What's the Best Month to Cruise? Pros & Cons of Sailing Each Month of the Year

Table Of Content

• Best Time for a Mediterranean Cruise: April - June and September - October
• Be Prepared if Hiking or Trekking in Alaska
• Gulf of Alaska Cruises: Denali National Park, Kenai Peninsula and More Beautiful Scenery
• Best Time to Cruise the Caribbean: December - Mid-April
• What to Do in Alaska: Top Things to Do in October
• Best Month To Book a Cruise

Sometimes it might be an incentive to book and receive onboard credit, or a sale where additional passengers sail for a discount, or a percentage off the total cruise. Where there is a difference during winter months is with your departure port. If you are sailing from a port in the United States (outside of South Florida), then the winter months can be cold.

Best Time for a Mediterranean Cruise: April - June and September - October

When considering the best time to go on a cruise, there are multiple factors that have to be accounted for — namely the region you want to sail. The best time for a Caribbean cruise isn’t going to be the same as the best time for a northern Europe or Alaska voyage, for example. Other factors like cost, weather, and crowds might also be things you take into consideration. We breakdown the best time to go on a cruise based on the region as well as several different factors like price, weather, and crowds. Also, just keep in mind that you should expect the highest cruise fares of the year during this time. As well, if you’re headed to the Caribbean, March can be warm — but not too warm compared to the heat of the summer months.

Be Prepared if Hiking or Trekking in Alaska

Drop us an anchor below to share what time of year you like to vacation. Like many other regions, there isn’t really a “bad” time to visit Hawaii. Certain times of year are preferable than others based on one factor, but another time of year will be more desirable based on another factor. As you’ll see below, there are trade-offs with each time of year to sail.

Gulf of Alaska Cruises: Denali National Park, Kenai Peninsula and More Beautiful Scenery

For example, Celebrity Cruises has an 11-night cruise sailing round-trip from Sydney in March for $1,320. As you get closer to the holidays in December, a 13-night round-trip itinerary from Sydney with the line costs $2,231. In Australia, summer is the perfect season to enjoy the country's beautiful beaches, especially in the south near Sydney.

Best Time to Cruise the Caribbean: December - Mid-April

Along the coastal areas in Maine and Canada, you'll find highs in the 70s in July. To avoid crowds in port, try not to cruise during the Panamanian festivals that take place in early spring and from November into the winter. These festivals can also affect the opening of attractions, restaurants, banks and other venues you might want to visit ashore.

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Curious to know the best time to book a cruise and your flight, or if there are surefire ways to score upgrades. Cruises sail Down Under year-round, and there is no cut-and-dry answer as to when the best season is to sail. Different parts of the region experience different weather in relation to the seasons, and it comes down to what’s most important to you. The best time to visit Canada and New England is highly subjective based on what your goal is in going there.

When to cruise to Bermuda for the best weather

Check out Hawaii cruises in May, when the weather is relatively dry as well. On dry land, bears are more common in May, though not as frequently spotted as they are in peak summer. The tours are usually led by locals, which means the guides can also give you some good recommendations if you have time before you need to return to the ship.

You should also make sure that you have time to get any necessary documentation, as well as make related travel plans. If it's the latter, that's when you get last-minute deals on cruise ships with unsold cabins. However, even if that last-minute cruise is cheap, the 11th-hour airfare or pre-cruise hotel booking could eat into your savings.

Second, they know that extended families are far more likely to discuss big trips—like international cruises—over the holiday dinner table versus some random weekend in July. The spring break rowdies start in March and often continue well into April. If your goal is to avoid crowds of kids and partiers, skip the cheapest and shortest cruises, as well as cruise ships with water parks and thrill rides. While most of the season offers moderate fares, if your cruise dates are limited to holiday breaks, be prepared for prices close to double what you'd pay during the few weeks before that. The late spring and early summer months are great for enjoying the Caribbean at its relative quietest.

Or, the cruise line may offer its best fares in a one-off sale at another time of year. The best time to cruise Australia is from late November to March, when late spring crests into Australia's summer months. Major ports of call like Sydney, Adelaide and Perth will be quite warm and sunny, while Cairns in the northeast -- the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef -- will be steamy and hot.

However, most of Alaska's tastiest fruits and vegetables aren't on offer until later in the summer. Alternatively, birders might want to time their cruise with the Copper River Shorebird Festival, which takes place early in May in Cordova. Check ahead to make sure your itinerary will stop here, as it's usually only featured on longer 14-day cruises to Alaska. Going early or late in the season usually means you'll have more tolerable weather and smaller crowds in some of the big destinations like Athens. The best time to board a cruise ship is obviously when there are few lines and short waits. However, adding the cost of a pre-cruise hotel stay onto the overall bill isn't always doable for every traveler, especially those on tight budgets.

The concept caught on, and in 1867, Mark Twain himself boarded the first cruise out of North America. Popular destinations include Denali National Park (for wildlife viewing) or Talkeetna (best place for Denali views and cool eats). Cruise tour land packages are also available to spots like Anchorage, the Kenai Peninsula and Canada's Yukon Territory. One-way Gulf of Alaska itineraries are the best option for Alaska touring, as they begin or end in Alaska.