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Do Cruise Lines Offer Group Discounts

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Disney Cruise Discounts For Military

Cruise Deals

Members of the US military and their families qualify for special cruise rates.

New!As of September 22, 2021, the following cruises had availability in the Military category. Prices given are lowest available fares for a single stateroom, in US dollars, including taxes, fees and port expenses, rounded to the nearest dollar. All sailings are from Port Canaveral unless noted otherwise. The room category available at that fare is in parentheses.

Please note: a single guest gets charged essentially the same price as two guests. Also note that 5-passenger rooms are rarely discounted for military members, but they do show up occasionally.If a price isnt listed, that doesnt mean the category is sold out, just that it isnt available with this discount.

Select number of guests to see total sailing price :

Valid for new bookings only. Other stateroom categories may be available at other rates. Rates based on double occupancy. Occupancy restrictions may apply. Excursions are not included. See Disney Cruise Line brochure for details and applicable terms and conditions. Other discounts do not apply. Only one discount may be used at a time. Rates in US dollars. The following are eligible for the Military rate: active duty or retired military 100% disabled retired military reservists for National Guard and Army Reserve with active duty orders Department of Defense personnel.

How Much Onboard Credit Will I Get For My Cruise

The amount of free onboard credit youll get per cruise depends on how long your sailing is, and which cruise line youll be on. See the table below to find out how much OBC youll be awarded on your next cruise.

The amount of onboard credit youll receive depends on the specific cruise brand and where its based.

So, if youre from the UK and sailing on a cruise on an Australian brand, youll get your onboard credit in AUD. An Australian sailing on a North American brand on a European itinerary will get OBC in US dollars.

North American brands:

  • Princess Cruises*
  • Carnival Cruise Line*

*The currency and amount of onboard credit for some cruise lines is determined by the operational currency used on any specific sailing.

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Do Cruise Rates Change

Cruise fares changea lot morethan you probably realize,and sometimes low rates last for only a few hours at a time. Some travel agents will monitor prices for you and alert you,for a fee,to drops. There’s also power in numbers. After you’ve booked a specific sailing,sign up for a Cruise Critic Roll Call.

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Put A Travel Agent To Work For You

You certainly can book your group directly through a cruise line, but many group organizers recommend using a cruise agent who specializes in groups. Agents often have established relationships with cruise lines and access to discounts and perks that individuals don’t. Plus, they can make recommendations on appropriate cruises for your group, as well as travel destinations and shore excursions, leaving you with less work to do. Three more great reasons for working with an agent include:

You can work with one dedicated person and establish a relationship with him or her. If you book online, you can always call the cruise seller, but you might talk to different representatives each time.

Agents have access to cruise line-approved discounts that come as a result of high-volume bookings and also know what amenities are available to groups. These could include free berths, onboard credits, upgraded cabins, discounts for group leaders or other perks. Depending on the number of people in your party, you also could get free photos, cocktail parties or private meeting spaces.

The agent can send individual invoices to the folks in the group and remind them of key deadlines so the group leader doesn’t have to.

Rule #: Dont Get Distracted By Cruise Line Sales

Cruising 101: What to expect on your first cruise ...

The cruise lines are like department stores they constantly run sales and special offers. Sometimes it is 50% off the second fare. Sometimes its lower deposits. Sometimes its onboard credit.

Weve found that there is a constant flow of deals, and they usually are all about the same. In other words, we dont really think you should let it influence whether or not you buy or let it affect the timing of your purchase.

Yes, it is possible that one deal might be better than another. However, they typically end up around the same price. If a cruise line really needs to fill rooms, they will simply lower the price of the specific cruise instead of offering a fleetwide discount.

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Seven Discounts On Cruises You Need To Know About

Before you pay full price for your next cruise, there are a variety of discounts offered by cruise lines on cruises that many cruisers are not aware of.Cruise lines put an end to discounting a few years ago so rates for a specific cruise should be just about the same everywhere you look. However, that doesnt mean that there arent legitimate discounts that you can qualify for. Here are a few cruise discounts offered by cruise lines that you should know about before you book your next cruise.

Over 55: If you are 55 or older, you can qualify for the 55+ discount that most cruise lines offer.

Veterans: Cruise lines give discounts for active/retired members of the U.S. and Canadian military. To all those who have or are currently serving, thank you for your service.

State Residents: Several cruise lines will give you a discount just for living in a certain state, especially Florida. Even if you dont live anywhere near a cruise port, it is worth checking out. I received a nice surprise on my last Royal Caribbean cruise when they gave me a $30 per person discount because I was a resident of Ohio. I almost didnt even bother checking because I thought there was no way that there would be an Ohio discount, but there was.

Interline Rates: If you work for a domestic or international commercial airline, FEDEX, UPS, or Astar Air Cargo , you can often get killer rates on not only cruise fares, but also on your pre/post cruise hotel stays.

How Do You Let The Cruise Line Know Youre A Carnival Shareholder

Although so many things are automated these days, youll need to let the cruise line know that youre a shareholder before each and every cruise, so you can have your OBC credited to your account.

Annoying, I know, especially if you take a lot of cruises! But trust me, it only takes five minutes, and youll earn between $50 and $250 to spend on your next cruise. Now thats a nice rate of return!

Five steps to apply for onboard credit as a Carnival stockholder:

  • Own at least 100 shares of Carnival stock
  • Print, copy or scan your proof of shares
  • Black out your address and account number
  • Send proof to your cruise line before your cruise
  • Check your online cruise planner for the OBC a few weeks before your cruise departs
  • Youll need to mail, email, or fax proof of your shares to your specific cruise line at least three weeks before your sail date.

    Proof of shareholder status could include a copy of your shareholder proxy card, a dividend tax voucher, or a nominee statement with both your mailing address and brokerage account number blacked out.

    Be sure to also include your full name, reservation or booking number, ship name and sailing date to ensure youre credited correctly.

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    When Do Cruise Lines Discount Unsold Cruise Cabins

    You cant predict when an awesome deal will crop up, but you can make a decent guess.

    Sales tactics can be implemented at any time before the ship actually sails. We can see them weeks or months prior to the scheduled sailing. It really depends on the cruise line and the occupancy they are trying to achieve, says Mahnken. Of course, the cruise lines tend to avoid discounting until they have to, so we generally see many tactics pop up after the final payment.

    Sixty to 90 days out is often the sweet spot, when final payments have come due and cruise lines can see which cabins remain empty. Start your deal hunt three months before departure, knowing it might be weeks before you start to see deals on unsold cabins.

    Free Or Discounted Fares For Kids

    12 Things SMART Cruise Passengers Always Do

    Some lines offer discounted fares for the third or fourth passenger in a cabin with two full-paying guests, whether theyre adults or children. A handful of cruise lines go even further, offering up to two children a free cruise when sharing a cabin with two full-fare adults, including MSC Cruises offer for kids 11 and under. Crystal offers free passage to one child 17 years and under if sharing a cabin with two adults. Other lines including Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Carnival Cruise Line occasionally offer special promotions for children.

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    Rule #: Dont Think Youll Save A Ton By Booking Last Minute

    It would make sense that you would find the cheapest fares right before the ship sails. After all, if a room sails empty, the cruise line earns nothing from that cabin. They should want to get you on board for as badly as possible and hope to earn more on excursions, drinks, and shopping.

    If that were how things actually worked, however, the cruise lines would go insane trying to plan. If rates were lowest right before the trip sailed, then every passenger would wait until the last minute. The cruise lines wouldnt be able to plan their needs for the trip ahead of time or predict revenue, costs, or profits.

    Thats why Royal Caribbean, for example, eliminated last-minute discounts.

    In fact, if you look at our chart of prices for the cruise below, you can see that the price you pay for a cruise about to depart is inline with the same time a year later.

    Where you can really get burned by waiting until the last minute is in your room selection.

    When you book late, many of the prime rooms have been taken already. In fact, with balcony rooms usually selling out the fastest, you may find that there are no balcony rooms available.

    For more on buying last-minute cruises, read 9 Smart Last-Minute Cruise Buying Tips.

    Why A Group Cruise Trip Can Be One Of The Best Deals Ever

    Take advantage of group discounts. Cruise lines sometimes offer discounts for the more tickets you bookIve even seen deals that are buy five get one free, Love says. So what we would do is book all of the berths together, and split the discounted fare between everyone.

    Travel during off-peak times. Bowman notes: Interestingly, off-peak can differ by region. For example, Alaskan cruises and the Caribbean start to get cheaper by the third week in August, as American kids go back to school. Conversely, when American schools go for break in June, European kids are still in class, so those cruises will be a little cheaper than they are in July and early August.

    Always be on the lookout for last-minute deals. Chan says: If you’re okay cruising with an inside room, that is the cheapest way to go. Check if your cruise line offers last deal bid upgrades. We recently paid for a big upgrade from an inside room to a balcony at a fraction of the cost it would have been if we had booked it originally.

    Before departing, get a copy of everyones travel information in case of worst-scenario situations. We worked with the cruise coordinator directly to nail down information for our whole group,” Le says. “But we also kept a copy of all your guests information just in case.

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    Rule #: Do Choose Your Room Location Carefully

    While not every cruise line does it, many will charge you different amounts for the same class of room in different locations of the ship. For example, a room on a higher deck will cost more than one on a lower deck. Through years and years of bookings, the cruise lines know which rooms are most desirable and charge accordingly.

    Most times the premium you pay for room location wont seem like a big deal. The cruise lines typically frame it by adding something like $3-5 per person, per day.

    Lets do the math, however.

    A room with two people being charged an extra $5 per person, per day would rack up $10 per day or $70 in room location charges over the course of a week-long cruise. That may not sound like much to some of you, but that comes about to about 6-8 drinks from the bar if you were to want to spend your money on alcohol instead.

    The rule of thumb is that the higher up your room is on the ship, the more you will pay.

    For the absolute best rate for your particular room class, let the cruise line place you automatically at their lowest rate.

    What Cruise Deals Are Offered

    Royal Caribbean

    The important thing to know about wave season sales is that you arent just looking for reduced cruise fares, though those are a great place to begin. The real incentive is the bevy of bonuses cruise lines add to their promotions that make it tough to pass up booking a cruise .

    Here are the type of value-adds you should look for:

    • Discounted cruise fares
    • Third and/or fourth passenger in a cabin sail free
    • Kids sail free
    • Free airfare from select U.S. gateways
    • Precruise overnight hotel stay
    • Cabin upgrades
    • Onboard credit you can use to pay for specialty dining, shore excursions, spa treatments and more
    • Beverage packages
    • Spa treatments

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    Disney Cruise Discounts And Deals

    9/22/21

    Disney Cruise discounts are sometimes hard to find, but this is the place to find them! Listed below is every known deal, offer, coupon, onboard credit or discount available for Disney Cruise Line , plus lots of FREE information about how to save money on a Disney cruise!

    Jump to:

    Other useful Disney Cruise Line information pages:

    Special Note: Cruise Deals After The Health Crisis

    To say that COVID turned the cruise industry on its head would be an understatement. The industry has never seen anything like it before and hopefully nothing like it ever again.

    So how does that impact getting a deal on a cruise? The advice above is still the best. For instance, the time of year you sail and the ship you sail will still have the biggest impact on the price you pay for your cruise.

    That said, expect there to be fewer deals in the years ahead. With the pandemic, cruise lines sold off older ships while also putting a hold on ordering new ships. The result is less growth in capacity for years to come.

    Assuming that cruising does get back to normal, thats likely to mean strong demand for a lower number of cabins. In other words, high demand with lower supply should lead to higher prices.

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    Is Anyone Excluded From Receiving Free Onboard Credit For Being A Carnival Shareholder

    Carnival Corporation employees likely already know that theyre not eligible for onboard credit for owning Carnival stock. But some non-employees also arent able to take advantage of this program.

    If any of these situations apply to you, you also wont be able to get free OBC as a Carnival shareholder:

    • A travel agent cruising at travel agent rates
    • Tour conductors or group leaders cruising at a reduced rate
    • Anyone sailing on a complimentary basis

    Research Your Trip First

    Cruise Lines Black Friday Sales – cruise lines cyber Monday sales

    What do you want from your cruise vacation, other than the best price? Before you get pulled in by cheap prices, consider what matters most to you for a great getaway. Are you interested in visiting certain ports of call? While there, do you want to spend a full day in port or will just a few hours be enough? Do you want to sail with a specific cruise line? Does your vacation need to be on a special date such as a birthday or anniversary?

    The more flexible you can be with your options the better prices you will be able to find, but you dont want to compromise on what matters most for your unforgettable cruise getaway.

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    What Is Wave Season

    Wave season, an annual timeframe when all the cruise lines tout their fares and special deals in the hopes of booking up their voyages for the next 12 months, generally starts in January and ends at the end of March. Just like how Christmas decorations creep out earlier than they used to in retail stores, however, over the past five or so years, weve seen the big cruise sales starting even earlier, too. These days, you may see special deals announced as early as the fall. But, they really ramp up through the holidays and then stay strong through March.

    How To Get Onboard Credit For Owning Carnival Stock

    If you cruise on Carnival, Princess, or any other Carnival-owned cruise line, you can get free onboard credit on every cruise, just for being a Carnival stockholder! Heres how to get your free OBC.

    One of my favorite perks of cruising is getting free onboard creditoften abbreviated to OBC when I book during certain sales. Since I always use a cruise travel agent, Ill often get extra onboard credit just for booking through the agency.

    OBC is awesome! You can use it for just about anything on the shipbuying souvenirs in the shops, paying for specialty dining, booking shore excursions, and more.

    But did you know that you can get even more free onboard credit every single time you book a cruise on Carnival, Princess, Holland America, or any other cruise line owned by Carnival Corporation?

    Its true! If youre a Carnival stockholder, youre eligible for free onboard credit each time you cruise. As long as you own enough shares and can show proof before each sailing, youll get free money to make every cruise even more fun.

    Disclaimer: I may receive a small commission when you make a purchase from a link on this site, at no added charge to you. For more info, please read my Disclosure Policy.

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