Don’t Book a Cruise Until You Watch This! | Best Time to Cruise? | Cruise Timing Guide

Don’t Book a Cruise Until You Watch This! | Best Time to Cruise? | Cruise Timing Guide

Hi, I’m Jan and I’m Tracey, and since we retired in 2022, we’ve been blessed to travel. And honestly, it feels like it’s been nonstop. Yeah, just last year we went on nine cruises and this year we actually already working on ten. And for 2026 we already have nine cruises on the books and that doesn’t even count our land vacation. So we’ve learned that knowing WHEN to cruise might be just as important as which cruise line you actually choose. This is because the time of year is going to make a big difference in the weather, the crowds, and especially the price. And we’re going to be the first to admit we don’t always get this right ourselves. Even with all of our planning. We’ve had cruises where the weather didn’t cooperate or we missed something important that just because we didn’t go at the right time. It’s not always easy and it’s definitely not an exact science. And to be honest, cost is often the deciding factor for us. Sometimes we let the price guide our choice more than the weather or the crowds, especially if it’s a really, really good deal. But realize cruise fares can swing a lot depending on the time of year you go. And when everyone’s trying to go to the same region at the same time, those prices jump up fast. However, if you sail during a low demand window, you can really a lot of times snag a really great deal. But you have to keep in mind that there’s usually a reason why fewer people are booking them. And oftentimes, honestly, it’s the weather, it’s the hurricane season. It’s monsoons or just seasonal storms can cause ports or entire cruises to get canceled. And even if you’re sailing isn’t canceled, nothing ruins a dream trip through the tropics like five straight days of rain. And then there are those school holidays. We used to take our kids on cruises, and we would look for the times when the kids were out of school, such as Thanksgiving break, right after Christmas, spring break or summer break. Of course, this means with everyone else with kids is cruising at the same time, so expect full ships, full ships with kids, and higher fares. And now that our kids are all grown up and out of the house, we still try to plan our cruises around the school calendar. Although this time we’re trying to cruise when the kids are in school so we can have now a quieter, more kid-free experience. And those often come with cheaper fares. Yeah, but beyond whether in crowds, some destinations are very specific for the timing, for the best experiences, like when to go see whales, catch the northern lights or be there for a local festival. So in this video, we’re going to walk you through the nine cruise destinations from the least visited to the most popular, and share the best months to cruise to each. We’re going to start with Antarctica, which is one of the most remote, but also one of the most extraordinary cruise destinations in the world. Cruises here generally start to run between November and March, and the best time, we believe, is to go in late December through February, when the wildlife is active and the weather is most favorable. However, this really actually depends upon what do you want out of your own Antarctica experience. If you want a lots of snow and ice, you want that pristine Antarctic experience.; you want to want to book earlier in the season. But if you want more wildlife, you want to book later. Now, we went on our Antarctic cruise in early February and it was absolutely unforgettable. We saw whales throughout the cruise, especially in the Lemaire Channel, also known as a Kodak Gap, and the penguin chicks had just hit their rebellious teenage phase. They’re adorable, they’re endlessly entertaining, and they’re actually very loud. However, we warn you that if you are visiting later in the season, like when we did, when the penguins have been in the rookeries longer, the smell of guano. And let’s be honest, that’s just a polite way of saying penguin poop is going to be much more pungent. They stink. But the weather really was really mild considering it is Antarctica. Usually, no lower than mid or the high 30s. We even had the opportunity to camp overnight on the continent under the sky full of stars. But while it’s expensive and logistically complex, there’s sheer beauty, the silence and the wildlife encounters makes this well worth its effort and its price. This is why this is not your typical cruise, and which is why it is also very, very special. And now next up is Australia New Zealand, which offers a rich mix of cosmopolitan ports, rugged coastlines and unique wildlife. The peak cruising season is from December to March, which is summer in the Southern hemisphere. You’ll get long, warm days, warm weather and fewer rough seas. Now we cruise both countries in the month of February during our world cruise and then another cruise we sailed in December along the western and southern coast of Australia, and both of them had gorgeous weather both times. Now that said, you’ll want to avoid the June to August winter windows, especially in the southern itineraries when the conditions are cooler and rougher. Cruising here is growing in popularity, and while it requires longer flights for many travelers, it will reward you with dramatic scenery and culturally rich ports. All right, so let’s move to South America and the region of South America, which most cruisers visit is what is known as the Southern Cone region. This is the area southern portion of Brazil, Argentina and Chile. This region offers everything from bustling cities to the rugged Patagonian wilderness. The best time for this region is to cruise, especially around the Cape Horn or Patagonia, is December through March, during the what is known as the Southern hemisphere summer, when temperatures are warmer, days are longer and the seas are calmer. Alternatively, we would say avoid May to August unless you want to go ski. This is their winter. This is when is cold and the sea conditions are going to be challenging. Now we cruises this region last November visiting Uruguay, Argentina and Chile and while it was cool, it was a perfect time to see the Southern Cone with beautiful landscapes, penguins along the beaches and some of the cleanest air we’ve ever breathed. Now let’s talk about Asia, a huge and diverse region that includes everything from ancient temples to ultra modern cities. The ideal cruising window is November through March, when the temperatures are comfortable and the rainfall is lower across much of Southeast and East Asia. June to September brings heavy monsoon rains and typhoons to places like Japan, Korea and the Philippines, so it’s best to avoid that stretch unless you’re inland and between ports. Now, we visited Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong in March and April during our world cruise. I’ll tell you, it was a highlight of our experience. And now what surprised us most was the incredible smoothness of the seas. Some of these are the calmest waters we’ve experienced anywhere in the world. Now next up is Northern Europe and the Baltics. This includes bucket list stops like Tallin, Stockholm and the Norwegian fjords. The prime season for this region is May through August, although there is a shoulder season of May and September. However, May tends to be cooler and September brings more rain and cooler temps, especially the farther north you go. That said, we cruised the region on a back-to-back cruise on the MSC Preziosa, where we did the Baltics, we did Norwegian all the way up a Norwegian fjords, all the way up to North Cap, which is the northern portion of Norway between mid-August and early September. And the crew actually told us, they kept on raving, that this was actually the best weather they had all season. So, there are exceptions to everything we’re saying. However, if you’re into scenery, folklore in that “old Europe” feel this region is incredibly rewarding. But it books fast, it could be pricier than many of the other warmer destinations we’re talking about now. On to Alaska, the only destination on this list that we haven’t cruise to yet, but believe me, it is on our radar. The cruising season here runs from May through September, with June through early August generally considered the best for warm weather, whale watching and active wildlife. May and September are also the colder months offered, with better pricing and fewer crowds, but you run into the risk the greater risk of rain and cooler temperatures. Now, if you’re looking for bucket list natural experiences glaciers, calving, salmon spawning, bears, fishing, Alaska delivers all of it and then some. We’ve researched this one thoroughly and we just cannot wait to go. Now let’s talk about transatlantic cruises, which might sound niche, but they’re really some of our favorite types of cruises. We’ve done three of them, so far, not counting our January crossing during the world cruise, and we have two more already on the books. The main season for these is spring or fall is either April to May heading east or October to November heading west. Now, cruise lines are actually where we are going to determine the schedule because they are repositioning voyages. But the big decision for travelers like you is which direction to sail. Now there is some resources suggest eastbound crossings that’s going from the United States to Europe, that they’re actually easier on the body to be able to manage. And they also have, smoother seas. But we personally prefer sailing west to east or from Europe to the United States, because you gain an hour every day or two. And quite frankly, this just allows us to sleep in, without feeling guilty. So if you enjoy sea days, reading, relaxing is shipboard life without a packed itinerary. Transatlantic are unbeatable, especially for the value. Now the Mediterranean, our personal happy place. We’ve taken multiple cruises here and we always aim for the shoulder seasons. May, June, September and October. And these months offer better weather, fewer crowds and slightly lower prices in the peak summer months. That said, fewer crowds does not mean no crowds anymore. Places like Venice and Florence can still be packed even in the off season. I would say try to avoid July in August if you can. It’s hot, it’s expensive, and it is packed with tourists. Still, with its deep history, world class cuisine and port intensive itineraries, the med never gets old. For us, it is one of the places we keep coming back to over and over again. And finally we come to the Caribbean. This is the most popular cruise destination of the world, and probably the one we’ve cruise the most. The best time to cruise the Caribbean is going to be between December and April. When the weather is dry, the seas are calmer and the hurricanes aren’t a concern. We almost always take a Caribbean cruise in February, especially sailing out of our home port in Galveston. Now, one thing to keep in mind is that with the western Caribbean ports such as causa, melon, Belize and Grand Cayman can be a bit cooler. But even in January or February, once you reach the eastern and southern Caribbean, is reliably warm. But early in the trip, especially out of ports such as Galveston, you might want to have a light jacket in the mornings. And yes, we’ve dared to cruise guys with September and October sailings right into the heart of the hurricane season. In fact, we’re getting ready to do that in a few weeks. Here is a gamble, but if you’re flexible and willing to adjust, the lower fares and smaller crowds can make it well worth it. As long as you don’t have a council cruise or a favorite port call. For us, the Caribbean is a reliable escape for sunshine, beaches, and easy access. So now that we’ve walked you through all nine regions, we want to give you a quick month by month summary to help you match your travel window with the best cruise destination. Think it was kind of a cheat sheet? Just a general guide whether pricing is going to vary from year to year, but this should should be able to help you narrow things down beginning of the year January and February are great for escaping winter, with cruises to the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, South America and Antarctica. March and April bring in Japan’s cherry blossoms. The start of the Mediterranean season. And this is when you have your eastbound transatlantic crossings. Now, from May to August, it’s prime time for Alaska, northern Europe and the Mediterranean, but expect bigger crowds and higher prices into September October. They are sweet spots for shoulder season travel. This is a great time to be able to get great deals in the Mediterranean. Go to the South America or this is when you have your transit transatlantic going westbound. Then we close out the year in November and December with sailings to the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, Australia and back to Antarctica. Of course, there’s always exceptions, but that gives you a great solid starting point to be able to help get your cruise the right. And if you’re like us, you’ll probably find that the best time to cruise is when you can go cruising. Speaking of cruising, check out how stunning Antarctica is in early February with this video and as always, Keep on Traveling! Where do we go from here? We could go anywhere.

Best time to cruise? Jan and Tracey share tips from over 400 days at sea to help you plan your perfect cruise. We go region-by-region—Alaska, Caribbean, Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Asia, Australia & New Zealand, South America, and more—to reveal the best and worst months to cruise.

Using our own experiences plus advice from travel experts, we’ve built a year-round cruise timing guide so you know exactly when to book and when to think twice.

Video Chapters:
Introduction 00:00
Why timing matters 00:18
Antarctica 02:13
Australia and New Zealand 03:39
South America 04:35
Southeast & East Asia 05:30
Baltics and Norway 06:14
Alaska 07:05
Transatlantic Cruises 07:45
Mediterranean 08:36
Caribbean 09:14
Year-Long Cruise Calendar 10:24

Our Recommended Cruise Gear
OREI American to European Plug Adapters—Many cruise ships are equipped with 220 European plugs, which are useless unless you have the correct adapter. These are the essentials we pack in our bags every time we cruise or travel to Europe. They come in an affordable six pack which you can find at this link: https://amzn.to/44ixS0U

Strongman Tools Strong Magnetic Hooks—A couple of these 6-pack sets of hooks are always with us when we cruise. Each individual hook can hold up to 30 lbs of weight and is ideal for hanging coats, hats, and the shelves described below. Get your set of these useful magnetic hooks at this link: https://amzn.to/3UDrVbJ

Whitmor 5 Section Closet Organizer—Unfortunately, drawer and shelf space are sometimes limited in some cruise cabins. That’s why we always bring at least one of these inexpensive closet organizers, which gives us plenty of room for our folded clothes. We typically use a couple of magnetic hooks, as described above, to hang these from the ceiling in the corner of our room. Here’s the link where you can get yours: https://amzn.to/3w3GvQn

Our Recommended Camera Gear
DJI Osmo Pocket 3–You’ll usually see Tracey using this in almost all of our videos. Love this wonderful, small, and versatile camera. Basic Camera: https://amzn.to/3UDJJDF Creators Combo: https://amzn.to/4beP6OP

GoPro Hero12—This is the best action camera we’ve ever used. Whether taking videos on the Zodiacs in Antarctica, snorkeling in Papua New Guinea, or scuba diving in Bonaire, this camera is always in our hands. Find the link to get yours here: https://amzn.to/3UkTcy1

Peak Design Slide Lite Camera Strap—If you still carry a DSLR or Mirrorless camera as Jan does, this is the perfect strap to use. What’s great is that this fully adjustable strap can be configured to be worn across your body, distributing the weight of your camera across your back rather than your neck. Additionally, it provides a bit more security when traveling through high-risk pickpocket areas. Get your Slide Lite Strap here: https://amzn.to/3xW6pWR

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