Best Time to Take a Caribbean Cruise: Weather, Prices & Crowds

The Caribbean is one of the most popular cruise destinations, with all major cruise lines offering cruises to this region. In fact, around 40% of all cruises sail the Caribbean. The Caribbean truly offers that picturesque tropical paradise that most vacationers seek.

But what is the best time to cruise to the Caribbean? Well, it’s not really a one-size-fits-all answer. It really depends on what’s most important to you on vacation. Having cruised at all times throughout the year, we cover the specifics based on weather, prices, and crowds to help you choose the perfect time to set sail on your Caribbean escape.

Table of Contents

• When is the best time to cruise the Caribbean?
• Comparison Table
• Caribbean Cruise Weather Guide
• Hurricane Season Caribbean Cruises
• Caribbean Cruise Crowds
• Budget-Friendly Caribbean Cruises
• When Top Ships Sail the Region
• Key Takeaways

When is the best time to cruise to the Caribbean?

Unlike seasonal cruise destinations, the Caribbean generally has warm and inviting weather year-round. Still, if you are planning a trip to the Caribbean, there are several factors to consider when determining the best time to take a Caribbean cruise. For instance, are you looking for the best Caribbean cruise deals? Are you looking for family Caribbean cruises or luxury Caribbean cruises? Do you have specific ports or cruise ships in mind? How about the weather– is cruising during hurrican season a hard no for you?

This comparison table gives you a quick glance at the month-by-month breakdown.

Best Time to Cruise the Caribbean: Comparison Table

Month	Weather	Crowd Levels	Pricing	Hurricane Risk	Notes
January	75-82°F, Dry	Moderate (except first week)	Low to Moderate	None	Excellent value after New Year’s week; ideal escape from northern winter
February	75-82°F, Dry	Moderate	Moderate	None	Presidents’ Day weekend sees higher crowds and prices
March	76-83°F, Dry	High (Spring Break)	High	None	Avoid if seeking quiet; popular for families and college students
April	78-85°F, Mostly Dry	Moderate	Moderate	None	Good balance of weather and value; Easter week is busier
May	80-87°F, Increasing Rain	Low	Low to Moderate	Very Low	“Shoulder season” with excellent deals before summer crowds
June	82-88°F, Rainy	High (Summer Break)	High	Low	Beginning of hurricane season; popular for families
July	82-89°F, Rainy	Very High	Very High	Low to Moderate	Peak family travel season; hottest month
August	82-89°F, Rainy	High (Early), Low (Late)	High (Early), Low (Late)	Moderate	Late August offers better deals as schools reopen
September	81-88°F, Very Rainy	Very Low	Very Low	High	Best deals of the year; peak hurricane season
October	80-87°F, Rainy	Low	Low	High	Great value but highest hurricane risk month
November	78-85°F, Decreasing Rain	Low (except Thanksgiving)	Low to Moderate	Low	Excellent value as hurricane season ends
December	76-83°F, Dry	Low (Early), Very High (Holiday)	Low (Early), Very High (Holiday)	None	Early December: great deals; Holiday weeks: highest prices of year

Caribbean Cruise Weather Guide

The first factor you will want to consider when planning your Caribbean cruise is the weather. Yes, given its location, Caribbean temperatures remain in the 70’s and 80’s most of the year. However, rainfall does fluctuate seasonally.

With that being said, the “dry season” generally coincides with the winter months of December to April.

For many, this is the perfect time to take a Caribbean cruise. Cruisers like ourselves love to escape the cold weather and snow back at home for some tropical temperatures and sandy shores.

This makes cruising during the winter months a win-win for weather!

Of course, if you are traveling from a location that could be impacted by winter weather, you should plan to fly to your destination a day early just in case there are any travel delays. You don’t want to risk missing the ship.

Hurricane Season Caribbean Cruises: Risks and Rewards

While the winter months tend to be the driest in the Caribbean, the summer months tend to be wetter. In particular, the months of June to November tend to have the most rainfall in the Caribbean. The peak of the hurricane season also occurs from late August through the end of October.

While this might be a turn-off to many, it’s not as scary as it sounds. It’s actually one of our pro Caribbean cruise tips! There are certainly benefits to cruising during hurricane season like fewer crowds and cheaper prices.

With advancements in technology and hurricane tracking, the cruise ships usually still sail. Most times, they are able to avoid storms and find the tropical weather you are looking for during your vacation.

With that being said, if you choose to cruise during hurricane season, you should not have your heart set on a specific itinerary because you will likely get re-routed if storms occur.

While you might not visit ports on your original itinerary, you will likely still have plenty of sun and sand at your new ports of call. Of course, this is not a 100% certainty. Sometimes, there is just no avoiding a storm.

If you want to avoid most potential hurricanes, you should consider cruises that sail to the Southern Caribbean. These “ABC islands” of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao are south of the hurricane belt and therefore are least likely to be affected by these storms. In fact, we once had an Eastern Caribbean cruise diverted to the Southern Caribbean to avoid a hurricane, and we had perfect weather the entire time!

Caribbean Cruise Crowds

Much like weather, there are also certain times of year that are preferred if you would like to avoid crowds on your Caribbean cruise.

As referenced in our comparison table above, the busiest times of year for cruises usually coincide with school breaks. If you want to avoid the crowds, you should skip cruising in the summer, during school vacation, and during the holidays.

During these peak times, there will inevitably be more families and children onboard most contemporary cruise lines like Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian Cruise Line. While different regions of the country do vary slightly in what weeks these school breaks occur, Spring Break in March is always quite busy.

While K-12 schools in some areas of the United States get vacation this time of year, you will also find many college students looking to party during their March break. Many K-12 schools in the United States also have vacations in February, April, and/or October.

In terms of holidays, the weeks of Christmas and New Year’s will be very busy on a Caribbean cruise. Though, it might be worth it if you want to spend time with your family enjoying the sandy shores. We’ve personally cruised over Christmas a few times now and love the festive onboard atmosphere.

Other holidays that coincide with school vacations can be busy as well. Though, historically crowds are more manageable during Thanksgiving week.

Examining trends and cruise crowd calendars, the winter months of December to early May (with the exception of the holidays and the select school break weeks) generally have less crowds. Late August/September through early December also have fewer crowds.

Budget-Friendly Caribbean Cruise Seasons: When to Find Deals

If you’re looking for the most budget-friendly Caribbean cruises, it’s important to note that fares fluctuate considerably depending on a few factors. Pricing can range widely depending on the cruise line, ship, itinerary, and time of year. If you have flexible vacation time, choosing the right time to take a Caribbean cruise can have a big impact on your budget.

So, what is the cheapest time of year to go on a Caribbean cruise you ask?

Well, as mentioned above, the summer, school breaks, and holidays tend to attract more crowds. Hence, with increased demand, these times of year are usually more expensive to cruise as well. Cruises during the weeks of Christmas and New Year’s tend to be some of the most expensive all year. Though, summer cruises (June to early August) can get quite pricey too.

We find January into early February, once all the kids are back to school, to be one of the cheapest times of year to take a cruise. Back when we only took one cruise a year, it was always in January. This was the time of year when all factors aligned for us. It was cheap. There were no crowds. And we got to escape the cold and snow back home in Massachusetts. Cheap fares can also be had on non-break weeks through early May.

Additionally, late August through early October cruises are historically cheap as well. During this time frame, most kids across the United States are already back in school and it is also the peak of hurricane season in the region. If you are willing to take this risk, you can score some amazing deals during this time frame.

Caribbean Cruise Fleet Guide: When Top Ships Sail the Region

Given that the Caribbean is the most popular cruise destination, you will have plenty of ship selection no matter what time of year you choose to sail. All major cruise lines sail to this region.

Depending on your price point, you will have a range of choices from contemporary brands like Carnival, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Royal Caribbean to luxury brands like Viking. There’s also premium brands like Celebrity Cruises, Holland America, and Princess Cruises, which are somewhere in the middle. MSC Cruises has also increased its presence in the United States over the last couple years. Or, if you’re looking for something a bit different, you might want to consider the adult-only Virgin Voyages or the family-friendly Disney Cruise Line.

As you can see, there truly is no best cruise line to sail the Caribbean; it really is a matter of personal preference. Trust us– we’ve sailed on all the lines and still don’t have a “favorite”.

Once you narrow down the cruise line, you’ll see that even within the brand, there are several different classes of ships that offer different amenities and onboard activities. The ships also vary in size and guest capacity.

If you are looking to cruise on the latest and greatest ships, then you are in luck. Most cruise lines deploy their newest ships to the Caribbean. Of course, these mega-ships have higher demand, so a standard week long cruise on one of these ships will likely come at a higher price point.

While several cruise ships sail in the Caribbean year-round, you will find the MOST selection during the winter season. Many cruise ships do leave the Caribbean in the summer months to sail in seasonal regions of the world. Ships may cruise the Panama Canal en route to Alaska or complete a transatlantic sailing to cruise the Mediterranean in the summer.

Key Takeaways: When to Cruise the Caribbean

So, let’s get back to that original question and break down when is the BEST time to cruise to each region of the Caribbean.

Eastern Caribbean:

• Best Weather: December-April
• Most Affordable: September-November, early December
• Notable Ports: St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Puerto Rico, Bahamas

Western Caribbean:

• Best Weather: December-April
• Most Affordable: September-Early November, early December
• Notable Ports: Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Belize

Southern Caribbean:

• Best Weather: Year-round (less rainfall variation)
• Hurricane Protection: The “ABC Islands” lie outside the hurricane belt
• Most Affordable: September-November, May
• Notable Ports: Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Barbados, Antigua, St. Lucia

Now, let’s look at a month-by-month breakdown of who should cruise when.

• Cruise to the Caribbean in January-February if you want the best combination of perfect weather, reasonable prices, and fewer crowds
• Cruise to the Caribbean in March-April if you want guaranteed sunshine and don’t mind higher prices and more families onboard
• Cruise to the Caribbean in May if you’re seeking excellent deals before hurricane season with still-favorable weather
• Cruise to the Caribbean in June-August if you’re planning a family vacation during school breaks and prioritize onboard activities over price
• Cruise to the Caribbean in September-October if you want rock-bottom prices and are flexible with your itinerary due to potential hurricane disruptions
• Cruise to the Caribbean in November if you want improving weather as hurricane season ends while still enjoying off-season pricing
• Cruise to the Caribbean in early December if you want one last deal before holiday prices spike
• Cruise to the Caribbean during Christmas/New Year’s if you want a festive atmosphere and don’t mind paying premium prices

Ultimately, no matter when you decide to cruise, you’re bound to have a fantastic time. You might even become hooked like us!

Comments

When is your best time to cruise to the Caribbean? Do you agree with our thoughts on the best time of year to go on a Caribbean cruise? Drop us an anchor below to share when you usually escape to this sunny and warm locale.