What are the best cruises in the world? Viking, Disney are big winners

Table Of Content

• Best Day of the Week to Book a Cruise
• Alaska Cruise in June: See the Sights on an Alaska Summer Cruise
• Do cruises get less expensive closer to the departure date?
• Best Time for a Canada & New England Cruise: Mid-September - Mid-October

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 shoulder season months are also the least crowded times to visit Alaska because kids are in school and fewer families are vacationing. Just be aware that if you head to Alaska early in the spring, some of the stores may not have opened yet. Arrive in the fall, and you may find that tour operators and shops have begun to cut back hours or have closed. 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.

Best Day of the Week to Book a Cruise

Though there are peak times to book a cruise, the decision to book at a certain or “best” time comes down to your specific needs, wants, and itinerary. Unlike a hotel reservation, when you book a cruise, you don’t just book a stateroom category. You can (and should) choose your exact stateroom at the time of booking. First, choose the best stateroom, then look at the deck plans for your ship to pick out the perfect location. Generally, you’ll find that the opening advertised price will be the best price for that cruise.

Alaska Cruise in June: See the Sights on an Alaska Summer Cruise

Very often you end up spending more money onboard, so it’s important to make sure you get additional things for free, like a la carte dining, Wi-Fi, unlimited alcoholic beverages and credit for shore excursions. Cruises are great vacations to book and take year-round but some times of the year are better times than others to book a cruise. If you are looking to book a cruise when there are the lowest fares and the most availability the best time to book is in January.

Do cruises get less expensive closer to the departure date?

You need to go where the inventory is; if your dream cruise is filling up, the last minute rates will be higher not lower. To truly enjoy an Alaskan cruise, cruisers can visit from April to October when daylight hours, weather and wildlife are better. Explore Alaskan cruises and learn more about each fun-filled trip to the 49th state. Cruisers can typically enjoy Alaska in October at lower rates than the Alaska summer cruise season prices. It would make sense that you would find the cheapest fares right before the ship sails. After all, if a room sails empty, the cruise line earns nothing from that cabin.

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Best Time for a Canada & New England Cruise: Mid-September - Mid-October

That's especially true in Skagway, where snow can keep the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad only traveling a few miles due to snowed-in tracks. If you run across a price drop, then you should contact the cruise line immediately. This is where having put down only a deposit — and not paying in full — buys you some leverage. The rule of thumb is that the higher up your room is on the ship, the more you will pay. If you don’t need these sorts of things on your cruise, then look for an older ship to get a much cheaper cruise.

If you want the warmest, sunniest weather to explore quaint coastal towns and cities on the northern Atlantic seaboard, July and August are your best bets. Amenity add-ons, like beverage packages, onboard credit, Wi-Fi, laundry service, and included gratuities, only have a value if you are going to use them. A person who drinks only one glass of wine each day or someone who likes to disconnect from tech on vacation may find little worth in an unlimited drinks package or premium Wi-Fi, respectively. It’s important to know the value of these items for you and purchase accordingly. Just as some airlines offer the opportunity to bid for a business- or first-class seat upgrade, many cruise companies offer travelers the opportunity to bid on stateroom upgrades. Todd Smith, owner of AdventureSmith Explorations, says that if you want to go on an expedition cruise, which typically involves a smaller ship, it’s imperative to book early.

January is an ideal time to book a cruise primarily because not many other people are booking cruises then

If rates were lowest right before the trip sailed, then every passenger would wait until the last minute. The cruise lines wouldn’t be able to plan their needs for the trip ahead of time or predict revenue, costs, or profits. If you know the cruise line you’d like to sail, we suggest booking directly through them. If you are open to which line you sail, then third-party websites give you the ability to search more cruise lines and itineraries to find a better price.

What is the best time of year to book a cruise?

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Vessel Sanitation Program (20%). U.S. News & World Report on Tuesday published its ranking of the "best" cruise lines of 2022. Drop us an anchor below to share what time of year you like to vacation.

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.

During April and May and September to November, the combination of cooler temperatures, a higher chance of rain and a lack of family vacations leads to more availability and lower prices for cruises. July is the height of peak season, with the warmest weather of the year and long daylight hours. It's also the best month for wildlife viewing, especially for humpback whales, brown and black bears and migrating shorebirds and puffins.

The best season to take a cruise in northern Europe weather-wise is in the summer from June through August. If you’re okay with cooler weather and want fewer crowds, opt for a sailing in September or October. It’s when companies are looking to base load their ships for the year.

If you have to sail during the summer or holidays, expect to pay a premium. That would lead to fewer people booking throughout the year; instead they would wait until that one time a year when cruises were cheaper. That’s why there’s not a best time of year to actually buy your cruise. If you book well in advance (usually 90+ days), you can usually get some sort of price guarantee included with your fare. Book a fare, and if you see it drop later, you can call the cruise line and get the price difference either refunded or get the difference back as onboard credit.

Best time to book cruises

Table Of Content

• Royal Caribbean Blog is your ultimate source for Royal Caribbean coverage.
• Is it possible to score last-minute cruise deals?
• How do I know if I'm getting a good deal when I book?
• Cruises
• Learn About Credit Cards
• Understanding When and Why Cruise Prices Drop
• When to cruise to Hawaii for the best weather

Summer Alaska cruises fill up quickly, so always book well in advance. Now, that’s not to say that the fare for a cruise well in the future won’t drop at some point. If the cruise line has trouble filling rooms, they will certainly drop the rate. But many times, there is no huge advantage to booking a year or more in advance (although you will have more cabin options). Rates vary the most by time of year… not by how far in advance the departure is. For example, you’ll see similar fares for a cruise in September, whether that’s three months from now or a year and three months from now.

Royal Caribbean Blog is your ultimate source for Royal Caribbean coverage.

Older ships are still kept up and comfy, but simply can’t offer the space or amenities as the larger, newer ships. So if you had your eye on a certain type of room or location on the ship, it might not be available if booking late. The cruise line’s website, Expedia, Cruises.com, Travelocity… the list of sites where you can search for trips is endless. As you can see in the chart , the fares for the same cruise can vary dramatically, depending on when you sail. It’s no guarantee that you’ll get the lowest rate offered for your cruise, but these rules will help you be smarter about buying your vacation. Explorethe latest travel news, advice, updates, upcoming exclusive deals and more.

Is it possible to score last-minute cruise deals?

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. Sometimes you can rent a limo to and from the port for less than transfers from the cruise line. Also, you can get some great deals on pre and post-cruise hotel nights close to the port and eliminate the worry of missing the ship. Some cruises are more scarce than others, such as one-off sailings that only operate during a particular month, or seasonal voyages like Alaska cruises or Christmas Market river cruises in Europe. Some cruises are more plentiful and are offered year-round, like Caribbean cruises -- and that means competition to sail isn't as cutthroat.

How do I know if I'm getting a good deal when I book?

If you choose shoulder season – the time before or after peak summer season, when kids are in school – you’ll have more options than during July and August. And, if you're flexible with your preference in line or ship, a last-minute sailing can still be had -- but only if you're not married to a particular cruise line and departure date. 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. Summer is from May to October, and winter falls between November and April. There's not much variation in temperature between the two seasons, with daytime temperatures hovering around 80 degrees in the summer and not falling much more than that into the high 70s in the winter.

Cruises

Cruises sail Down Under year-round, and there is no cut-and-dry answer as to when the best season is to sail. Different parts of the region experience different weather in relation to the seasons, and it comes down to what’s most important to you. If enjoying the fanfare of a yacht racing event is more your speed, try to plan your cruise for the end of April at the beginning of the Bermuda International Invitational Race Week. “Booking last minute also means you get what remains available instead of the best trip, ship, cabin, and program for you,” Smith says. Whether you cruise multiple times per year or you're new to cruising, the goal of Royal Caribbean Blog is for it to be a useful resource for keeping up to date with what's new and exciting with Royal Caribbean. If you had the inspiration to book a cruise, ideally it would be in the beginning of the year during Wave Season.

Learn About Credit Cards

Knowing the best time to purchase your cruise is just one part of the puzzle. When you sail has a much bigger impact on what you pay than when you buy. 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. In other words, by waiting you can actually see fewer options for cabins and locations on the ship.

Alaska Cruise in September: Alaska Temperatures Start to Drop

Equally importantly, you'll have to pay the entire fare at once, because cruises booked less than 90 days before sailing require deposit and the full fare to be paid at the same time. Generally speaking, the best prices for a cruise are when a new sailing is put on sale and all the cabins are open to book. Inventory is at its highest, and prices only go up as rooms get booked.

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Cruise ships offer a variety of amenities and activities to keep passengers comfortable and entertained during their voyage. Luxury cruises offer the highest level of comfort and service with upscale amenities and exclusive experiences. So, I always suggest to my guests to let me know well in advance what cruise they are interested in. And when the sale comes up we can let them know and get them booked relatively quickly. Cruise lines tend to be very flexible in their approach to early depositing.

When to cruise to Hawaii for the best weather

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. Hall says that his company typically sees more last-minute deals with river cruises than ocean cruises. He also notes that last-minute deals usually involve added amenities or a waived single supplement.

Before the pandemic, about 10% of people that had never cruised said they "never" would. According to the survey, this number rose to 17% in June 2021, but fell to 14% by August. Pre-pandemic, 62% of people who had never cruised indicated they wanted to try it. Though mass Covid-19 outbreaks early in the pandemic exposed health concerns surrounding cruising, a new survey indicates travelers may not abandon ship travel after all. The publication evaluated 17 cruise lines through a combination of expert evaluations (30%), traveler reviews (50%) and health ratings published by the U.S.

That's why we've broken down when you should cruise everywhere from the Caribbean and Mexico to New England and Alaska. For more tips on finding cruise deals, be sure to read our 10 Rules for Getting the Best Deal on a Cruise. While it might be cold in North America, the weather stays fairly consistent in the Caribbean.

If you want to book a solo or family cabin on a Mediterranean cruise in July, you likely want to book much earlier than January for the most availability and the best prices. As I said earlier, great sales and deals can pop up year-round, including on other holidays such as Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. However, many third-party sites can have special deals such as onboard credit that’s not available if booking through the cruise line.

But that doesn't stop vacationers from wondering if they'd find a cheaper price if they wait to book tomorrow, next week or next month. The cruise lines are like department stores — they constantly run sales and special offers. 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.

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. If you’re more flexible and are booking less than a year out, consider cruises in June and September, but know that there may be fewer sail dates. And note that an increasing number of cruise lines -- like Cunard, Fred. Olsen, Hurtigruten and Viking -- offer voyages to Northern Europe during the winter months that can often be a great deal.