Cozumel rainfall gets intense during fall months. © Scott S. Bateman

The best times to take a western Caribbean cruise are usually late spring to early summer.

Western Caribbean cruise weather is mild in the spring, hot in the summer and rainy in the fall.

The western Caribbean is made up of a small number of islands such as Cozumel, Jamaica, Roatan off Honduras and the Cayman Islands.

It also includes the Central American countries that face the Caribbean Sea, especially Panama, Belize and Costa Rica. The Mexican coast also has some minor ports such as Costa Maya and Progreso. Progreso faces the Gulf of Mexico.

Most western Caribbean cruises include some combination of the above destinations.

Western Caribbean Temperatures

Most destinations have average high temperatures each month ranging from the mid-80s Fahrenheit or about 30 Celsius in the winter to the high 80s and even low 90s Fahrenheit or low 30s Celsius in the summer.

Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Cozumel and Panama have average high temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit or 32 Celsius during the summer months. They are the warmest of the western Caribbean cruise destinations. They also can get quite humid.

Belize and Costa Rica are not as warm in part because of the cooler rainforests and mountainous areas.

Average low temperatures for the region—mostly at night—range from the mid 60s to the low 70s Fahrenheit in the winter to the mid 70s and sometimes higher in the summer.

Keep in mind that low air temperatures also mean low seawater temperatures for people who like swimming and sunbathing. Seawater temperatures usually range between the high and low air temperatures of the day. The Cayman Islands have the coolest lows of any destination in the region.

Western Caribbean Hurricane Season

The annual western Caribbean hurricane season goes from June 1 to Nov. 30. The months with the most storms and hurricanes—usually two to four per month—are August, September and October. Most destinations have the highest rainfall in September and October.

Total rain can go as high as eight to 10 inches in a single month for places such as Cozumel, a popular cruise port of call. Costa Rica often has much more, but much of it falls inland rather than on the coast. Note that inland excursions such as the country’s popular zip lining have a high chance of rain.

Grand Cayman and Jamaica also have high amounts of rain historically from August through October, but not as much as Cozumel, Belize, Panama and Costa Rica.

Best Months to Go

The safest months for western Caribbean cruise weather are in the spring and early summer for their combination of warm temperatures and relatively low amounts of rain.

The riskiest months are December through February because of cool temperatures and September and October because of heavy rain. However, the risky months also tend to have lower prices for cruises.

Even when forecasts call for rain, the rainfall may be brief and intense rather than long and steady. The forecast may call for rain when choosing a last-minute cruise, but the weather may still be good overall.