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If you’re ready to experience all that Royal Caribbean has in store for your next vacation, head here to find the perfect cruise. 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.
Can I book a cruise at the last minute?
Best Time to Cruise to Cozumel: A Month-by-Month Guide - Cruise Critic
Best Time to Cruise to Cozumel: A Month-by-Month Guide.
Posted: Wed, 21 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
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.
Juneau
By late spring, summer and fall, there are more festivals, sporting events and golf tournaments that bring visitors to the islands. In the summertime, you'll have family vacations and people with vacation homes in Bermuda returning for the season and warmer weather. The shoulder seasons may not be the warmest, but they typically offer better pricing than summer cruises. For example, a 14-night sailing to the Baltic with Holland America is $949 in early May 2023 but $1,329 in mid-June. The warmest months in Northern Europe are mid-June to August, making the height of the summer season the most desirable time to cruise Scandinavia and the Baltic region.
Travel
Summer is from May to October, and winter falls between November and April. Since the temperatures are similar during both seasons, the best time to cruise the islands is when there's less chance of precipitation, which is during the summer months of June, July and August. The spring and fall are the optimal times to visit, with fewer tourists, cooler temperatures and lower prices. You'll also find that most everything is open during that time and easier to see without battling the crowds. If price is a major factor in choosing the perfect cruise travel date, you'll also want to look at cruises in the shoulder season, when fewer people are traveling and fares are typically lower.
Is January a good time for a cruise? - Royal Caribbean Blog
Is January a good time for a cruise?.
Posted: Thu, 07 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Alaska Cruise in April: Fewer Rainy Days When You Visit Alaska in April
During this period — also known as wave season — industry-wide sales occur and the price of that cruise you've been dreaming of may drop significantly. It's also a good time to find booking promotions, like free upgrades, prepaid gratuities, or onboard spending money. The only way to really know the best time to book a cruise is to track fares, which is not an easy task.
What to expect when boarding your cruise ship
Seas in Alaska are choppiest on Gulf of Alaska itineraries where waters are open. Alternatively, Inside Passage cruises in Alaska tend to be calmer as the waters are protected. Dress in layers of clothing so that you can peel off (or add on) slowly as the thermometer dictates. You will want to pack a bathing suit and a very warm fleece jacket -- and you'll likely wear both at different times.
However, many of the potential downsides are manageable in our opinion — and shouldn’t deter you from taking a cruise when it fits your schedule and budget. While it might be cold in North America, the weather stays fairly consistent in the Caribbean. For instance, the average high temperature for Cozumel is about 84 degrees in January and 91 degrees during the peak of August.
Best time to cruise Mexico to avoid crowds
Unfortunately, fares don't rise and fall on a set schedule, and it's impossible to predict when they'll change. One 2016 study by CruiseWatch.com found that, on average, cruise fares dropped the most on Thursdays. These data points are constantly fluctuating so your best bet is to track fares throughout the week. While there isn't a "best time of the month" to book a cruise, monitoring fare changes over several weeks can help you spot any price drops. Cruise prices fluctuate frequently based on availability, demand, and special deals. Unless you're interested in a high-demand sailing, be patient and look out for flash sales.
The course begins in Seattle and leads through the Inside Passage, Prince William Sound, and up to Anchorage. Then, you’ll travel over to Kodiak Island, out to the far stretches of the Aleutian Islands to Dutch Harbor, and around to Nome, and through the Arctic Circle. Some cruise lines offer pre or post-cruise fly-in opportunities to remote areas of Alaska, like leaving from Fairbanks to the visit the Arctic Circle.
You can also book discounted cruises through Costco, USAA, your credit card rewards page or CruiseCompete, where travel agents compete to offer you the best deal on your ideal cruise. Then, if you don’t see the deal you want over the holidays, go ahead and set up email alerts with the cruise lines so you don’t miss any deals starting in January. The general consensus seems to be that there isn’t one best month for booking cruises.
You can also take a chance and wait for last-minute specials if you're flexible. For example, a seven-night round-trip cruise in November or early December 2024 with Norwegian Cruise Line starts at $1,649. The exception is world cruises (and other highly anticipated and publicized short-season sailings, like Great Lakes cruises). World cruises have sold out within hours, even with price tags of $150,000 per couple. Peak season for Western Mediterranean cruises runs from April through November, with stops generally in Spain, France, Italy and Malta. May and late-October Canada and New England cruises are the cheapest times to cruise, but don't expect to be using the onboard swimming pool much.
You'll find more ships in this region between August and October as it gets closer to peak leaf-peeping season. For the best weather, book your cruise during the dry season, between November and May. If you're not interested in high-season travel or experiencing the latest cruise ship, you can play the waiting game and pounce as soon as fares drop. As any seasoned traveler knows, you'll often find lower rates or free add-ons as the departure date approaches and the cruise line works to fill the ship. Regardless of when you're booking a cruise, you'll want to know if the fare you're paying for your vacation at sea is a cheap deal, average or overpriced.
That's true if you're after bright and warm Riviera Maya weather or optimal conditions in the Mexican Riviera on the Pacific Coast as well. Alaska is a special place to cruise because it’s very different from standard tropical cruise destinations. Cruises to Alaska don’t occur during the months of January, February, March, November and December. The dark and cold winters are not ideal for cruises because travelers aren’t able to enjoy the wonders of the state of Alaska.
Mediterranean cruises can last anywhere from seven days to two weeks, depending on the company and itinerary. Booking every excursion through the cruise line can add up, but luckily, there are typically more affordable options through third-party companies. Then, you'll proceed to the check-in desk, where an agent will help you complete the process. Boarding begins roughly between 10 and 11 a.m., depending on the ship's schedule and how long it takes everyone from the last cruise to debark.
If you’re looking for warmth and sunbathing weather, June and July are good bets — avoid August if possible due to the hottest temperatures and highest crowd levels. However, if we had our pick, we would suggest either April or October if you need to fly into a cruise port. The generally good weather and low prices combine to make it a cheap and easy time to sail. In this case the ‘shoulder’ months of May and September offer the lowest prices. One more thing to keep in mind is the summer months in the tropics can often mean regular afternoon thunderstorms. (For example, Nassau in The Bahamas see about nine inches of rain in August.) Late winter and early spring months are drier.
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