Sailing during hurricane season and other questions.

[JohnT]

We are looking at an October sailing, what can we expect as far as weather and numbers of passengers on the ship, also would you suggest western Caribbean or Eastern Caribbean and best port, Miami or Galveston?

[AshleyDillo]

October is typically part of the slow season so you can typically expect less crowds and lower cruise prices.  Usually some good last minute deals for those who can take advantage.

The weather is a lot more comfortable with less heat and humidity but it is still plenty warm enough to get into the water for activities. Ships can navigate around any impending tropical storms, so hurricanes are usually non issues unless they are directly affecting ports of call or the embarkation/debarkation ports.

I've never sailed out of Galveston but Miami typically has more options. If tropical weather was to impact a port, sailing out of Florida there are a lot of alternative places the ship could go if Miami was under direct threat of a storm. I wouldn't let it being hurricane season impact your decision of where to go or what port to sail from. Consider the big picture such as what ships, price, ease of getting the port, etc., in making your ultimate decision.

 

[tonyfsu21]

15 minutes ago, JohnT said:

We are looking at an October sailing, what can we expect as far as weather and numbers of passengers on the ship, also would you suggest western Caribbean or Eastern Caribbean and best port, Miami or Galveston?

Always Miami or Port Everglades. October is beautiful in the Caribbean. Don’t let Hurricane season deter you. 

[twangster]

October can be a great time to sail since it is off peak except for one or two weeks depending how fall breaks go for different school systems.  

Galveston vs. Miami - Galveston is farther from the nearest airports so higher transfer costs for fly in guests.  Miami is the cruise capital of the world.  Galveston is more comparable to Port Canaveral and flying into Orlando.  

Galveston itineraries typically include more sea days because you are starting from a more northerly position and all itineraries have to traverse the Gulf of Mexico.  Florida is right next to the Bahamas and much closer to the Caribbean so you'll find greater diversity and many itinerary choices from Florida.  

[steverk]

I live near Galveston,  so I prefer that port, but Miami is probably better for someone flying in. 

I  wouldn't let hurricane season affect your decision.  Just book your air through royal Caribbean air2sea to reduce your risk. (If a hurricane did threaten your departure port, air2sea would get your flight fixed so you won't miss the cruise) 

If you're still afraid of hurricanes, Miami is more exposed and statically more likely to be hit FWIW. 

[Zacharius]

13 minutes ago, steverk said:

(If a hurricane did threaten your departure port, air2sea would get your flight fixed so you won't miss the cruise) 

They will do their best. They are not going to schedule new flights, and if there are 10,000 people trying to get out on 8,000 seats, some people are going to be left out. These are just made-up numbers, of course, but there's no 100% guarantee they're going to get you to your cruise. They'll say they can, but when push comes to shove the fine print shows there are times when they just won't be able to. That's the minority of the time, but just something always at least be aware of. 

[twangster]

The reality is the vast majority of cruises during the entire hurricane season execute normally.  

Winter storms occur too.  They can cause ports to be skipped and waters can be rougher in the middle of winter compared to hurricane season.  

I understand the big scary sounding nature of hurricanes and for the area where a strong hurricane makes landfall it can be very impactful.  As the cruise lines say our ships have propellers and we can move them out of the way.  The biggest impact, if there is any impact to a cruise tends to be embarking and disembarking.  The vast majority of those go as planned even during hurricane season.  Ports of call on a cruise itinerary can be changed all year long and while a few cruises might see an itinerary change, the vast majority do not.  Some ports have other weather events like fog in Tampa and Galveston that can cause much greater impact compared to hurricanes on a yearly basis.  

Some of my best cruises have been during hurricane season and in October specifically.  All year long you need to have some flexibility and patience to cruise as ports of call can and do change all the time.  If it will be devastating and ruin your vacation if one port changes, the "I had my heart set on XYZ, it's why I booked the cruise" complaint, then maybe cruising isn't the best way to see XYZ.