Cruises are a popular getaway choice for many during the icy winter months, but when is the best time to go? Waiting until later in the winter season can be the better time to go as most people tend to go in December or January. Below we have listed the top five cruise locations to escape to.
The Caribbean and Bahamas are two of the most popular cruise getaway locations, especially during the winter months. With fun in the sun activities like snorkeling and racing around the sand dunes, it’s not hard to see why. Not to mention the much-needed warmth and sunshine.
During our winter months, it’s actually summer in the Galapagos. This is a great destination for snorkeling and wild sea life watching, especially during the months of December through February. If you wait until March for this trip, it is likely that you’ll get to see the hatching of baby green turtles and giant tortoises!
The winter is also a great time to visit the Mediterranean parts of Europe like Rome, Venice and Barcelona. During the winter, cruises are confined to this area, but on the plus side you can visit these hot spots and enjoy everything there is to do without a ton of people around. Another option for European cruises include the coastal Norwegian cruises, which guarantees sightings of the Northern Lights on any classic round trip, 12-night stay between October 1st and March 31st.
Like the Galapagos it’s also summer in Australia and New Zealand. If you’re looking for some beautiful weather to take advantage of, look no further. Cities on New Zealand’s South Island and along Australia’s eastern and southern edges feature some of the best weather of the year. There’s no shortage of things to do and places to see, whether you visit the hustle and bustle of Sydney or Melbourne or take in the natural beauty of New Zealand.
The Middle East and Southeast Asia offer both ocean and river cruises. During the winter months is the best time to visit these destinations with temperatures in the upper 70s to mid-80s. Ocean cruises to the Middle East stop at ports in Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The Nile river cruises are also very popular during this time of year. Ocean cruises in Southeast Asia include ports like Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore, but if a river cruise sounds more appealing, you can sail down the Mekong in Vietnam or the
Irrawaddy in Myanmar.