July 19: Summer Sailings

I love summer cruising. I was just on a summer cruise last month, actually. The weather was perfect and the seas were flat as granite. Ideal, really. I think anyone considering a cruise most definitely should think about going in the summer months if that's possible. That's especially true for those who want to sail the Caribbean. I once interviewed a Norwegian sea captain about this very thing, a man well-known in the cruise biz for his experience. His comment: "Summer is the best time to cruise the Caribbean. The ocean is very calm and the breezes keep things cool." Remember, that remark came from someone who had spent his life taking passengers on voyages, mostly trips around the Caribbean. There's still some lingering misconception that summer Caribbean cruising is too hot or can be stormy or whatever. In reality, ships are the most mobile of summer resorts.

If there's any kind of really nasty weather, cruise ships can easily pick up and move somewhere else. And that's just what they do. Besides, the Caribbean can get pretty rocky during the winter months. Unless you enjoy rougher seas, and some folks do, you have one more reason to consider a summer sailing.

So for what it's worth, this is what I would plan if I was in New York or Toronto or Chicago or Montreal or wherever else and wanted to come down to South Florida for a cruise. Fort Lauderdale is by far the easiest port for Caribbean cruising, so I'd leave from here. The airport is just minutes from the port and local hotels and beaches are just a few minutes farther. There's a good reason that Fort Lauderdale is about to become the world's largest cruise port, probably in 2012, taking over that title from Miami. If I could afford it, I'd plan to stay at one of our oceanside hotels - ideally, a short stay before the cruise to get over the hassle of my flight, then a longer stay afterwards to savor the cruise and extend my vacation. Hey, why not right? In the summer, our Blue Wave beaches offer warm seas for swimming and intense sunshine for tanning. With lots of nearby cafes for cooling down with a mojito or something. I'm just saying that, based on my own experience as a former cruise columnist, I always recommend summer Caribbean cruising. I wanted to share that recommendation with you now. Because cruises make great vacations any time of year, of course. But in August, those post-cruise mojitos along the beach sure go down a lot better.