Best Autumn Cruise Destinations

With crisp air, cool temperatures and brilliant foliage on display, autumn is an ideal time for a cruise.  The stretch between summer and winter affords relatively crowd-free ports and fewer passengers on board (kids are back in school), translating to plenty of opportunities to commune with nature.  Best of all, many repositioning cruises - ships crossing from one region of the world to another - offer reduced rates and longer itineraries.  So, if you're one of the millions of passengers planning to cruise in the next year, fall is an ideal time to take in striking backdrops and score significant savings.  To help you decide which sailing is right for you, here are my recommendations for top autumn cruise destinations.

New England and Canada

Every fall, vibrant seasonal hues color coastal cities across new England and Canada.  And a number of cruise companies offer trips to foliage-rich locales like Portland and Bar Harbor, Maine, Quebec City and Montreal.  Apart from scenic drives in seaport towns, many large and small ships, including those within Holland America, Celebrity Cruises and Princess Cruise fleets, also provide the chance to sample local New England cuisine (think fresh Maine lobster).  To help pinpoint the best coastal cruise for you, peruse itineraries that deliver a high off-season value and ample opportunities for fall leaf peeping.

Alaska

Alaska is known for its jaw=dropping scenery: Calving glaciers, snow-capped peaks and majestic fjords snake along quaint towns and villages.  And in September, the waters teem with humpback whales and sea lions.  Many large ships, such as those within Princess Cruises and Holland America fleets, offer travelers the chance to explore the inside Passage with stops in Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka and Victoria, British Columbia.  Smaller cruise ships, such as those operated by Un-Cruise Adventures, also navigate the inside Passage of Southeast Alaska, with home ports in Katchikan, Juneau and Sitka.  Many cruise lines also offer voyages to the narrower Gulf of Alaska passage, taking passengers from Vancouver to Anchorage (or vice versa), making stops in hard-to-reach ports like Hubbard Glacier and Collage Fjord.  Though both routes offer ample nature-viewing opportunities, the latter tends to lure those in pursuit of more immersive offshore experiences and face-to-face wildlife encounters.

The Caribbean

Caribbean-bound cruises offer significant deals during the fall sailing season.  But there's one caveat: Your trip runs the risk of being impacted by weather-related interruptions until hurricane season ends in late November.  To protect yourself against unforeseen weather delays, purchase travel insurance and confirm that your insurance and confirm  that your insurance provider covers trip interruptions.  Should you decide to take your chances, last-minute sales; especially for journeys departing in October and November are aplenty.  Behemoth lines like Royal Caribbean International and Disney Cruise Line operate in the Caribbean year-round, often affording excellent savings in the off-season.  Shorter four or five day sailings aboard these lines can also yield steep discounts.

Transatlantic Repositioning Cruises

In the off-season. many ships depart from one part of the world and finish in another in what's known as "repositioning" sailings.  These trips, which typically take place in the spring or the fall, often provide deep discounts and more days at sea than regional cruises.  Popular journeys include transatlantic crossings from Europe, sailings across the pacific from Hawaii to California, Caribbean-bound voyages from California and departures from the Caribbean to the Panama Canal.  Many megaship and smaller cruise ship lines - including Norwegian, Celebrity and Oceania Cruises - offer fall repositioning cruises with varying departure and disembarkation ports that fit a wide range of budgets.