May stretches the cruise map north. Alaska and Norway wake up, Europe is warm enough to explore but not yet punishing, and school-holiday pricing has not arrived. It is the best all-round month for travelers who can tolerate a jacket.
Alaska: season opens with snow on the peaks
May brings 10–16°C days, long daylight, full waterfalls and fewer mosquitoes. It also opens Alaska's official cruise season, which Travel Alaska dates May through September. Seven-night Inside Passage fares run $800–1,300 — often 25–35% below July — though some inland excursions open late. Read Alaska: May, July or September before choosing; the Inside Passage route is the first-timer's format.
Norwegian fjords: maximum waterfall drama
Snowmelt turns the fjords' waterfalls into walls of water while days lengthen to 17 hours. Expect 8–16°C and changing weather. Seven-night fares from Northern Europe run $900–1,500; the Norwegian fjords route extends to 12 days, while which fjord to choose sorts the scenery.
Mediterranean: the balance month
May gives 20–26°C, open attractions and swimmable water by late month, without July's heat. Seven nights cost $850–1,400, rising around UK and European school breaks. Greece and Croatia are strongest; the Greek Isles route is the simple first choice.
British Isles: gardens, cliffs and long evenings
England, Scotland and Ireland run 11–17°C with showers, green landscapes and late sunsets. Twelve-night loops cost $1,300–2,100. The British Isles Explorer gives the compact version; pack waterproof layers rather than an umbrella.
Baltic capitals: before midsummer crowds
Stockholm, Tallinn, Helsinki and Copenhagen get 14–19°C and up to 18 hours of light. Eleven-night fares run $1,200–1,900. May is cheaper and calmer than June, though sea winds stay cold. The Baltic capitals route links the key ports.
The five-minute version
- Alaska: $800–1,300, snow peaks and waterfalls, some excursions not yet open.
- Norway: $900–1,500, peak snowmelt, 17-hour days.
- Mediterranean: 20–26°C, $850–1,400, best balance before heat.
- British Isles: $1,300–2,100, green and changeable.
- Baltic: $1,200–1,900, long days without June crowds.