I haven't cruised in July and August in the Caribbean and your video makes it clear I shouldn't! :) Weather (and heat) are always an issue at that time of year. I'm glad cruising with kids is no longer an issue for us, and we can pick our cruises during non-school vacation weeks. We loved our August trips to Alaska and Norway!
There are no vacation weeks where schools are in. We've booked Jewel for September 29th sailing. There can't be many schools out already end Sept. Or so we thought. However..... our facebook group for this sailing is full of people with kids of all ages. Not sure if they are all homeschooled but there are a lot. Many more than I would have thought.
Gentlemen: What did you expect? Cruising in August, eating alfresco, School break! I live in Florida, and I know heat. This was not really the ship's fault - it's a premium ship but, I'm sorry, your choices were wrong.
Ive always cruised off season. I’ve never wanted to cruise during hurricane season, or during the summer when there’s a lot of people and kids. Cruise when you can just have fun and be safe. If you are going to cruise during the summer, stay hydrated, wear sun block and take breaks from the heat.
Guys, I really enjoy your channel, but this one was a bit unfair. It gives the impression before you watch it that people were dissatisfied with the ship or the cruise line. Something wrong with the food… When you travel at the end of the summer, you should expect sky-high temperatures and rain.
I totally agree… I thought this video was going to be more about the Beyond than about the weather… My husband and I definitely prefer the solstice class ships… Glad we tried the Beyond but probably would not go back on the edge class ship… Nice that we all have choices to make🚢
@@lw3158 don’t watch them , instead of Complaining on them, I think they are a Very Honest Couple, I would never go on a Cruise at all, But that’s way to many people,
1. Will only cruise Caribbean in late fall & winter. 2. Will eat indoors if cruising when outdoors is hot! 3. Will avoid cruising at peak times such as school break time. 4. Will avoid being outside on extremely hot days and use sunscreen if have to be out. 5. Will carefully consider season and possibility of bad weather and related "what ifs." Will have adequate insurance that covers weather related situations. 6. Will cruise Europe in summer but avoid AUGUST which is month many Europeans also vacation.
I live on the gulf coast of Florida near Clearwater, I walked out of my house today and got hit in the face with the humidity which raises the feels like temperatures to well over 100 degrees in the sun. July and August are the two worst months of the year to be in this part of the world.
Sounds like the complainers did zero research before booking. News flash. It's hot in the summer in the Caribbean. News flash #2, all cruises are packed
That was some very good advice! Being new to cruising, I always wondered about the various elements you talked about. Thankfully, we decided to book our 1st cruise in mid-to-late October, which should help with the extreme weather conditions. Great video! I really learned a lot! Thank you.
It was 100+ F here in Dallas the past weeks so low 90s with a Caribbean breeze sounds nice. The crowds on the other hand is why we usually opt for Oct/Nov.
Celebrity is our cruise line of choice - I've done 25+ cruises on this line. We love the Edge class ships. I also live 30 minutes from the Ft Lauderdale port. What do people expect when they book a southern Caribbean cruise in the middle of summer? People need to do their homework - it's HOT! You don't want hot weather then go north up to Canada or northern Europe. You don't want crowded ships then don't go during summer vacation time. I have no pity for these people. I'm also a travel agent and would warn my clients about summer cruising in the Caribbean.
Most of these sound like general reasons not to cruise in the summer, not specifically on Celebrity Beyond. People have the option to choose when and where they cruise, so, I chock this up to 'lessons learned'.
My husband and I almost ALWAYS try and get a trip warm weather trip in during the first 2-3 weeks of December (Mexican Riviera/Sea of Cortez) - for the same reasons you mentioned. Fewer crowds, fairly decent pricing, and for us -- fewer kiddos! It really is a great time to travel, plus your coworkers will be happy to take the weeks around Christmas off and cover you earlier in the month!
I am at TA with 60 cruises under my belt. I just got off the enchanted princess and I agree with everything you said. The heat was agonizing every day and I have never seen such crowds it was horrible. Your listeners must understand this is not a diss on the Beyond which I idolize like a religion. It is the idea of sailing In the summer no matter what the line.
totally agree. Also, as a former travel agent, I'll just enjoy the ship when everyone else goes ashore. Just to veg out and relax, no cooking, no phone calls, spa days.
Hi! Jordan I was on the same cruise with you !! Summer cruise is good for me because my birthday is in August !! It was definitely very hot especially in Grand Cayman it felt like 112 degrees. It was my first time sailing on Celebrity beyond and I had a blast ! So would I sail again in August yessss!!!
Hi guys!!! DH and I have been full-time resident of South Florida for the past 43 years and frequent cruisers for the last 34 of those years. Have never, and will never, take a summer Caribbean cruise! Too hot, too expensive, too crowded, too many kids. And, for us, "summer" also includes September because it is still beastly hot and humid, and usually the worst month of hurricane season. We also try to avoid Xmas/New Years and Spring Break Caribbean cruises because they are very expensive, very crowded and also have too many kids. By contrast, almost every year we take a Caribbean cruise either in November or during the first two weeks of December. We also take lots of long shoulder season cruises, including many transatlantic and transpacific cruises, in the spring and fall.
Hey Jordan! Yep, I will never, ever sail in July nor August ever again. I got severely sunburned, and it was way too hot. Much love to you and Jared, and see y’all next year ❤
Just got off the Beyond at the end of June. It was the President’s Cruise and Celebrity did it up royally. Great time, good pricing. We usually don’t sail in the summer (except Europe), but really enjoyed this one. Generally agree with y’all about summer sailings. Glad you guys are OK. Keep up the good work.
Just cruised the Caribbean in July for the first time and would not do it again. It was way too hot! I nearly passed out just trying to get back to the Wonder from Coco Cay! I will say that Wonder didn’t feel full (we sailed at 137% capacity) until you needed an elevator at busy times, or when trying to enter the MDR for My Time. We have a child in middle school and usually cruise Spring Break, but friends were going in July. If you HAVE to cruise in the summer, esp the Caribbean, go as early as you can. Late May or in June. Don’t wait for the heat of July or August!
@@dlgregory35if you bring 2 kids with 2 adults in the same cabin, that is considered 200% capacity for that cabin. A full cabin is 2 people. So it is absolutely possible to have greater than 100% ship-wide.
I love your videos, as you share the good and the bad. I want to go to the Caribbean but will avoid the hurricane season. I don't mind heat. Thanks for the tip about best times to cruise this area.
When I was a yound travel agent centuries ago, I was on a cruise when Hugo decided to bless us with his presence. We were asked to take our high heels off, hold on and have fun. We did. (We also went west at high speed).
Meanwhile, I thrive in the heat and hate cold gusts of AC constantly blasting me. This sounds like heaven. I have less love for crowds, though. A private balcony to get away from the crush is a must.
We rarely travel in the summer. We live in Arizona so the last thing we want is more heat! Our favorite time to travel is Spring, Fall and Winter. We have a cruise planned in Oct - New York through New England to Halifax and back. Also leaving the U.S. on Christmas Eve for London. Those are our kind of trips!!
We've only ever cruised in the Caribbean in January, February and early March. I love going someplace tropical in the dead of winter. But you are absolutely about cruising in Alaska in the summer. We went two years ago (in August) and had a great time.
Never sailing the Caribbean in summer, I don’t like vacationing on the surface of the sun 😂. We like the week before Thanksgiving or in January. I agree with your summer cruise recommendations! We did Alaska the end of May and the weather was great, only rained a bit one day.
Cruise about every other year, always in summer as I work in a school and the kids have off. It is always more crowded, hotter, and the weather is a risk, but we have also been at Disneyworld when a hurricane went by too, so any Caribbean vacation is a risk with weather and will be more crowded in the summer. Did Alaska last year, and the weather was great, but Alaska is always more pricey, especially in the flights. In short, if you vacation in the summer in the Caribbean, be ready for heat, crowds, risky weather, and pay up! I can't wait to retire and when the kids are out of the house to cruise in October/November!
Years ago, I went to Disneyworld around July 4th with my brother, sister in law and niece and nephew. I learned then about the extreme sun and heat. I learned my lesson and won't do a Caribbean cruise or do a themepark at this time of year.
Agree on Norway. Beautiful people and a beautiful country. We went last year for a 9 night cruise and fell in love. This year? 20 nights. There's getting to be more and more pushback on cruising there, but not nearly as much as Amsterdam (hot mess).
Hi I enjoy cruising but no way in the summer months! I agree with your time frames. I take time to research weather etc as well before booking. Thanks JJ cruise ❤
We always cruise in October and March. Not as warm. We live in South Mississippi so summers are brutal so we enjoy cooler weather. Love the channel guys happy sailing
Very interesting. We were onboard August 4-10th with a group of 15 other people. Most of us really enjoyed it. Only complaints were the ship was pretty noisy for a Celebrity cruise.
Only cruised once in the summer in our 30 cruise plus history. Only reason was an April cruise on Empress of the Seas was cancelled for extended drydock and rebooked at the same price later on. Have to add January cruises can be decent priced also. Most have been the first 2 weeks of December though. Don't let the secret out ..😅
We cruised on the Celebrity Beyond in November/December 2023 on a similar itinerary to yours and thoroughly enjoyed the ports. However, it was the ship that would likely prevent us from booking it again. We normally cruise on Royal Caribbean (Diamond Plus level) and we found ourselves comparing the experience on the Beyond to Royal Caribbean ships and coming in second. We found the dining not up to what we were used to, especially in the buffet. The internet was slower than Royal Caribbean unless you upgraded to a premium package. We found we liked the entertainment on Royal Caribbean better. The number 1 thing that we didn't like was that it was impossible to get an outside view from the front of the ship unless you were a suite guest! For these reasons, we would think twice before booking an Edge Class ship again.
I just finished an ABC islands cruise today. It was indeed hot. But the ABC islands are nearly on the equator. They're always hot! That said, they're the nicest islands in the Caribbean. Hurricanes were a concern, but did not impact this sailing. However, the one that followed had the itinerary changed due to potential storm Ernesto. I was surprised by the number of kids and first time sailors on this ship. Royal Caribbean is a great line for families, but Rhapsody of the Seas lacks the toys that make Royal famous. I suspect that lots of families on Puerto Rico decided to try cruising before school starts next week. The ship is home port in San Juan PR and it's cheap, so they went. I hope they weren't too disappointed
Just did a family cruise this past week. I think I saw you two in FLL on 8/10 going the opposite direction of me. This was the only week that worked with my kids and all of our schedules. I prefer winter cruising by far but had to take what I could get for my kids first time. Next year maybe we'll do Alaska in July. Great video as always.
The heat is a part of my vacations. I'm from Atlanta and I can't stand cold weather; I need evening temps above 70 and day time temps above 85 (at least) to really feel like I'm on vacation. When the temps fall below 60, I don't even want to be outside.
Doing Iceland and Norway next month and excited about it. We’ve done Spain, Rome and Greece In the summers before and twice I thought I was going to pass out from the heat. I’ve most definitely learned my lesson.
My wife, daughter, and I just debarked the Mardi Gras (we met you on that ship's inaugural cruise). The ship was extremely overcrowded, and, in my opinion, the overall service level was quite poor. For example, after waiting for over 11 hours for an extension cord for my CPAP machine, during which time I made two requests, I had to spend about 20 minutes at Guest Services, after 1:00 AM, waiting for the night supervisor to bring me a cord. Carnival had better reverse its downward spiral.
We were made to sail on the Mardi Gras because our ship had mechanical issues. Same--it was mobbed. We did not enjoy as much as the smaller ships. It was mobbed, however, because the other ship couldn't sail, so they put a bunch of us on Mardi Gras. We were assigned a Havana room, and we were excited--it was at the front of the ship! However, when we looked out the window, we could not see the ocean. We saw where the crew partied at night. It was disappointing, but we did not let it ruin our vacation. Sometimes cruising is perfect; sometimes it isn't. We make the best of it. We loved the main stage and the overall design of the ship, but we decided we would book on smaller ships going forward. Happy cruising!
Heat and weird sunburn places; My hair part, tops of ears ,tops of feet got blistered. Seems I did not slather enough sunscreen on those areas. I pity those ladies who got hair braids in port, so much exposed scalp to burn !
Our wedding anniversary is December 11th, and it's always the perfect time to go to the Caribbean! This year, we are sailing Utopia and are really looking forward to it!
Celebrity Edge Class ships are our 2nd favorite class of ships - just barely behind the Celebrity Solstice Class. Nothing makes food taste better than eating outside in 90-degree temps & 100% humidity. Sweat dripping down your face, burning your eyes, and the wonderful sticky allover feeling. Sign me up LOL After 24 years of cruising, with many cruises/cruise lines in the Caribbean, we tend avoid that area altogether. We focus on the Med & the rest of the world now - unless the casino gives us a ‘free’ cruise deal. We took one of those on Celebrity Apex (I think it was the Apex) earlier this year in the Caribbean. Another big reason we avoid the Caribbean are all of the cruise line-built island waterpark itineraries. We cruise to see new places and experience new cultures. We have a pool & spa at home & lots of sand - we live in the high desert of southern AZ. I enjoy watching your channel - thanks!
@@JJCruise Lucky you. We've never cruised to Japan. We have 43-days booked in the Med, UK, & Iceland/Greenland for 2025 so far. We took most of 2024 off from cruising due to family commitments but we often cruise 3-4 months per year in total. Cruising is the best 'bang for the bucks'.
Hey guys a bit over the top, celebrity beyond and ascent are brilliant ships! Some people has to research destinations and weather to avoid disappointment 😊
I totally agree about not cruising on the Celebrity Beyond again. We went in June 2024 and not enough to do, the ports were duds and it was hot plus rain.
We’ve been cruising since 2009. We would never book a cruise in July or August to the Caribbean. We have a cruise on the Celebrity Ascent on January 5th 2025 to St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Puerto Plata. Hoping the weather will cooperate. Never cruised in January before. It was a pleasure meeting you guys on the Vloggers Cruise aboard the NCL Breakaway.
We had been on 4 'basic' cruises on 4 'basic' (maybe not HAL?) cruise lines from 1997 thru 2008 (plus one luxury cruise). Then we repeated one in 2022 and a new one in 2023. I'm throwing out the luxury one. We actually repeated on Carnival in 2022 simply because FiL wanted to do Bermuda and they had the best timeline for us. I will NEVER book ANY of them but HAL (in fact we are doing a P Canal on HAL soon hoping they will be our "Forever Line". Cruise one was on defunct Majesty. It was a 2 nighter - a good intro cruise. If they were around today, might even book them again. HAL to Alaska. Carnival's former smoke free Paradise Western Caribbean. RCL trans-Atlantic reposition. Then we skip ahead to the Carnival Bermuda and then NCL Med. RCL was a cheap balcony (again reposition) but they had NOTHING new to do during the day when we had FIVE straight days at see. The HAL Alaska had a TON of new stuff to do - the converted the atrium into a miniature golf course using Kleenex boxes, low ball bar glasses etc! VERY CREATIVE!. So hoping HAL comes through again and will be our 'Forever Line'. It might not play out. BUT (and they weren't especially BAD? but not our first HAL) so I doubt I will ever book Carnival, RCL nor NCL AGAIN!
You had me worried. I thought you were going to talk about the actual ship. We just postponed our cruise on the Beyond from November to May. The price was surprisingly cheaper for the May sailing.
I was on Margaritaville at sea islander during Hurricane Debby last week. We were stuck at sea 2 extra days ( some people may think it’s great… it’s not). Because port of Tampa was closed. As you know this is a small ship and the captain choose to stay right next to the storm the whole time. We were Rocking and rolling the whole time. Awesome cruise but won’t go in July again
People who are experienced cruisers need to get a grip. There are always crowds, it is always incredibly hot in late summer with intense sunshine in the Caribbean (uh, duh!), weather is nearly unpredictable all year long no matter where you go, And, this is prime hurricane season (again, duh!) If you're not an experienced cruiser, then do your research. There are so many sites and great content creators like JJ to educate you.
I sailed the Ascent in March and will be on the Beyond in October. I typically don't cruise the Caribbean in the summer. I usually cruise from October to May.
It is really important to research the weather of your ports for each season regardless of where you are going. Heat and an afternoon showers are pretty common for Caribbean in summer.
Summer in the Caribbean? Never! I live in Phoenix, AZ, so I know heat. The issue with the Caribbean in the summertime is the combination of the heat AND the humidity. Oh, and the number of families. I prefer a cruise with a more temperate climate and fewer young kids.
We were on the Beyond with you the first week (ABC) The heat was intense, but it wouldn't stop me. But I will say this is the first cruise out of 19 that I never needed a sweater in the public areas. It was warm!
Due to our kids' schedules with activities and sports, we always had to take ur family vacations in August. I expect hot weather that time of year but the crowds always added to the negative side. Air Conditioning not working would really put a damper on things. Now that the kids are in college, we booked our cruise for January. It was less expensive and I am looking forward to it! Before kids I always sailed in October and November.
We got off the Carnival Paradise on Aug 1st...made it back to Missouri just in time to watch Debby hit. Whew, that was close. Our 1st time to sail out of Tampa and summer cruise, it'll be the last, too. I prefer Feb or March when it's tolerable to enjoy the weather.
Yep. I would say anything between second week of June to Labor Day in the US would be either too hot or too packed with people. Shoulder seasons are a great time to cruise imo. Weather isn’t too extreme one way or the other and a lot less crowded. And usually a cheaper
I love cruising late jan/early Feb. I'm in midwest, it breaks up winter (plus warm weather is GREAT). ALSOOOO kids are in school so not dealing with lots of them ...weather is always great.
Well, you guys are young so only YOU can figure out your 'Forever Line'. And the loyalty will pay off over the years. I WISH we could have a 'Forever Line' figured out by now. BUT we are getting close! I exposited that we are older and we are now about to do our 8th (yes were aren't exact cruise vets yet) on HAL. We are hoping HAL will be OUR 'Forever Line'. All I have to do is THINK about the Sun and I start to turn pink. So, I avoid the Sun religiously.
Sailed the Med on the Beyond Sept. 2022. Although very hot in ports, the ship was cool as expected. Glad we didn't have that capacity of crowd. Loved the ship and would go again in a heartbeat
I said the same thing about a celebrity back-to-back cruise I just took on the reflection to the Bahamas. I booked it three weeks before I was scheduled to leave and it was the only thing available. I love, cruising, and this was the worst for many of the reasons you said. It was so hot and since we were just traveling around the Bahamas. The ship went about 2 miles an hour which meant there was never a breeze. In April, I took a solo cruise on Celebrity and there were lots of people to talk with so it was easy to do it solo. On this cruise, there were a lot of families and for the shorter part of it, there were a lot of bachelor parties, and both cruises were with people in their 30s and 40s versus the usual celebrity crowd. I liked the younger vibe but didn't like the music which got amplified and was so loud even up on floor 11 where I was staying. I will never take another summer cruise even with someone else because the heat is just unbearable. And yes, they were parts of the ship that were very hot like Blu. I also ate at the porch which was outside and even though the fans were running, it was brutal. I don't know how the people that work there tolerate that in long sleeves no less. I love Celebrity and usually go during those times that you mentioned. It can still be warm, but it's a much better experience.
Crowded are painful. Kids splash and you are just trying to have a swim and they are in their little world. I have done a reasonable amount of cruising and yes do your homework prior to booking. Get up early snag your chair brekky and cooler weather. Adults only area helps. Look around the ship carefully there are some great little areas that beat the main pool area and the views are great. I did the Caribbean in September and it was fantastic. Not so hot and way less busy.
Don't give away our cruise secrets we always sail last week November first week of December. Cheaper prices cooler weather and calmer seas.
Sorry! 😅 😉
I totally agree with the traveling months you mentioned. We cruised right after Thanksgiving into December. It was wonderful! 😊
I haven't cruised in July and August in the Caribbean and your video makes it clear I shouldn't! :) Weather (and heat) are always an issue at that time of year. I'm glad cruising with kids is no longer an issue for us, and we can pick our cruises during non-school vacation weeks. We loved our August trips to Alaska and Norway!
There are no vacation weeks where schools are in. We've booked Jewel for September 29th sailing. There can't be many schools out already end Sept. Or so we thought. However..... our facebook group for this sailing is full of people with kids of all ages. Not sure if they are all homeschooled but there are a lot. Many more than I would have thought.
Is anybody else struck by the irony that one of the most expensive times of years gives one of the worst experiences?
Gentlemen: What did you expect? Cruising in August, eating alfresco, School break! I live in Florida, and I know heat. This was not really the ship's fault - it's a premium ship but, I'm sorry, your choices were wrong.
Ive always cruised off season. I’ve never wanted to cruise during hurricane season, or during the summer when there’s a lot of people and kids. Cruise when you can just have fun and be safe. If you are going to cruise during the summer, stay hydrated, wear sun block and take breaks from the heat.
Weather is critical to a pleasurable cruise. You make that point very well
Guys, I really enjoy your channel, but this one was a bit unfair. It gives the impression before you watch it that people were dissatisfied with the ship or the cruise line. Something wrong with the food… When you travel at the end of the summer, you should expect sky-high temperatures and rain.
I totally agree… I thought this video was going to be more about the Beyond than about the weather… My husband and I definitely prefer the solstice class ships… Glad we tried the Beyond but probably would not go back on the edge class ship… Nice that we all have choices to make🚢
And that is as they intended it to be, called clickbait! I stop it very soon into because they do this a LOT!!
@@lw3158 don’t watch them , instead of Complaining on them, I think they are a Very Honest Couple, I would never go on a Cruise at all, But that’s way to many people,
1. Will only cruise Caribbean in late fall & winter.
2. Will eat indoors if cruising when outdoors is hot!
3. Will avoid cruising at peak times such as school break time.
4. Will avoid being outside on extremely hot days and use sunscreen if have to be out.
5. Will carefully consider season and possibility of bad weather and related "what ifs." Will have adequate insurance that covers weather related situations.
6. Will cruise Europe in summer but avoid AUGUST which is month many Europeans also vacation.
Never ever holiday in August. Golden rule
High Peak Hurricane season is from August till September. Yes, the summer in Florida is brutal.
I live on the gulf coast of Florida near Clearwater, I walked out of my house today and got hit in the face with the humidity which raises the feels like temperatures to well over 100 degrees in the sun.
July and August are the two worst months of the year to be in this part of the world.
Sounds like the complainers did zero research before booking.
News flash. It's hot in the summer in the Caribbean.
News flash #2, all cruises are packed
That was some very good advice! Being new to cruising, I always wondered about the various elements you talked about. Thankfully, we decided to book our 1st cruise in mid-to-late October, which should help with the extreme weather conditions. Great video! I really learned a lot! Thank you.
It was 100+ F here in Dallas the past weeks so low 90s with a Caribbean breeze sounds nice. The crowds on the other hand is why we usually opt for Oct/Nov.
Yes!!
Amarillo Hit 107• Twice
in the first week of August!
80’s Sound Great to me!!
We did Amsterdam and Norway in the beginning of the Summer and loved it.
Celebrity is our cruise line of choice - I've done 25+ cruises on this line. We love the Edge class ships. I also live 30 minutes from the Ft Lauderdale port. What do people expect when they book a southern Caribbean cruise in the middle of summer? People need to do their homework - it's HOT! You don't want hot weather then go north up to Canada or northern Europe. You don't want crowded ships then don't go during summer vacation time. I have no pity for these people. I'm also a travel agent and would warn my clients about summer cruising in the Caribbean.
A lot of people never went to school and took Geography classes .
It’s obvious they don’t know the closer to the equator you get the hotter it is.
Most of these sound like general reasons not to cruise in the summer, not specifically on Celebrity Beyond. People have the option to choose when and where they cruise, so, I chock this up to 'lessons learned'.
My husband and I almost ALWAYS try and get a trip warm weather trip in during the first 2-3 weeks of December (Mexican Riviera/Sea of Cortez) - for the same reasons you mentioned. Fewer crowds, fairly decent pricing, and for us -- fewer kiddos! It really is a great time to travel, plus your coworkers will be happy to take the weeks around Christmas off and cover you earlier in the month!
I am at TA with 60 cruises under my belt. I just got off the enchanted princess and I agree with everything you said. The heat was agonizing every day and I have never seen such crowds it was horrible. Your listeners must understand this is not a diss on the Beyond which I idolize like a religion. It is the idea of sailing
In the summer no matter what the line.
We will and have cruised summer, winter and during hurricane season. Whenever we can get away we will! Thanks for another great video
It’s always good to see you. Once again good advise for newbie cruisers.
I live in Florida so all those reasons I already experience here so a summer Caribbean cruise is not much different..lol
lol true!
totally agree. Also, as a former travel agent, I'll just enjoy the ship when everyone else goes ashore. Just to veg out and relax, no cooking, no phone calls, spa days.
Hi! Jordan I was on the same cruise with you !! Summer cruise is good for me because my birthday is in August !! It was definitely very hot especially in Grand Cayman it felt like 112 degrees. It was my first time sailing on Celebrity beyond and I had a blast ! So would I sail again in August yessss!!!
Hi guys!!! DH and I have been full-time resident of South Florida for the past 43 years and frequent cruisers for the last 34 of those years. Have never, and will never, take a summer Caribbean cruise! Too hot, too expensive, too crowded, too many kids. And, for us, "summer" also includes September because it is still beastly hot and humid, and usually the worst month of hurricane season. We also try to avoid Xmas/New Years and Spring Break Caribbean cruises because they are very expensive, very crowded and also have too many kids. By contrast, almost every year we take a Caribbean cruise either in November or during the first two weeks of December. We also take lots of long shoulder season cruises, including many transatlantic and transpacific cruises, in the spring and fall.
Hey Jordan! Yep, I will never, ever sail in July nor August ever again. I got severely sunburned, and it was way too hot. Much love to you and Jared, and see y’all next year ❤
Just got off the Beyond at the end of June. It was the President’s Cruise and Celebrity did it up royally. Great time, good pricing.
We usually don’t sail in the summer (except Europe), but really enjoyed this one. Generally agree with y’all about summer sailings.
Glad you guys are OK.
Keep up the good work.
No summer cruises for us😉. Too hot, $$$$ and too many kids😳. We are doing September and October and hope the weather behaves
The time to cruise the Caribbean is in the winter months. Period. No rain, no humidity, and most importantly no threat of hurricanes!!!
Just cruised the Caribbean in July for the first time and would not do it again. It was way too hot! I nearly passed out just trying to get back to the Wonder from Coco Cay! I will say that Wonder didn’t feel full (we sailed at 137% capacity) until you needed an elevator at busy times, or when trying to enter the MDR for My Time. We have a child in middle school and usually cruise Spring Break, but friends were going in July.
If you HAVE to cruise in the summer, esp the Caribbean, go as early as you can. Late May or in June. Don’t wait for the heat of July or August!
no such thing as 137% capacity 100% is as far as it goes.
@@dlgregory35if you bring 2 kids with 2 adults in the same cabin, that is considered 200% capacity for that cabin. A full cabin is 2 people. So it is absolutely possible to have greater than 100% ship-wide.
I love your videos, as you share the good and the bad. I want to go to the Caribbean but will avoid the hurricane season. I don't mind heat. Thanks for the tip about best times to cruise this area.
We cruise from December through May. We live in Florida, so we know what the weather is like in the Caribbean in the summer.. 🔥
That room you're in with the sloped window is absolutely GORGEOUS - love that! It's a real shame to hear this cruise doesn't seem to be delivering...
When I was a yound travel agent centuries ago, I was on a cruise when Hugo decided to bless us with his presence. We were asked to take our high heels off, hold on and have fun. We did. (We also went west at high speed).
Meanwhile, I thrive in the heat and hate cold gusts of AC constantly blasting me. This sounds like heaven. I have less love for crowds, though. A private balcony to get away from the crush is a must.
We live in Florida, we don't normally even camp in the motorhome during July and August. We normally cruise Oct. thru Feb.
We have almost never cruised in summer for the reasons you listed. January is perfect.
We rarely travel in the summer. We live in Arizona so the last thing we want is more heat! Our favorite time to travel is Spring, Fall and Winter. We have a cruise planned in Oct - New York through New England to Halifax and back. Also leaving the U.S. on Christmas Eve for London. Those are our kind of trips!!
Yeah, summer is the worst time to sail the Caribbean for ALL these reasons--on any ship! But give me Eclass, ANY time--and I'm good!!!
We've only ever cruised in the Caribbean in January, February and early March. I love going someplace tropical in the dead of winter. But you are absolutely about cruising in Alaska in the summer. We went two years ago (in August) and had a great time.
Never sailing the Caribbean in summer, I don’t like vacationing on the surface of the sun 😂. We like the week before Thanksgiving or in January. I agree with your summer cruise recommendations! We did Alaska the end of May and the weather was great, only rained a bit one day.
Your take on Caribbean cruise timing is 100% spot on. I’m on princess for western Caribbean first two weeks in November. I paid absolute dirt.
We are on Utopia of the Seas the first week of December, glad to hear you say it’s one of the best times to cruise the Caribbean 😃⚓️
Yes! Enjoy your cruise! 🚢
Cruise about every other year, always in summer as I work in a school and the kids have off. It is always more crowded, hotter, and the weather is a risk, but we have also been at Disneyworld when a hurricane went by too, so any Caribbean vacation is a risk with weather and will be more crowded in the summer. Did Alaska last year, and the weather was great, but Alaska is always more pricey, especially in the flights. In short, if you vacation in the summer in the Caribbean, be ready for heat, crowds, risky weather, and pay up! I can't wait to retire and when the kids are out of the house to cruise in October/November!
Years ago, I went to Disneyworld around July 4th with my brother, sister in law and niece and nephew. I learned then about the extreme sun and heat. I learned my lesson and won't do a Caribbean cruise or do a themepark at this time of year.
June, July, August is a no go for us because ships are sold out. One was 133% capacity a few weeks ago.
Agree on Norway. Beautiful people and a beautiful country. We went last year for a 9 night cruise and fell in love. This year? 20 nights. There's getting to be more and more pushback on cruising there, but not nearly as much as Amsterdam (hot mess).
Hi I enjoy cruising but no way in the summer months! I agree with your time frames. I take time to research weather etc as well before booking. Thanks JJ cruise ❤
We never travel beyond 3 hours by car during hurricane season. Living in South Florida has taught us to stay close to home.
We always cruise in October and March. Not as warm. We live in South Mississippi so summers are brutal so we enjoy cooler weather. Love the channel guys happy sailing
Very interesting. We were onboard August 4-10th with a group of 15 other people. Most of us really enjoyed it. Only complaints were the ship was pretty noisy for a Celebrity cruise.
Only cruised once in the summer in our 30 cruise plus history. Only reason was an April cruise on Empress of the Seas was cancelled for extended drydock and rebooked at the same price later on. Have to add January cruises can be decent priced also. Most have been the first 2 weeks of December though. Don't let the secret out ..😅
We cruised on the Celebrity Beyond in November/December 2023 on a similar itinerary to yours and thoroughly enjoyed the ports. However, it was the ship that would likely prevent us from booking it again. We normally cruise on Royal Caribbean (Diamond Plus level) and we found ourselves comparing the experience on the Beyond to Royal Caribbean ships and coming in second. We found the dining not up to what we were used to, especially in the buffet. The internet was slower than Royal Caribbean unless you upgraded to a premium package. We found we liked the entertainment on Royal Caribbean better. The number 1 thing that we didn't like was that it was impossible to get an outside view from the front of the ship unless you were a suite guest! For these reasons, we would think twice before booking an Edge Class ship again.
I just finished an ABC islands cruise today. It was indeed hot. But the ABC islands are nearly on the equator. They're always hot! That said, they're the nicest islands in the Caribbean.
Hurricanes were a concern, but did not impact this sailing. However, the one that followed had the itinerary changed due to potential storm Ernesto.
I was surprised by the number of kids and first time sailors on this ship. Royal Caribbean is a great line for families, but Rhapsody of the Seas lacks the toys that make Royal famous. I suspect that lots of families on Puerto Rico decided to try cruising before school starts next week. The ship is home port in San Juan PR and it's cheap, so they went. I hope they weren't too disappointed
Just did a family cruise this past week. I think I saw you two in FLL on 8/10 going the opposite direction of me. This was the only week that worked with my kids and all of our schedules. I prefer winter cruising by far but had to take what I could get for my kids first time. Next year maybe we'll do Alaska in July. Great video as always.
The heat is a part of my vacations. I'm from Atlanta and I can't stand cold weather; I need evening temps above 70 and day time temps above 85 (at least) to really feel like I'm on vacation. When the temps fall below 60, I don't even want to be outside.
Doing Iceland and Norway next month and excited about it. We’ve done Spain, Rome and Greece In the summers before and twice I thought I was going to pass out from the heat. I’ve most definitely learned my lesson.
My wife, daughter, and I just debarked the Mardi Gras (we met you on that ship's inaugural cruise). The ship was extremely overcrowded, and, in my opinion, the overall service level was quite poor. For example, after waiting for over 11 hours for an extension cord for my CPAP machine, during which time I made two requests, I had to spend about 20 minutes at Guest Services, after 1:00 AM, waiting for the night supervisor to bring me a cord. Carnival had better reverse its downward spiral.
We were made to sail on the Mardi Gras because our ship had mechanical issues. Same--it was mobbed. We did not enjoy as much as the smaller ships. It was mobbed, however, because the other ship couldn't sail, so they put a bunch of us on Mardi Gras. We were assigned a Havana room, and we were excited--it was at the front of the ship! However, when we looked out the window, we could not see the ocean. We saw where the crew partied at night. It was disappointing, but we did not let it ruin our vacation. Sometimes cruising is perfect; sometimes it isn't. We make the best of it. We loved the main stage and the overall design of the ship, but we decided we would book on smaller ships going forward. Happy cruising!
YES, did the southern Caribbean last Dec. and Dec. 2024 is Panama Canal! Love you guys! Just subscribed.
Thanks for the advice. I hate hate hate being overly hot as soon as you said that, even the inside of the ship was hot at times that’s a no go for me!
Great seeing you. I cruise to enjoy new places. I appreciate you talking about the weather! Being prepared makes a great trip!
Good points- I just did my first (and possibly last) cruise in July. As you mentioned, the ship was packed, as were the ports of call.
Heat and weird sunburn places; My hair part, tops of ears ,tops of feet got blistered. Seems I did not slather enough sunscreen on those areas. I pity those ladies who got hair braids in port, so much exposed scalp to burn !
I'm from Louisiana, so 80 degrees in August would be paradise!
Ooo I like your new opening music and shots.
2nd two weeks of Jan is also great! For Caribbean cruises.
Our wedding anniversary is December 11th, and it's always the perfect time to go to the Caribbean! This year, we are sailing Utopia and are really looking forward to it!
Celebrity Edge Class ships are our 2nd favorite class of ships - just barely behind the Celebrity Solstice Class.
Nothing makes food taste better than eating outside in 90-degree temps & 100% humidity. Sweat dripping down your face, burning your eyes, and the wonderful sticky allover feeling. Sign me up LOL
After 24 years of cruising, with many cruises/cruise lines in the Caribbean, we tend avoid that area altogether. We focus on the Med & the rest of the world now - unless the casino gives us a ‘free’ cruise deal. We took one of those on Celebrity Apex (I think it was the Apex) earlier this year in the Caribbean.
Another big reason we avoid the Caribbean are all of the cruise line-built island waterpark itineraries. We cruise to see new places and experience new cultures. We have a pool & spa at home & lots of sand - we live in the high desert of southern AZ.
I enjoy watching your channel - thanks!
Thanks for watching and commenting!!
We also love cruising the world outside of the Caribbean 🥳 Heading to Japan now!
@@JJCruise Lucky you. We've never cruised to Japan. We have 43-days booked in the Med, UK, & Iceland/Greenland for 2025 so far. We took most of 2024 off from cruising due to family commitments but we often cruise 3-4 months per year in total. Cruising is the best 'bang for the bucks'.
Absolutely! We love the places you are cruising to as well 🥳
Hey guys a bit over the top, celebrity beyond and ascent are brilliant ships! Some people has to research destinations and weather to avoid disappointment 😊
I totally agree about not cruising on the Celebrity Beyond again. We went in June 2024 and not enough to do, the ports were duds and it was hot plus rain.
We’ve been cruising since 2009. We would never book a cruise in July or August to the Caribbean.
We have a cruise on the Celebrity Ascent on January 5th 2025 to St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Puerto Plata. Hoping the weather will cooperate. Never cruised in January before.
It was a pleasure meeting you guys on the Vloggers Cruise aboard the NCL Breakaway.
We were on Beyond in the Caribbean in March, and it was too hot. We couldn’t wait to board our transatlantic and get out of that area.
No. Too hot, too humid, too questionable weather. We hail from the Boston area and don't do well with high humidity. So this is a hard no.
We had been on 4 'basic' cruises on 4 'basic' (maybe not HAL?) cruise lines from 1997 thru 2008 (plus one luxury cruise). Then we repeated one in 2022 and a new one in 2023. I'm throwing out the luxury one. We actually repeated on Carnival in 2022 simply because FiL wanted to do Bermuda and they had the best timeline for us. I will NEVER book ANY of them but HAL (in fact we are doing a P Canal on HAL soon hoping they will be our "Forever Line". Cruise one was on defunct Majesty. It was a 2 nighter - a good intro cruise. If they were around today, might even book them again. HAL to Alaska. Carnival's former smoke free Paradise Western Caribbean. RCL trans-Atlantic reposition. Then we skip ahead to the Carnival Bermuda and then NCL Med. RCL was a cheap balcony (again reposition) but they had NOTHING new to do during the day when we had FIVE straight days at see. The HAL Alaska had a TON of new stuff to do - the converted the atrium into a miniature golf course using Kleenex boxes, low ball bar glasses etc! VERY CREATIVE!. So hoping HAL comes through again and will be our 'Forever Line'. It might not play out. BUT (and they weren't especially BAD? but not our first HAL) so I doubt I will ever book Carnival, RCL nor NCL AGAIN!
My Mom just did a RCL cruise the last week of July and found the Heat oppressive and will avoid that season in the future
You had me worried. I thought you were going to talk about the actual ship. We just postponed our cruise on the Beyond from November to May. The price was surprisingly cheaper for the May sailing.
I was on Margaritaville at sea islander during Hurricane Debby last week. We were stuck at sea 2 extra days ( some people may think it’s great… it’s not). Because port of Tampa was closed. As you know this is a small ship and the captain choose to stay right next to the storm the whole time. We were
Rocking and rolling the whole time.
Awesome cruise but won’t go in July again
90 degrees, sign me up!!!! In San Antonio, TX we are having 14 days of 100+ days
People who are experienced cruisers need to get a grip. There are always crowds, it is always incredibly hot in late summer with intense sunshine in the Caribbean (uh, duh!), weather is nearly unpredictable all year long no matter where you go, And, this is prime hurricane season (again, duh!)
If you're not an experienced cruiser, then do your research. There are so many sites and great content creators like JJ to educate you.
Only vacation during the summer school holiday time if you have to and never to the Caribbean in the summer months. It's a no brainer.
Hurricane season in the Caribbean is a non starter for us. We have done it twice and both times it was a 50/50 chance of storms cancelling our cruise.
Caribbean is best the end of January. There are now kids and the weather is very nice and prices are lower after the holidays!
I don’t cruise during hurricane season. Love the silent disco! Clad in toga? lol
I sailed the Ascent in March and will be on the Beyond in October. I typically don't cruise the Caribbean in the summer. I usually cruise from October to May.
It is really important to research the weather of your ports for each season regardless of where you are going. Heat and an afternoon showers are pretty common for Caribbean in summer.
When it's in the 80s we are back to jeans, boots, and vests. Signed, Austin TX.
Summer in the Caribbean? Never! I live in Phoenix, AZ, so I know heat. The issue with the Caribbean in the summertime is the combination of the heat AND the humidity. Oh, and the number of families. I prefer a cruise with a more temperate climate and fewer young kids.
We were on the Beyond with you the first week (ABC) The heat was intense, but it wouldn't stop me. But I will say this is the first cruise out of 19 that I never needed a sweater in the public areas. It was warm!
Due to our kids' schedules with activities and sports, we always had to take ur family vacations in August. I expect hot weather that time of year but the crowds always added to the negative side. Air Conditioning not working would really put a damper on things. Now that the kids are in college, we booked our cruise for January. It was less expensive and I am looking forward to it!
Before kids I always sailed in October and November.
We got off the Carnival Paradise on Aug 1st...made it back to Missouri just in time to watch Debby hit. Whew, that was close. Our 1st time to sail out of Tampa and summer cruise, it'll be the last, too. I prefer Feb or March when it's tolerable to enjoy the weather.
I am okay with summer cruising. I don't mind the heat and humidity, however, my husband would not like it at all!
Yep remember Metin y’all,on the Beyond. Going on Ascent next year
That’s a cold temperature compared to Thailand ever felt 135 f
Yep. I would say anything between second week of June to Labor Day in the US would be either too hot or too packed with people. Shoulder seasons are a great time to cruise imo. Weather isn’t too extreme one way or the other and a lot less crowded. And usually a cheaper
Great tip about best travel dates!
I love cruising late jan/early Feb. I'm in midwest, it breaks up winter (plus warm weather is GREAT). ALSOOOO kids are in school so not dealing with lots of them ...weather is always great.
Well, you guys are young so only YOU can figure out your 'Forever Line'. And the loyalty will pay off over the years. I WISH we could have a 'Forever Line' figured out by now. BUT we are getting close! I exposited that we are older and we are now about to do our 8th (yes were aren't exact cruise vets yet) on HAL. We are hoping HAL will be OUR 'Forever Line'.
All I have to do is THINK about the Sun and I start to turn pink. So, I avoid the Sun religiously.
The week after Easter is also bad for many of the same reasons, 500 kids on Beyond
We enjoy cruising anytime of the year. 🎉
Sailed the Med on the Beyond Sept. 2022. Although very hot in ports, the ship was cool as expected. Glad we didn't have that capacity of crowd. Loved the ship and would go again in a heartbeat
I LOVED the Ascent! Can't wait to sail Beyond in September
I said the same thing about a celebrity back-to-back cruise I just took on the reflection to the Bahamas. I booked it three weeks before I was scheduled to leave and it was the only thing available. I love, cruising, and this was the worst for many of the reasons you said. It was so hot and since we were just traveling around the Bahamas. The ship went about 2 miles an hour which meant there was never a breeze. In April, I took a solo cruise on Celebrity and there were lots of people to talk with so it was easy to do it solo. On this cruise, there were a lot of families and for the shorter part of it, there were a lot of bachelor parties, and both cruises were with people in their 30s and 40s versus the usual celebrity crowd. I liked the younger vibe but didn't like the music which got amplified and was so loud even up on floor 11 where I was staying. I will never take another summer cruise even with someone else because the heat is just unbearable. And yes, they were parts of the ship that were very hot like Blu. I also ate at the porch which was outside and even though the fans were running, it was brutal. I don't know how the people that work there tolerate that in long sleeves no less. I love Celebrity and usually go during those times that you mentioned. It can still be warm, but it's a much better experience.
Crowded are painful. Kids splash and you are just trying to have a swim and they are in their little world. I have done a reasonable amount of cruising and yes do your homework prior to booking. Get up early snag your chair brekky and cooler weather. Adults only area helps. Look around the ship carefully there are some great little areas that beat the main pool area and the views are great. I did the Caribbean in September and it was fantastic.
Not so hot and way less busy.
Just got off the Beyond and even though it was very hot, we had a great cruise. (Seen you on the ship!).