Best time to cruise from New York, month by month

Cruises leave New York in every month of the year, but what leaves changes with the seasons. In winter Norwegian Bliss sails to the Caribbean and the Bahamas, Bermuda runs from late March to October, and September and October are the busiest months, when Canada and New England sailings join the Bermuda ones.

The table at the end of this guide shows the departures, destinations and 7-night fares for each month. It is rebuilt from the schedule every day.

When is the best time to cruise from New York?

The best time depends on where you want to go, because each route has its own months from New York.

• For Bermuda, go between May and October, when the average high there is 76°F or warmer. Sailings start in late March, when it is cooler.
• For fall foliage, go from mid-September to late October on a Canada and New England cruise.
• For the Caribbean and the Bahamas, go between November and March on Norwegian Bliss. Carnival Firenze adds 8-night trips from June to August 2027.
• For the widest choice of ship and route, go in September or October.
• For an Atlantic crossing, Queen Mary 2 sails about once a month from May to October, and our Europe guide has the dates.

Cruises from New York by month

This is what leaves in each month. The schedule currently runs to 30 October 2028.

Month	What leaves
January	Norwegian Bliss to the Eastern Caribbean, and to the Bahamas in 2027. Queen Mary 2 crosses to Southampton early in the month.
February	Only Norwegian Bliss, to the Eastern Caribbean and the Bahamas.
March	Norwegian Bliss's last Caribbean and Bahamas trips, then its first 7-night Bermuda trips late in the month. In 2028 Queen Mary 2 adds a 12-night Caribbean trip and a crossing.
April	The Bermuda season builds, with a 5-night on Norwegian Bliss and then Norwegian Luna's weekly trips. Norwegian Bliss leaves for the West Coast through the Panama Canal. Long one-way trips head for Europe, on Norwegian Gem in 2027 and Norwegian Getaway in 2028.
May	Norwegian Luna's Saturday Bermuda trips, and Queen Mary 2 to Southampton. In 2027 Carnival Firenze arrives with a 5-night Canada trip.
June	Norwegian Luna to Bermuda and Queen Mary 2 to Southampton. In 2027 Carnival Firenze adds 8-night Eastern Caribbean and 5-night Canada trips.
July	Norwegian Luna to Bermuda, Queen Mary 2 crossings, and Viking to Iceland and Greenland. In 2027 Carnival Firenze adds 8-night and 5-night trips. Oceania Aurelia sails north in 2028.
August	Norwegian Luna's last 7-night trips, then its 5-night trips from late in the month. Queen Mary 2 sails to Southampton and Viking to Iceland and Greenland. In 2027 Regal Princess starts its Canada trips late in the month.
September	One of the two busiest months. Regal Princess sails to Canada and New England, joined by Norwegian Gem in 2028, Norwegian Luna runs 5-night Bermuda trips, and small ships leave one way for Montreal and Quebec City. In 2027 Carnival Firenze and Disney Wish also sail to Bermuda.
October	The other busy month, with most of the same ships. Norwegian Luna's Bermuda trips end in the first week. Holland America's Volendam leaves on its long Mediterranean round trip.
November	Ships head south. In 2027 a group of one-way trips ends in Florida. Norwegian Bliss returns for the winter, and Queen Mary 2 sails to the Caribbean.
December	Norwegian Bliss's 12-night Eastern Caribbean trips and Queen Mary 2's Caribbean trips. Queen Mary 2 also crosses to Southampton in December 2027.

Later months are not on the schedule yet. The cruises by month pages list every sailing.

What is the busiest month for cruises from New York?

September and October are the busiest months for cruises from New York, because Canada and New England sailings overlap with Bermuda and a run of one-way trips. February is the quietest, with only Norwegian Bliss sailing on this schedule in both 2027 and 2028.

What is the weather like when you leave New York?

New York is cold when the winter ships leave, with an average high of 40°F in January, and warm from June to September. These are NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for Central Park, beside the Bermuda Weather Service's normals for the same years.

Month	New York high	New York low	New York snow	Bermuda high
January	40°F	28°F	8.8 in	69°F
February	42°F	30°F	10.1 in	69°F
March	50°F	36°F	5.0 in	69°F
April	62°F	46°F	0.4 in	72°F
May	71°F	55°F	None	76°F
June	80°F	64°F	None	81°F
July	85°F	70°F	None	85°F
August	83°F	69°F	None	86°F
September	76°F	62°F	None	84°F
October	65°F	51°F	0.1 in	80°F
November	54°F	42°F	0.5 in	75°F
December	44°F	34°F	4.9 in	71°F

A winter Caribbean cruise starts in those New York temperatures and spends at least two days at sea heading south, so pack for both ends. January and February average about 19 inches of snow between them, so allow extra time to reach the pier.

When is hurricane season for cruises from New York?

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November, and the National Hurricane Center puts its peak on 10 September, with most activity between mid-August and mid-October. That window covers New York's busiest months, including the Bermuda sailings and the Canada and New England trips. If you are booking for late summer or early fall, read the line's terms on itinerary changes.

When are cruises from New York cheapest?

Fares depend more on the ship and route than on the month. When this guide was checked on 30 October 2026, the highest 7-night fares in the table were on Norwegian Luna's Bermuda weeks from June to August 2027, and Carnival Firenze and Regal Princess had some of the lowest in September and October 2027.

The winter months show no 7-night fare in the table because Norwegian Bliss sails 8 and 12 nights then. Its 8-night Bahamas trips in January 2027 were among the lowest fares per night on the schedule that day. Fares move daily, so use the table for the shape of the year and our cheap cruises page for the lowest fares right now.

Holiday cruises from New York

Norwegian Bliss's 8-night Bahamas trip in late November covers Thanksgiving, and its 12-night trip that leaves just before Christmas comes back in the first days of January. Queen Mary 2 has 13- and 14-night Caribbean round trips over the same weeks. Our holiday cruises page lists them by date.