Best Time to Book a Cruise According to 11 Travel Experts

Table Of Content

• So, When Is the Best Time for Travellers to Cruise the Caribbean?
• OnBoard offers
• The best time to book a cruise often comes down to preference, planning, and peace of mind
• For the best savings, you need to stay away from when everyone else vacations
• Booking a Cruise Early
• Best Time to Book a Cruise, According to 11 Travel Experts
• Why Cheap Cruises Are Dead (For Right Now)

The Bahamas, which technically are in the Atlantic rather than the Caribbean, remain popular because they are easy to reach from the U.S. They are also a common stop for Caribbean cruises and a popular golf destination. This can mean your itinerary can be disrupted, or the cruise line will be forced to cancel the voyage entirely. While this outcome is fairly unlikely, it can be a concern for those who cannot delay their trip due to work commitments.

So, When Is the Best Time for Travellers to Cruise the Caribbean?

May in Bermuda is your best bet for shoulder season travel if you're after discounts and the highest likelihood for sunny skies and warm temperatures. Even so, you can expect temperate weather year-round, and far less humidity than islands farther south. If it's too chilly for the beach in the shoulder season, you can always try out the island's many golf courses and spas. Certain times of year may seem like no-brainers for travel, like spring break or summer vacation. That said, with our experiences having sailed seemingly every month on the calendar, we have found there are definite advantages and disadvantages to sailing each month of the year.

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When it isn't stormy, it might still be a bit warm and sticky for some early in the season. Early January is a particularly good time to book a fall cruise because many others have not booked these cruises. Many people are not yet thinking about fall vacations in January, and you can use this time to snag some of the best cabins on the ship, often at lower fares. December can be the best time to cruise the Caribbean or a slightly less awesome one, depending on you.

The best time to book a cruise often comes down to preference, planning, and peace of mind

For example, in May 2023, you can sail on a seven-night Western Mediterranean voyage from Barcelona to Rome with Princess Cruises starting at $699 per person. If you prefer to travel in the fall, you can still find a good deal on the same itinerary for $848 per person in September. Since you'll have the greatest choice of ships midsummer, you might luck out and find a one-off deal if you can be flexible about ship and sail date. The spring (April and May) and the fall (September and October) afford some of the best weather in the Mediterranean, with sunny days and comfortable temperatures.

Hot temperatures make long days near the sea enticing, though you are more likely to encounter a day or two of rain in some parts of the Caribbean in May or June. Many cruise lines come out with their best fares when itineraries first go on sale, and then raise the rates as the ships sell out. This is especially true with luxury cruises, new or popular mainstream ships and Disney cruises that tend to book up well in advance. Booking early also gets you your pick of cabins -- especially if you want a suite or a specific room, including solo cabins -- and dining times. Though cruises are available in northern Europe year-round, you’ll find the largest amount of voyages during the warmer months in spring, summer, and the beginning of fall. The best season to take a cruise in northern Europe weather-wise is in the summer from June through August.

For the best savings, you need to stay away from when everyone else vacations

However, the overall price that you’ll pay tends to end up the same. 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.

Booking a Cruise Early

As you may have guessed, these two seasons revolve around the amount of precipitation the region experiences during different times of the year. If you’re extremely flexible, booking last minute can save you 60% or more, as cruise lines are desperate to fill empty cabin space. But generally speaking, it’s best to book over a year in advance during the November to March sale season. The general consensus seems to be that there isn’t one best month for booking cruises. The best deals tend to crop up throughout the period between mid-November and Mid-March. Then you’ll have to repeat that feat to get the best deal on cruises, with 5 am being the ideal time to get the best deal.

Tickets for cruises that set sail between January and March are usually among the most affordable. This is because these months and those between them are when demand is high enough to warrant an increased number of cruise voyages, but they miss the most pleasant months of November and April. Temperatures can be warm and enjoyable, but many people find that the humidity can be unpleasant. Rain is also more frequent, which can make excursions and exploring ports of call far less enjoyable. The Caribbean Sea is usually relatively calm during late fall and early spring.

Why Cheap Cruises Are Dead (For Right Now)

Think about if there was a certain time when booking your cruise meant cheaper fares. If that was the case, many people would put off their bookings until that time of year. The result would wreak havoc on the cruise lines, who want you to book sooner rather than later. As a result, fares are similar no matter what time of year you book. Look into the bundled price for airfare and transfers to and from the port. Then price these yourself or ask a travel agent to put together the options for you.

Instead, what will have the biggest impact on what you pay for a cruise is when you sail, not when you book. In our experience, there isn’t much difference in the time of year that you book. For example, the same cruise isn’t automatically cheaper if you buy in January versus if you buy in July.

For example, a seven-night round-trip cruise in November or early December 2024 with Norwegian Cruise Line starts at $1,649. January is the beginning of the dry season, so the humidity is lower, and the temperatures are in the 70s and 80s. If you want to avoid rain, May is typically the driest month, with plenty of sunshine and highs in the 50s. It's a great month for nature lovers to cruise to Alaska because May is when you'll see much of the wildlife emerging, including migrating gray whales, Dall sheep, moose and migratory birds. Now that you know the best time to book a cruise, there is one final thing to mention — cruise line sales.

In Grenada, Spicemas, held during the second Monday and Tuesday in August, celebrates the island's multicultural heritage with live music and festivities. Beginning at the very end of April and into May, Antigua Sailing Week is globally known for its prestigious sailing races and parties. Tons of music and jazz festivals take place around the Caribbean this time of year, including the Pure Grenada Music Festival in May and the St. Kitts Music Festival in June.

No late night comparison shopping or checking cruises in your lunch. Like birds and whales, cruise ships also migrate to specific locations based on the seasonal weather patterns. This is why Alaskan cruises are in the summer and not at Christmas time.

Summer into early fall is the best time to cruise Hawaii especially June and July. June through September is also the cheapest time to go to Hawaii on a cruise and coincides with some of the nicest weather in Hawaii. Antarctica is an increasingly popular destination, but cruise ships only visit for about half the year.

Originally from South Carolina, Elizabeth moved to New York City from London, where she started her career as a travel blogger and writer. Evie Carrick is a writer and editor who’s lived in five countries and visited well over 50. She now splits her time between Colorado and Paris, ensuring she doesn't have to live without skiing or L'As du Fallafel.

Of course, that’s difficult for most people that must plan their vacation in advance. Several times during the year the various cruise lines will have special promotions that can reduce the cost of booking by over half. Most Caribbean cruises in March and April run close to $100 per person, per night. Spring break is a popular time to cruise and fares can fluctuate during that time. Cruise ships sail in the Mediterranean all year long, but the primary season runs from April into early November. For more mild weather and less crowds than during the busy summer season, aim for a Mediterranean voyage in early May or September.