Where, When, and With Whom to Set Sail on a Cruise

Where and When to Go?

The choice of cruises has now become vast. You can easily find all types of cruises discussed here, along with their dates and prices, on the websites of specialized agencies.

Where to Go?

When it comes to cruises, you can now sail on all the world's seas by ocean liner. But not just any time. Indeed, the choices are primarily determined by climatic conditions, which means a ship may be in one location in summer and another in winter. An important detail: your cruise will almost never depart from the port closest to your home. Ships simply follow set routes within their specific cruising zones, so it’s up to cruisers to get there (a service obviously provided by agencies, though not always included in their "base" prices).

Common Stopovers and Departure Ports

A quick overview of the main departure points and common stopovers for ocean liners across the world's seas.

Mediterranean

This is the preferred zone for Europeans, especially the French, for cruises covering either the entire region or just a portion of it.

Among the (many) classic stops are: Barcelona, the Balearic Islands, Venice, Sicily, Athens, the Greek islands, Istanbul... Some itineraries even extend slightly into the Atlantic with stopovers in the Canary Islands, Morocco, or Madeira. Occasionally, they also stretch into the Black Sea beyond Istanbul.

As for departure ports—at least those most commonly offered to the French—Genoa, Nice, Marseille, Barcelona, Athens, and sometimes Venice are the main ones.

Note that by combining various ferries, you can also create interesting circuits that are quite similar in many ways to cruise itineraries.

Baltic and North Atlantic

Two zones frequently visited by the French and many other Europeans.

Main stopovers: St. Petersburg, Baltic ports, and Scandinavian capitals for the Baltic; or Scotland, the Shetlands, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Svalbard, and occasionally the Greenland coast for Nordic cruises. Also worth mentioning are the cruises along the Norwegian fjords up to the North Cape with the Coastal Express.

Except for the latter, which often depart from Norway, other cruises may be offered from Channel ports (including Le Havre), Amsterdam, the southeast coast of England, or, less commonly, Copenhagen.

Caribbean

The world’s top cruise destination and a classic for Americans, though the French market has long been established there as well.

Main stopovers: nearly all the islands (Cuba is still quite "rare"), Florida, as well as Cartagena in Colombia, and mainly the built-up coast from Cancún in Mexico for Central America. Also worth noting are possible extensions, particularly with U.S. cruises, toward Mexico’s Pacific coast and California, all via the Panama Canal.

Except for French-only cruises departing from Martinique and Guadeloupe, most leave from Florida, particularly Miami.

U.S. and Canadian East Coasts

A few options often extend from the Caribbean or Florida northward, sometimes reaching Montreal and the Great Lakes via New York and then the St. Lawrence River. Primarily an English-speaking clientele.

Alaska

Here too, mostly English speakers for summer cruises, often departing from Vancouver (Canada) and occasionally California.

Pacific

First, Polynesia departing from Tahiti for French speakers (and increasingly Americans), but also many other islands or archipelagos, as well as parts of Australia and New Zealand, for others.

Asia

Primarily an English-speaking clientele, with many options departing from Singapore or occasionally Hong Kong toward Malaysian coasts, Phuket, Indonesian islands, with occasional extensions into the Pacific. A few cruises also circle South India.

Indian Ocean

Circuits most often include the beaches of Kenya, Zanzibar, the Seychelles, Mauritius, often Réunion, the South African coast, and mainly Diego Suarez and Nosy Be in Madagascar.

South America

Mostly an English-speaking clientele for numerous cruises that mainly include Bahia, Rio, and especially the Buenos Aires/Santiago route via Cape Horn. Generally, it’s from Argentina that cruises to Antarctica depart.

Transatlantic

A fairly cosmopolitan clientele for these transatlantic crossings, typically between the U.S. (New York, Miami) and often Italy (Genoa), with possible stopovers in the Bahamas and the Caribbean, plus Spain. Also, the famous Queen Mary 2 (and since 2012, a new Queen Elizabeth) makes the crossing in 5 days between Southampton (or Cherbourg) and New York in a most luxurious setting (starting at 1,500/2,000 € minimum). Note that most packages include an outbound voyage by ship and a return flight.

Beyond...

Also worth mentioning are themed cruises (musical, cultural, gastronomic, LGBTQ+, and even Disney), where the region and timing remain entirely variable.

When to Go?

Year-round options include cruises in the Caribbean (despite less favorable weather in summer), the Indian Ocean (fewer choices between March and October), the Pacific, and around Asia. That said, itineraries may shift slightly within the same zone depending on the season.

For the northernmost seas (Baltic, North Atlantic...), options generally run from May to September, and even shorter for Alaska. They start as early as April and go until October-November for Mediterranean cruises and occasionally transatlantic ones.

Finally, everything related to South America and Antarctica is scheduled during the austral summer, from October to March.

Duration

A cruise implies a minimum of a few days. Broadly speaking, agencies offer four types of durations.

Three or Four Days or an Extended Weekend

Obviously, you won’t go far, and you’ll generally stick to a portion of the Mediterranean, Indian Ocean, or Caribbean. With one or two extra days, it’s also the time needed for a transatlantic crossing. Generally, this is the recommended duration for a first-time experience, just to see if the format suits your tastes. It’s also a service that can easily be included in a longer "land" trip.

One Week or Seven to Ten Days

This is what’s most often offered and corresponds to the demand of a large majority of people. It’s also a good duration to fully "appreciate" the cruise experience.

Two Weeks

Generally corresponds to a complete circuit within a geographic zone: a tour of the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, etc. In this case, the number and duration of stopovers are also more significant.

Beyond

These are world tours or extensive explorations of regions aimed primarily at enthusiasts (who, admittedly, have the means). However, for these long cruises, it’s almost always possible to book just a single segment.

Pricing

Kingstown, Saint-Vincent-et-les-Grenadines · © VoyageForum

Due to competition, cruise prices have dropped significantly in recent years. And given the recent enthusiasm for cruises, it may be useful to book in advance for peak-season departures.

Variations

As a reminder, prices depend first on the choice of cabin (luxury or less luxurious), the type of ship (large or smaller, characterful or more classic), the season (as always, avoid peak season), and the duration (daily rate cheaper with longer cruises).

As everywhere, there are of course preferential rates (for children, young people, couples, groups, honeymooners, etc.), all kinds of promotions, discounts for loyal customers, and of course high, mid, and low-season rates. Not to mention that a cabin for three or four will always be cheaper than a double, and may even allow free stays if children sleep with their parents.

Comparisons

Obviously, when looking for the best cruise, compare what’s comparable, taking into account not only the type of ship and services offered but also what’s included or not in the price (without forgetting tips, port taxes for disembarking at stopovers, and other extras), as well as the conditions and costs of transport to the departure port.

Once you’ve deducted the latter, the advantage is that you can more easily compare offers from different providers; the rates then correspond only to onboard services. On this subject, expect roughly 100 to 150 € per day in a standard cabin (excluding pre-transport) for "mainstream" week-long cruises (average duration) depending on the season and a few particularities. As for luxury cruises or those on characterful ships, there’s really no limit, though starting at 300 €/day, you can already get something good.

Last point: if the overall budget for a cruise seems high, don’t forget that it’s an "all-inclusive" package. So, if comparing it to other tourist services, it’s best to do so with club stays.

Major Cruise Companies

About a dozen (large) shipping companies dominate a large part of the cruise market. A complete description of ships and services is always available on these companies’ websites.

Carnival

The global leader (American) in the sector. Many cruises in the Caribbean or Central and North America, plus the Mediterranean, with around twenty (large) ocean liners. Beyond its own brand, Carnival also owns about ten others, of which Costa remains the best known.

Celebrity Cruise

A major U.S. cruise line operating mainly in the Americas, the Caribbean, and the Pacific (plus a bit in Europe) with a dozen ships and primarily an English-speaking clientele.

Celestyal Cruises

The former Louis Cruises, which changed its name in 2014, still aims to become the "reference" for cruises in the Greek islands. It has a dozen ships, with a maximum capacity of 1,000/1,500 passengers, operating in the Mediterranean for a European audience, including the French.

Costa Cruises

An Italian-American cruise company (the largest in Europe) operating in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Caribbean, Central and South America, Dubai, and the Far East. Around fifteen large ocean liners (with more to come) in operation. Costa is also one of the leaders in the French-speaking market.