Where to cruise in December

• 82°F avg high

  Caribbean

  The dry season settles in during December, with comfortable low-80s days and steady trade winds. Early December is quiet and fairly priced, with holiday decorations already up on board. The Christmas and New Year weeks are the most expensive sailings of the year and sell out many months ahead, so lock in a cabin early if you need those dates.

• 80°F avg high

  Mexican Riviera & Baja

  Puerto Vallarta’s Fiestas Guadalupanas fill the first twelve days of December with nightly processions to the cathedral, and Las Posadas follow in the run-up to Christmas. Humpbacks start arriving in Banderas Bay mid-month, and the weather is dry and pleasant. Christmas and New Year sailings are popular and priced at a premium.

• 85°F avg high

  Panama Canal & Central America

  The dry season usually arrives in Panama by mid-December, bringing sunny days, breezier afternoons and cooler nights. Holiday transits over Christmas and New Year are popular, priced high and sell out early. Costa Rica’s Pacific coast turns golden as the rains end, while the Caribbean side around Puerto Limón can stay showery.

• 71°F avg high

  South America

  December brings long days, mild Patagonian weather in the 50s °F and penguin chicks hatching. Holiday sailings, including Christmas in Buenos Aires or Rio and New Year’s fireworks on Copacabana, are popular and priced high. Book early for Cape Horn voyages over the holidays.

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  Galápagos Islands

  The warm season begins, with calmer seas and green vegetation after the first rains. Giant tortoise eggs start hatching, green turtles are mating, and the last waved albatross chicks leave Española. Christmas and New Year departures are the year’s most in-demand.

• 66°F avg high

  Canary Islands & Atlantic Isles

  Christmas lights wrap Funchal’s streets, and New Year’s Eve brings one of Europe’s most celebrated fireworks displays over its amphitheater-shaped bay, with cruise ships staying in or just off the harbor to watch. Those sailings sell out far ahead. The rest of the month is warm, festive and busy with European families.

• 64°F avg high

  Antarctica

  December brings nearly 24 hours of usable light, penguins incubating eggs and the first chicks hatching around Christmas. Temperatures around freezing feel surprisingly mild on calm, sunny days, and snow still blankets the landscape. Christmas and New Year voyages are the most sought-after of the season, priced at a premium and often booked a year or more ahead.

• 79°F avg high

  Southeast & East Asia

  Peak season starts in earnest. Bangkok is about as cool as it gets, with highs in the upper 80s °F (31°C), Hong Kong is pleasant at around 70°F (20–21°C) and Orchard Road in Singapore glows with Christmas lights. Holiday sailings sell out early. Ko Samui can still be rainy in the first half of the month.

• 74°F avg high

  Australia & New Zealand

  Sydney Harbour’s New Year’s Eve fireworks are the biggest event of the cruise calendar here, and voyages timed for them sell out very early. Christmas is celebrated with seafood and summer barbecues. School holidays begin mid-month, fares are at their highest and cyclone season starts in tropical Queensland.

• 80°F avg high

  Dubai & the Arabian Gulf

  Comfortable highs near 77°F (25°C) and festive crowds. UAE National Day on December 2 brings fireworks and parades, and Qatar National Day follows on December 18. Christmas and the Burj Khalifa’s New Year’s Eve fireworks make holiday sailings the priciest of the season.

• 82°F avg high

  Africa & the Indian Ocean

  South African summer holidays fill Cape Town and MSC’s sailings, and Christmas brings beach braais and festive markets. Cyclone season begins around Mauritius, Réunion and Madagascar, and the Seychelles turn hot and humid. India is at its most comfortable, and Fort Kochi throws a carnival around New Year.

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  Danube River

  Christmas market season peaks, with Advent concerts in candlelit churches and ships decorated for the holidays. Snow is possible, and the cold makes the markets feel even more festive. Most markets close by Christmas Eve, and a few sailings celebrate New Year’s Eve in Vienna or Budapest. These departures sell out early.

• 45°F avg high

  Rhine River

  The markets are in full glow, from Strasbourg’s Christkindelsmärik to Cologne’s cathedral market and Basel’s stalls on Münsterplatz. Cold, occasionally snowy weather adds to the atmosphere, and ships are decorated for the season. Holiday departures fill early, and most markets close by December 23 or 24.

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  Nile River

  Christmas and New Year sailings are the most popular and expensive of the year. Days are mild, around 75°F (24°C), but nights turn chilly, especially on the open sun deck. Expect crowds at Karnak and the Valley of the Kings, particularly in the last two weeks of the month.

• 78°F avg high

  Mekong River

  Typically the most comfortable month, with dry, clear days around 86°F (30°C) and pleasant evenings on deck. River levels are still good. Christmas and New Year departures are popular and fill early, and Angkor is at its busiest.

• Bahamas77°F / 75°F · 2.1 in rain

  Junkanoo returns on Boxing Day, December 26, when rival groups parade through downtown Nassau before dawn, a highlight if your ship overnights or arrives early. The weather is pleasant and mostly dry, with highs in the upper 70s °F. Christmas and New Year sailings are expensive and sell out far ahead.

• Hawaii69°F / 62°F · 4.6 in rain

  December brings the holiday peak, with Christmas and New Year sailings priced highest and booked early. Humpbacks arrive in growing numbers, Honolulu lights up for its City Lights celebration, and December 7 remembrance ceremonies at Pearl Harbor draw visitors. Expect more showers, especially in Hilo.

• World cruises69°F / 60°F · 3.8 in rain

  A few world cruises leave in December, so passengers celebrate Christmas and New Year at sea, often in the Caribbean or South America. Most depart in early January, which makes December a busy month for final preparations, farewell visits and pre-cruise hotel nights near the departure port.

• Christmas markets

  Cities like Vienna, Nuremberg, Cologne and Strasbourg host famous markets, typically until just before Christmas.

• Holidays at sea

  Christmas and New Year's cruises sell out early, especially family-friendly ships from Florida.

• Southern summer

  Long days in New Zealand's fjords and on Australia's coast; Antarctica's season is in full swing.

Ports in regions that are in a good or best month in December, ranked by average daily high (2015–2024).

Departure ports whose home region is in season. Each guide covers terminals, parking and getting there.

• Cruises from Baltimore
• Cruises from Fort Lauderdale
• Cruises from Galveston (Houston)
• Cruises from Honolulu
• Cruises from Jacksonville
• Cruises from Long Beach
• Cruises from Los Angeles
• Cruises from Miami
• Cruises from Mobile
• Cruises from New Orleans
• Cruises from Norfolk
• Cruises from Palm Beach
• Cruises from Port Canaveral (Orlando)
• Cruises from San Diego
• Cruises from San Juan
• Cruises from Tampa
• Cruises from Auckland
• Cruises from Buenos Aires
• Cruises from Cape Town
• Cruises from Dubai
• Cruises from Hong Kong
• Cruises from Santiago (San Antonio & Valparaíso)
• Cruises from Santos (São Paulo)
• Cruises from Singapore
• Cruises from Sydney
• Cruises from Ushuaia