Where to cruise, and when
The month you sail changes a cruise more than the ship does. Each guide below covers the honest weather calendar, realistic costs at three budgets, and which ports genuinely justify leaving the ship.
| Region | Season | Best value window | Mid-range nightly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caribbean | Year round | Late August to early October | $132 |
| Bahamas | Year round | September and October | $105 |
| Alaska | Late June to mid-August | Late April, May and late September | $215 |
| Mediterranean | July and August | April and November | $165 |
| Mexico | Year round | September and October | $112 |
| Hawaii | December to March, and June to August | Late April, early May and October | $178 |
| Northern Europe | Late June to early August | Early May and late September | $205 |
| Australia | December to February | May to September for Queensland | $185 |
| Japan | Late March to April, and late October to November | January and February | $225 |
| South Pacific | June to September | February and March | $320 |
| New Zealand | December to February | October and April | $195 |
| Panama Canal | January to March | October and November | $128 |
| South America | December to February | October and April | $215 |
| Antarctica | December and January | Late October and early March | $1,180 |
| Baltic Sea | Late June to mid-August | Early May and mid-September | $195 |
Americas
Caribbean
The Caribbean is the world's largest cruise region, split into Eastern, Western and Southern routes sailing year round from Florida, Texas and Puerto Rico.
- Best value
- Late August to early October
- Mid-range nightly
- $132
Americas
Bahamas
The Bahamas is the closest cruise destination to Florida, dominated by two to four-night sailings and by cruise line private islands rather than by traditional ports.
- Best value
- September and October
- Mid-range nightly
- $105
North America
Alaska
Alaska is a summer-only cruise region sailing from Seattle and Vancouver between late April and late September, built around glacier viewing and Inside Passage scenery.
- Best value
- Late April, May and late September
- Mid-range nightly
- $215
Europe
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean is Europe's largest cruise region, split into Western routes from Barcelona and Italy and Eastern routes through Greece, Croatia and Turkey, sailing April to November.
- Best value
- April and November
- Mid-range nightly
- $165
Americas
Mexico
Mexico is served by three distinct cruise regions: the Pacific Mexican Riviera, short Baja sailings from California, and Caribbean-coast calls at Cozumel and Costa Maya.
- Best value
- September and October
- Mid-range nightly
- $112
Americas
Hawaii
Hawaii is served by one year-round inter-island cruise ship and by longer round-trip sailings from the US West Coast that include five or more sea days.
- Best value
- Late April, early May and October
- Mid-range nightly
- $178
Europe
Northern Europe
Northern Europe covers Norwegian fjord, Iceland, British Isles and North Sea itineraries, sailing from May to September from Southampton, Amsterdam and Copenhagen.
- Best value
- Early May and late September
- Mid-range nightly
- $205
Oceania
Australia
Australia is a southern-hemisphere cruise region with a peak season from October to April, sailing from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne to the Great Barrier Reef, Tasmania and the South Pacific.
- Best value
- May to September for Queensland
- Mid-range nightly
- $185
Asia
Japan
Japan is an Asian cruise region with two peak seasons, cherry blossom in late March and April and autumn colour in October and November, sailing from Yokohama, Kobe and Tokyo.
- Best value
- January and February
- Mid-range nightly
- $225
Oceania
South Pacific
The South Pacific covers French Polynesia, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Samoa, cruised year round with a dry season from May to October and reached from Papeete, Sydney or Honolulu.
- Best value
- February and March
- Mid-range nightly
- $320
Oceania
New Zealand
New Zealand is a southern-hemisphere cruise region sailing October to April, built around Fiordland scenic cruising and calls at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.
- Best value
- October and April
- Mid-range nightly
- $195
Americas
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is an 82-kilometre ship canal linking the Atlantic and Pacific, crossed by cruise ships on full ocean-to-ocean transits and on partial transits that enter and reverse out.
- Best value
- October and November
- Mid-range nightly
- $128
South America
South America
South America is cruised on three distinct routes: Cape Horn and Patagonia, the Amazon river, and the Pacific coast from Chile to Peru, with a season concentrated between October and April.
- Best value
- October and April
- Mid-range nightly
- $215
Polar
Antarctica
Antarctica is an expedition cruise destination reached from Ushuaia across the Drake Passage, with a season running late October to early March and strict landing regulations.
- Best value
- Late October and early March
- Mid-range nightly
- $1,180
Europe
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a summer cruise region linking Northern European capitals including Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, Tallinn and Gdansk over seven to fourteen nights.
- Best value
- Early May and mid-September
- Mid-range nightly
- $195
Picking a region
What is the best cruise destination for first-timers?
The Caribbean and Bahamas, for North Americans: short flights, warm water year round, polished products refined over decades, and the widest choice of ships and fares. A three or four-night Bahamas sailing is the lowest-risk test of whether cruising suits you at all.
Which cruise destination is the cheapest?
The Caribbean, structurally: roughly a third of world cruise capacity is deployed there, and competition holds balcony fares to $95 to $185 per person per night with September the cheapest month. The Bahamas short-cruise market reaches lower absolute prices, from about $245 for three nights.
Where can you cruise year round?
The Caribbean, Bahamas and Mexico run every week of the year. Alaska closes entirely from October to late April, the Mediterranean thins to a small winter programme, Northern Europe runs May to September, and Antarctica runs late October to early March. Seasonality is the first filter for any cruise plan.