National Plan a Cruise Month: Choose Your Month to Sail
October is the traditional month to plan next year’s cruise. Start with the most important decision of all: which month you sail.
Ask Which Month Suits YouPlan in October, Sail When It Suits You
National Plan a Cruise Month grew out of a cruise industry habit: every October, the Cruise Lines International Association encouraged travellers to sit down with an advisor and plan the coming year’s cruise. The campaign later took the global name #ChooseCruise, but the idea holds up. Autumn is when next year’s calendars take shape, when school terms are published and when many lines have their following-year itineraries on sale.
This site uses that planning moment to answer the question that shapes everything else: which month should you sail? The month decides where ships can go, what the weather will be, who else will be aboard and, often, how much the trip costs. Pick it well and the rest of the plan gets easier. For the campaign’s history and fall cruising ideas, see our sister site National Cruise Vacation Month.
Four questions that pick your month
- Where do you want to be? Alaska, Europe and the Arctic have short seasons; the Caribbean sails all year.
- Whose calendar rules? School breaks fix many families’ dates.
- What weather do you want? Warm, mild, or snow on the mountains.
- Is price or timing the priority? Shoulder weeks often trade a little weather for value.
The Cruise Year in Four Quarters
Ships move with the seasons. Here is the pattern at a glance; each quarter has its own page with weather, school breaks and price patterns.
| Months | Where many ships are | U.S. school breaks | Typical price pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| January–March | Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, South America, Antarctica, world cruises | Winter long weekends, Presidents’ Day week, early spring breaks | Early January often softer; February and March breaks busier |
| April–June | Spring repositioning, Mediterranean opens, Alaska from May | Spring break, Memorial Day, summer starts late May–June | April–May shoulder often good value; June climbs |
| July–September | Alaska, Northern Europe, Mediterranean, Bermuda, Caribbean (hurricane season) | Summer holiday, then schools return | July peak; late August and September often ease |
| October–December | Canada & New England, fall crossings, Caribbean returns, holidays | Fall break, Thanksgiving, winter holidays | Early December lull; holiday weeks among the busiest |
For a destination-by-destination calendar, Cruise Destination Guides lists where to cruise in each month, and Cruise Vacation Planners covers how far ahead to plan.
Cheapest Month, Best Month
What month are cruises the cheapest?
There is no fixed answer, but the patterns are clear: weeks when children are in school and the weather is a little less certain. See the cheapest months by region.
Best month to take a cruise
Sorted by what matters most to you: guaranteed sunshine, smaller crowds, wildlife, holidays or value. Find your best month.
When to book (a different question)
Sailing month and booking month are not the same thing. Cruise Price Busters covers booking windows, and Wave Season gathers the January-to-March promotions.
Holidays at sea
Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s sailings with family or friends are covered in depth at Holiday Cruise Groups.
Plan It With an Advisor
Plan a Cruise Month is part of the Smart Traveler network, led by Mister Cruise. He has sold travel since 1972 and worked full-time in the industry since 1977. He has sold or originated more than $500 million in cruises and has trained more than 500 travel agents.
When you ask for a quote, our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise handle it personally — not a call center — and book everything for you. Meet Mister Cruise →
Tell our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise your flexible months and they will compare sailings across lines. Live fares are on Cruising for Less, and the Mister Cruise cruise-offers newsletter sends offers as they appear. Find more cruise businesses in the Official Cruise Directory.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is National Plan a Cruise Month?
For years the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) promoted October as Plan a Cruise Month, often called National Plan a Cruise Month in the U.S., encouraging travellers to plan the next year’s cruise with a travel advisor. CLIA later folded it into a global campaign called #ChooseCruise. The name stuck with many cruisers, and October remains a sensible month to plan.
Is there a single best month to take a cruise?
No. The best month depends on where you want to go and what you care about most: weather, price, crowds or school calendars. Our best month guide sorts it by priority.
Do cruise prices follow the calendar?
Broadly, yes: school holidays and peak weather weeks are in higher demand, so they often cost more, while shoulder weeks are often better value. There is no guaranteed cheapest month, and specific fares change constantly.
More Cruise Sites From Our Network
Use Plan a Cruise Month to Plan Yours
Give us two or three months that could work and who is travelling. A Mister Cruise advisor will show which one offers the best fit and value.
Compare Months for Me