Have you ever been on a Carnival Cruise to Cozumel during late December from Galveston? Any advice?

Question

I returned from a cruise to Cozumel from Galveston yesterday and it was absolutly amazing! So, My dads 60th birthday is December 27th and we think it would be a great idea for a family/birthday trip. I have no idea what to expect for weather, type of crowd cruising during that time, water conditions, etc. Do you have any suggestions, personal experiences, advice about cruising to Cozumel in late December/ early January?

Answer 1

Weather should be fine - temps in the Caribbean don't vary all that much through the year.

Christmas week and New Year's week are two of the most-popular, most-expensive, and crowded times to cruise.  You'd get a better deal if you waited until the week after NY or went earlier in December [but after Thanksgiving].

For lots of info about cruising from experienced cruisers, go to CruiseCritic.com, click on "Boards", then go to your favorite topic.

Answer 2

Rates are higher from mid-November through New Years.  You will get better rates by looking at mid-January.  

You can compare rates quickly at www.vacationstogo.com.  You can limit the search engine to departure port (Galveston) and even by ship (Conquest or Ecstasy out of Galveston).  The Ecstasy is a OK ship but the Conquest is better.

The temps range from high 60's to low 80's for Dec-Jan.  You can also find detailed temp info on the ports at www.vacationstogo.com by selecting the cruise ports tab and selecting the city you want info on.

Notables...If you book in February, be sure to check the calendar and avoid Mardi Gras week in Galveston.  They shut the streets down.  Traffic will be bad trying to get into Galveston as well.

March is Spring Break for Texas schools so it will be crowded and the highest rates.

Book w/Carnival and get your past guest discount...every little bit helps.

If members of your party don't have passports, stay informed of the changing requirements for passports for sea travel.

Answer 3

We went to Cozumel the 2nd week in Dec.

The weather was still hot and humid but bearable.

We also just got back from another cruise two weeks ago to the Eastern Caribbean on Carnival for a 45th anniversary.

There was 11 of us.

All cruises no matter what time of the year is normally full.

The water was not rough during both times that we went.

Go for it!

:-)

Answer 4

Carnival sails the Conquest out of Galveston, and that's a nice ship. It's large and relatively new so it has the important bells and whistles: a sushi bar, a specialty steak restaurant, great nightclubs.

What Carnival's great at is nightlife and a fun, social atmosphere.  If you and your family like to go out and have a good time, you'll have a blast.

A couple of suggestions about this ship:

-If you're a light sleeper, avoid cabins above or below the nightclubs and the pool deck.

-Check out the "fish & chips" cafe at the back of the Lido, upstairs.  I didn't find it until my cruise was almost over, but they have really outstanding stuff.

-The Supper Club, the steak restaurant, is $30 extra but totally worth it if you like steak

Weather in Cozumel will be nice.  Not too hot, and you're well outside hurricaine season.

As for the crowd, because it's a school vacation period there will probably be more families than usual.  And expect plenty of Texans.  =)

Pictures of Carnival Conquest's sister ship, Glory (they're the same except for artwork and color scheme):

http://www.cruisesavvy.com/journals/savv...

Answer 5

We cruised out of Port Canaveral but found the temps in Cozumel a little chilly in December (we went the week before christmas).I would make sure to pack an extra pair of jeans and a heavy sweatshirt. We had an awesome time but only one day was warm enough to lay by the pool, and forget going in the water...brrrr. Also of the 9 cruises I have been on that one had the roughest weather, might have just been an isolated storm but who knows. We staill had an awesome time though