Western Caribbean cruise at end of September

[halfmonkey]

Hi. Wanted to get some feedback about weather and hurricane potential during the month of September on a Western Caribbean cruise. We're still in the planning phase for a future cruise and we're looking at end of Sept because our kids go to year-round school and have a 2 week fall break at the end of Sept. It's usually a great time for us to travel because most schools are just barely getting back to school from the beginning of Sept so less crowded and since it's considered a off-season time, prices are usually lower for everything. Weather is usually still pretty warm and can be hot at least in the parts of the country that we usually visit during this time of year. We've never been to the Western Caribbean so hoping someone with past experience or knowledge can chime in to share what the weather is usually like during this time of year in that area.

If we book a Sept Western Caribbean cruise, we would couple it with a visit to Disney World and leave out of Port Canaveral. Is the weather at Disney World during this time nice, humid, rainy, or hurricane prone? We're from California so I guess earthquakes don't bother us as much but hurricanes are not something we're used to so asking for everybody in our travel group.

The other option if September is rainier or more prone to hurricane weather is for us to go in March because we get two weeks off of school for spring break at the end of March.

 

[cvjw]

We took a western Caribbean cruise on the fantasy leaving 9/29/17. We sailed with a tropical storm. It rained in several of the ports. September is still hurricane season. We decided to only do eastern cruises in the fall from now on.

September at Disney world will be very hot still. It can also be very rainy. It is still my favorite time to visit the parks though because of the Halloween party and food and wine.

 

[fredandkell]

Eastern cruises are not immune to hurricanes. They were the ones most affected in September 2017 due to Irma. Basically you are taking a big risk sailing in September because that is hurricane season. If you have never been to either the eastern or the Western, then you probably will will be fine because what usually happens is if there is a hurricane in one part of the Caribbean, they usually switch the sailing to the other part of Caribbean. So in September 2017 all of the scheduled Eastern cruises became western cruises. If you’ve never been to either it’s not a big deal if they switch it on you. September and Disney World is very hot and very humid which is why they offer such good deals during that month. I have been during that time and lived to tell the tale ha ha but just know it is not going to be like California weather. Regardless definitely buy trip insurance because since you are flying, that is probably the big factor for delays if there is bad weather as opposed to the cruise itself which would like I said, generally sail to different ports around a hurricane or storm.

 

[Dug720]

Technically any time between June 1 and November 30 is hurricane season in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Yes, things often kick up in September/October, but they can happen at any time. Even outside of “season”.

 

[sukhakuli]

We have a similar school schedule and also live in California.

We've been to Disney World a lot in September. It is one of the hottest months there. Very humid. A lot of rain. I haven't cruised in that part of the world at that time (we leave at the end of this September for our cruise, with a week at WDW prior). There's definitely a storm risk. There was an El Nino this year, I'm sure you noticed the rain, lol, and that tends to prevent the hurricane season from being too bad. But that doesn't mean that there won't be any.

As an aside, we went to WDW in September during a very bad hurricane year. FL had just gotten through a pretty major one when we drove down, a lot of towns had no gas or power or places to stop for food, and another major hurricane was forcast to hit while we were there. At the last minute the track moved and it missed WDW. I guess everyone canceled their vacations because the park was completely empty our whole trip. We walked on every ride. I have pictures of the Magic Kingdom where you literally cannot see a single guest. But man, it was hot.

Lastly, you know DCL cruises out of LA and San Diego?

 

[CamColt]

We often sail during hurricane season mostly July or August (and once October). While we have had missed ports or had itinerary changes (ie San Juan instead of St Maarten), I would absolutely love the chance to go the end of Sept. The price is so much more affordable than the summer and the Captain will do everything possible to avoid bad weather. Really, any time of year you take your chances with missing ports (the only time we have missed CC was in Feb), and the chances of a cruise being cancelled all together, or drastically changed are rare. Yes, it can happen but not enough that I would worry about it...and I'm a worrier.

As for WDW, yes it will be hot, humid, probably with daily rain storms, but you will manage. We have been in WDW for a couple of hurricanes, and while we had to adjust for the weather, we still had a magical vacation! The biggest issue we had was getting home during Hurricane Erin in 1995. With some car rentals, and flight changes we still got home quicker than another time we were delayed, then ultimately cancelled, not due to a hurricane. My point is anything can happen any time so don't worry about hurricanes.

 

[meliscan]

We have sailed 6 times in hurricane season and we have been affected one time. Get cruise insurance. It's not a huge expense but so worth it if something happens. 2017 was a rough year and I know Disney (and other cruise lines) do all they can to adjust cruises so they don't have to cancel. I love my September cruises. It is cheaper, fewer kids (and I have a kid ) Nice weather.

I agree with a previous poster anything can happen so I wouldn't worry to much about hurricanes just take precautions.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

Purchase good insurance. We did an October Western Caribbean and ran smack-dab into Hurricane Sandy. What a ride !!!!

 

[VTNuke]

We sailed on the Fantasy on the Eastern loop last August last year and felt very lucky. If we had done it a week later, our trip would have been surrounded by 3 storms. The Fantasy was on the Western trip during the storms, so they didn't have an issue, but they wouldn't have had anywhere to go had they been on the Eastern trip. I don't think we'll be doing another cruise in July - October at this point. Even with insurance, it's just a big risk that we are willing to avoid.

 

[MomOTwins]

If you are at all worried about hurricanes... September-October is pretty much the worst time of year to go. Don't forget that even if your cruise is still able to go (or ends up being a "cruise to nowhere" where you spend the week on the ship in the port like what happened on DCL a couple of years ago), you might have trouble GETTING to Florida. I was traveling during hurricane season last year for work and there were a LOT of stranded travelers at the airport due to all the florida and gulf coast cancellations.

 

[lklgoodman]

Not sure when you go back to school after Christmas/winter break, but Jan is also a cheaper time for cruising. We've done 4 cruises (with a 5th already booked) in Jan-early March. It's also offseason and not hurricane season. We still get insurance though, we come from Ohio and never know if there will be a snowstorm, so far we haven't had any problems cruising at that time of year.

 

[halfmonkey]

Thanks for all of the feedback everybody. It sounds like we should stick with our original plan of trying to go in March. I really don't want to mess with the chance of a hurricane/tropical storm because of many factors such as motion sickness for wife, mother-in-law, my mom, and kids plus delays or even worse to have a 7 night cruise turn into a cruise to nowhere that a previous poster mentioned. We've been to WDW in March before and it was warm and humid and it also rained on us for one day for a couple of hours but we can manage that. I don't necessarily want to deal with rain everyday and the chance of a hurricane messing up a very expensive vacation.

With that being said, if anybody has been on both the eastern and western caribbean cruise, I'd like to hear your thoughts and opinions on which you like more and why. We went on the eastern already so curious to know if the western is better or if we should stick with the eastern and maybe try and find a cruise that hits other areas of the eastern caribbean that we didn't go to last time.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

We love the western for cultural and historical ventures. Eastern is great for beaches and sea wild life. Southern is the best of both.

 

[Aerodyne78]

We always go to Disney World in September (third week of the month to be exact). While it is still warm, it's nowhere near as hot as the earlier summer months. Plus, September crowds are less because of kids being in school. My daughter's school isn't year-round, but she gets a week long break every 6 weeks. The Fall/Halloween festivities are a blast, too. We love Mickey's Halloween Party. A heads up though: Star Wars opens up at the end of August in Hollywood Studios which will probably make that theme park packed - but we're hoping it'll make the other 3 parks a little less crowded.

 

[Jdawson9807]

We had a cruise booked for September 2017 and was completely cancelled because of Hurricane Irma (now my husband will not cruise September or October) even though hurricane season runs June-November. Hurricanes care more likely in September and October.


Disney World September and October are our favorite months to go. Its still hot but not as hot as peak summer months, its a not as busy with children just back to school, and it's Fall/Halloween time, and prices do seem to be a tad bit cheaper. It will rain...likely everyday however it is usually a mid afternoon 5 minute thunderstorm, great time to pop in to some stores for shopping or hop in line to an indoor quick ride (like it's a small world or pirates) rain will be done. We love Disney World in the fall