Why cruise in winter
Cruising is a type of holiday that you can enjoy year-round - and does not need to be tied in exclusively with the warmer winter months.
There are some benefits of cruising over winter.
Fewer Crowds
Fewer people think of cruising over winter, and outside of school holidays, you may find ships not filled entirely to capacity - making your cruise a quieter one.
This also can, following the basic rules of supply and demand, mean there are some cruise bargains to be had over the cooler months.
Escape the chill of the southern states
For anyone south of Sydney, winter can mean close to 0-degree lows, and miserable inescapable cold days.
An escape to the South Pacific can mean temperatures almost double that of back home.
For example, in Melbourne, the July average temperature is lows of 7 and highs of 14.
The average in Port Vila for the same month is lows of 17 and highs of 27. That is shorts and t-shirt weather for a Melbournian.
On top of this, July and August on average are the months with the least rainfall in the tropics. Winter is also not cyclone season.
Unique Experiences
The winter period can also provide some different experiences that are simply not available over the summer months.
For example, the dry season (winter) is also the time of the year when vines on Pentecost Island are elastic enough for the heart-stopping Land Diving rituals to take place.
Cruising options
Unfortunately for us Aussies, the choices of cruising over the winter months are very restricted. Most cruise lines completely withdraw from Australia over the winter and reposition their ships to Asia, Alaska, or the Mediterranean.
One 2 of the major cruise lines operate out of Australia over the winter months. These are P&O Australia and Carnival Cruises.
Your Thoughts
Have you cruised out of Australia during the winter months? What was your experience, and why would you recommend a winter cruise to others? Share your thoughts in the discussion below.