What Are the Warmest Places to Cruise in April?

Warm Up With an April Trans-Atlantic Cruise to The Azores

April is repositioning season when cruise lines move from their winter itineraries in the Caribbean, Mexico and South America to their summer homes in Europe. That means not only bargain fares, but ports of call you may only have access to on a trans-Atlantic crossing. The Azores are a collection of islands belonging to Portugal, situated roughly 870 miles from Lisbon. Activities in ports like Ponta Delgada include dolphin and whale watching, nature hikes, scenic drives, food and wine tours, 4WD and ATV tours, as well as sport fishing.

Average April daytime temperatures in Ponta Delgada are in the mid-seventies, or around 23 degrees Celsius. Water temperatures are a considerably cooler in the low sixties (17C), so it's still pretty cold for most water sports like scuba diving (which is fabulous in the Azores).

The list of cruise lines traveling to Ponta Delgada in April is long, covering a wide range of cruise styles. Go mainstream to the Azores on NCL, Princess, Holland America, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, or Carnival. Move up to a premium line for your trans-Atlantic on Windstar, Oceania, or give Star Clippers a try, for something different. If luxury cruising is your thing, seek a warm April cruise to Ponta Delgada on Regent Seven Seas or Ritz-Carlton.

And if your heart is set on a warm-destination expedition cruise, Aurora Expeditions has you covered with an adventurous cruise that’s not a trans-Atlantic. They offer an April round-trip itinerary from Lisbon that includes some of the best European whale watching, plus bird watching, and expeditions to no less than four UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Let Warm Springtime Cruises From Bridgetown, Barbados Move You

Still looking at April trans-Atlantic repositioning cruises, you may want to consider starting with cruises that depart from one of our favorite Caribbean ports: Barbados. It's the kind of destination that makes you want to spend some time there before your cruise leaves. Activities include watersports of all kinds, from snorkeling and scuba diving to windsurfing, kayaking, and paddleboarding. Land-based activities include food and heritage tours, scenic drives, and beach time on some of the best beaches in the Caribbean.

Average April daytime temperatures in Bridgetown are in the mid-eighties (30C). Water temperatures are eighty-ish (27C), making water sports of all types a pleasure.

Barbados is a fun part of the itineraries of several cruise lines in April, including Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, MSC, Holland America, Hurtigruten, Regent Seven Seas, and Star Clippers, many of them trans-Atlantic cruises with fares that beat the average daily per person fare of a standard Caribbean cruise.

Enjoy Autumn Sunshine on a Cruise From Broome, Australia

April is mid-fall down under, so let's talk about The Kimberly, as the far northwestern area of Australia's Western Territory is called. It's sparsely populated (at least when you're talking about human population) and stunningly beautiful. April is the best time for seeing the waterfalls and lush green of the region, which becomes dry and arid during other times of the year. It's the ideal month for turtles, dugongs, and dolphin spotting. Wait, what's a dugong? It's a marine mammal closely related to manatees. Arrive in April and you may get to see them.

Average April daytime temperatures in Broome are in the mid-eighties (30C). Sea temperatures are roughly the same.

Warm up on Kimberly cruises on mainstream lines like Princess or P&O Cruises, or splurge with a luxury expedition cruise you'll never forget on Ponant, Silversea or True North.

Key West Cruises Are Calling Your Name in April

If your idea of a warm April cruise is cheap, easy, and not too far from home, look no farther than a cruise that includes Key West. There is so much to do in Key West you can return over and over and still have fun. We know the island is famous for pub crawls, but we'd like to recommend a grub crawl. You can't possibly go wrong with a day spent munching your way across the island. From Cuban sandwiches to fresh seafood, it's all there, finished off with a thick slice of Key Lime pie, of course.

If your plan is to stay wet all day, you can do that too. It's easy to find tours that will take you out on the water for snorkeling, dolphin spotting, or scuba diving. If sustainability is your thing, there's even a tour boat that's all electric. We hear reports that the boat has better luck at dolphin spotting because there’s no engine noise.

April daytime temperatures in Key West average in the low-eighties (28C), making this one of the most pleasant weather months of the year for our most southern island. Ocean temperatures are just a few degrees cooler than air temps, in the upper seventies (25C), which is a comfortable temperature for scuba, snorkeling, swimming, or any other watersport.

Even though the island now has strict rules about the cruise ship capacity that can be in port at one time, their sustainability measures aimed at preventing over tourism, make it a better experience for those who go. And there are plenty of choices in April.

Cruise lines that can transport you to Key West include Virgin Voyages, Carnival, Celebrity, and Royal Caribbean.