Where to cruise in November

• 83°F avg high

  Mexican Riviera & Baja

  Día de Muertos on November 1 and 2 brings altars, marigolds and parades to Mazatlán, Puerto Vallarta and Ensenada. The dry season returns, with sunny days in the 80s °F and comfortable evenings. It’s one of the best months for weather and value before the holidays.

• 

  Galápagos Islands

  Seas calm down and water starts warming. Young sea lions are curious and playful, making November one of the best months for snorkeling with them. Green sea turtles begin mating, and Thanksgiving week is the main busy period.

• 69°F avg high

  Canary Islands & Atlantic Isles

  Transatlantic crossings toward the Caribbean peak in early November, often with two or three island stops. Island-based loops are in full swing, though the first winter rains reach the northern slopes and an Atlantic storm occasionally rearranges a port day. Early-month departures are often good value.

• 63°F avg high

  Japan

  Kōyō, the autumn color, peaks in Kyoto, Nara and Tokyo from mid-to-late November into early December, with temples such as Tōfuku-ji and Eikan-dō glowing red and very crowded. Days are crisp and clear, near 60°F (16°C). On Shichi-Go-San, around November 15, families bring children in kimono to shrines.

• 71°F avg high

  Australia & New Zealand

  Jacarandas peak and the Melbourne Cup, on the first Tuesday of the month, is a public holiday in Melbourne with hats and horse racing. The full season is running, and Australia warms up quickly. In Queensland, the stinger season and tropical wet season begin, while New Zealand is still cool and fresh.

• 81°F avg high

  Africa & the Indian Ocean

  A sweet spot across the region. Cape Town’s summer is starting, the Indian Ocean islands are still pleasant before cyclone season, and the Maldives enter their dry season as the northeast monsoon sets in. MSC returns to South Africa, and Kerala and Sri Lanka’s west coast are lush after the rains.

• 65°F avg high

  Transatlantic

  Westbound repositioning continues through November as ships head for the Caribbean winter season. Southern routes stay mild, and some voyages celebrate Thanksgiving at sea with a full holiday dinner. The North Atlantic is increasingly rough, so the Canary Islands route is the more comfortable choice this late in the year.

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  Nile River

  Ideal weather, with days around 80°F (27°C) and comfortable evenings on deck. Peak season is underway, Cairo is pleasant for touring the pyramids and museums, and the major sites get busy, so expect early starts to stay ahead of the crowds.

• 82°F avg high

  Mekong River

  Bon Om Touk, Cambodia’s Water Festival, celebrates the Tonlé Sap’s return to its normal flow with dragon-boat races in Phnom Penh and huge crowds, usually in November. The dry season begins, humidity drops and the high season gets underway.

• Caribbean83°F / 81°F · 5.3 in rain

  Hurricane season ends on November 30, and drier, slightly cooler air usually arrives during the month. The first three weeks are among the year’s best-value windows on every route, before Thanksgiving week sends prices sharply higher. Lines often begin their winter deployments now, so it’s a good month to try a ship that has just crossed from Europe.

• Bahamas80°F / 78°F · 2.6 in rain

  November is underrated: the sea is still near 80 °F, the air is drier and more comfortable, and hurricane season winds down by the 30th. Fares are low outside Thanksgiving week, when short sailings from Florida sell out with family groups and multigenerational reunions.

• Hawaii73°F / 66°F · 3.8 in rain

  The Kona Coffee Cultural Festival celebrates the harvest with farm tours and tastings in early November. Winter swells start building on north shores, bringing big-wave surf contests to Oʻahu. Rain increases on windward coasts. Fares are reasonable until Thanksgiving week, and the first humpbacks may arrive late in the month.

• Panama Canal & Central America85°F / 79°F · 6.9 in rain

  Panama celebrates the ‘month of the homeland’, with Independence Day on November 3 and further patriotic holidays through the month, marked by parades and marching bands. Rains taper off toward the end of the month as the winter cruise season gets going in earnest, and Thanksgiving week sailings fill quickly with families and retirees.

• South America69°F / 57°F · 2.9 in rain

  The season gets underway in November. Buenos Aires’ jacaranda trees bloom purple, Patagonia warms up, and penguins are incubating eggs. Fares are lower than in midsummer, and seas around Cape Horn can still be rough.

• Antarctica61°F / 49°F · 1.8 in rain

  November opens the main Peninsula season with pristine snow, towering icebergs and penguins courting and stealing pebbles to build nests. Heavy sea ice can block some landing sites and channels early in the month. Fares are lower than in midsummer, and on South Georgia fur seals crowd the beaches to breed, sometimes limiting landings.

• Southeast & East Asia82°F / 76°F · 9.8 in rain

  The Andaman coast dries out from mid-month, and Thailand’s Loy Krathong festival sets candlelit floats drifting on rivers and canals under the full moon. The Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia’s east coast, including Ko Samui, are at their rainiest. Hong Kong enjoys clear, comfortable autumn days.

• Tahiti & the South Pacific78°F / 73°F · 4.1 in rain

  Hawaiki Nui Va’a, a three-day outrigger canoe race from Huahine to Raiatea, Taha’a and Bora Bora, draws crowds to the shores around the start of the month. The wet season begins with more frequent showers, but long dry spells are still common and fares drop.

• Dubai & the Arabian Gulf88°F / 75°F · 0.3 in rain

  The season opens as ships arrive from Europe. Highs of around 86°F (30°C) early in the month ease to the low 80s °F, and the warm sea is ideal for beach days at Sir Bani Yas. In odd-numbered years the Dubai Airshow fills hotels mid-month.

• Danube River

  St. Martin’s Day on November 11 brings roast goose dinners in Austria and Hungary, and Christmas markets open from mid to late November in Vienna, Budapest, Passau and Nuremberg. Expect fog, highs in the 40s °F (5–9°C) and early darkness, perfect for mulled wine.

• Rhine River50°F / 42°F · 3.4 in rain

  Children carry lanterns in St. Martin’s processions on November 11, the same day Cologne’s carnival season officially opens at 11:11 a.m. Christmas markets open from mid- to late November, Cologne’s among the first. Expect gray skies, highs in the 40s °F (6–9°C) and cozy evenings.

• Mississippi River70°F / 57°F · 3.4 in rain

  The Upper Mississippi season winds down in early November as temperatures drop and tundra swans gather on the backwaters near La Crosse. Lower Mississippi cruises continue in cool, crisp weather that’s ideal for walking tours of Natchez and Vicksburg. Thanksgiving sailings, with traditional Southern feasts, are popular.

• Christmas market river cruises

  Europe's Christmas markets generally open in late November and run until just before Christmas.

• Antarctic season opens

  Early-season expeditions see snowy landscapes and courting penguins.

• Thanksgiving at sea

  US Thanksgiving week is one of the busiest weeks for short Caribbean and Mexico cruises.

Ports in regions that are in a good or best month in November, 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 Papeete (Tahiti)
• Cruises from Santiago (San Antonio & Valparaíso)
• Cruises from Santos (São Paulo)
• Cruises from Singapore
• Cruises from Sydney
• Cruises from Tokyo (Yokohama)
• Cruises from Ushuaia