Table Of Content
- Best Time of Year to Book a Cruise
- Why Cheap Cruises Are Dead (For Right Now)
- Caribbean and Bahamas
- What’s the Best Month to Cruise? Pros & Cons of Sailing Each Month of the Year
- Avoid the Cruise Crowds and Travel During Alaska's Shoulder Season
- Which Cruise Line Should I Sail? The Definitive Guide for 2024
Bermuda cruises sail from April through mid-November, mostly during Bermuda's beach season. To help you find the best time to cruise to Alaska, Cruise Critic is breaking down the Alaska cruise season month by month to help you plan your bucket-list trip. Read on for average Alaska cruise prices, things to do in Alaska and everything else you'll need to decide which is the best month to cruise Alaska for you.
Best Time of Year to Book a Cruise
Springtime will be the quietest time to visit the Aloha State, although you might find an uptick of families traveling for spring break during March and April. The summer is the busiest time for vacationers, and the winter months bring whale-watching enthusiasts and surfers. There are also two major sporting events in January, so you'll want to avoid the crowds on Oahu and Maui during that month.
Why Cheap Cruises Are Dead (For Right Now)
During July and into early August, expect special markets, parades and celebrations. In Grenada, Spicemas, held during the second Monday and Tuesday in August, celebrates the island's multicultural heritage with live music and festivities. If enjoying the fanfare of a yacht racing event is more your speed, try to plan your cruise for the end of April at the beginning of the Bermuda International Invitational Race Week.
Caribbean and Bahamas
The best deals tend to crop up throughout the period between mid-November and Mid-March. You'll also need to plan for mosquitos in port and for serious sun protection. Most of the Caribbean averages a UV index of 7 (considered a high risk) during the summer months, holding at a high or extremely high level for long stretches of the day. The weather at home can be unpredictable in the winter, possibly affecting your departure travel plans and preventing you from reaching your Caribbean cruise. Plus, winter storms in the U.S. can increase wave action in the Atlantic and in the Gulf of Mexico. The farther north your departure port, the more likely you are to experience a rough ride until your ship sails south into calmer water.
What’s the Best Month to Cruise? Pros & Cons of Sailing Each Month of the Year
Alternatively, Gulf of Alaska cruises are typically seven-night, one-way itineraries between Vancouver and Seward or Whittier, the gateway ports for Anchorage and northern destinations in the state. Wet weather aside, late summer months bring the best chances of seeing wildlife on expeditions. These months are also your best bet if you want active fishing trips on a shore excursion. With a lineup of more than 260 destinations, newly modernized ships and a new, $250 million private island destination, Royal Caribbean is dialing up the adventure like never before. Whether you’ve cruised before or are considering it for the first time, you’ll want to start off your planning with a few basics on timing. While cruise lines are usually prepared to sail away from storms, it's always a good idea to supplement low fares with travel insurance for incidentals like flight changes.
Taking a Cruise in October
Again, the best time to take a cruise if you want the cheapest price is when school is in session. If you have to sail during the summer or holidays, expect to pay a premium. Like airfare, cruise fares can move up and down over time (though not near as drastically). If you book a cruise and see the price drop later, you should call the cruise line and request a refund of the difference. And the truth is that you can get the same exact cruise for hundreds — and sometimes thousands — of dollars less just by sailing during the right part of the season. However, many travelers choose to cruise to Canada and New England specifically for the fall foliage.
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Avoid the Cruise Crowds and Travel During Alaska's Shoulder Season
But one seabound itinerary people often forget to add to their bucket lists is a Mediterranean cruise. Cruise ships usually begin boarding an hour or two after all passengers from the previous voyage have left the ship. The answer to the first question depends on how far of a commute you have to the cruise port. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, cruise lines would often allow passengers to show up at the terminal on embarkation day whenever was convenient for them within a half-day window.
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What to Do in Alaska: Top Things to Do in October
Below, we go into detail on both fronts with some actual data to show you exactly when to time your purchase and when to set sail to save the most money. The shoulder seasons will also have fewer passengers and tourists — and you may even have some attractions to yourself in the cities and towns. I could tell you that it's cheaper to book a cruise at the beginning of a sale because availability is greatest. However, if the line sees a certain cabin category on a specific ship failing to sell as expected, it could drop rates halfway into the sale period.
Which Cruise Line Should I Sail? The Definitive Guide for 2024
However, if every cruise line slashed prices last-minute, people would catch on and wait to book their trip. If you don't enjoy big crowds with lots of partying, avoid a cruise to Australia during the New Year's Eve festivities, as it's one of the busiest times of year for tourists, especially in Sydney. Australia Day celebrations can also draw crowds, so be aware if your itinerary includes that January holiday. New Zealand's beaches are also a top attraction in the summer, along with outdoor activities and water sports. The summer offers some of the nicest weather, with daytime highs in Boston and New York between 80 and 90 degrees.
The cost of last minute airfare could eat up your cruise savings, and the hassle of obtaining the necessary visas, hotels and transportation could further diminish that initial deal. Considering it’s been eight years and one industry-shattering pandemic since that data was collected, it may no longer be relevant. Today, cruising is an $18.6 billion industry with countless players competing to fill ships as quickly as possible.
If you're after peak wildlife viewing in Alaska, though, high season is the best time to cruise the state. Bears, whales, salmon and caribou are far more abundant June through August than at other times of year. There are also numerous festivals in the port towns during the summer.
Everyone wants to know the cheapest day to book travel — as if fares drop like clockwork on Wednesday morning and rise with the sun on Thursday. October is one of the wettest months in Alaska, so prepare for low clouds and rain. Alaska weather in October is manageable if you pack the right gear and protective clothing. If you want to spot herds of caribou, book an Alaska cruise that puts you in range of Denali National Park. And with salmon runs in full force, you can catch fishing bears in the southeast.
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