For the millions of people out there who love hitting the seven seas, figuring out how to book a cheap cruise is like the holy grail of vacationing, even among people who really pride themselves in knowing how to find travel deals. But finding out how to get the best deals on cruises has been almost an art form for decades. So we scoured the web for several tried and true strategies to help you find the cheapest ways to cruise.
Cruises & COVID
The last couple of years has been a challenge for cruise lovers. COVID practically brought the entire industry to a halt, and its comeback has been a challenge, to say the least. But the uncertainty that’s hit the industry means that there may be serious deals out there to be had — or at the very least, more lenient cancellation policies. This is understandable given the CDC’s guidance in late December 2021 that people avoid cruises even if they’ve been vaccinated.
Buyer Beware
As just about every frugal traveler knows, sometimes, deals really are too good to be true… or at least not all they are cracked up to be. It’s important to read the fine print and be sure of what’s included and what’s not included in cruise deals you may find. When considering the cheapest way to cruise, you’ll want to think about airfare, meals, excursions, room type and location, and other amenities that could lead to upcharges. You’ll also want to pay close attention to cancellation policies and consider the costs and benefits of trip insurance.
Now let’s get started with the tips.
1. Read Cruise News
There are countless sites and blogs devoted to the cruise industry, staffed by both insiders and frequent cruise passengers. These sites cover both industry trends as well as specific deals and offers from particular cruise lines. In addition to finding cruise deals, they are great for learning about unique cruise offerings and locales. Some noteworthy sites include CruiseFever, CruiseHive and CruiseCritic.
2. Search the Travel Sites
CruiseDirect.com, CruisesOnly.com, Cruise.com and others are searchable databases of cruise offers. They are similar to Expedia, Travelocity and other general interest travel websites, except they are devoted to cruises. These sites typically have sections focused on cruise deals and may at times have exclusive offers that aren’t available elsewhere. Cruise line websites typically have their own deals section, as you’ll see here on Carnival, Princess and Royal Caribbean’s sites.
3. Scan Social Media
The sites we’ve already mentioned and many others have social media presences on Twitter, Facebook and other platforms. They often broadcast limited-time deals through these accounts, so following them could be a good idea. Some good examples are CruiseDeals on Twitter, Best Travel Deals’ cruise account on Twitter and the travel agent-led private Facebook groups Cruise Deals! and Vacation Packages & Cruises.
4. Look for Bundles
Both travel websites and cruise lines themselves often incentivize passengers to bundle a variety of services and amenities when booking. These cruise bundles can mean real savings. Some of the options that are typically bundled include airfare, meal and drink packages, transport to and from the ship, free Wi-Fi and more.
When evaluating these packages, it’s worth taking the time to review each item, what it includes (there are various levels of perks available on ships, after all), if you really want everything in the bundle and what it would cost if you were to purchase the items a la carte.
5. Travel With Friends
If you got a big family, lots of friends or the idea of going on a cruise with your co-workers isn’t terribly off-putting, you might be able to score a group rate on a cruise. For example, Norwegian Cruise Lines features a group deal that states, “For every 10 passengers booked (5 cabins), 1 passenger cruises for free.” In addition, people traveling on group deals may qualify for bonus packages that include food and drinks, excursions, free Wi-Fi and more.
6. Book Well in Advance… Or Last Minute
Popular cruises, particularly the more luxurious ones, tend to fill up quickly. And the best rates are usually available when tickets first go on sale, which can be as much as a year and a half in advance. As tickets begin to sell, and the sail date nears, prices typically start to rise. The other benefit of booking early is that you’re more likely to get your choice of cabin and dining options. Early bookers may also get access to other special perks, like free airfare, upgrades and free drinks.
That said, there are also plenty of stories of people scoring incredible last-minute deals on cruises. As the departure date grows closer, if a ship hasn’t sold out, the cruise line may offer serious incentives in order to fill up those empty rooms.
7. Sail During Shoulder Season
Determining peak cruising season when demand is the highest can be tricky because of all the variables involved. First and foremost, different parts of the world experience the seasons and corresponding vacations at different times. So peak season in one part of the world may be very different from peak season in another.
Many think that off-peak season, when demand is the lowest, is the best time to find a cruise deal, though that may not always be the case. If a cruise line cuts back on the supply of cruises too much because of seasonal drops in demand, there may not be many deals or even much availability to be found.
That’s why many point to “shoulder season,” the period between the peak and off-peak seasons, as the best time to find deals on cruises. Keep in mind that the weather might not be as great as it is during peak season, but you’re also more likely to avoid crowds both on the boat and onshore excursions. You’ll also want to consider seasonality when looking for the cheapest days to fly to and from your cruise’s point of departure and return.
8. Check for Special Discounts
As the old American Express slogan goes, “Membership has its privileges.” Well, when it comes to cruises, sometimes it does indeed. You may find that belonging to a group like AARP could score you a cruise discount. In fact, American Express itself offers its cardholders cruise benefits. There may also be general discounts for seniors, military families, teachers, and even frequent cruisers.
You might also be able to take advantage of resident cruise deals if you live in a particular area. Carnival, for example, offers deals to residents of states including Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
9. Pay in Full
Even if you’ve found a fantastic deal on a cruise, relatively speaking, in the end, vacations are expensive, so it’s important to consider your financial options. If you don’t have the funds to cover the entire costs of the trip, then you may want to consider waiting until you do.
Keep in mind that if you put the trip on a credit card and carry that balance over from month to month, you’ll be paying relatively high interest rates, perhaps 20% or higher. That adds to the cost of the trip significantly, even if you’re using a rewards credit card. Some, as a result, opt to use personal loans for vacations, which typically come with lower interest rates than credit cards. But personal loans, though often more affordable than credit cards, aren’t free, and they’ll add to your vacation budget as well.
10. Maintain a Budget
When planning your cruise, it’s important to drill down and really think through the budget. If you don’t have a truly all-inclusive deal, you’ll want to itemize everything, such as:
- Cruise tickets
- Flights
- Ground transportation
- Food and drinks
- Excursions
- Souvenirs
- On-ship entertainment
- Gambling
- Pictures
- Travel insurance
- Gratuities
- Wi-Fi
- International calls
- Currency exchange
There are plenty of great budgeting trackers that can help you monitor spending on vacations and more, but when it comes to vacation planning, it’s best to earmark the money before you’ve spent it, add a cushion of 10 or 20 percent to cover the unexpected, and then stick to it. You’ll enjoy the vacation more knowing that you’ve got it covered and won’t stress out when it’s over because you’ve spent more than you can afford.
The Takeaway
Taking a cruise doesn’t have to be expensive. If you’re wondering how to get cheap cruise tickets, there are luckily myriad ways you can get cruise discounts, ranging from going during off or shoulder seasons to bundling your vacation expenses.
This article originally appeared on SoFi.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
