When it comes to booking a cruise vacation, everyone likes a discount. From family-friendly cruises like Disney Cruise Lines to the luxury ships of Crystal Cruises, cruise line deals are available across the cruising industry. Here are some tips to finding a cheap cruise vacation.
Getting the Lowest Cruise Fares
Although it may appear that booking online directly with a cruise line or a vacation supplier like Expedia can save money, consider that travel agents have access to the newest cruise deals. It pays to compare cruise deals but also understand what is included in each fare to be compared.
Cheapest Way to Book a Cruise
How to Find Cruise Discounts – On each cruise line website, look for a section called Special Offers. This section features cruise line deals and promotions throughout the year, from kids cruise for free to onboard credits and complimentary shore excursions.
Booking Independently – Booking hotels, airfares and shore excursions separate from the cruise package is another way to lower overall cruising costs.
Last Minute Cruise Deals – Choosing a departure port that is accessible by driving instead of flying offers another huge cruise savings. Consider that cruises also depart from ports in New York and Galveston instead of just Fort Lauderdale or Los Angeles. This gives passengers the opportunity to take advantage of last minute cruise deals.
Cheapest Months to Cruise – There are a number of months where cheap cruise deals can be found. Many cruise ships will experience a low season when kids are in school, so months such as January, April, May, September, October, November and early December can offer cheap cruises. Note that high season includes holiday periods such as the spring break months of February and March and the summer months.
Repositioning Cruises – Repositioning cruises are cruises that start in one region and end in another. Look for cruise deals when a ship relocates from Europe to Canada/New England or to the Caribbean in September and October. Other cruise discounts can be found on ships repositioning from Mexico and Hawaii to Alaska in April and May.
Best Cruise Line Deals
- Kids Sail for Free – A few cruise lines offer a kids-sail-for-free promotion. For example, Disney Cruise Lines promotion offers children under the age of 17 to sail for free on select Mediterranean cruises. Costa Cruise Line offers that kids sail for free on select Caribbean cruises. And MSC Cruises promotes kids sail for free all year long.
- Onboard Credits – Also called shipboard credits, onboard credits are given to the passenger to be applied to the passenger’s shipboard account on their cruise. For example Crystal Cruises is offering an onboard credit up to $2,000 per couple plus prepaid gratuities on select cruises for 2009 and 2010.
- Free Upgrades – Currently, Princess Cruises is offering a promotion called, Balcony Bonanza. For early bookings, passengers can save up to $1,000 per couple in addition to a free balcony upgrade.
- Early Booking Incentives – Carnival Cruise Lines feature their Early Saver Program on select sailings for passengers that book their cruise three to five months in advance. For example, many of these cruises work out to be less than $70 per day per person.
- Discounts for Repeat Passengers – Most cruise lines have a customer loyalty program that is valid after a passenger has cruised once with their company. As the number of cruises taken increases, so do the benefits, including some steep cruise discounts.
When purchasing a cruise, buyers must be aware of all the associated costs when comparing one cruise over another. Extra costs such as taxes, fees, port charges, gratuities, beverages, shore excursions and fuel surcharges can all drive up the total cost of a cruise.
Renee Ruggero - Renee is a published travel writer and cruise industry insider with more than 1,000 days on cruise ships, visiting over 50 countries.
