The Rainiest Months to Cruise: A Port-by-Port Weather Breakdown
Cruise fares swing by season — but so does your chance of a washed-out port day. We analyzed historical climate data for major cruise ports to find the driest and wettest months to sail each region.
Key findings
- The Caribbean is about 2.9× rainier in September than in the driest stretch — an average of 14.5 rainy days vs 5.
- Cozumel goes from 4 rainy days in March to 16 in September — and September is also peak hurricane season.
- Ketchikan is the rainiest cruise port we measured (~18.1 rainy days/month), while Skagway — often a stop on the same Alaska itinerary — gets only ~10.4.
Caribbean cruise ports: average rainy days by month
| Port | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cozumel | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 7 | 6 |
| Nassau | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 7 | 5 |
| St. Maarten / St. Martin | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 9 |
| Grand Cayman | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 7 | 5 |
| Average | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7.8 | 11 | 11.5 | 13 | 14.5 | 12 | 7.8 | 6.3 |
Driest: February (5 avg). Wettest: September (14.5 avg + hurricane season). Book late winter to spring for the driest Caribbean sailing.
Alaska cruise ports: how wet, really?
| Port | Annual avg rainy days/mo | Peak season (Jun–Aug) |
|---|---|---|
| Ketchikan🌧️ rainiest | 18.1 | 16.7 |
| Juneau | 17.3 | 15.3 |
| Skagway☀️ driest | 10.4 | 11 |
Every Alaska itinerary is rainy, but the spread is real — if a dry-ish day matters, plan your big excursion for the Skagway stop. June is typically the driest month of the Alaska cruise season.
Mediterranean: the crowd-vs-weather trade
Santorini sees near-zero rain in July and August — but that is also peak heat and peak crowds. The shoulder months are the smart pick: May and September stay warm and dry with far thinner crowds.
Methodology
Figures are historical climate averages (typical rainy days per month) for each port, compiled by Travel Forecast from public climate records. A “rainy day” is a day with measurable precipitation. Caribbean averages are the mean across our curated Caribbean and Bahamas ports. Full month-by-month data, temperatures, and a live 15-day forecast for every port are on the destinations pages.
Published 2026-06-07 · Travel Forecast · Cite with a link to this page.