Getting the most out of a cruise is getting harder. Strong demand for cruises over the past year has allowed cruise lines to raise fares significantly and offer last-minute discounts to fill unsold cabins.
Another line recently said that bookings are so strong that they will stop all last-minute discounts forever.
As a result, the fares you will get for sailing this year are much higher – by 20% or more – than in 2019.
So how do you find the best cruise deal when you’re trying to book a cruise this coming winter and beyond? Getting started — don’t panic. Even if next year’s fees aren’t coming down anytime soon, you can find ways to save when booking a beach vacation.
Below, we’ve rounded up our top six tips for getting the most out of cruises. These are hacks that can work anytime – not just when the fare goes up. Combine a few of these tricks, and you’re sure to find the best cruise deals available on your next cruise.
Cruise during the offseason
As with land-based resorts, floating resorts (ie, cruise ships) can cost significantly less during the “seasonal” travel months of September, October, and November.
These are the months when children tend to go back to school and family travel decreases, leading to a decrease in demand for many forms of travel, including cruises.
In the Caribbean, these months also fall during hurricane season, which keeps some people away from both world resorts and cruise ships in the region.
Related: Sailing during hurricanes: What you should know — and should you go?
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In addition to the fall months, the offseason for cruising usually includes parts of January and February, but it varies by region.
Traditionally, the summer months of June, July and August have been the peak season for many cruise destinations such as the Caribbean, Europe and Alaska. Times around major holidays – such as Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day – are also considered a busy season for cruises and bring high prices.
Book in advance
A growing truth of the cruise world: The earlier you book, the better price you’ll get.
Cruise lines often open up bookings at low prices that they want to sell cruises at. Then, as it starts to fill up, they gradually increase the prices on the remaining inventory.
To get the best price on any particular cruise, your best bet, in most cases, is to book when the ship goes on sale. This means planning way before. Most cruise lines open their cruise reservations two or three years before departure.
Booking early can pay off in more ways than one. Another big advantage to booking in advance is that you are more likely to get the exact type of cabin you want. On most ships, the least expensive cabins and the most expensive suites tend to sell out first and quickly.
Related: A beginner’s guide to choosing a cruise line
Are you worried that you might miss out on a bargain by booking a cruise in advance? Here’s the good news: If, for some reason, the cost of your cruise goes down over time, you can often get your fare reduced to match the lower price. This usually happens up to a few months before the cruise starts when the cruise enters what is known as the “final payment window”. At that time, the fare you paid is locked.
Note that not all fare types allow changes to the fare you have paid after booking. It is important to read the fine print of the currency class you are booking.
Book late
As noted above, cruise lines often offer low fares on any given cruise shortly after bookings open – usually two or three years before departure.
Generally, fares will only increase as the sailing date approaches. But in some cases, cruise lines the will reduce the price of the cruise significantly at the last minute. This can happen if the line finds itself with a lot of unsold cabins on the trip.
If you’re flexible and can travel on short notice, you can sometimes find a last-minute cruise deal when the line rushes to fill berths.
The important thing to know here is that the last minute discount is not as common as it used to be. Like airlines, cruise lines have become more savvy about revenue management over the years, and it’s not uncommon for them to find themselves with a lot of unsold inventory right before departure.
You will also need to be flexible to take advantage of these deals. If you have a certain type of cabin on a certain cruise on a certain cruise ship, you can’t count on finding it – especially not at the lowest price.
Also, don’t forget that you can pay more for flights to cruises and hotel cruises if you wait until the last minute to book them. Last-minute travel deals often work best for travelers who live near a port they can easily reach by car, avoiding last-minute airfare and hotel costs.
Go on an old ship
On most major lines, you’ll find that new, well-equipped cruise ships are sold at a premium price. Older ships come with a discount.
Old ships are, of course, old, and sometimes don’t have as much to offer on board as newer ships. But if you’re looking for a deal, they can deliver great value.
Use a travel agent
Are you the type of traveler who organizes yourself? We get it. Many of TPG’s employees are, too.
But even if you book all of your international travel yourself, you may want to use a professional travel agent to book your next trip.
One major reason is that cruise line travel agents often have access to many cruise costs that are not available to the general public. Major travel agencies will block dozens of cabins on ships shortly after opening for bookings to lock in such fares, then sell them in the coming months.
In addition to lower fares, cruise agents sometimes throw in extra perks like fare credits or amenities when you book with them.
Professional travel agents will also be able to guide you through a wide variety of cabin categories on other cruise ships and steer you away from cabins you might avoid. Also, they will be ready if things go wrong on the cruise.
Consider a cruise that resets
Some of the most beautiful things in the world of sailing are the journeys that ships make as they travel from one part of the world to another.
This is because cruise lines often have trouble selling these trips. Itineraries often have unusual schedules with very few port calls and many days at sea – something that is not attractive to many cruise shippers. And they tend to be much longer than a typical weekend trip or week-long trip – a turn-off for many travelers with limited travel dates.
In order to sell, cruise lines often have to drop their daily rates significantly, making them more taxing.
Related: Redefining cruise travel: Save money with these unconventional itineraries
Among the most frequently rescheduled cruises are sailings between the Caribbean and Europe in the spring as lines move ships to the Mediterranean in the summer. Similarly, there is always a wave of rescheduling cruises between Europe and the Caribbean in the fall.
You will find other boats that reposition each year between the Caribbean and Alaska and between the West Coast of the US and Asia or Australia.
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