It’s been the biggest and best wave season. Now comes “winter cruising” – for some, and even better time to take to the waters.

In fact, it might be the perfect time to snatch some cheap cruise deals and visit destinations which you wouldn’t want to visit when it’s scorching hot.

Here are nine of the best:

South Pacific and Melanesia

The South Pacific is an ideal destination for Aussies during the winter months. Even though it is a little bit cooler, it is still much warmer compared to cities like Adelaide and Melbourne. Plus, most lines travel to the South Pacific. You will call at destinations like Port Denarau and Suva in Fiji, Vanuatu’s Mystery Island, Isle of Pines in New Caledonia and destinations around Papua New Guinea. Lines like Royal Caribbean, Carnival, P&O call in the South Pacific and Melanesia.

• Cruise to Fiji onboard the Carnival Spirit departing August 18, 2016 for 12 nights from $1,697 per person, twin share. Click here for information.

• Holiday to Papua New Guinea on Pacific Jewel departing June 14, 2016 for 11 nights priced from $1,289 per person, twin share. Click here for more information.

Australia

If you are looking for warmer destinations to cruise to in Australia, far north Queensland is extremely popular in the winter months. Princess Cruises, P&O and Carnival regularly sail to ports in the northern part of Australia like Brisbane, Moreton Island and Darwin. There are also lots of cruises departing from Fremantle in Western Australia and head to the Northern Territory.

• Sample some delicious food and wine onboard Pacific Eden with special presentations. The cruise departs Fremantle on May 14, 2016 for 3 nights. Priced from $379 per person, twin share.
• Sail from Sydney to Fremantle on the Sea Princess which departs on August 28, 2016. The cruise calls at a number of destinations like Yorkeys Knob, Broome and Geraldton. The 17-night cruise is priced from $2,075 per person, twin share.

Asia

You’ll be cruising during Asia’s wave season so you’ll be getting to experience some ships before they sail to Australia. In June, the largest ship sailing in the southern hemisphere, Ovation of the Seas, will make her debut in Singapore so you can hop onboard before she sails to Australia. Ports in Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand are popular destinations to cruise to. River cruises are also are a great way to see the local culture and the sailing the Mekong River is one of the big bucket list adventures for cruisers.

• Sail from Singapore to India on the new Ovation of the Seas for 14-nights departs on May 26, 2016. The cruise is priced from $1,432 per person, twin share.
• Cruise on the Dawn Princess for 15-nights from Fremantle and call at ports like Komodo, Ujung, Pandang and Semarang. The 15-night cruise is priced from $1,550 per person, twin share.

Mediterannean

It’s now summer in the northern hemisphere and while it’s the best time to visit the Mediterranean, it can be expensive. If you check deals regularly, you can snap up some good last minute bargains if you’re willing to fork out the dollars for your flight. You can also try to nab some deals at the beginning and end of the European wave season. Some of the best destinations to visit in the Mediterranean include Barcelona in Spain, Rome and Naples in Italia and Dubrovnik in Croatia. Lines like Celebrity Cruises, P&O Cruises UK, Holland America, Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises and Silversea regularly cruise the area. Cruiseabout’s Kathy Pavlidis said that most of her clients will be heading overseas for the Australian winter months especially on Celebrity Cruises. “There are great deals to be had with Celebrity Cruises in Europe. For example, you can get an 11-night Mediterranean cruise from $1,710 in a balcony with a beverage package plus US$300 onboard credit or an inside cabin from $1,280. Viking have real “2 for 1″ offers where guests can travel from Amsterdam to Budapest from only $3,698 per person, departing in October.”

• Save 70% on this 24-night cruise around the Mediterranean. The cruise onboard Holland America’s ms Koningsdam includes calls to Athens in Greece, Istanbul in Turkey and many more. The cruise is priced from $2,533 per person, twin share.
• Save up to 30% and experience the biggest ship in the world, Harmony of the Seas. Depart from Barcelona on June 12, 2016 for this seven-night cruise. Priced from $3,240 per person, twin share.

Caribbean and Mexico

California and Florida are the two big port destinations in America which cruise lines depart from. Many tourists visit destinations like Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas when sailing from Los Angeles. It’s warm, sunny and the beaches are beautiful. While in the Caribbean, you’ll visit places like Jamaica, Aruba and the Bahamas.

• Depart New York City on July 30, 2016 and sail to the Bahamas for just $1,635 per person, twin share. The seven-night cruise is onboard the Norwegian Gem.