Where to cruise in September

• 80°F avg high

  Hawaii

  September is a sweet spot: warm, mostly dry, with kids back in school and lower fares. The Aloha Festivals bring Hawaiian music, a royal court and a floral parade to Oʻahu. Late in the month, ships finishing the Alaska season start repositioning to Hawaii, adding one-way options from Vancouver.

• 69°F avg high

  Canada & New England

  Early September keeps summer warmth with fewer crowds, and color begins in the north by the third week. It’s also when tropical storms occasionally sweep into Atlantic Canada, as Fiona did in 2022, sometimes forcing port changes. Late-September foliage departures command premium fares.

• 76°F avg high

  Pacific Coastal

  September is a great month: southbound repositioning begins as ships leave Alaska, and San Francisco enjoys its warmest, clearest weather of the year after the summer fog lifts. Grapes are being harvested in Napa and Sonoma, and fares are low on short one-way trips.

• 81°F avg high

  Mediterranean

  Arguably the sweet spot for the whole region. Sea temperatures stay near their summer peak, highs ease into the low 80s °F (27–28°C) and family crowds vanish once European schools reopen in the first weeks of the month. Every sub-region works, and the grape harvest is underway from Tuscany to the Greek islands. Fares stay fairly high because demand is strong.

• 71°F avg high

  Western Europe

  The grape harvest begins in Bordeaux and in Portugal’s Douro Valley, inland from Porto, and southbound repositioning voyages start leaving Northern Europe. Crowds drop sharply after the first week while the weather stays warm, especially in Portugal and northern Spain. Expect rougher Biscay crossings late in the month.

• 74°F avg high

  Tahiti & the South Pacific

  Whale season peaks, the weather stays dry and the seas are often calm. With European holidays over, the islands feel quieter, making September one of the strongest months for a Society Islands voyage. Water temperatures sit around 79°F (26°C).

• 

  Danube River

  The grape harvest begins in the Wachau and Hungary’s wine regions, temperatures settle around 70°F (21°C) and summer crowds thin. Low water remains a possibility after a dry summer, and September floods such as those in 2024 are rare but not unknown. It’s one of the busiest months on the river, so cabins go early.

• 67°F avg high

  Rhine River

  Wine festival season: towns along the Rhine and Moselle hold weekend celebrations, the Bernkastel festival draws crowds early in the month and Rhine in Flames finishes at Oberwesel and St. Goar. Temperatures settle around 70°F (21°C), but watch for low-water updates after a dry summer.

• 67°F avg high

  Seine River

  La rentrée, the return to work and school, calms Paris, and Giverny’s late-summer borders are at their most exuberant, with nasturtiums spilling across the central path. European Heritage Days, usually the third weekend, open normally closed buildings for free. Highs sit around 70°F (21°C).

• 74°F avg high

  Douro River

  Harvest time. Pickers work the terraces, and some quintas still tread grapes by foot in granite lagares, sometimes inviting guests to join in. Lamego’s pilgrimage festival peaks on September 8. Highs ease into the low 80s °F (27–28°C), and demand for these sailings is high.

• 86°F avg high

  Mississippi River

  Temperatures ease through September, and the Natchez Fall Pilgrimage reopens historic homes. On the Upper Mississippi, the first color appears on the bluffs late in the month, and migrating birds start moving down the Mississippi Flyway. Low water can still affect some sailings, so ask your line about its contingency plans.

• 67°F avg high

  Columbia & Snake Rivers

  September is a sweet spot, with warm days, cooler nights and the fall Chinook run peaking at Bonneville’s fish ladders. The Pendleton Round-Up, one of the oldest rodeos in the West, fills town in mid-month, and grape harvest begins in Walla Walla and the Columbia Valley. Smoke risk tends to fade as the month goes on.

• Bermuda80°F / 69°F · 4.2 in rain

  September is Bermuda’s riskiest month for hurricanes, and several notable storms have passed close by in recent decades. The island’s strict building codes mean recovery is usually quick, but your cruise may lose a day or swap direction. Beaches are quieter, the sea stays warm, and fares are lower than in summer.

• Alaska59°F / 50°F · 9 in rain

  September sailings are quieter and noticeably cheaper, with fall color in the high country, coho salmon running and bears feeding hard before winter. It’s also the rainiest month in much of Southeast Alaska, and some tours wind down mid-month. Longer nights improve your odds of seeing the aurora, particularly on Gulf of Alaska routes.

• Panama Canal & Central America87°F / 81°F · 8.3 in rain

  Fall repositioning starts in September, with eastbound transits from California to Florida as ships leave Alaska. It’s the rainy season in Panama and peak hurricane season on the Caribbean leg, so the order of ports can change, although the canal itself is rarely affected. Fares are often excellent, and ships carry few families.

• Galápagos Islands

  September is typically the coolest month, with the strongest currents and seas. Sea lion pups are playful, penguins are active around Bartolomé, and seabirds are nesting. It’s one of the quieter months for demand, and some ships take their annual maintenance break.

• Canary Islands & Atlantic Isles76°F / 69°F · 1 in rain

  The sea is at its warmest, around 75°F (24°C), and the Madeira Wine Festival celebrates the harvest in Funchal in late summer. Winter-sun ships start returning late in the month, and Azores calls continue on westbound transatlantic routes. Crowds are light and the weather is reliably sunny.

• Northern Europe60°F / 51°F · 4.4 in rain

  Shoulder season brings fewer passengers, golden light and the first autumn color in Norway and the Scottish Highlands. Late in the month, northern lights become possible on voyages to northern Norway and Iceland. Expect cooler, wetter weather and some of the season’s best last-minute fares.

• Iceland, Greenland & the Arctic47°F / 40°F · 4.5 in rain

  Nights darken enough for the northern lights to return, and Greenland’s tundra turns red and gold. Icelandic farmers round up sheep from the highlands in the réttir, a festive tradition visitors can sometimes watch. Expedition season ends, storms increase and late-season fares soften.

• Japan81°F / 71°F · 8.6 in rain

  The peak month for typhoons, which can cancel or swap calls in Okinawa, Kyushu and even Tokyo, so flexibility helps. Heat lingers early, then eases. In the high mountains of Hokkaido’s Daisetsuzan, the first autumn color appears late in the month, and crowds are lighter than in spring.

• Transatlantic76°F / 68°F · 3.4 in rain

  September is prime time for the northern route through Reykjavík, Greenland’s Prince Christian Sound and Newfoundland, with darker nights that can bring the northern lights. It’s the peak of hurricane season, so southern itineraries via Bermuda may reroute, but Queen Mary 2 crossings run on schedule most weeks.

• Fall foliage begins

  Leaves start turning in the Canadian Maritimes and northern New England in late September and peak in early to mid October.

• Harvest on the rivers

  Grape harvest season along the Rhine, Moselle and Douro makes September a good month for wine-focused river cruises.

• Alaska's last sailings

  End-of-season Alaska can bring cooler, wetter weather but quieter ports, and sometimes northern lights in the far north.

Ports in regions that are in a good or best month in September, 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 Bayonne (Cape Liberty)
• Cruises from Boston
• Cruises from Honolulu
• Cruises from Montreal
• Cruises from New York City
• Cruises from Quebec City
• Cruises from San Francisco
• Cruises from Seattle
• Cruises from Seward (Anchorage)
• Cruises from Vancouver
• Cruises from Whittier (Anchorage)
• Cruises from Amsterdam
• Cruises from Athens
• Cruises from Barcelona
• Cruises from Copenhagen
• Cruises from Dover
• Cruises from Hamburg
• Cruises from Istanbul
• Cruises from Kiel
• Cruises from Lisbon
• Cruises from Papeete (Tahiti)
• Cruises from Reykjavík
• Cruises from Rome
• Cruises from Southampton (London)
• Cruises from Tokyo (Yokohama)