The best time to take a cruise, month by month and region by region

When is the best time to take a cruise?

There’s no single best month, because cruise ships follow the good weather around the world. In winter, most ships serving North American travelers sail the Caribbean, the Bahamas and the Mexican Riviera. In summer, many move to Alaska, Europe, Bermuda and Canada and New England, while the Caribbean continues year-round at lower prices.

So the right question is when to go to the place you want to see. Choose your destination first, then pick the month that balances weather, crowds and price for you. Ideal conditions usually mean peak fares, while the shoulder months on either side of a season often give you most of the good weather for less.

Best time to cruise by region

These are the main cruise seasons for the destinations most popular with US and Canadian travelers. Exact start and end dates vary by line and year.

• Caribbean and Bahamas: year-round. December to April is the dry, sunny peak; June to November is hurricane season, with the highest risk from about mid-August to mid-October.
• Alaska: May to September. June and July bring the longest days and warmest weather; May is often drier; August and September tend to be wetter but quieter.
• Mexican Riviera and Baja: year-round from Southern California, best November to April. Summer is hot and humid, and the eastern Pacific hurricane season runs May 15 to November 30.
• Bermuda: roughly April to early November, warmest for beaches from June to September.
• Canada and New England: May to October, with most sailings and the fall foliage from mid-September to mid-October.
• Hawaii: year-round on Norwegian’s inter-island Pride of America; longer round trips from the West Coast mostly sail fall to spring.
• Mediterranean: April to October, with some lines sailing the western Med all winter. July and August are hottest and busiest.
• Northern Europe, Norway and the British Isles: May to September, with near-endless daylight around midsummer.
• Panama Canal: full transits cluster in fall and spring as ships reposition; partial transits run from Florida in winter.
• Antarctica, South America, Australia and New Zealand: November to March, during the southern summer.

Cruise months at a glance: January to June

The first half of the year starts in the tropics and ends with the opening of the Alaska and European seasons.

• January: Prime Caribbean weather, with quieter, cheaper sailings after New Year’s. It’s also the start of wave season, when lines run their biggest promotions. Antarctica and South America are at their peak.
• February: Excellent Caribbean and Mexico weather but busier around Presidents’ Day. Humpback whales are in Hawaii and gray whales calve in Baja lagoons.
• March: Still dry in the Caribbean, but spring break, including Canada’s March break, fills family-friendly ships and raises prices. The southern summer winds down.
• April: Caribbean weather stays good as crowds ease after Easter. Mediterranean sailings ramp up, spring transatlantic crossings head east, and Panama Canal transits reposition ships to the West Coast.
• May: The Alaska season opens with lower fares and fewer visitors. Mediterranean and Northern Europe shoulder season starts, and Bermuda and New England begin sailing.
• June: Alaska, Norway and the Baltic hit their long-daylight peak. The Caribbean is hot with fewer crowds before July, and hurricane season officially begins on June 1.

Cruise months at a glance: July to December

Summer is peak season for families and Europe, fall belongs to New England and the Mediterranean shoulder, and winter brings ships back to the warm-water routes.

• July: The busiest summer month, with school holidays everywhere. Alaska and Northern Europe are at their warmest; the Mediterranean is crowded and very hot in southern ports.
• August: Alaska and Europe stay busy until schools return. Atlantic hurricane activity picks up, and August is often one of the rainier months in Southeast Alaska.
• September: Often the best value of the year. Alaska and Europe quiet down, fall color starts in Canada, and the Caribbean is cheap but at the peak of hurricane season.
• October: The best month for Canada and New England foliage, a pleasant shoulder month in the Mediterranean, and the start of fall transatlantic and Panama Canal repositioning.
• November: The Caribbean returns to its winter rhythm as hurricane season ends on November 30. Prices are lower outside Thanksgiving week.
• December: The first two weeks are among the cheapest times to sail the Caribbean; Christmas and New Year’s sailings are the most expensive of the year. Antarctica and Australia enter their summer season.

What is the cheapest time to go on a cruise?

Fares are usually lowest when kids are in school and the weather is less certain. For the Caribbean and Bahamas, look at the weeks between Thanksgiving and mid-December, January after the New Year holiday, and late August to October, the heart of hurricane season. For Alaska, May and September cost less than mid-summer.

Repositioning cruises, when ships move between seasonal regions, are another bargain. Transatlantic crossings in spring and fall and Panama Canal or Pacific coastal repositioning cruises can cost little per night, though they’re usually one-way, so factor in a flight home.

When to cruise to avoid crowds and kids

If you’d rather have a quieter ship, avoid US and Canadian school holidays. That means steering clear of mid-March through Easter for spring break, mid-June to late August, Thanksgiving week, and Christmas through New Year’s. Three-day weekends such as Presidents’ Day and Memorial Day also fill short cruises.

Longer cruises attract fewer families even in peak season, since a 10- to 14-night trip is harder to fit into a school calendar. Premium, luxury and adults-only lines also feel calmer year-round.

Weather trade-offs to know about

Every season has a catch. In the Caribbean, the trade-off for cheap fall fares is the chance of storms, which can mean a changed itinerary or skipped ports. Southern Caribbean islands such as Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao sit south of the usual hurricane track, which makes them a popular fall choice.

Alaska is a rainforest, so expect some rain in any month and layers year-round. Mediterranean summers can be uncomfortably hot for long walking tours in ports like Rome, Athens and Barcelona. Winter North Atlantic crossings and the Drake Passage to Antarctica can bring rough seas, so people prone to seasickness should plan accordingly.

Best times for wildlife, foliage and natural wonders

Some of the most memorable cruise experiences are seasonal, so time your trip around them if they matter to you.

• Humpback whales in Hawaii: roughly December to April, with the most sightings from January to March.
• Whales in Alaska: through most of the May-to-September season, with salmon runs drawing bears in July and August.
• Fall foliage in New England and Canada: late September to mid-October, varying year to year.
• Midnight sun in Norway: around June and July; northern lights on Norwegian coastal voyages from about October to March.
• Penguin chicks in Antarctica: December and January.
• Cherry blossoms in Japan: late March to early April, depending on the city and the year.

Frequently asked questions