August cruise deals

You can book an August cruise with us to your pick of the Mediterranean or the Norwegian Fjords. We’ve longer and shorter duration holidays available to best suit whatever your schedule looks like for the month.

We have two dress codes in place to make your time on board that extra bit special. Here’s a useful guide so you know what to expect and you cand dress for any and all occasions.

During the day:  The dress code during the day is just your typical holiday wardrobe. Think t-shirts, shorts and sundresses (unless you’re heading to Northern Europe in winter!). Away from the pool, we ask for shoes to be worn and no pool wear in the ship’s lounges, inside bars, restaurants or reception. It may be chilly on deck and breezy in the evening (even in the tropics), so be sure to pack light layers. We’d also recommend flat shoes for strolling the decks.

Evening dress codes: We have two dress codes that apply in the evenings: Evening Casual and Black Tie. Nights where the dress code is Evening Casual, you can bring out your best shirt, dress and smart, dark denim. For nights where the dress code is Black Tie, make sure to pack your best tux, suit or cocktail dress.

There are some venues on each ship where dress codes don’t apply, so make sure to check your Horizon paper that’s delivered to your cabin each day to check where these are, as they vary ship by ship.

Dress codes for children: For those travelling on family-friendly ships, dress codes also don’t apply to children aged 17 and under. However, they can still dress to impress if they want to! 

In the northern hemisphere, August is a time when summer’s in full swing. Though it does vary by region, you can generally expect hot, sunny weather that typically doesn’t stray below temperate. It’s not just the beaches that begin to get busy, either; the longer, sunlight-filled days mean cities and streets are abuzz with people long into the night, making for a lively, centre-of-the-action atmosphere. Of course, August is a great month to go on a cruise if your little ones are of school age, or anyone else you’re holidaying with is, and you can book your cruise well in advance. If you’d like, you can even spread the cost of your holiday. See here for more info on the flexible payment options available to you.

In August, the Mediterranean gets toasty. With the hottest average temperature of the bunch, Turkey clocks in with highs and lows of 33°C and 23°C and zero days of rainfall for the month. Malta and Greece share highs of 31°C and lows of 22°C, though Malta expects no rain and Greece expects just one day’s worth. With three days of rain for August, Italy experiences temperate lows of 21°C and bask-in-it warm highs of 30°C. Sharing highs of 29°C, Croatia dips to lows of 21°C with four days of rain, while France drops to 19°C, with just one day of rainfall. Spain has very warm average highs of 29°C, tends not to stray below 21°C, and expects two days of rain for the month. Gibraltar reaches average highs of 28°C and lows of 21°C, with no rain for the month; Monaco shares the same lows, has highs of 27°C, and just two days of rain.

For a summer holiday cruise the whole family can enjoy, you can sail with us to your pick of the following destinations:

• The Mediterranean
• The Norwegian Fjords

Or, if it’s an exclusively-for-adults atmosphere you’re after, here’s where you can usually travel with us during the school holiday period:

• Norway
• The Norwegian Fjords

Temperate, warm, rainy, sunny – the Norwegian Fjords can be all of these things in August, so it’s important to pack to be prepared! Here’s what we’d recommend bringing along:

• Long-sleeved tops
• T-shirts
• Casual trousers and shirt (for some evenings on board)
• Jumpers
• A hat for sun protection
• Shorts
• Trousers
• Sunscreen with SPF
• Sunglasses
• A raincoat
• Your dinner jacket, cocktail dress or ballgown (for our Black Tie evening)

If you’re a lover of bask-in-it hot weather, the Med in August might just provide a cruise holiday you’ll be counting down the sleeps to. You’ll want your luggage to be based around light clothing and protective gear so you can keep cool and enjoy the sun safely. Here’s what we’d recommend packing:

• Swimming costume/swim shorts
• Sunscreen with high SPF rating
• Sunglasses
• A hat for sun protection
• Shorts
• T-shirts
• Casual trousers and shirt (for some evenings on board)
• Cover-up or similar, e.g., canvas trousers and loose-fitting tops (dark or bright colours are better at absorbing UV rays)
• Flip-flops or sandals
• A good book
• A light jumper (for the cooler evenings)
• Walking shoes
• Your dinner jacket, cocktail dress or ballgown (for our Black Tie evening)

During the summer month of August, the Norwegian Fjords are pleasantly temperate, though subject to changeable weather. With thirteen days of rainfall for August, Olden clocks in with average highs of 20°C and lows of 11°C. Sharing highs of 19°C, Skjolden dips to temperate lows of 14°C with eight days of rain while Stavanger creeps a little lower to 12°C and two weeks of rain.­ Sharing average highs and lows of 18°C and 12°C, Bergen experiences sixteen days of rainfall for August, while Kristiansund expects fifteen and Haugesund thirteen. Similarly, Geiranger averages lows of 11°C, highs of 18°C and eleven days of rainfall for August. With highs of 16°C and fairly temperate lows of 12°C, Ålesund experiences two weeks of rainfall. With twelve days of rain, Åndalsnes clocks in with highs of 15°C and lows of 10°C.