Find The Best Cruise Vacation For You
How can I find a cheap cruise?
Cheap cruise deals are fairly easy to find in most cases, and you can begin by considering what kind of features and itinerary you want. The more simplistic the experience is, the cheaper it is in general. On Expedia.com, you can filter for specific features and sort your results by price. By mixing and matching certain features, unforgettable experiences may be available with discount cruises. For example, booking a cruise with stunning restaurants and live performances while opting for an inside cabin without an ocean view window or balcony could be ideal for a traveler who doesn’t plan on spending much time in their cabin anyways.
What is the cheapest month to take a cruise?
The cheapest month to take a cruise varies based on your destination and the cruise line company that runs the ship. A Caribbean cruise, for example, is generally cheapest in the late summer and early fall since it’s the local hurricane season.
Can I cancel my cruise booking?
Yes, you can cancel, but there may be fees for canceling depending on how far in advance you cancel and what kind of booking you have. You can check the specific cruise lines cancellation policies in your itinerary on Expedia.com.
Are river cruises worth the money?
What cruises are best for families?
How much does a cruise ship cost?
What are some of the best cruise lines?
How far in advance do you need to book a cruise?
Are cruise trips affordable?
What is it like to go on a cruise?
Im Ready To Start Planning My Cruise How Can I Score The Best Deals
Whether youre looking to book a short getaway or a longer adventure to far-flung destinations, Royal Caribbean makes it easy to save big on everything from your cruise fare to special experiences onboard and onshore. The first step to making sure you get the best deals is to join the cruise lines email list. Once youve signed up, youll receive regular updates on all the latest offers, like deals by destination, kids sail free promotions and flash sales. The savings dont end when you book your cruise, though. Once youve made a reservation, youll also receive notifications about special offers for onboard experiences like discounts on beverage and specialty dining packages, shore excursions, spa services, and more via Cruise Planner.
Featured Last Minute Cruise Deals
- Military Special benefits on select sailings and categories
- ALL In: Free Drinks + Wi-Fi +
- Free Balcony Upgrades + Up to $500 Onboard Credit + Kids Sail Free
- KIDS SAIL FREE: Kids 11 and Under Sail Free
- Escape To Sea Special Cruise Only Rates
- Military & Civil Service Rates – Must call to book
$109
- Up to $1,700 ONBOARD CREDIT: EXCLUSIVE OFFER
- MILITARY: Up to $250 Onboard Spending
$146
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Tips To Helps Enjoy A Cheap Cruise
Tip 1: Cruises are not often all-inclusive and become increasingly less so each year. Chris states, the gravy is what people spend on board. Cruise ships want you spending, since thats where they have the best margins. However, if you are smart and disciplined, cruises dont have to cost much more than the price of the cabin itself. Heres how to save money while on board:
Tip 2: Skip the soda A long time ago, soda was free. Now, you have to pay around $3 USD for a tiny glass, or you can pay $45-60 USD for a soda card that gives you unlimited soda for the duration of the cruise. Youd have to drink a lot of soda to make that worth it. Instead, stick to the free water, iced teas, and juices on the ship. Your wallet and insulin levels will thank you.
Tip 3: Say no to photos Do you really need some cheesy professional photos of your family? I didnt think so. Get them done back home for less or take a digital camera and have someone take them for you on the ship.
Tip 4: Avoid the restaurants On most cruise ships these days, there are specialty restaurants that you can book for an added cost. Some are à la carte, some charge a set fee. Avoid these specialty restaurants. The food in the dining areas, the buffets, and the other shops is just as good and less costly.
Tip 6: Bring your own supplies Cruise companies will let you bring one case of your own water, soda, and beer, as well as a bottle of wine onto the ship.
Tip 8: Avoid the casino This goes without saying.
What Kind Of Military Cruise Deals And Discounts Do We Offer
- We simply offer a discount off the cruise lines’ lowest rate, usually about 5%.
So for a $4000 cruise fare, our discount would be $200. It comes out of our commission, so theres not much more to give.
- And we offer free travel insurance for kids and discounted at around 50% off for adults, based on passengers’ ages.
- Yes, you ALSO get any and all past guest perks, amenities, onboard credits, promos offered by the cruise line – anything you would get by booking direct…PLUS OUR EXTRA MILITARY DISCOUNT!
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When Is A Good Time To Cruise To The Caribbean
Winter and spring are great seasons to travel to the Caribbean due to a slight reduction in crowds and moderate temperatures, though the warm weather holds year-round here.
Atlantic hurricane season, from June through October, means a higher chance of rain and possible storms, though summer is still one of the most popular times to visit the Caribbean. If you book a summer sailing in a Caribbean region within the hurricane zone, there’s a chance nothing will happen — but buying insurance and keeping a flexible schedule helps manage expectations.
Does It Pay To Plan Ahead Or Should I Wait Until The Last Minute
Its an age-old question does the early bird really get the worm, or are there perks to taking a wait-and-see approach? If youre booking a cruise vacation, youll find there are benefits to both strategies. Planning ahead is a great way to score big savings, as Royal Caribbean often runs early saver deals to guests booking well in advance. Its also pretty safe to assume prices usually go up as availability goes down the closer you get to your sail date, so booking ahead is a surefire way to lock in a great rate. That said, booking a cruise at the last minute can also yield some unexpected savings but only if the itinerary youre interested in hasnt sold out yet.
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How To Get A Cheap Cruise For As Little As $30 Per Day
12/8/2018 | December 8th, 2018
Cruises can be expensive affairs.
First, ships reel you in with a cheap room and an onboard credit but then smack you around with high-priced drinks, non-included restaurants, and dollar-a-minute Internet.
A couple of years ago, I went on the Oasis of the Seas on a seven-day cruise around the Caribbean. The listed price of this cruise?
$800 USD.
Thats expensive for a week of cruising. You could go to Southeast Asia for a month on that kind of money.
Luckily, there are, in fact, ways to take a cheap cruise for as little as $30 per day. It just takes a bit of skill, a lot of discipline, and a bit of sneakiness.
How Can I Maximize The Value Of My Cruise Vacation
There are plenty of ways to get more bang for your buck when you sail on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Every ship in the fleet offers a range of delicious complimentary dining options, but you can dig into even more crave-worthy flavor by purchasing a Specialty Dining Package for less ahead of your cruise. Add a Specialty Beverage Package which includes unlimited alcoholic beverages, soda, and more and your experience is as close to all-inclusive as it gets. And with so many complimentary shows and attractions onboard, you can easily fill every sea day without spending a single dollar extra.
Royal Caribbean also offers deals based on departure ports and destinations, so if youre a flexible traveler looking for great savings, you can plan your next vacation around which itineraries are on sale. Just check your email or visit RoyalCaribbean.com/cruise-deals to stay up to date on promotions, sales and special offers. You can even browse sailings and deals by homeport, destination and season, so you can rest assured youre getting the best possible deal no matter when or where in the world you choose to set sai.
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What Are Popular Regions Of Europe
Northern sailings take in Scandinavia , Russia and other Baltic capitals along with the U.K., Ireland and Iceland. Some venture north of the Arctic Circle to the very top of Europe.
River cruises bring travellers to even more destinations along the Rhine, Danube and other major waterways — including Amsterdam, Paris, Vienna and Budapest.
About Cruise Critic’s Cruise Deals
Cruise deals are your key to scoring a perfect vacation at sea without breaking your budget. Whether you’re looking for , discounts on or, or extra onboard credit, finding real deals on cruises can take a lot of work. Cruise lines and travel agents offer a huge variety of confusing extras — some that are an amazing value and others that aren’t.
So how do you know whether or not a cruise deal is worth your hard-earned cash? Cruise Critic’s Deal Score is a data-based tool that measures inclusions and extras with itinerary length and nightly fare discounts to help you understand how much of a deal you’re actually getting.
Use Cruise Critic’s Deal Score to see if those cruise deals really are amazing. At the same time, you can check out deals with,, or . If you have a specific destination in mind, you can search cruise deals to places like and too. Trust us: The cruise of your dreams is out there, and it’s more affordable than you think.
For any cruises listed, Cruise Critic does not guarantee any specific rates or prices. In addition, average cruise prices are updated nightly.
Furthermore, Cruise Critic makes no guarantees for availability of prices advertised on our site. Listed prices may have blackout dates, qualifications or restrictions.
Cruise Critic is not responsible for content on external web sites.
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How To Book A Cruise With Our Veteran And Military Discounts
You may book directly here on our website. Our cruise search engine is configured to reveal the cruises with the lowest military discounted rate plus our extra discount is built right in. Need to book more than one cabin? Just book the first one and then start again to book the next one.
If you want to confirm that the rate shown online was the lowest rate available to you and to get our additional discount applied, you can call us at 1-866-9-MILITARY to book the cruise with you over the phone.
Be sure to tell the agent that you or a family member is part of the Armed Forces. We will then help you find the right cruise for you at the very best price.
If the cruise line is offering their own military rate, you will get that rate for as many cabins as they allow. Even if no veteran and military discounts are offered by the cruise line, we will apply our discount to the other cabins. If you already booked with the cruise line directly before you found us and have not yet paid in full, call us anyway. We might be able to get a discount applied for you.
When To Book Early
If you have your sights set on a high-demand sailing on a new ship or during school holiday dates the best time to book a cruise will be as soon as fares are released. This is the only way to guarantee a spot .
Cruise Critic explains that many popular sailings offer their best rates when fares first go on sale and then increase prices as the ship fills up. This rule is especially true for luxury itineraries, Disney cruises, and new ships.
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How Do You Get All Military Deals Or Discounts Applied To Your Cruise Booking
You dont have to even try. We do that for you in three ways.
- First, our online booking engine is configured to check for all military discounts from the cruise line.
- Then our system automatically adds an additional discount from us.
- Finally, one of our expert agents personally looks at every booking to make sure it has been done correctly, and all perks and discounts that could apply, have been applied.
- Once we get a confirmation from the cruise line with your booking, we check that carefully to make SURE theyve got all our discounts and benefits applied.
You know what – we do even more than that.So, you are in good, capable hands with us. You dont need to worry about a thing. We got this.
How To Find All Possible Military Discounts In 2022 And 2023
All rates you see on our site already have a military discount added . So, if you were to compare our rates with the cruise lines, youd see that ours are lower.
Also, if any other benefits, amenities or perks come with that cruise, well have them listed under that cruise in the BONUS OFFERS section. Be sure to click the bonus offer itself to read the terms and conditions.
But honestly, the way you should go about this is looking for a cruise youd like based on where you want to go, and when you can go. And then see what the best deals are that fit your needs.
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This Is How We Save You Money Even After Your Cruise Is Booked And Paid For:
Between the time you book your cruise and your final payment date, we encourage you to check the rates offered by the cruise line. If it is less than what you paid, we will contact the cruise line and request that they re-fare your cruise to their new lower rate, upgrade you to a higher category, or provide an onboard credit for the difference.
Cruise lines do NOT always honor the request but we always try! Please note, Cruise lines will NOT re-fare after the final payment date and many of the new non-refundable deposit fares restrict making fare changes after booking! After the final payment date, cruise lines will not adjust the rates or provide onboard credit but may offer an upgrade at their discretion.
The lower rate will NOT qualify for our online discount.
Transferring Your Booking To Military Cruise Deals
At Military Cruise Deals we often hear “Your offer is better than what I booked directly with the cruise line, how can I get your offer?”
The answer is quite simple as long as you booked directly with the cruise line and not with another agency.
If you transfer the booking to us, then you get to keep the same cabin, same booking number, and the same rate as you have with the cruise line. You will also get to take advantage of our offer.
Plus, we automatically monitor the rates for any rate reductions for you!
Even your non-military friends and family can take advantage of this great opportunity! We will add our extra discount to ALL CABINS traveling with you, regardless of their military affiliation.
The cruise lines have made the process to transfer your booking over to travel agencies very easy.
So, transferring your booking over to MilitaryCruiseDeals.com is an easy way to save money by having us add our exclusive discount and sometimes more!
Contact us today and see what special offer your cruise booking may be eligible to receive.
If you are past your final payment date or booked more than 60 days ago, the cruise line will not allow a transfer to us.
You may be able to transfer with a quick phone call or online procedure! Keep reading to find out more.
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Three Things To Remember When Booking A Cheap Cruise
1. Smaller is cheaper Smaller boats tend to be less expensive since they offer fewer amenities and attractions.
2. Cruise in the off season Traveling off season will get you markedly cheaper fares.
3. Take a repositioning cruise Repositioning cruises are when cruise lines move ships from one part of the world to the next in anticipation of the upcoming season. These cruises are a great way to cross an ocean or sail down a continents coast on the cheap and can be found on any cruise booking website.
What about your flight? Dont book your flight with the cruise book it separately. Check out this guide to finding a cheap flight to lower that cost.
Do The Cruise Lines Offer Any Military Cruise Discounts And Benefits
They all do something different.
- Carnival consistently has a special low rate just for the military on most of their cruises.
- Royal Caribbean does! Just be sure to check the military box.
- Norwegian does not but you get our discount.
- Celebrity often has a military rate thats about $100 less than civilian rates.
- Disney occasionally announces a huge military discount on specific cruises. Usually not on holiday or summer-time cruises. Mostly on cruises during the offseason like in October, November, February, and March. We check for those daily and post all details on our Disney page.
- Princess and Cunard offer onboard credit to every military member. The amount is $50 to $250, based on the length of the cruise.
- The luxury and river cruise lines rarely have a discount specifically for military and veterans, but we book all luxury and river cruise lines and provide a discount for you when you ask us for a quote!
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