It has been a long, cruel and cold winter. It feels like every time the sun has managed to break free of the dark cloud that has hovered over the UK winter has retaliated with a fury of ice and hail. Spring seems to have all but abandoned us and I suspect she is sitting on a beach somewhere with a cocktail in hand thinking ‘I really should be somewhere right now’ while winter literally works overtime.
For months I have been staring through my office window in despair at the tantrum-ing weather outside; for respite I have been browsing holiday brochures, looking at city breaks, cruise holidays, and package deals. I have held back from booking anything as the English weather has scared me – I am reluctant to book anything that doesn’t come with a stamped guarantee of good weather. But finally last week I made my decision and I have opted for a cruise. I am going to sail around the Caribbean, visiting stunning locations where I am guaranteed to feel the sunshine on my face and warm water lapping at my toes and if by some poor, unfortunate luck we hit a spell of bad weather I am confident the next port will hold some heat and the sun will shine again.
I’ve done my research and the best time to experience instant sun in the Caribbean is between June and August, although the sun tends to shine for most of the year making it a fabulous destination all year round. I am aiming to go early in the season, just in case any pesky hurricanes decide to descend towards the end of the summer months which could cause my ports to change.
If you want to reach the sun on a cruise later in the year, I can recommend Hawaii between December and April and this is also the ideal time to go whale spotting on this beautiful Island. Likewise similar dates suit the Mexican Riviera which can hit temperatures in the 80s during February. Compare that to the furious February just past and I know I wish I had planned ahead and taken my cruise earlier.
If you want to experience more Mediterranean sunshine the best time to travel is May to June or September to October, although late April should allow you to see the sun in countries like Morocco, Turkey and Greece. I have taken a cruise to the Mediterranean previously and found it a fantastic trip to explore the wildlife of the area. Morocco showed me a fantastic mix of pelicans, flamingos and storks and I delighted in seeing Dolphins swim alongside the cruise liner, and we spotted a white shark when we sailed into Turkey.
So bon voyage, farewell to the rain, I have packed my suitcase, gone on a crash diet, and am hitting the deck.
Hello sunshine!
About the author: Jane Blackmore is a freelance writer, editor, and blogger. She enjoys sunshine, vacations, and the odd cocktail on the beach. She heavily dislikes the British weather!
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