I am an obligation-based individual, rather than an anticipation-based one. So the passage of time usually brings groans, not cheers, because special times of the year simply imply more responsibilities, in addition to all the everyday stuff to keep track of. Oh, no, it’s the kid’s birthday and I’ll have to make a vegan cake. Crap, Christmas is in two weeks. Damn it, this deadline has my hair on fire and here comes Thanksgiving and the whole family will be in town.
But, with my children now grown, and the pandemic—maybe, hopefully, knock on wood—no longer constraining lives the way it did for so long, I have learned to embrace shoulder season for cruises.
Or basically, any time that is off-peak, but specifically late winter to early spring, and then again, mid-to-late autumn.
Summer is the when everybody goes on cruises, especially families with children home from school. True, it might also be the best time to visit places such as Alaska and northern Europe, but the prices will make your jaw drop and your soul hurt.
On the other hand, when the children are firmly back in school or not let out yet, i.e., when it is not summer, Christmas holiday, or spring break, the cruise ships that are so crowded at those times suddenly have plenty of capacity and not as many ready passengers.
That’s when there are deals to be had.
That’s also when—in spring and autumn—the cruise lines reposition their ships. Vessels that have been plying the shores of Alaska in the warmer months are moved to Australia and New Zealand for the summer season down under. Those ships that island-hopped all winter in the Caribbean Sea now set out across the Atlantic Ocean to cruise the Mediterranean ports.
If you don’t mind being at sea for days on end—I love it, in fact—repositioning cruises can be some of the best deals you’ll ever see in travel.
So yes, I do pay attention to certain times of the year now. I have sort of taken October off my calendar because I anticipate my mom might find another great cruise for us when October rolls around again.
Okay, maybe not this coming October because I have two deadlines this year and I’ll be home madly scribbling this October. But when the busiest work months pass, I’ll always have another shoulder season to look forward to.
And maybe last-minute deals? I’ll take it, because it’s also much cheaper to book flights when you aren’t fighting with all the families in peak season!
USA Today-bestselling author Sherry Thomas decided years ago that her goal in life is to write every kind of book she enjoys reading. Thus far she has published romance, fantasy, mystery, young adult, and three books inspired by the martial arts epics she grew up devouring. Her books regularly receive starred reviews and best-of-the-year honors from trade publications, including such outlets as the New York Times and National Public Radio.
A Study in Scarlet Women, A Conspiracy in Belgravia, and The Hollow of Fear, the first three entries in her gender-bending Lady Sherlock historical mystery series, are all NPR best books of the year.
