What’s the Best Way To Score a Cheap Price on a Cruise?
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John Csiszar
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Cory Dudak
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Cruising has always offered an affordable way to travel. When compared with the cost of land-based vacations, cruising can be a downright steal, with accommodation, food and transportation all covered by the fare.
But just as with any vacation, pricing for cruises can vary dramatically based on a number of factors. With cruise lines still trying to pay off the massive debt they incurred during the pandemic, pricing has been on the increase, making it harder to find a deal.
However, there are still a number of ways you can get a cheap price — here are some top tips for booking a cruise on a budget.
Book Early
A relatively new trend in cruising is the guarantee some companies offer that by booking early, you will score the best price. Princess, for example, offers its “Better Than Best Price Guarantee,” which promises cruisers who book early will receive the best possible price before the final payment date. If cruisers find a lower rate, the cruise line will both honor the lower price and provide 120% of the difference in the form of an onboard credit.
Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Celebrity also offer various forms of best price guarantees.
Book Late
Even with the recent publicity surrounding early booking promises, the truth is that after the final payment date, many cruise prices still fall. The final payment date varies by cruise line and voyage length, but is generally 90 to 120 days before sail date. After that window passes, be on the lookout for price drops.
Understand that the closer you get to sail date, the more expensive other travel variables — such as flights and pre-cruise hotels — will likely be. That may be enough to outweigh any discounts you get on your cruise pricing.
Be Flexible With Dates
When it comes to any type of travel, including cruising, flexibility is the key to good pricing. If you want to cruise to Alaska, for example, picking a specific date long in advance may lock you in to a more expensive pricing. But if you are able to sail on any date over a one- or two-month period, you can simply pick the cheapest cruise option.
Choose Unpopular Routings
The law of supply and demand applies everywhere in travel, including cruising. Just like airlines, cruise companies adjust their pricing based on how full their sailings are. The emptier a cruise ship is, the more likely you’ll be able to score a cheap deal.
Repositioning cruises, for example, where a cruise line needs to move a ship from one location to another — such as from Europe to America — are often much more affordable than other cruises, according to Forbes.
Choose a ‘Guaranteed’ Cabin
While many cruisers prefer to book early and select their specific cabin, one way to snag a better price is to choose what’s called a “guaranteed” cabin. This means you’re guaranteed to receive a cabin in your specified booking class, but it won’t be assigned until closer to the cruising date.
If you let the cruise company control where your cabin will be, you can usually get a lower price. Just bear in mind that you may end up with a less-than-desirable cabin, such as one that’s underneath a bar, the fitness center or the kitchen.
Sail During Shoulder Season
Shoulder season for the cruise industry is generally either spring (before the summer rush), or fall (before the holiday crowds pick up). Generally, this leads to emptier ships and correspondingly lower prices.
With fewer people onboard, sailing during the shoulder season can also offer a more comfortable cruise experience. Just bear in mind that you might have to deal with less temperate weather or other low-season variables, such as shop closures at your destinations.
Pick an Inside Cabin
While cruise lines love to market their highest-end accommodations — from simple balconies to three-bedroom suites with private butler service — you’ll still get to the same destinations at the same time if you choose the most affordable cabin option: the inside cabin.
It’s true that an inside cabin is the smallest room available on a ship — and it has no windows. However, they are typically less than half the cost of a standard balcony cabin, and perhaps 10x as affordable as a high-end suite.
In addition to the savings, some travelers actually prefer the absolute darkness that windowless inside cabins provide.
Avoid the Newest Ships
Newly built cruise ships come with a host of the latest and greatest amenities, from go-kart tracks to water slides to escape rooms. While the newest ships in a company’s fleet will usually have all of the latest bells and whistles, these added attractions often translate to higher cruise prices.
If you’re willing to forgo some of these newfangled additions and simply want to sail on a cruise ship, you can often save a pretty penny by choosing an older ship to sail on.
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