🚢 WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO BOOK?
Is there actually a best time — or is that another cruise myth? 🤔
Simple, right?
So I go onto one website.
Then another....Then another.
And another…
And suddenly I've got:
37 tabs open. 😳
I've compared Royal Caribbean…
Norwegian…
MSC…
P&O…
Celebrity…
and somehow I've ended up looking at a cruise around Japan when I originally wanted the Mediterranean.😂
Then comes the BIG question…WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO BOOK A CRUISE?
As soon as I come off my last cruise 😂😂😂😂
Should I book a year ahead?
Six months?
Wait until January?
Black Friday?
Or just leave it until the last minute?
And is Tuesday really the magical moment when cruise prices suddenly collapse? 🤔
Well…not quite.
Because there isn't one magic day to book a cruise.
But there ARE some clever ways to give yourself a much better chance of finding a great deal.
And there's another question we need to ask first…
WHEN SHOULD YOU ACTUALLY GO?
Because booking at the right time is only half the battle.
Let's go hunting for a bargain. 💰🚢”
1️⃣ THERE ISN'T ONE MAGIC DAY TO BOOK
“Let's get this myth out of the way first.
❌ Tuesday isn't automatically the cheapest day.
❌ January isn't automatically the cheapest month.
❌ Six months before sailing isn't guaranteed to be the cheapest price.
Cruise prices change according to:
📅 Demand
🚢 Ship
🛏️ Cabin availability
🌍 Destination
🎓 School holidays
🎉 Special events
💰 Promotions
⏰ How close you are to sailing
So rather than asking:
‘What's the magic day?’
ask:
‘When is demand lower, and when are cruise lines offering incentives?’
2️⃣ 🌊 WAVE SEASON — JANUARY TO MARCH
“Now…there IS a period every cruiser should know about.
🌊 WAVE SEASON.
Generally:January → February → March
This is traditionally one of the biggest cruise-booking periods of the year.
Cruise lines and travel companies often launch promotions designed to get people booking.
And that can mean:
💰 Reduced fares
🥂 Drinks offers
📱 Wi-Fi offers
💳 Onboard credit
🎁 Added perks
🛏️ Cabin upgrades
But…
Wave season does NOT mean every cruise suddenly becomes cheap.
If a sailing is already selling like hot cakes…
why would the cruise line need to slash the price?
Exactly.
It probably won't.
So think of wave season as:
A GREAT TIME TO SHOP.
Not:
A GUARANTEE OF THE LOWEST PRICE.”
3️⃣ 🎓 WHEN YOU TRAVEL CAN MATTER MORE THAN WHEN YOU BOOK
“Now let's talk about something that can have a MUCH bigger impact on what you pay.
WHEN YOU ACTUALLY TAKE THE CRUISE.
And if you're travelling with children…
listen up. 👀
School holidays can make a huge difference.
Christmas 🎄
New Year 🎉
Easter 🐣
May half-term
Summer holidays ☀️
October half-term 🎃
These are periods when millions of families are trying to travel.
And when demand goes up…
prices can go up too.
So if you're able to travel outside school holidays…
DO IT.
You could potentially save money on:
🚢 The cruise
✈️ Flights
🏨 Hotels
🚕 Transfers
And you might also get:
😌 Fewer crowds
🏊 Less competition for the pool
🍽️ More choice
🏝️ Quieter ports
But…
there's another reason to think carefully about when you travel.
And it has nothing to do with school.”
4️⃣ 🌀 HURRICANE SEASON — THE ONE CARIBBEAN CRUISERS NEED TO KNOW
“If you're looking at:
🏝️ Caribbean
🇧🇸 Bahamas
🇲🇽 Mexico
🇺🇸 Florida
you need to know about:
🌀 HURRICANE SEASON.
The official Atlantic hurricane season runs from:
1 June → 30 November.
Now, before you panic…that doesn't mean six months of hurricanes! 😂
It simply means that's the official period when tropical cyclone activity is more likely.
And the busiest part of the season is generally:
mid-August → mid-October
with the climatological peak around 10 September.
So if you're planning a Caribbean cruise and weather certainty is particularly important to you…
☀️ December → April
can be a very attractive period to consider.
But…there's a catch.
Those months can also be more popular.
And more popular can mean:
💰 MORE EXPENSIVE.
So once again…
we've got a Cruise & Confused dilemma. 😂
💰 CHEAPEST?
☀️ BEST WEATHER?
🏝️ FEWEST CROWDS?
You may not get all three.”
5️⃣ 🌪️ SHOULD YOU AVOID HURRICANE SEASON?
“Not necessarily.
And this is really important.
Cruising during hurricane season doesn't mean you're going to sail into a hurricane.
Cruise lines monitor weather constantly and can alter itineraries when necessary.
That could mean:
🔄 Changing the route
🚢 Skipping a port
📍 Visiting somewhere else
⏰ Changing arrival times
The ship's itinerary can change because:
SAFETY COMES FIRST.
And according to NOAA, the chance of a visitor to places such as the Caribbean, Bahamas, Central America or Miami actually experiencing or being threatened by a hurricane is generally quite small.
But…
the risk isn't zero.
And that's the important bit.”
6️⃣ 💰 THE BARGAIN HUNTER'S DILEMMA
“Because here's where things get interesting.
Hurricane season can sometimes coincide with lower demand.
And lower demand can mean:
💰 Lower cruise fares
💰 Better cabin availability
💰 More promotions
Which is exactly why some experienced cruisers deliberately book hurricane-season sailings.
But you're accepting a trade-off.
You could get:
🌧️ More rain
🌊 Rougher seas
🔄 An itinerary change
🚫 A missed port
So ask yourself:
Would I rather pay more for a better chance of predictable weather?
Or:
Would I rather save money and accept a little uncertainty?
Neither answer is wrong. It's about what matters to you.”
7️⃣ 🌴 DON'T CONFUSE HURRICANE SEASON WITH BAD WEATHER EVERYWHERE
“And this is REALLY important.
Hurricane season isn't a worldwide cruise calendar.
The Atlantic hurricane season applies to areas including:
🏝️ Caribbean
🇧🇸 Bahamas
🇲🇽 Mexico
🇺🇸 Florida
But you're not going to apply exactly the same rule to:
🇮🇹 Mediterranean
🇳🇴 Norwegian Fjords
🇦🇪 Arabian Gulf
🇯🇵 Japan
🇦🇺 Australia
Those destinations have completely different weather patterns.
So don't just Google:
‘When is hurricane season?’
Ask:
‘What is the weather like where MY cruise is going, at the time I'm travelling?’
That's much more useful.”
8️⃣ 🍂 SHOULDER SEASON — THE SWEET SPOT?
“Which brings us to one of my favourite cruise terms:
SHOULDER SEASON. 🌸🍂
That's generally the period just before or after the busiest season.
Think:
🌸 Spring
🍂 Early autumn
Depending on the destination.
And this can sometimes give you a fantastic combination of:
☀️ Decent weather
💰 Better pricing
👨👩👧 Fewer families
🚢 Fewer crowds
For example…
If you're looking at the Mediterranean, don't automatically assume:
July + August = BEST.
What about:
🌸 May?
☀️ June?
🍂 September?
🍁 October?
Sometimes the best cruise isn't the one with the highest temperatures.
It's the one where:
PRICE + WEATHER + CROWDS
all work for you.”
9️⃣ ✈️ NOW CHECK THE FLIGHTS!
“Because here's where people get caught out.
You find:
🚢 Cruise = £599pp
Amazing! 🎉
Then you check the flights.
✈️ £650pp.
😳
Suddenly your bargain cruise doesn't look quite so bargain-y.
So here's a Cruise & Confused rule:
DON'T SHOP FOR THE CRUISE IN ISOLATION.
Shop for the:
ENTIRE HOLIDAY.
Cruise + flights + hotel + transfers + extras.
And if you're flying from the UK, don't automatically assume your nearest airport will be the cheapest.
Compare where practical:
✈️ Edinburgh
✈️ Glasgow
✈️ Manchester
✈️ London
✈️ Birmingham
And look at flexible dates.
Sometimes moving your holiday by one day can make a surprising difference.
💡 A £100 more expensive cruise with £300 cheaper flights…
is actually the cheaper holiday.”
🔟 🏨 AND DON'T FORGET THE NIGHT BEFORE
“Now let's say your cruise leaves from:
🇮🇹 Rome
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇺🇸 Miami
🇺🇸 Fort Lauderdale
Are you flying in that morning?
Personally…
I'd be nervous. 😳
One delayed flight.
One missed connection.
One baggage problem.
And suddenly your ship is sailing away without you.
For long-haul cruises especially, arriving the day before can give you:
😌 Less stress
🛏️ A good night's sleep
🚢 A much safer start to your holiday
Yes, it's another hotel cost.
But sometimes…
the cheapest mistake is the one you don't make. 😂”
1️⃣1️⃣ 🔎 NOW LET'S SAVE YOU HOURS OF CRUISE SHOPPING
“Right.
This is where I want to save you HOURS.
Because if you're anything like me…
you've done this:
Google.
Cruise website.
Google.
Another cruise website.
Back to the first one.
Change the date.
Change the cabin.
Forget what ship you were looking at.
Open another tab.
And suddenly…
YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR ANYMORE. 😂
This is where I think CruiseMapper can be incredibly useful.
CruiseMapper brings together information on a huge number of cruise ships and ports, including:
🚢 Ships
📅 Sailing dates
🌍 Itineraries
📍 Ports
💰 Fares
🗺️ Routes
📊 Ship information
It currently lists more than 1,500 passenger ships and around 2,300 ports.
So instead of opening 20 different cruise websites…
you can start by working out:
WHAT IS ACTUALLY SAILING?”
1️⃣2️⃣ 🗺️ START WITH THE DESTINATION — NOT THE CRUISE LINE
“Let's say I want:
🇪🇸 Mediterranean
📅 September
🚢 7 nights
💰 Good value
Instead of immediately going to Royal Caribbean…
then MSC…
then Norwegian…
then Celebrity…
start by looking at what's actually sailing.
You might discover five different cruise lines offering:
five completely different versions of your holiday.
And suddenly you've gone from:
‘There are hundreds of cruises!’
to:
‘I've got five I really like.’
Much easier. 😁”
1️⃣3️⃣ 🚢 FIND THE SHIP — THEN FALL IN LOVE WITH IT
“Once you've got your shortlist…
NOW you start comparing the ships.
Because the ship is part of your holiday.
Do you want:
🎢 Water slides?
🏎️ F1-style attractions?
🎭 Broadway-style shows?
🏊 Lots of pools?
🍹 Adults-only spaces?
👨👩👧 Family entertainment?
🍽️ Amazing restaurants?
🧘 A quiet luxury experience?
Because two cruises visiting exactly the same ports can feel like completely different holidays.”
1️⃣4️⃣ 💰 BUT DON'T TAKE THE CRUISEMAPPER PRICE AS THE FINAL PRICE
“Now…
before you run off thinking:
‘I've found it!’ 😂
remember that CruiseMapper's displayed prices are generally the lowest rates for the lowest-category cabins, and prices can change.
They can also vary because of:
💰 Discounts
👥 Group rates
🎖️ Special offers
⭐ Loyalty schemes
📅 Availability
So use CruiseMapper as your:
RESEARCH + SHORTLISTING TOOL.
Then check the actual booking price with the cruise line or travel agent.
And check:
🍹 What's included?
📱 Is Wi-Fi included?
💳 Are gratuities included?
🛏️ What cabin is that price actually for?
Because:
£599 'FROM'
and
£599 ACTUAL TOTAL
are two very different things. 😂”
1️⃣5️⃣ 🧠 BOOK EARLY IF YOU WANT CHOICE
“Now let's tackle booking early.
If you have your heart set on:
🚢 A particular ship
🛏️ A particular cabin
📅 A particular date
🌍 A particular itinerary
I'd generally lean towards:
BOOKING EARLIER.
You're not necessarily guaranteeing the lowest price.
What you're buying is:
CHOICE.
Because waiting might save money…
but it could also mean:
❌ Your cabin is gone
❌ Your preferred sailing is full
❌ The price has increased
So:
BOOK EARLY = MORE CHOICE
WAIT = MORE GAMBLE 🎲”
1️⃣6️⃣ 🎲 WHAT ABOUT LAST-MINUTE?
“Now…
last-minute deals DO happen.
If a cruise isn't selling as quickly as expected, the cruise line may have an incentive to fill those remaining cabins.
And that can create some fantastic deals.
But… you need to be flexible.
You might not get:
❌ Your favourite cabin
❌ Your favourite date
❌ Your favourite ship
❌ Your preferred itinerary
And remember:
✈️ Last-minute cruise + expensive flight
can equal:
NOT A BARGAIN. 😂
Last-minute cruising can be fantastic if you're flexible.
But it's not necessarily the best strategy if you have:
👨👩👧 School holidays
📅 Fixed annual leave
✈️ Flights to organise
🏨 Hotels to book”
1️⃣7️⃣ 🖤 BLACK FRIDAY — BARGAIN OR BRILLIANT MARKETING?
“Then we've got…
🖤 BLACK FRIDAY.
And yes…
it's worth checking.
But don't see:
SALE! 🚨
and immediately grab your credit card.
Take a screenshot.
Check the price.
Compare the inclusions.
And ask:
‘Was this actually cheaper yesterday?’
😂
A sale isn't necessarily a bargain.
A bargain is when you get:
MORE HOLIDAY FOR YOUR MONEY.”
1️⃣8️⃣ 👀 WATCH BEFORE YOU BOOK
“If you're flexible and you've found a cruise you really like…
watch it.
You don't need to become obsessed.
😂
But check occasionally.
Is the price:
📈 Rising?
📉 Falling?
➡️ Staying roughly the same?
You start to understand how that particular sailing is behaving.
And that's much better than blindly booking because:
‘Ooh, that looks cheap!’
You're making an informed decision.”
1️⃣9️⃣ 🏆 THE CRUISE & CONFUSED BOOKING FORMULA
“So here's exactly what I'd do.
STEP 1️⃣ — PICK YOUR DESTINATION 🌍
Mediterranean?
Caribbean?
Norwegian Fjords?
Dubai?
Japan?
STEP 2️⃣ — PICK YOUR TRAVEL WINDOW 📅
And check:
🎓 School holidays
🌀 Hurricane season
☀️ Weather
👨👩👧 Crowd levels
See what ships are actually sailing.
STEP 4️⃣ — SHORTLIST 3–5 SHIPS 🚢
Don't compare 50.....Compare five good ones.
STEP 5️⃣ — CHECK THE ACTUAL CRUISE PRICE 💰
Cabin.
Taxes.
Fees.
Inclusions.
STEP 6️⃣ — CHECK FLIGHTS ✈️
Don't let the flights destroy your bargain.
STEP 7️⃣ — ADD YOUR HOTEL 🏨
Especially if you're flying to the port.
STEP 8️⃣ — ADD TRANSFERS 🚕
STEP 9️⃣ — ADD THE EXTRAS 🍹📱🏝️
Drinks.
Wi-Fi.
Excursions.
Speciality dining.
STEP 🔟 — CALCULATE THE TOTAL 🧮
And finally…
BOOK IT! 🎉🚢”
❤️ FINAL VERDICT
“So…
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO BOOK A CRUISE?
Well…there isn't one magic answer.
If you're looking for promotions:
🌊 Watch January to March.
If you can avoid school holidays:
🎓 You may find better value and more flexibility.
If you're cruising the Caribbean:
🌀 Understand hurricane season before booking.
If you want a balance of:
☀️ Weather
💰 Price
👨👩👧 Crowds
look at:
SHOULDER SEASON. 🍂🌸
If you want a particular ship or cabin:
🚢 Book earlier.
If you're completely flexible:
🎲 Keep an eye on last-minute deals.
And whatever you do…
DON'T SPEND THREE HOURS OPENING 46 CRUISE WEBSITES! 😂
Start with CruiseMapper.
Find out what's actually sailing.
Shortlist your ships.
Then go and check the real price and what's included.
Because we're not looking for:
THE CHEAPEST CRUISE.
We're looking for:
THE BEST CRUISE FOR YOUR MONEY. 💰🚢❤️
And remember…
the best deal isn't necessarily the cruise with the lowest price.
It's the one that gives you:
the holiday you actually want…at a price you're happy to pay.
And hopefully…
a few more pounds left in your bank account for the next one. 😂💷
🚢❤️ "SEE YOU ON BOARD!"
