Diamond Princess cruising 17 Jan 2008 - weather etc

[Khepri]

We are a party of 7 from the UK. My daughter Sue is marrying Alan at 11 am on Sunday 20th, please give them a cheer if you are travelling at this time and you see them on the ship.

 

Has anyone cruised to Hawaii at this time of year? What will the weather be like, will the sea be very rough? Hoping it will be calm on Sunday. Bear in mind that we will be coming from a very cold England, will it be warm enough on the Islands for shorts etc. Any info would be gratefully received.:)

[shotei]

Hi Khepri,

 

My wife and I are also on the Jan 17 Diamond sailing. I don't know the answers to your questions, but there is a "Roll Call" discussion thread that you might be interested in at:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=586403

 

Marc

[beachchick]

We are a party of 7 from the UK. My daughter Sue is marrying Alan at 11 am on Sunday 20th, please give them a cheer if you are travelling at this time and you see them on the ship.

 

How lovely. What a wonderful cruise it will be.

 

Has anyone cruised to Hawaii at this time of year?

 

Not from the mainland, but we've been to Hawaii and also taken a Hawaii-only itinerary last December. It's a great time to visit and peak whale season.

 

What will the weather be like, will the sea be very rough? Hoping it will be calm on Sunday.

 

This is kind of a toughie because the ocean crossing could be anything from nice and calm to cool, rough, and choppy. It's more likely to be cool and rougher conditions in January than it is in May, but people report having nice conditions across the Pacific that time of year.

 

As for Hawaii. It is the rainier time of year (December through March/April) and you're more likely to have a possible storm and more rain than during other times of the year. OTOH, it can be very wet in May or October and it can be nice with only the usual daily showers in January or February. Our PoH cruise, we had some rain and showers, but no big storms. We had some wind, but nothing that forced the ship to miss a port. We had cooler air temps (mid to high 70s with a few days in the low 80s) and cooler water temps (low to mid 70s) than in the summer months (air highs: 80s and into the low 90s; water highs: low 80s). There is more rain on the windward (east) sides of the island (e.g., Hilo). The leeward sides can be quite dry most of the year (the Kohala coast on the BI gets a puny 12 inches of rain per year on average). There really aren't huge differences in the seasons.

Bear in mind that we will be coming from a very cold England, will it be warm enough on the Islands for shorts etc.

 

Well, with daytime highs in the 70s and 80s, I'd say yes. We certainly rarely wear long pants in Hawaii, even in the winter, unless we're going to altitude (when you really do need them). Compared to England (a lovely country to be sure), the climate will be very warm and toasty. Do bring a couple of lightweight sweaters, a pair of slacks, a lightweight rain jacket, and an umbrella. Unless a big storm comes in and parks over the islands (doesn't happen all that often, but it can), life in Hawaii pretty much goes on as usual during the normal brief showers. There have been visits where the only time we've worn a jacket at all was at elevation. Umbrellas are great for heavier showers, but for light ones, we just ignore them or duck into an outdoor-but-covered bar, restaurant, or what have you.

 

Any info would be gratefully received.:)

 

Hope you have a fantastic time.

 

beachchick

[Khepri]

Thank you 'shotel' for pointing me in the right direction for Roll Call and to 'beachchick' for the info on the weather. These message boards are fantastic - I dare not think of the number of hours I've been on the computer and I have learnt so much.:p

[CruisinMK]

Mid January is the roughest time of year for this Pacific crossing.

The closer you are to mid-january, the greater the odds of rough seas for the open ocean portion of your voyage.

 

Aside from greater chances of rough days... a rough january day is often a whole lot meaner than a rough day in another month.

[Khepri]

Oh dear! I must make sure I go prepared. On other posts Dramamine and Bonine have been mentioned for sickness. The tablets I use to cross the sometimes rough Irish Sea by ferry have Hyoscine Hydrobromide 0.3 mg per tablet what do other travellers consider the most effective. Has anyone used the Pressure Point wrist band, does it work?

[Khepri]

Oh dear! I must make sure I go prepared. On other posts Dramamine and Bonine have been mentioned for sickness. The tablets I use to cross the sometimes rough Irish Sea by ferry have Hyoscine Hydrobromide 0.3 mg per tablet what do other travellers consider the most effective. Has anyone used the Pressure Point wrist band, does it work?

 

I realise this is on the wrong thread and will transfer my question to the main Princess message board.