Photo by Fernando Jorge on Unsplash
A cruise vacation is appealing to many travelers. You get to sail off on the high seas or a large, local river to explore new cultures, events, sites, and more. On the ship, you can let your worries go without the need to do anything more than walk to your next meal, entertainment, dance, or a drink at the bar.
Whether you’re an avid cruiser or looking to take your first cruise, finding ways to save money on your cruise is often a consideration and possible.
5 Easy Ways to Book a Discounted Cruise
Here are five ways you can enjoy a cruise vacation without breaking the bank.
1. Book Early
If you’re looking to cruise during high-volume months or have a specific cruise in mind and want to pick your cabins, you want to book your cruise early. Summer travel, holidays, and school break periods tend to book up early, and the closer to the date you get, generally, the higher the price of the cruise. Cruzely offers data on cruise pricing throughout the year.
2. Book Last Minute
Yes, this might seem contradictory to the last suggestion, though you can get great deals on cruises if you book last minute or within 90 days of the sail date. Waiting until the last minute won’t always pay off for those who need a specific travel date, cabin, or cruise type; it can pay off if you have flexibility in your schedule and are open to the type of cruise and port you’re sailing out of. Last-minute cruises can especially pay off for those that have the ability to drive to a port since last-minute airfare could squash any savings you might receive in cruise fares.
You can often get Mediterranean and Caribbean cruise deals when booking close to your cruise date. Cruise Critic, Cruises.com, and travel sites like Expedia and Travelocity offer a listing of last-minute cruise deals.
3. Sign up for e-Deals
The cruise of your dreams could land in your inbox when you sign up for cruise deals through an online travel site or with a specific cruise line.
Carnival, Norwegian, Princess, Celebrity, and Royal Caribbean are examples of cruise lines that will send sales and promotions directly to your email. If you want to avoid a ton of cruise emails coming in and taking up space in your primary email address, you could always create a separate email account just for cruise deals or create a folder that the deals will go directly to as they come into your primary email address.
4. Bundle Your Trip
It’s possible to get discounts on your cruise when you bundle it with other items, like airfare and a hotel stay leading up to your trip. Most cruise lines also offer special bundling deals and promotions that allow you to save on the total price of your vacation, like inclusive drink and dining packages, prepaid gratuity, free wi-fi, and more.
5. Work with a Travel Agent
If you don’t have time to do your own research or simply want to avoid the stress of creating your own travel itinerary, a travel agency might be the way to go. Travel agents often book cruise deals in bulk and have relationships with cruise lines, so they work directly with them. As a result, they have access to deals and specials that the average person doesn’t. Travel agencies also offer perks to many of their clients, like prepaid gratuities and onboard dining credit, to help you save while sailing.
Additional Tips to Book a Discounted Cruise
Here are some additional ways you might be able to save on your upcoming cruise:
- Explore booking a group cruise at a discount
- Research military, residential, and senior discounts
- Request a price drop credit if the fare drops after you book your cruise
- Purchase a lower-priced guarantee cabin
- Look for repositioning cruises
- Take advantage of cruise ship travel rewards and membership programs
- Sail on an older ship that comes with a discount
- Purchase cabins with lower fares
As you’re doing your research and wondering if you’re truly getting a good deal on your cruise, sites like Cruise Critic provide a deal score on their list of cruise deals. The higher the deal score, the better the deal.
Overall, your best bet to get the best deal on a cruise is to do research and compare pricing between sites and what your travel agent has to offer, along with what discounts land in your inbox. Bon voyage!