Polar Regions (Antarctica & Arctic): Focus on expedition cruising to untouched, remote ice-scapes. Experiences include sitting among penguin colonies in Antarctica, marveling at massive icebergs, kayaking through serene waters, and looking for polar bears in the Arctic.

Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia): Primarily focused on  river cruises along the Mekong River, allowing travelers to explore temples of Angkor, floating markets, and cosmopolitan cities like Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh. Ocean voyages or small-ship cruises visit areas like Halong Bay and Indonesia's Raja Ampat for world-class diving, snorkeling, and spotting Komodo dragons.

The Americas & Galapagos: Cruises here include sailing Alaska's Inside Passage to see massive glaciers and wild landscapes, exploring the Panama Canal, and taking expedition cruises to the Galapagos Islands to get up close to unique, fearless wildlife like sea lions.

Europe (River & Sea): Popular European river cruises navigate the Rhine, Rhône, and Douro rivers. These voyages are known for their culinary focus (sampling wines, truffles, and regional cuisine), historic castles, and visiting art cities like Lyon and Arles in France, or exploring the wine regions of Portugal and Spain. Ocean cruises often tour the Adriatic and the Dalmatian Coast in Croatia for ancient ports and historical sites.

Indian Ocean & Africa (Madagascar, Seychelles, South Africa): These voyages combine safari experiences and land exploration with ocean cruising. Highlights include visiting the Avenue of the Baobabs and spotting endemic lemurs in Madagascar, and relaxing on the beautiful beaches and meeting giant tortoises in the Seychelles.

Australia & New Zealand: Tailored trips often pair land exploration with cruising between the two countries, focusing on wildlife tours(like spotting kiwis and yellow-eyed penguins) in New Zealand, or sailing Australia's Great Barrier Reef and the remote Kimberley region.

The best time to go on a cruise varies, depending on where you want to go. One of the joys of cruising is making the most of a country’s seasonality, whether you’re hoping to see a whale breach in Antarctica or sail through the Seychelles on calm waters.

Our specialists can advise you on the best time to take a cruise vacation depending on your preferences — you might like to make the most of the cooler temperatures on the Nile in November, or see baby iguanas hatch on the Galapagos in May.

If there’s a specific month you’d like to travel, there’s likely to be a cruise to suit your interests, be it a river cruise, expedition ship, private catamaran or traditional schooner. From our extensive experience, we can suggest the best routings, as well as arranging additional seasonal activities before or after you embark on your cruise.

January - February

It’s the height of Summer in the Southern Hemisphere, and Antarctic and South Georgia expedition cruises are in full swing. The days are long, and wildlife — including seals, penguins and seabirds — is active.

Meanwhile in Asia, the Mekong and Ayeyarwady are at high enough levels to support river cruising, providing access to floating markets, colonial towns and landmarks such as the temples of Bagan.

New Zealand’s fjords are in peak summer lushness, and it’s a good time to observe dolphins and fur seals.

March

The beginning of the month is a great time to see whales in Antarctica, but as March fades winter in the Southern Hemisphere  closes in, bringing expedition cruising here to a close. If you’re still seeking something more adventurous, you can head slightly north of Antarctica to cruise Patagonia. Your ship motors down the glacial-framed Chilean fjords and rounds the tip of South America to reach Argentina.

Look to India for good wildlife sightings as you cruise along the Brahmaputra River in Assam. Or take a Nile cruise in Egypt, when the weather is sunny and warm yet comfortable, sailing to Luxor and visiting the Valley of the Kings.

April - May

The Galapagos’ wet season begins to draw to a close, and flowers spring up across the islands, while sea turtles and land iguanas start hatching. There’s an increased chance of seeing sea turtles. By the end of May, conditions are generally drier. April also marks the start of the mating season for waved albatrosses on Española Island, which will last until November.

April and May are also the start of cruising season in the Mediterranean. At this time, you can explore Greece and Turkey by ship when the weather is still welcoming but before the hustle and bustle of high summer.

June - July

In the Galapagos Islands, drier conditions are expected from June onward, though the weather is cooler and the waves choppier. Seabirds start to become more active.

June and July are the peak months to cruise Alaska, and the long summer days bring out the best of the region’s wildlife including bears, whales and sea otters.

Even farther north, the Arctic expedition cruising season kicks off, and will last until September.

In the Pacific, French Polynesia’s balmy weather makes it a good time to go island-hopping. This is also one of the best times to embark on an expedition cruise to Australia’s northern territories and the Kimberly.

August - September

Alaska cruising continues throughout August and into early September, when you can sail past the blue-tinged ice floes in Glacier Bay National Park. In India, water levels are ideal for cruising along the Ganges toward Varanasi.

September is also a great month to explore the Seychelles by boat, as its summer winds have subsided, and sea life is in abundance.

Many other regions are well suited to a September cruise. You could hike volcanoes and go whale watching while cruising in Hawaii, or voyage in the wake of explorers as you cruise around Greenland and through the Northwest Passage.

October

This month marks the start of the Nile cruising season, with slightly cooler temperatures making onshore tours comfortable.

In late October, the penguins of South Georgia begin their mating and courtship rituals, and the first expeditions to the Antarctic Peninsula begin to hack their way through sea ice. You can also head to North America for a cruise along New England and eastern Canada, setting out from Boston. You’ll call at Prince Edward Island, go whale watching on the St. Lawrence River, and dine on fresh seafood all along the way.

November - December

It’s the dry season across much of Southeast Asia, when temperatures are comfortably cool and water levels are high enough to make most rivers navigable. Look to the west coast of Thailand and the Mekong Delta for a Southeast Asia cruise. You’ll take in rural villages and cities such as Hong Kong and Ho Chi Minh while staying on board a luxury cruise ship.

For New Year celebrations, consider a cruise that stops in Sydney or the New Zealand sounds.