Best cruises for March: where to sail

At a glance

• Japan’s early cherry blossoms are the perfect backdrop to its cultural festivals and historic port cities
• Warm, breezy days return to the Canary Islands and Madeira, with flowers blanketing hiking trails
• High-water season opens up the Amazon’s remote tributaries for intrepid jungle exploration
• Shoulder-season Mediterranean sailings offer culture, cuisine and heritage without the queues
• The Galápagos teems with nesting wildlife, calm seas and crystal-clear snorkelling
• Long-haul gems like Australia and New Zealand deliver peak summer landscapes and outdoor adventure

What makes a cruise ‘the best’?

At World of Cruising, we know that “best” looks different for everyone. For some, it’s basking on a sun-warmed deck in Madeira between port calls. For others, it’s Zodiac rides along the Amazon or photographing blue-footed boobies in the Galápagos. That’s why we delve into seasonal nuances – wildlife migrations, blossom forecasts, off-season value – so you can find the voyage that fits you perfectly.

March offers an unusually broad spectrum: you might join Japan’s hanami picnics beneath early blooms, sip port wine in Funchal after a levada walk, or sail into Fiordland’s glacier-carved fjords at the height of New Zealand’s summer. Expedition cruisers can watch green sea turtles nest in the Galápagos or kayak through Amazon backwaters alive with pink dolphins. This is also a stellar month for culture-rich city breaks by sea, with Mediterranean ports uncrowded and blissfully mild.

Is March a good time for a cruise?

Absolutely. March bridges seasons beautifully: Asia stirs back to life with festivals and flowers, the Indian Ocean and Atlantic islands bask in soft sun, and the Southern Hemisphere is in full summer swing. High-water Amazon sailings reveal rainforest otherwise unreachable, while Galápagos wildlife thrives in warm, calm seas.

Closer to home, Europe’s shoulder season makes for serene sightseeing – imagine Rome’s piazzas without the crowds or Valletta’s golden streets under crisp blue skies. With Easter yet to arrive, ships remain quieter, cabins more available, and fares refreshingly competitive. Whether you’re craving cultural immersion, wildlife encounters or simply a dose of gentle spring warmth, March is a month that rewards both first-time cruisers and seasoned travellers alike.

Best cruise for culture: Japan

Sail into Japan’s springtime charm as temples, gardens, and cities come alive

Why here, why now: March marks the start of sakura season in southern Japan, when cherry blossoms first appear in cities like Fukuoka and Kagoshima before unfurling northwards. This is also festival season: Hinamatsuri (Doll’s Day) brings decorative displays and seasonal sweets, while lantern-lit parks set the stage for evening strolls beneath budding blooms.

A cruise offers an effortless way to stitch together Japan’s contrasts – one day sipping matcha in Kyoto’s quiet tea houses (via Osaka), the next soaking in an onsen in volcanic Beppu or exploring Tokyo’s neon-lit streets. Shore excursions range from calligraphy workshops and visits to samurai districts to day trips on the Shinkansen, Japan’s iconic bullet train.

Ports are perfectly placed to showcase Japan’s layers of old and new: serene shrines and zen gardens sit within reach of ultra-modern harbours, while markets brim with spring produce like fresh strawberries and bamboo shoots.

Weather: Mild and dry, with highs of 13–17°C in Honshu and warmer temperatures further south in Kyushu and Okinawa.

Top Ports: Tokyo (Yokohama), Osaka (for Kyoto), Hiroshima, Kagoshima and Nagasaki, often paired with Busan in South Korea.

Who to sail with:Princess Cruises runs round-trips from Tokyo, timed to match blossom forecasts. Ponant offers boutique sailings focused on smaller ports and cultural immersion, with expert-led shore excursions.

Price: Princess sailings start at around £1,600 for 10 nights, while Ponant’s upscale itineraries begin from approximately £4,000, excluding flights.

Best for short-haul sun: Canary Islands & Madeira

Bask in gentle warmth, explore volcanic peaks and wander flower-strewn trails

Why here, why now: March brings a softer kind of sunshine perfect for travellers seeking warmth without the summer scorch. In Madeira, the hillsides are alive with early blooms, and levada trails follow winding irrigation channels past waterfalls and terraced vineyards. The Canary Islands combine lunar-like volcanic scenery with colourful fishing villages and year-round al fresco dining.

Tenerife’s Mount Teide National Park offers otherworldly crater landscapes for guided hikes, while Lanzarote’s Timanfaya National Park showcases steaming geysers and lava fields. Pair this with long, lingering port calls in Funchal for its renowned botanical gardens, or wine tastings in La Palma’s high-altitude vineyards where the Atlantic sparkles below.

For no-fly travellers, this region offers an easy escape – sea days from Southampton punctuated by temperate, sunlit ports where cafés spill onto palm-lined promenades. It’s ideal for easing out of winter while enjoying scenery that feels far more exotic than its proximity suggests.

Weather: Highs of 19–22°C across the Canaries and Madeira, with dry days and clear skies perfect for hikes or open-deck lounging.

Top Ports: Tenerife for Teide and its observatory, Lanzarote for volcanic parks, La Palma for lush laurel forests, Gran Canaria’s dunes and colonial quarter, plus Funchal in Madeira for gardens and levadas.

Who to sail with: P&O Cruises runs relaxed, no-fly sailings from Southampton, while Azamara includes longer calls and immersive excursions, from night-time stargazing atop Teide to market tours with local chefs.

Price: P&O’s 12-night itineraries start around £950, while Azamara’s boutique sailings begin near £1,800, excluding flights.

Best for exotic adventure: Amazon River

Journey deep into rainforest waterways alive with wildlife and culture

Why here, why now: March’s high-water season transforms the Amazon. The swollen river allows ships to reach tributaries otherwise inaccessible later in the year, gliding past jungle that crowds the banks in shades of green so vivid they feel almost unreal. Skiff excursions weave through flooded forests alive with the calls of toucans and howler monkeys, while pink river dolphins surface unexpectedly in your wake.

Beyond the wildlife, this is a window into local life. Manaus’s ornate opera house tells of its rubber-boom past, Parintins bursts with colour during rehearsals for its famed Boi Bumbá festival, and smaller villages like Boca da Valeria invite guests to step ashore and meet communities who live entirely by the rhythm of the river.

Evenings bring equatorial sunsets of molten orange melting into mirror-still waters, followed by talks from onboard naturalists who decode the day’s sightings – whether that’s a nesting macaw or the ripple of a stealthy caiman at dusk.

Weather: Expect tropical heat (27–31°C) punctuated by short, dramatic downpours that refresh rather than deter.

Top Ports: Manaus for its Belle Époque architecture, Santarém for the “Meeting of Waters” phenomenon, Parintins for cultural flair, and remote Boca da Valeria for an authentic village encounter.

Who to sail with:Seabourn’s expedition ships offer spacious suites and zodiac landings led by expert guides. Hurtigruten HX Expeditions brings a more rugged, eco-focused edge, pairing science talks with deep-jungle skiff forays.

Price: Seabourn’s 10-night sailing starts near £6,000, while Avalon Waterways has an 11-day voyage combining the Peruvian Amazon and a visit to Machu Picchu from around £6,100, excluding international flights.

Best for shoulder-season cruising: Mediterranean classics

Iconic cities, cultural depth and relaxed sightseeing without summer’s crush

Why here, why now: March is an understated gem for Mediterranean cruising. The big hitters – Barcelona, Rome, Athens – are wonderfully walkable without the oppressive heat or the queues that snake around landmarks in high summer. The Colosseum feels quieter, St Peter’s Basilica less hurried, and the winding streets of Valletta or Marseille far easier to explore at a gentler pace.

This is also the season when café culture comes alive without being overrun: sip espresso on sunlit squares in Rome, browse Athens’ flea markets under crisp blue skies, or watch fishing boats unload their catch in Marseille’s Old Port before sampling bouillabaisse right by the water. For food lovers, March is ideal, with fresh artichokes, citrus and early spring produce filling market stalls.

Shore excursions at this time focus on culture without rush – think guided tours through Pompeii’s ruins, tastings in Catalonia’s wine regions or strolls through Crete’s Venetian harbours – paired with a calmer shipboard atmosphere as most travellers wait for Easter or summer holidays.

Weather: Mild and bright, with highs of 14–17°C across southern Europe – cool enough for sightseeing yet warm enough for lunch al fresco.

Top Ports: Barcelona for Gaudí and tapas, Rome (from Civitavecchia) for Vatican treasures, Athens (from Piraeus) for the Acropolis. Marseille for Provençal charm and Valletta for honey-stone fortresses and waterfront cafés.

Who to sail with:Celebrity Cruises offers sleek ships and modern Med itineraries combining Western hubs like Barcelona and Marseille with relaxed sea days. Celestyal Cruises focuses on shorter Greek Island sailings with cultural shore tours, ideal for travellers seeking a long weekend rather than a full fortnight.

Price: Celebrity’s week-long sailings start around £850, while Celestyal’s three- to five-night Greek itineraries begin near £400, excluding flights.

Best for wildlife: Galápagos Islands

Close encounters with nesting turtles, curious sea lions and ancient tortoises

Why here, why now: March is when the Galápagos feels at its most alive. Warm seas invite effortless snorkelling alongside reef sharks, rays and playful sea lions, while on land, green sea turtles lay their eggs on sandy beaches, and marine iguanas blaze with vivid red and turquoise breeding colours. The islands’ birdlife is in full spectacle, with waved albatross courting dances just beginning on Española and blue-footed boobies showing off their namesake feet.

This is also prime time for glassy-calm seas, perfect for Zodiac landings on remote shores like Genovesa or Fernandina, where you might find yourself sharing the beach with a basking sea lion colony or strolling past giant tortoises lumbering across highland paths. Expert-led talks on geology, ecology and conservation frame each day’s adventures, creating a rare blend of relaxation and education that feels utterly unique to this archipelago.

Between excursions, enjoy naturalist-led snorkelling sessions, kayak paddles through mangrove lagoons teeming with juvenile sharks, or simply relax on deck as frigatebirds glide in your ship’s slipstream. Evenings bring stargazing on unlit decks under some of the clearest skies on Earth.

Weather: Consistently warm at 26–28°C with sea temperatures around 25°C – brief, light showers keep the islands green and wildlife active.

Top Ports: Baltra or San Cristóbal for embarkation, with itineraries spanning Española (for those early albatross), Santa Cruz (giant tortoises), Genovesa (bird colonies) and Fernandina (lava fields and flightless cormorants).

Who to sail with: Silversea Expeditions combines butler-serviced suites with a small-ship, expedition feel and expert guides. Celebrity Flora is purpose-built for the islands, with a 100-guest limit, sleek eco-design and naturalist-led daily outings.

Price: Silversea’s seven-night sailings start around £8,500, while Celebrity Flora departs from approximately £6,200, including regional flights.

Best for summer scenery: Australia & New Zealand

From Sydney’s glittering harbour to New Zealand’s fjords, March is the region at its best

Why here, why now: March falls at the tail end of Australasia’s summer, bringing warm days without the peak-season crowds. In Australia, itineraries might pair landmark cityscapes – Sydney’s Opera House or Melbourne’s café-studded laneways—with wildlife-rich ports like Kangaroo Island, where koalas and sea lions laze under eucalyptus trees.

In New Zealand, fjordland cruising is a highlight: sail into Milford and Doubtful Sounds flanked by sheer cliffs and waterfalls in full flow. Beyond the fjords, ports like Napier charm with Art Deco streets and vineyards, while Wellington offers craft beer, coffee culture and scenic cable car rides.

Many cruises link both countries, combining cosmopolitan cities with remote bays accessible only by sea – perfect for exploring without endless internal flights. Excursions range from Great Barrier Reef snorkelling to Māori cultural tours and vineyard tastings in Marlborough’s rolling hills.

Weather: Warm and settled, with highs of 23–28°C in Australia’s southern ports and 20–25°C in New Zealand, ideal for both outdoor adventure and deckside relaxation.

Top Ports: Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart (Australia). Milford and Doubtful Sounds, Wellington, Napier and Akaroa (NZ).

Who to sail with: Holland America specialises in in-depth New Zealand sailings often paired with Australia. Princess Cruises offers round-trips from Sydney with options to add the Great Barrier Reef or Tasmania.

Price: Expect fares from £1,700 for 14-night sailings with Holland America, while Princess Cruises offers shorter Australia-only itineraries from around £1,200, excluding flights.