature covers that cruise. 

[Tedferg]

Thanks, I had not thought about heat and humidity.

[tscoffey]

Besides having your itinerary adjusted for a pending storm (just before, or during your sailing), you have to allow for the possibility that ports can be changed if they were damaged by storms in the days/weeks before you are due to be there. 

[vakamalua]

Melt your face hot & humid!

[cr8tiv1]

Hurricane season (as reported) is June through November.  Hawaii was hit with a hurricane on November 30, 1982.  As for the Caribbean:

 

Early in the season, most lows/tropical depressions/hurricanes will form around the Yucatan Peninsula/Cancun.  

 

https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/17/weather/hurricane-season-gulf-coast-flooding/index.html

 

Mid season, July/August, you will get activity near Texas/Louisiana/maybe Florida panhandle and the Caribbean islands like Puerto Rico, Bahamas, etc.

 

Late in the season, hurricanes seem to veer up the Atlantic Coast (FLL/Miami, Carolinas, etc.) and as far north as New England.

Edited June 17 by cr8tiv1

[Host CJSKIDS]

August is fine for the Caribbean but many ships are deployed in Europe during that time frame which is why you don't see as much doing the Caribbean. 

 

It is hurricane season so the ship might have to change itineraries, there may be some rough seas if there is a storm and it will be HUMID, HOT and rainy season.  

It's still a great time to cruise and I would do it but know that things could change due to hurricane season.

[reedprincess]

1 hour ago, Ken the cruiser said:

The average temps in August don’t appear to be all that hot, although I do live in Alabama. 
 

 

We were on a Western Caribbean cruise on the Edge back in Aug 2021 and the weather was warm but not overly oppressive. My Live From thread is at the bottom of my expanded signature covers that cruise. 

It's really not all that excessively hot. 

We chuckle at those coming from States where it's over 110 or higher in August and their complaining about the heat while we're a balmy 88 or so, a good 20 degrees cooler than where they came from..  lol.

The humidity can be high, but at least on the islands, you're never more than a short drive to the ocean. And Ocean breezes are quite common and helpful in keeping things tolerable... 

 

[Mary229]

8 minutes ago, reedprincess said:

It's really not all that excessively hot. 

We chuckle at those coming from States where it's over 110 or higher in August and their complaining about the heat while we're a balmy 88 or so, a good 20 degrees cooler than where they came from..  lol.

The humidity can be high, but at least on the islands, you're never more than a short drive to the ocean. And Ocean breezes are quite common and helpful in keeping things tolerable... 

 

Yeah, well I live in Texas but I am from far south Louisiana.  There is nothing as oppressive as 95% humidity and it still isn’t raining. I have managed 114 here in Texas but once in the interior of Mexico in April I almost cried it was so oppressively hot and humid.  
 

to the OP pick a better month, August is awful

Edited June 17 by Mary229

[navybankerteacher]

13 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

Yeah, well I live in Texas but I am from far south Louisiana.  There is nothing as oppressive as 95% humidity and it still isn’t raining. I have managed 114 here in Texas but once in the interior of Mexico in April I almost cried it was so oppressively hot and humid.  
 

to the OP pick a better month, August is awful

Also, you could pick a better area to cruise-the Western Caribbean is the pits.

[Essiesmom]

HAL isnt in the Caribbean in August because the ships can make more money in Alaska and Europe.  EM

[Mary229]

8 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

HAL isnt in the Caribbean in August because the ships can make more money in Alaska and Europe.  EM

They avoid hurricane season too.  That saves a lot of agrravations and costs 

[SoloAlaska]

17 hours ago, Mary229 said:

Yeah, well I live in Texas but I am from far south Louisiana.  There is nothing as oppressive as 95% humidity and it still isn’t raining. I have managed 114 here in Texas but once in the interior of Mexico in April I almost cried it was so oppressively hot and humid.  
 

to the OP pick a better month, August is awful

Haha we are expecting up to 116 with humidex in Canada this week. I hate the heat so I am hiding inside with the air conditioning 24/7.

 

In August I’m much happier in Alaska but that’s just me hating the heat.

[Mary229]

3 hours ago, SoloAlaska said:

Haha we are expecting up to 116 with humidex in Canada this week. I hate the heat so I am hiding inside with the air conditioning 24/7.

 

In August I’m much happier in Alaska but that’s just me hating the heat.

Yea, it is Iceland for me this year. Alaska is so crowded this year. 

[momofmeg]

On 6/17/2024 at 12:46 PM, Tedferg said:

I was looking at a Western Caribbean cruise in August and compared with Holland America. HAL only does Oct, Nov, Dec in Caribbean. Made me wonder if they avoid August etc.

It would be very hot like 95F. We have done it before in July and it was pretty miserable. Autumn, winter, and spring much better although it can still be pretty hot in autumn and spring. Canada or Bermuda would be better for August.

[momofmeg]

22 hours ago, SoloAlaska said:

Haha we are expecting up to 116 with humidex in Canada this week. I hate the heat so I am hiding inside with the air conditioning 24/7.

 

In August I’m much happier in Alaska but that’s just me hating the heat.

 OMG I am so sorry. We have had some miserable 95F days this past week or so and I am dreading July here in GA. I have never felt 115 F. That must be godawful.

[runner15km]

Sea days with a nice breeze was tolerable but the land tours were exhausting until we got to a beach. 

[momofmeg]

On 6/17/2024 at 1:29 PM, Ken the cruiser said:

The average temps in August don’t appear to be all that hot, although I do live in Alabama. 
 

 

We were on a Western Caribbean cruise on the Edge back in Aug 2021 and the weather was warm but not overly oppressive. My Live From thread is at the bottom of my expanded signature covers that cruise. 

 That is just it. we have it that miserable right at home so why go anywhere like home. Just like the cruise we took to Italy and Croatia in June in 2012. It was very hot and humid most of the ports. I about died in Venice. It was beautiful there, but I felt I could not enjoy it much and I may as well be at home in Georgia. At least at home I could avoid the heat and stay in the air conditioning.  

 contrast that to northern Scotland in July 2022. I about froze to death there but still, after the heat at home it was a welcome change. So, guess what. If I had a choice between cruising Italy and the British Isles in summer, I would pick British Isles. 

[MBP&O2/O]

Personally I wouldn't touch it ... too many if's and buts for me.

As for heat ...  when in the Arabian Gulf, we used to upset new cadets by frying an egg on the steel deck ... 140F was par for the course. Sometimes hotter.  Minimal humidity ... just pure heat🙂

[leaveitallbehind]

On 6/17/2024 at 7:32 PM, Mary229 said:

They avoid hurricane season too.  That saves a lot of agrravations and costs 

As @Essiesmom indicates, it is more a matter of ship allocation and not so much weather avoidance, if at all.  HAL primarily focuses their Caribbean on the late fall and winter months as that is peak season in the Caribbean.  Alaska's peak season runs through August into September.  After that certain ships are repositioned to other regions for the different seasons, such as Alaska to the Caribbean.

 

With only 11 ships in the fleet serving a global market, positioning is typically seasonal for best allocation to capitalize on the best market timing and cruising demand.  This is common among many cruise lines, in particular those with a limited fleet size. This is not as much of a concern with larger fleet cruise lines who, in the Caribbean in particular, will have ships postioned there year round.

 

Keep in mind as well that hurricane season runs through November 30, which would still have HAL ships in the Caribbean exposed to a good portion of that.

 

Edited June 19 by leaveitallbehind

[Mary229]

6 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

As @Essiesmom indicates, it is more a matter of ship allocation and not so much weather avoidance, if at all.  HAL primarily focuses their Caribbean on the late fall and winter months as that is peak season in the Caribbean.  Alaska's peak season runs through August into September.  After that certain ships are repositioned to other regions for the different seasons, such as Alaska to the Caribbean.

 

With only 11 ships in the fleet serving a global market, positioning is typically seasonal for best allocation to capitalize on the best market timing and cruising demand.  This is common among many cruise lines, in particular those with a limited fleet size. This is not as much of a concern with larger fleet cruise lines who, in the Caribbean in particular, will have ships postioned there year round.

 

Keep in mind as well that hurricane season runs through November 30, which would still have HAL ships in the Caribbean exposed to a good portion of that.

 

I think hurricane season weighs heavily on their decision.  I have sailed them for many years and they have never sailed during hurricane season. If you look at their schedule it is closely aligned with hurricane season. 

[SoloAlaska]

20 hours ago, Mary229 said:

Yea, it is Iceland for me this year. Alaska is so crowded this year. 

That’s why I like Alaska in September. We are the only ship in port on my next cruise.

 

37 minutes ago, momofmeg said:

 OMG I am so sorry. We have had some miserable 95F days this past week or so and I am dreading July here in GA. I have never felt 115 F. That must be godawful.

It’s brutal. Where I live we get from -40 to 115 so it’s a huge range of temps.