33 Ways To Save On Your Next Cruise Booking

Here are 33 ways to save money on your next cruise booking, organized by category for easy reading.

Book During “Wave Season” (Jan–March): Take advantage of the industry’s biggest sale period (the first quarter of the year) to snag free perks like beverage packages, Wi-Fi, and gratuities.
Book Last Minute (30–60 Days Out): Wait until after the “final payment date” passes for other guests. Cruise lines will drop prices drastically to fill unsold cabins on sailings that are coming up soon.
Book Far in Advance (18–24 Months): Secure the lowest baseline fares when itineraries are first released. If the price drops later, you can often adjust it (see point #24).
Sail During “Shoulder Seasons”: Avoid summer and holidays. Book Caribbean cruises in Sept/Oct/early Dec, Alaska in May/Sept, or Europe in April/Nov for the lowest daily rates.
Look for Repositioning Cruises: Book one-way voyages when ships change regions (e.g., Europe to Caribbean). These are often 12+ days long with low per-day costs due to the high number of sea days.

Use a Travel Agent: Access “group rates” that aren’t public. Agents can often block off rooms at a lower price than the cruise line and may throw in extra onboard credit.
Try “CruiseCompete.com”: Post the cruise you want and let multiple travel agencies bid on your business with their best quotes and perk packages.
Book via Costco Travel: If you are a member, book through Costco to receive a “Costco Shop Card” after the cruise, which can effectively reduce the cost of your vacation by hundreds of dollars.
Check Online Travel Agencies (OTAs): Compare prices on sites like Expedia, Priceline, or CruiseDirect, which may offer exclusive bonuses like prepaid gratuities or spa credits that the cruise line doesn’t offer directly.
Book Your Next Cruise While Onboard: Visit the “Future Cruise” desk while you are currently on a ship. They often offer reduced deposits and onboard credit for your next booking.

Book a “Guaranteed” (GTY) Cabin: Select a category (e.g., Balcony) without picking a specific room number. It is cheaper than picking your location, though you risk being placed in a less desirable spot (like under the pool deck).
Choose an Interior Cabin: Save significant money by skipping the window. If you plan to be active around the ship or in port, the room is just for sleeping.
Hunt for “Obstructed View” Cabins: Look for rooms where a lifeboat partially blocks the window. You get natural light and a view for the price of an interior room.
Look for “Kids Sail Free” Deals: Watch for promotions (common on Royal Caribbean and MSC) where the 3rd and 4th guests in a room sail for free (paying only taxes and fees).

Apply Residency Discounts: Check the “Residency” box when searching. Lines often discount fares for residents of the state the ship departs from (e.g., Florida, Texas).
Use Senior Rates (55+): Look for the “55+” code on select sailings. This can shave money off the base fare, though it isn’t available on every cruise.
Apply Military Rates: Active and retired military personnel are often eligible for special rates or free onboard spending money.
Utilize Interline Rates: If you work for an airline or shipping logistics company, check for “Interline” rates, which can be some of the cheapest in the industry.
Claim Shareholder Benefits: Buy stock (usually a minimum of 100 shares) in the parent company (Carnival Corp, RCL, NCLH) to receive up to $250 in shareholder onboard credit per sailing.
Leverage Casino Offers: If you gamble, use your players card. Casinos send “free cruise” offers (you pay only taxes/fees) to players they want to entice back on board.
Match Your Loyalty Status: If you have high status with one cruise line (or hotel chain), check if another line will match it. MSC Cruises, for example, will match your status from other lines, giving you immediate discounts on voyages.

Reprice Before Final Payment: Monitor the price of your cruise after booking. If it drops before your final payment due date, call and ask them to re-fare the booking to the lower price.
Buy Discounted Gift Cards (AARP): If you are an AARP member, buy Carnival/Holland America/Princess gift cards for ~10% off and use them to pay your cruise fare.
Buy Discounted Gift Cards (Target): Use a Target RedCard to get 5% off gift cards for Disney, Royal Caribbean, and others. Use these to pay for the cruise.
Use Credit Card Points: Book using travel rewards cards (like Chase Sapphire) to pay with points, or use a card that offers specific cruise line statement credits.

Pre-Book Wi-Fi and Dining: Buy your internet and specialty dining packages in the online “Cruise Planner” before you sail; they are almost always 10–30% more expensive once you are on the ship.
Skip the Drink Package: Calculate your intake realistically. Unless you drink 6+ alcoholic beverages daily, paying à la carte is usually cheaper.
Bring Your Own Wine: Carry on one or two bottles of wine or champagne (750ml) per cabin (check specific line rules). This saves you from buying expensive bottles at dinner.
Bring Your Own Soda: Check if your cruise line (like Carnival) allows you to carry on a 12-pack of canned soda to avoid buying sodas on board.
Book Independent Shore Excursions: Use sites like Viator or Shore Excursions Group rather than booking through the cruise line. You get smaller groups and lower prices for similar tours.
Use the Spa on Port Days: Book massages on days the ship is docked. Spas offer “Port Day Specials” because the demand is lower when everyone is off the ship.
Do Your Own Laundry: Skip the expensive send-out laundry service. Bring travel detergent and wash small items in your sink, or use the self-service launderettes (available on Carnival, Princess, and Disney).
Avoid Cruise Line Shuttles: Use Uber/Lyft or local taxis to get from the airport to the port. Cruise line transfer buses charge per person and are usually more expensive for a group of 2 or more.

Chris Cruises