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Cruise Planning Guide

What a cruise actually costs once the extras are counted, how long to sail, when to book, and what to do with the eight hours you get in each port. Plus our port guides, which tell you what is walkable from the dock and what is worth booking ahead.

James, who writes the Journey Finder cruise guides, sitting on a rock above a harbour with a cruise ship anchored behind him

James

Published

In Brief

How do you plan a cruise?

Start with the region and season, because that decides everything else: the Caribbean sails best December to April, Alaska only May to September, and the Mediterranean May to October. Then pick the length - seven nights is the standard - and book six to twelve months ahead for popular seasons, or during wave season in January to March for the best perks. Budget for the extras that aren't in the fare, mainly drinks, shore excursions, wifi and gratuities, and book the excursions that sell out as soon as your ports are confirmed.

Key takeaways

  • Seven nights is the standard cruise length; three to five nights suits a first cruise.
  • Book six to twelve months ahead for peak seasons, or in January to March for the best promotions.
  • The fare rarely covers drinks, excursions, wifi and gratuities - add those before comparing prices.
  • Independent shore excursions cost less, but only ship-sold ones guarantee the ship waits for you.

The best time to go on a cruise, by region

Cruise regions run on tight seasons, and the shoulder weeks at either end usually give you the same itinerary for less money with fewer ships sharing your port.

RegionSeasonNotes
Caribbean & BahamasDecember to AprilDry, warm and calm. Hurricane season runs June to November, when prices drop.
AlaskaMay to SeptemberThe whole season. June to August is warmest and busiest; May and September are cheaper and quieter.
MediterraneanMay to OctoberJune and September dodge both the August heat and the worst of the crowds.
Northern Europe & fjordsMay to AugustLong daylight and the mildest weather. Northern lights sailings run the opposite season, autumn to early spring.
Panama CanalOctober to AprilThe dry season. Transits book out early because sailing dates are limited.
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Our cruise guides

Each guide is written for the decision you are actually making - which port deserves a paid excursion, when prices drop, and what nobody tells you before your first sailing.

Cruise port guides and shore excursions

A port day is short. These guides cover what is walkable from the dock, what needs a shuttle or a tour, and which excursions sell out - so you spend the day well instead of working it out on the pier.

More port guides are on the way. In the meantime, our things to do guides cover many cruise ports, and best time to visit helps you pick a sailing season.

What a cruise costs beyond the fare

The advertised fare is rarely what you pay. Budget separately for gratuities, which many lines charge automatically per person per night, drinks beyond tea and water, speciality restaurants, wifi, and shore excursions, which are the biggest variable of the lot. Two people on a seven-night sailing can easily add several hundred to the fare before they have bought a single souvenir.

Two things bring it down. Sail in the shoulder weeks at either end of a region's season rather than its peak, and book excursions with independent local operators instead of through the ship, leaving a comfortable buffer before all-aboard. Flights are the other lever: getting to the embarkation port cheaply matters as much as the cabin price, and arriving the day before is worth it on any itinerary where a delayed flight would mean missing the ship.

Cruise planning questions

Most ocean cruises run seven nights, which is the standard week-long itinerary in the Caribbean, Alaska and the Mediterranean. Shorter three to five night sailings work well as a first cruise or a long weekend, usually to the Bahamas or on short coastal routes. Longer voyages of ten to fourteen nights cover more ground, and repositioning cruises, where a ship moves between regions at the end of a season, run one to two weeks and are among the cheapest per night. River cruises typically run seven to ten nights.

Your fare normally covers the cabin, main dining room and buffet meals, basic drinks like tea, coffee and water, entertainment, the pool and gym, and transport between ports. What's usually extra: alcohol and speciality coffees, speciality restaurants, shore excursions, wifi, spa treatments, laundry and gratuities. Gratuities are often charged automatically per person per night, so factor them in when comparing fares - a cheap headline price with high daily charges can end up costing more than a fare that bundles them.

For a specific ship, cabin type or a popular season like Alaska in July, book six to twelve months ahead. Wave season, roughly January to March, is when the biggest promotions land for the year's sailings and it's the best window for perks like onboard credit or free drinks packages. Last-minute deals do exist, usually within about 60 days of sailing, but you take what's left on cabins and flights are often expensive by then, which cancels out the saving.

It depends entirely on the region. The Caribbean is at its best December to April, outside hurricane season. Alaska only sails May to September. The Mediterranean runs May to October, with June and September the sweet spot for heat and crowds. Northern Europe and the fjords are best May to August for the long daylight. As a general rule, the shoulder weeks at either end of a region's season give you the same itinerary for noticeably less money and with fewer ships in port on the same day.

Independent operators are usually cheaper for the same activity, and often run smaller groups. The trade-off is the guarantee: if a ship-sold excursion runs late, the ship waits for you, and if an independent one does, it doesn't. In practice, booking independently is fine if you use reputable local operators who work to the cruise schedule and you leave a real buffer, ideally being back at the port at least 90 minutes before all-aboard. If the port is a tender stop, the weather looks marginal, or your day is tight, the ship's version is worth the extra for peace of mind.

They suit a lot of people well. You unpack once, the ship handles the logistics between destinations, meals are included, and you get a sample of several places to work out where you'd like to return properly. The limits are worth knowing: port days are short, often eight to ten hours, so you see a slice of each place rather than the whole thing, and extras add up. If you want depth in one destination, a land trip beats a cruise. If you want range and easy logistics, a cruise is hard to match.
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Photos via Wikimedia Commons, used under their respective licences.