It is sometimes difficult to determine what time of year to plan a cruise. Lifestyle and careers are often the largest things to consider when picking your time of travel. Weather can also be a factor. With the ever warm Caribbean, weather is of little concern outside of hurricane season. Alaskan cruises are probably the most reliant on what time of year you can actually book your trip. The Ships are often moved to warmer climates during the colder months and back to more northern ports for the summer. These warmer months are your only option.

During the summer months you are very likely to meet a teacher or two onboard. Again these are the only months available for them to travel. You will also find more children cruising with their parents during this time. The boost in potential cruisers increases the cost of these dates but if it’s the only time you can go, don’t let it stop you. When you consider the overall experience you are about to embark on, it’s still a deal.

Spring and early fall have proven to be the favorite time of year for my wife and I to leave reality for a week and head straight to port for our Caribbean dream vacation. There are always going to be children sailing with you but this time of year the majority are in school. For the most relaxing experience, this is our recommended time of year to sail. If you do have children, have no fear. There will still be plenty of kids running around for yours to hang out with and give you the much needed break you deserve. Plus, most cruise lines have youth programs available year round and plenty of staff to keep them occupied while you enjoy your time away.

Hurricane season begins June 1st and lasts until November 30th. Luckily most of a seasons activity is condensed into a much shorter time period right in the middle with most hurricanes forming in September and very rarely in June or July. With recent technological advances in weather tracking aboard ships you are not likely to get caught in the middle of a major storm anyway. The Captain may reroute your itinerary and either stop at an alternative port or simply skip a port he feels too dangerous or uncomfortable for the majority of passengers traveling with you. This may be disappointing to miss one of the highly anticipated stops along your journey but the safety of crew and passengers has to remain the top priority of every captain in the industry. Having said all this, my wife and I cruise every hurricane season. The deals are just too good to pass up. We have cruised 5 hurricane seasons so far without incident or ever being rerouted.

Holidays can be a great time to cruise. People don’t want to leave their holiday celebrations at home when they get away. A cruise is a great place for a Halloween costume contest. Where do you think you can find a larger costume party than a ship with 2000 or more passengers. Dressing in costume is not required but it’s still fun to see what others come up with. Imagine a Caribbean Christmas or a New Years Eve partying with so many friendly strangers. Who will you kiss at midnight?