Low Season Cruises: When Should You Sail?

When thinking of going on a cruise vacation, one of the first questions you find yourself asking involves where you want to go and when the best time to sail is. Answering these questions can be harder than you expected mainly because there are a lot of variables to consider. Factors to consider include your dream destination, weather, crowds, budget and your schedule. Though travel tips suggest going for peak season cruises, it may not always be the best option.

Cruise Seasons

Most cruise destinations have a high season, shoulder season and low season. For low season cruises, cheap bargains can be found in year-round cruise destinations. For some places like Bermuda, Europe and Alaska, the low season is usually a few weeks before and after the peak and shoulder seasons. For places like the Baltics, Northern Europe and Panama Canal, most cruises are always in high season.

Low season cruises have reduced in a lot of destinations due to the boom in new homeports and cruise destinations. Cruise lines are also thinking differently by placing their ships to locations where people want to go to and when they want to go.

The Best Times to Sail

Here are the best times to book for a cruise ship.

• Alaska. Low season cruises to Alaska are usually in the months of May and September.
• Bermuda. Late spring or early fall cruises may give the best discounts of the year.
• Caribbean. Try the months of August to October for the lowest prices possible because of hurricane season. If a hurricane comes, the ship will change itineraries.
• Europe. Try booking for an early fall or late spring sailing for lowest prices.
• Hawaii. This destination seldom has a low season but September and October are slow months.
• Mexico. Summer sailing offers low prices but hurricanes may still occur.
• New England and Canada. Early spring cruises are considered low season for these destinations.
• Panama Canal. Low season cruises to this destination includes summer sailings.