Whether you book your cruise vacations a year ahead or wait until the last minute for the best deal, there are a few things to consider when choosing when exactly to take your cruise. While cheap prices and extra add-ons can be enticing, you shouldn’t fall for the trap of scheduling your cruise at a not-so-optimal time just to save some money.
I worked on cruise ships as an entertainer for 5 years, and I’ve truly seen it all. I’ve cruised in almost every major area of the world, including the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, French Polynesia, Alaska and more. Even though these climates and areas are very different from one another, I did notice that one specific time of the year wasn’t nearly as enjoyable as the rest, no matter the itinerary.
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Never Take A Cruise In August
A Youtube account called Hidden Cruise creates videos dedicated to sharing cruise secrets, tips, and tricks that most cruise lines won’t share themselves. In one in-depth video, the channel explains why sailing in August is not the best idea. In this video, it mainly focuses on itineraries that take place in the Caribbean, however other itineraries are mentioned as well.
The main reason why Hidden Cruise believes that you shouldn’t travel in August is due to the weather. If you’re sailing in the Caribbean, this is peak hurricane season. If you end up sailing during a hurricane, your ship is obligated to sail in a way that avoids the hurricane. This can mean canceled ports, which can put a major damper on your vacation plans. I have been on many cruises where the captain updated the itinerary to bring the guests to new ports because of a hurricane, but I’ve also been on cruises where the captain had no other choice but to stay out at sea and never dock the ship during an entire cruise.
Photo by petesphotography on Getty Images
Sailing during rough weather isn’t entirely fun, either. As someone who has strong sea legs, I don’t get seasick often, however I have quite a few memories of getting extremely sick while sailing during hurricane season. As an entertainer, this made putting on the shows at night extremely difficult. Whether it was because of seasickness or to prevent injury, we often would cancel shows due to the rocking of the ship. In turn, guests didn’t get to enjoy the evening entertainment onboard.
Another thing to take note is that many people love to vacation in August, since it’s the end of the summer, and many children haven’t begun school yet. In my experience, August was always when my ships would be sailing at their fullest capacities–and everything onboard was over-crowded. From trying to get your meal at the buffet to snatching a lounge chair by the pool to finding a seat in the theatre at night, it wasn’t nearly as enjoyable as when the ship had less guests.
The same goes for the port cities as well. For example, if you’re on a Mediterranean cruise, cities like Florence, Rome, Athens and Barcelona will be filled with not only passengers from over-filled cruise ships, but people who have traveled to these cities on their own as well. The weather is often the hottest of the year at this time as well, so that matched with the crowds simply doesn’t equate to an enjoyable vacation.
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The Best Time To Cruise Instead
Since I’ve cruised during every month of the calendar year, I can say hands down that the most enjoyable time to take a cruise is in March. If you’re in the Caribbean, there will be no risks of hurricanes. The weather is also top-tier, usually nice and warm and barely any rain. For cruises in the Mediterranean or Southern Europe, the weather will be a bit cooler but still very enjoyable, especially when compared to the torching August heat.
Photo by David C Tomlinson on Getty Images
Another reason that I enjoy cruises in March is because there tends to be a lot less guests that set sail. March isn’t a popular time for people to take a vacation, especially because that’s when children are usually in school. There were many times while I was working onboard ships that the guest count for cruises in March were between 50 to 75% full. In the grand scheme of things, that definitely adds to the enjoyment of the vacation. You’ll have less crowded buffets, will be able to find a seat nearly anywhere, and will receive better service from the staff because they won’t be overworked.
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This story was originally published by Parade on Nov 30, 2025, where it first appeared in the Travel section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.