Table Of Content
- Do your research to see if you’re eligible for additional discounts or benefits.
- secrets to getting a luxury cruise for less
- $749 pp — 4-Nt. Key West & Perfect Day w/Exclusive $25 bonus, 75% off 2nd guest, free drinks & more
- Best Cruise Lines You’ll Want to Book Right Now
- Convenient Port Canaveral “Park & Cruise” Hotels

The aptly named Celebrity Cruises treats all passengers like A-listers. And they’ve won numerous awards for not just being LGBTQ-friendly but for being totally inclusive and wholeheartedly embracing and encouraging diversity. Cunard has been sailing for more than 180 years, and you could say they’ve perfected it. If you only have a deposit down, and they won’t work with you on the price difference, determine the refund policy to see if it is worth it to cancel your original trip and re-book the cruise at the lower rate.
Do your research to see if you’re eligible for additional discounts or benefits.

In other words, you don’t see that much of a discount — if any — by waiting until the last minute. We selected this cruise because it runs weekly, giving us a chance to compare the price of the trip over multiple years and see the trends in the fare. Before we get into the rules, we want to walk you through some of research. First, we want to show you the most important resource when it comes to what you will pay for a cruise.
secrets to getting a luxury cruise for less
You'll also be able to find deals on that perfect last-minute cruise to Cozumel, the Bahamas, or Alaska. And if you're looking for a cruise you can drive to, check out options for last-minute deals from Galveston or Florida, including Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Port Canaveral. Sail to the destination of your dreams from the departure port that works best for you.
$749 pp — 4-Nt. Key West & Perfect Day w/Exclusive $25 bonus, 75% off 2nd guest, free drinks & more
Now, that’s not to say that the fare for a cruise well in the future won’t drop at some point. If the cruise line has trouble filling rooms, they will certainly drop the rate. But many times, there is no huge advantage to booking a year or more in advance (although you will have more cabin options).
Best Cruise Lines You’ll Want to Book Right Now
Cruise lines and travel agents offer a huge variety of confusing extras -- some that are an amazing value and others that aren't. Expedia’s cruise deals tend to come paired with other enticing offers, including steep discounts on pre-departure hotels when you book both your cruise and hotel through Expedia. There’s also a dedicated 800 number that lets you speak to Expedia’s cruise experts and, often but not always, a generous amount of onboard credit thrown in for good measure. The cruise lines are like department stores — they constantly run sales and special offers. With our bold last minute cruise deals, there’s never been a better time – or price – to enjoy an epic adventure.
This line hosts LGBTQ+ welcome parties, social hours and other events on almost every cruise, from the Bahamas to the Mediterranean to Australia. You’ll want to book now for the fifth annual Pride Party at Sea, which will held next June. Each ship in the fleet will participate in this vibrant celebration of the LGBTQ+ community—and that, in itself, is worth celebrating. Surrounded by their favorite characters—led, of course, by Mickey and Minnie—children will love made-for-them activities like the AquaDuck Water Coaster and Nemo’s Reef Splash Zone. They will also be happy to have food specifically geared toward them, including pizza, chicken fingers, soft-serve ice cream and all-they-can-eat waffles shaped like mouse ears, in restaurants themed around beloved Disney classics. When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear.
From snorkeling the azure waters of beautiful St. Thomas to dog sledding across massive glaciers in Alaska, chase the thrill of adventure on a weeklong vacay that brings on the bold. Score a last minute cruise deal on that gamechanging getaway you’ve been eyeing — because adventure is always a good idea. Cruise with your nearest and dearest — and get rewarded for it, too. According to Palmer, cruise lines are often willing to extend a discount “for groups of six or more.” For example, Royal Caribbean, Virgin Voyages, and Princess offer group discounts. Furthermore, Cruise Critic makes no guarantees for availability of prices advertised on our site. Listed prices may have blackout dates, qualifications or restrictions.
Wave Season Is the Best Time to Score Cruise Deals—Here's How - Condé Nast Traveler
Wave Season Is the Best Time to Score Cruise Deals—Here's How.
Posted: Tue, 09 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
The best cruise deals of the year are usually found between January and March, also known as wave ... Not booking a suite but still want to enjoy unlimited beverages or Wi-Fi? Consider purchasing one of our popular onboard packages to have one less thing to worry about.
Explore captivating tropical shores on a weekend getaway to the Caribbean’s top spots — at our best prices ever. Like our gamechanging private destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay where you can conquer the tallest waterslide in North America, one minute and lounge in the first overwater Cabanas in The Bahamas, the next. Ashton Palmer is also a T+L A-list travel advisor who specializes in expedition sailings. Our Captain’s Club has six membership tiers that range from our first (Preview) to our highest (Zenith).
The first was a 7-night Western Caribbean cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas from Port Canaveral, departing April 2025. Wonder of the Seas is one of the cruise line’s newest ships, and it’s priced accordingly. With all this in mind, we tapped Clabbers, along with a few other T+L A-list travel advisors, to share their expert insight on how to find the best cruise deals.
On the site, you can search by destination, departure port, month, length of cruise, and cruise line. There’s real-time online chat and a contact number for support from a cruise expert. If you aren’t quite ready to buy, you can “heart” cruises to save them as favorites to refer back to later. When looking for the best site to book a cruise, don’t be put off by CheapCaribbean.com’s overly specific moniker. The site’s vibe is beach-oriented and a bit cheeky, with a front page that can overwhelm—but click on the “Cruises” tab, and a cleaner interface appears.
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. Before you know it, you’ve looked at a dozen different sites to try and find the best deal. Sometimes, it pays to book late — so as long as “you’re very flexible with dates, itinerary, type of room, or location on a ship,” explains Clabbers. Rob Clabbers is a Travel + Leisure A-list travel advisor who specializes in cruises. He also founded Q Cruise + Travel, a Chicago-based travel agency.
A sample search for a mid-June cruise to Alaska, for example, quickly came up with a seven-night itinerary starting at $389 per person—that’s less than $56 per person, per night for a mostly inclusive weeklong vacation. As previously mentioned, wave season runs from January through March. During this months-long stretch, sometimes referred to as the Black Friday of cruise deals, many cruise lines — from budget lines to small-ship luxury ones and beyond — offer some of the most competitive deals of the year. Our cruise deals could include up to 50% off your total cruise fare plus hundreds of dollars in onboard credits and discounted specialty restaurant packages.
Make every moment count with a quick getaway to some of the world’s most incredible destinations — all sailing from a port near you. Despite a rocky couple of years due to the pandemic, cruising is back, and it’s stronger than ever. In fact, travel insurance comparison site SquareMouth.com reported a 41% increase in the number of travelers taking cruises in 2022 compared with 2019. Cruising has come a long way, and now, rather than cookie-cutter ships and itineraries, the best cruise lines are offering options that appeal to a wide variety of travelers.
Finally, keep in mind that some cruises can be booked up to three years in advance, which means it’s never too early to start planning. Depending on your tier level, you’ll have access to discounts on tickets to a variety of shows in cities across the U.S., Hertz Gold Plus Rewards membership, discounts at MGM resorts, and up to 20% off any purchase on Flowers.com. These incredible sailings are in high demand and are going fast, so be sure to book yours before they’re gone. Reserve your 7+ day vacation today with reduced deposit per person. Princess offers up to $250 free onboard spending money as a way to thank the brave men and women of the American and Canadian militaries for their service. Our loyalty program, the Captain’s Circle, offers great perks for those who have previously traveled with us.
Their all-suite ships and all-inclusive pricing ensure a luxurious cruise experience, whether you’re doing an eight-day cruise down the Pacific Gold Coast or spending 140 days of Extraordinary Discoveries on a world cruise. Ships are small and intimate, with one of the highest space-per-guest ratios in the industry. You’ll also be treated to exclusive dining options, including the acclaimed restaurant The Grill by Thomas Keller. Cruisers are drawn to the destinations, whether they're checking exotic ports off their bucket list or love spending time on the beach. It's no surprise, then, that longer-than-average itineraries with few to no port calls are not warmly embraced by many cruise fans (except for devoted sea-day lovers).