New to cruising - weather in Eastern Caribbean

J

jsdb

Guest
I am new to cruising and new to this forum. My wife and I are going on Royal Caribbean on the Navigator of the Seas on February 12, 2006 (I think that is the date). We will be leaving from Miami and cruising to San Juan, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and the Bahamas.
My question is - what can we expect the weather and water temperature to be like? I realize that weather isn't constant and can always be different, but what is the general feel for what the weather and water temperature are like? Will I need sweatshirts/sweaters? Is the water temperature warm enough to swim in and not be uncomfortable?
Thanks for any advice from experienced cruisers.
Jon
 
S

sailboat

Guest
Temperatures in your ports of call will be nice and hot with some spots (San Juan) feeling hotter than others. On average expect a range from a balmy 72 in the early part of the day or late evening to high of 90 with plenty of sunshine as February is also one of the driest months in that part of the world. Water temps are also warm, but if you are planning to snorkel or scuba for extended periods or get cold easily, you may want to add a partial wet suit (vest or pants) to your swimming gear. And of course, the water is going to feel cooler if you are out in the sun for awhile, just as it will in a swimming pool back home. When we snorkle, we always carry along an extra tee shirt in addition to sunscreen and a hat. You'll dry off naturally on the sail from the snorkel site back to the ship, and it feels good at some point near the end of the sail to pull on a clean dry tee shirt (since the one you wore out to the site is probably wet and wrinkled).

It's on the cruise ship that you might want to have a light sweater or shawl handy. Ships have air conditioning, which is great, but after a day in the sun can feel downright chilly at night, especially, for some reason, right after dinner.

The only reason I can think of to pack a sweatshirt is so you'll have something warm to wear if you are headed home to points north!
 
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