Choose Your Cruise Tip #2 – When to Go

Your availability to travel can often have an impact on when you are able to cruise to certain locations. Because of these seasonal limitations, it’s a good idea to examine WHEN certain geographic areas of the globe are visited by various cruise lines. Now that you have determined some of the locations (from Tip#1) that you desire to explore by cruise ship, let’s find out when these locations are generally available to enjoy by the major cruise lines.

Below are some general guidelines for certain itineraries and when sailings take place:

1. Alaskan Cruises are very popular vacations for families. Because of this popularity, most cruise offerings center around June, July, and August. If you are considering this for your family vacation, you shouldn’t have any difficulty finding a trip that lines up well with your schedule and availability. If you are looking to go without children, there are trips scheduled in May and September which usually translates into fewer visitors and some attractive pricing discounts too.
2. European Cruises mostly take place during the summer months as well. As with Alaskan cruises, deals usually take place on early and late season sailings (April and October/November).
3. South American itineraries generally run from October thru April. This is an excellent choice for families seeking an exotic way to celebrate the holidays while their kids are on break from school. Imagine escaping the grips of winter and enjoying warm Brazilian beaches or hiking to the top of Machu Picchu!
4. New England & Canada trips take place from April thru October. Spring is generally the least popular time to sail these areas and usually holds the most discounts. Summer on the Eastern seaboard is busy, yet is certainly full of great destinations and exciting ports to explore. Fall is considered the prime time for most seeking to visit New England and Canada due to the vibrant foliage and photographic opportunities that abound during this beautiful season!
5. Panama Canal itineraries run from September thru April. There are a few cruise lines that offer trips year round; however this is the general season. Summer sailings are the most heavily discounted due to erratic weather.
6. Bermuda experiences four seasons, unlike the Caribbean Islands. This makes summer the peak season for most cruise offerings here. However, late spring and early fall sailings are offered and are generally discounted.
7. Mexico’s season is basically year round. However, keep a forward eye on the weather as summer cruises may be affected by the hurricane season. Summer sailings are generally discounted more than other parts of the season for Mexican cruise itineraries.
8. Caribbean cruises are offered all of the time due to warm weather year round. Sailings that occur in the summer and early fall can be plagued with hurricanes. But, most ships will generally adjust their itineraries should this occur and take you to a different island than originally planned and in doing so will preserve your vacation.
9. Hawaii is also considered a year round destination for most cruise lines. Generally speaking, there is no real “off season” for visits to Hawaii. However, September and October may be slower months (right after the peak summer season) and may hold some discounts for fall sailings.
10. Mediterranean cruises are possible at any time of year; however, most cruises occur between May and October. The middle of summer can be oppressive so many cruise lines reposition their ships to Northern Europe at that time. It picks back up again in late August when the summer heat begins to dissipate.

Hopefully this information will assist you in your choice of when to cruise. Please feel free to contact me for further information regarding a destination that you have in mind. I would be more than happy to assist you in planning your next cruise! Please call me at 1-800-975-7775 or email me today.