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Once September arrives and summer vacations are over, cruise lines begin to pull out of regions where passenger traffic is declining in order to position their fleets for the next season. For example, ships in Alaska will relocate down the west coast to winter in the Mexican Riviera and South America. And most of the European fleet will eventually sail across the pond to the Caribbean, with some stopping in New England for fall foliage cruises along the way.  

As a result, there have always been great bargains in the fall on repositioning cruises.  But with new ships flooding the market and recession weary travelers still reigning in their pocket books, this year’s bargain fares are being extended to a wide variety of destinations including the Caribbean, New England/Canada, Bermuda and Mexico.

In order to help you navigate through the sea of possibilities, here are my Top 5 Fall Cruise Destinations:

1. Trans-Atlantic: There are lots of cruise ships that have to sail across the Atlantic to the Americas for the winter season. In order to get passengers up the gangplank and avoid sailing half-empty, they offer amazingly low fares and some very interesting itineraries, including a week or more in the Mediterranean or a few days in Greenland and Iceland combined with a 6-day crossing to New York, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Puerto Rico. For example, Celebrity is currently offering a 14-night cruise from Barcelona, Spain to San Juan, Puerto Rico that departs on November 28 with fares starting at just C$909.

2. New England/Canada:  A number of cruise lines offer voyages along the maritime coast of Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island and up the St. Lawrence River to Quebec City or Montreal. While this itinerary is available throughout the summer, one of the best times to sail it is in the fall when the weather cools off and the leaves begin to turn into a kaleidoscope of blazing red, orange and yellow. It’s also an attractive time period in terms of discounted cruise fares. For example, Carnival is currently offering a 7-night roundtrip cruise from New York that departs on October 10 for just C$479.    

3. Caribbean: Once the kids return to school, cruise lines sharpen their pencils and start offering deeply discounted fares in the Caribbean until the Christmas Holiday period. While August and September are prime months for tropical storms in the Caribbean, the weather for the rest of the year is usually more reliable and the ports less crowded than in winter. Some of the best deals this fall include a 7-night cruise with Carnival roundtrip from Miami to the Western Caribbean with fares that start at just C$429.

4. Bermuda: While this jewel of the Atlantic can be heavenly year-round, its cool winter weather means that most tourists prefer to visit in summer.  As a result, the final two months of the Bermuda cruise season – September and October – can occasionally be available at very attractive rates, as they are this year. For example, Norwegian Cruise Line is offering a 7-night cruise roundtrip from Philadelphia that departs on October 17 with fares starting at C$671.

5. Mexican Riviera: Once the Alaska season is over at the end of September, a number of cruise ships relocate to Los Angeles and San Diego to offer cruises along the Pacific Coast of Mexico and through the Panama Canal. The weather is less humid and hot once the summer is over, and the fares are usually pretty appealing until the winter blues set in up north and people start booking warm-weather cruises. For example, some of the best cruises this fall include a 7-night voyage with Norwegian Cruise Lines roundtrip from Los Angeles with fares starting at just C$391.

So if you’ve been thinking of taking a cruise but wanted to wait until the ships were less crowded and the fares more attractive, this fall might be the time to give it a try.  After all, with prices like these, you can’t afford to stay home!

(Prices mentioned are per person, double occupancy excluding government fees and taxes as of 2:00 pm on Tuesday, July 28. These fares are capacity controlled and subject to change.)