Cruise Prices Can Be Confusing
When you start looking at cruise prices, you can quickly get overwhelmed with different deals, special sales, bargains for certain sailings, package promotions, bonus offers, limited time discounts, and other pricing ploys. So how can you be sure youre getting the best deal? These 10 simple tricks can help you find substantial savings for any cruise.
How Do I Find The Best Last Minute Cruise Deals
Its easy! Check out our last-minute cruises and youll find the last cabins available for voyages happening in the next 180 days. While you might think these cruise holidays will cost more, these last-minute cruise deals can be more affordable as the cruise line wishes to bring aboard as many people as possible before it sets sail! As such youll often find cruise deals and cruise sale offers for a majority of these last-minute voyages. If youre in need of the best cheap cruise deals Australia has on sale today online, this is the best place to be. Well make sure you receive the lowest cruise prices on all the cruise holidays we have on sale. For massive deals to all the major destinations across the globe, look to no other place than Cruise Guru for all your cruise holidays.
Late Vs Early Booking: When To Book A Cruise For The Best Price
The biggest question on every cruiser’s minds is, “When should I book my cruise to get the best price?” The cruise lines tell us to book early, announcing itineraries 18 months or more in advance and touting early booking specials. But our friends tell us stories of getting an amazing deal two months before sailing, and we’re intrigued by the various last minute specials advertised by cruise sellers. We want a handy formula for determining that sweet spot when cruise fares are at their lowest.
Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to find a one-size-fits-all rule for determining the precise day when your cruise fare will be lowest. What we can do is give you some advice about booking early vs. booking late, so you can find a great cruise deal — if not the absolute lowest price — on your next sailing.
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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.
Is It Better To Be At The Front Or Back Of The Ship
The highest deck at the front or back of the ship will have more rolling motion than the lower decks mid ship but in normal seas its barely noticeable. For getting around, it doesnt matter youre all over the ship anyway sometimes the front is convenient to your cabin location and sometimes the aft is. And if youre mid ship it might seem more convenient but you will always be walking to the front or aft of the ship at some point and returning. Mid ship feels like youre closer to everything.
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Book At The Last Minute
For those who can be spontaneous, flexibility can pay off. Check out our last minute cruise deals section, which features bargains on a variety of sailings leaving within 90 days — 90 days out being the typical point at which final cruise payments are due. In general, there are always plenty of Caribbean and Mediterranean cruise deals.
Other hard-to-fill cruises — such as shoulder season cruises and one-way repositioning sailings, where open-jaw airfare is required — can be deeply discounted at the last minute. Of course, booking last-minute airfare might wipe out any savings. Plus, you’ll have a limited selection of cabin locations and dinner seatings. But, if you’re flexible and can drive to a cruise port — or have plenty of frequent flier airline points to burn — it’s a great way to take a cruise without breaking the bank.
Related:Last Minute Cruising: Tips for Getting a Deal
Dont Drive Yourself Crazy Searching Sites
Heres a tip to save a lot of time for the vast majority of trips, the price you find on one website will be the same that you find anywhere else. There might be a few bucks difference occasionally, but its not like a cruise will be $500 on one site and $420 on another.
What does that mean for your search? It means you can usually search one site and be done. Something I like to do is use a third-party search site to get an idea of whats out there. Once I find a cruise I like and want to book, then I usually do so directly on that cruise line website.
What I never bother with is going to one site, then another, then another, and another to make sure I have the lowest price possible. Its simply a waste of time in most cases.
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How To Get Cheap Cruises: An Insider Guide
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click one, I may earn a commission at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Before I became a full-time blogger, I worked in the marketing department of a well-known specialist cruise travel agency for five years.
In that time, Ive sat at my desk and watched the price of cruises go up and down, and up again.
Ive seen cruises priced at £13 per night and cruises that cost over £4,000 per night. Ive spotted some incredible deals and Ive also scratched my head at why some cruises are priced so much higher than others.
I always like to have at least five cruises booked at any one time. People ask me how I afford to go on so many cruises? Am I rich? Do I have a rich husband? Alas, the answer is no! Ive just learned how to get cheap cruises from working in the industry.
Cruises arent expensive if you know how to find the cheap deals.
Find A Rate You Like Go Ahead And Book It Now
If youve ever agonized over whether to book now or wait and hope the price drops, you arent alone. Its natural to want to get the best price and it feels pretty lousy to book and then see a lower price later.
On this front, there is some good news with cruising. If you book early enough, you can often get your money back or onboard credit for the price difference. Thats why if you find a price that you like, go ahead and book it now. Not only does booking early give you a chance to lock in a good price, but it will also give you the widest choice of cabins. Waiting until later can mean fewer options.
As well, cruise fares usually dont have wild swings like you find with airfare, but prices can change some. So when you book, youll want to check back occasionally and see if the price has moved. If it has, call up the cruise line and see what they can do for you.
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How To Find The Best Repositioning Cruise Deals: Under $50 / Day
August 16, 2020 By John Widmer
: August 16, 2020
Using cheap repositioning cruise deals to travel around the world can provide for an incredibly affordable way to get from one continent to another in complete luxury. We know this because weve now taken over a dozen repositioning cruises all across the worlds oceans and have been carefully tracking repositioning cruise prices over the past decade. As a result, weve scored many repositioning cruise deals that have gotten us on over a half years worth of these unique sailings between North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and even Africa!
Repositioning cruises can be a wonderful travel experience to slowly voyage from one continent to another, stopping at far-flung ports along the way, with the easy & carefree living that cruise travel delivers. Cheap repositioning cruise deals can offer considerable savings compared to daily rates of regular closed-circuit cruises. The bargains can be so good that repositioning cruises often prove to be even less expensive than a coach flight between the same locations. Yet scoring a repositioning cruise deal provides so much more of a travel experience compared to a cramped seat on a redeye flight.
Our love of these seasonal one-way cruise deals is so strong that we even utilized a series of repositioning cruises to travel entirely around the world without taking a single flight.
now spilling our secrets
Booking a Repositioning Cruise Deal
Use These Tips To Sail For Less Money
Cruising can be among the most affordable vacations you can take. Instead of spending money on flights, hotels, meals, entertainment and more, you can get most if not everything you need included with a cruise.
Still, its possible to spend as much as you want on a cruise ship. But if you keep this list of things in mind especially being flexible with your cruise dates then you can sail for hundreds or even thousands of dollars less.
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Should You Hold Out For A Last
If you want a cabin for two people and arent fussy about where you go, when you go or on which ship, then you can definitely save money by booking your cruise 6 to 12 weeks before departure. Prices are likely to drop at this time because balance payments are due and some passengers drop out.
However, if you want a family cabin for three or four passengers, then the sad truth is that you are very unlikely to find a cheap last-minute deal.
Cabins with extra beds are always in short supply. I once went to book a cruise the day after it went on sale and all the inside four-berth cabins were already gone!
Read more:5 reasons families on a budget should book their cruise ASAP
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.
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Easy Way To Save On Your Disney Cruise
In our opinion, you should always book a Disney cruise using a travel agent. The benefits are just too great, both in convenience and price. First off, the best travel agents give you onboard credit, which is effectively FREE money, since the cruise fare isnt any higher than if you booked through Disney. Furthermore, Disney Cruise Line has lots of confusing options involving tradeoffs that arent always clear. Using an experienced travel agent is like getting a FREE expert who knows everything about the Disney Cruise Line and is happy to walk you through the process and offer advice.
The travel agency we personally recommend here on MouseSavers.com,Small World Vacations, has some of the most experienced agents in the industry. The agents who handle cruise bookings for Small World have been on multiple Disney cruises, and know a truly astonishing amount about all four ships, the various Disney ports of call and all the common itineraries . Many of them are Platinum members of Disneys Castaway Club, meaning that they have personally been on 10 or more Disney cruises! They each have a direct phone number and email address they give out to their clients, so you can mail them questions or requests any time.
Need Extra Help Comparing Cruise Deals Or Fly And Cruise Packages
With so many cruise sale offers and discounts available to book year round, it can be quite daunting to find the right cruise deals that fit your preferences! Thats why we have an incredible team thats only a short phone call away who can identify the best cruise deals for you. With years of combined experience on everything cruising, its easy to see why were the go to place for cruise holidays. Contact us today and well find the best cheap cruises in a matter of moments. Whether youre looking for the lowest cruise specials, massive deals on cruise upgrades, or just want to keep an eye out on some affordable cruise holidays, youve definitely come to the right place.
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Cruise During Shoulder Season
Cruises departing during prime travel times, such as Christmas, spring break, or the middle of summer, have a good chance of selling out long before you even start searching for last-minute cruise deals. Instead, look for cruises that sail during shoulder seasons when youre more likely to find a steal.
For example, if you want to get a good Mediterranean cruise deal, look for dates during mid-September or early October when schools are in full swing and most families with kids are back at home.
Those searching for a cruise around Australia and New Zealand should try and book a last-minute cruise from Sydney during the cooler months of October or April.
Sydney, Australia
If you want to try finding a deal at the last minute on a Caribbean cruise, searching for dates during hurricane season is your best bet.
Can I Bring My Own Alcohol Beer Wine On Board A Cruise Ship
Generally not. Cruise lines prohibit alcohol being brought on board and can confiscate or levy fines. The issue is not only their monopoly on the sale of drinks and duty free bottles but the safety and liability of having excessive alcohol running free on board . Dont try to sneak it or drugs or narcotics on board. The laws are different based on ships registry and port of call its an embarrassing and expensive legal nightmare.
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Save On Shore Excursions
Most cruise lines sell excursions at exorbitant prices, and youll save money if you go it alone or book with a third party. We looked at the shore excursions offered by Norwegian Cruise Line on its seven-day Western Mediterranean cruise, and found near-identical options at half the price. For example, NCLs walking tour of Pisa and Florence is £204pp, whereas Cruisingexcursions.coms alternative is just £78pp. In fact, if you were to choose a third-party excursion for all six ports on this cruise, you would save a staggering £534 per couple.
Find alternatives by checking out passengers reviews on Cruisecritic.co.uk. Companies such as Cruisingexcursions.com guarantee they will get you back to your ship in plenty of time, but promise to get you to the next port of call if theres an unavoidable delay.
Where Can I Find The Best Cruise Deals
Our cruise grid shows the lowest priced cruise for each month, and this can also be sorted by lowest price per day. For example, a 10 day cruise may be more expensive than a 7, but on a daily basis, the 10 night a better deal. Airfare is a big factor from Canada. Weve packaged the most popular cruises booked with flights from Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa and Halifax for certain times of year.
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Booking A Repositioning Cruise For 2020 Or 2021
Below are some of the best repositioning cruise deals weve found that you may be able to book.
Weve linked to them through our affiliate at CruiseDirect. Weve chosen to recommend CruiseDirect because of their easy online booking, a low price guarantee, no booking fees, and they maintain an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. But more than any other reason, we recommend CruiseDirect because we regularly find they have the lowest prices and the best deals. Hence, CruiseDirect is what weve been using ourselves to book the last several repositioning cruise deals.
Remember, repositioning cruise prices do regularly fluctuate, sometimes even daily. And in 2020, theres been even more changes than normal. So be sure to follow the links weve left below to confirm the most up-to-date price quote, which may be even lower than what weve listed here. With the disruption of cruising this year, prices and even itineraries may change overnight, or may even get canceled. So be sure to click through the links to verify the sailing.
Below are the handful of Fall 2020 repositioning cruise deals that may still be available, in addition to the best 2021 repositioning cruise deals.