1. Be Flexible On Date
Cruises are more expensive around general holiday times such as Summer, Easter and Christmas.
These times also tend to be the most expensive for flying.
If you travel during these times you will often find that your cruise is at capacity, may have more children than outside these times, which may not be lead to the best onboard experience.
If you are able to travel any time or outside of these periods you will find that cruising will be a lot cheaper.
2. Be Flexible on Where You Want to Go
Many people have bucket list destinations they want to travel to and cruising can be a great way to visit these places, however wanting specific locations to visit will mean you likely will pay more.
It is always important to remember when cruising that the itinerary is not guaranteed and is subject to change - weather, or on board emergencies can cause itineraries to adjust at a moment's notice. If it does - you are unlikely to receive compensation to the level that you feel is sufficient for missing the must visit destination - which you may have dropped significant additional amounts for.
If you intend to cruise for many of your future holidays - if you aren't specific on location often your bucket list port of call will find its way on to one of your future bargain cruises or for an extra few pounds at some stage.
3. Be Flexible on the Port of Departure
Travelling to a far away destination for your cruise might be less desirable if you live convenient to a major departure port. However travelling to far flung destinations can often work out cheaper even with the flight prices factored in.
4. Book Ahead or Very Last Minute
If you are aren't flexible with dates or locations, booking ahead often will be key to getting the best prices The trend is that cruises get more expensive the closer the sailing date comes. However, if you are very flexible, there are last minute bargains to be had especially in the two months prior to cruises.
At the time of writing in the next month you can spend 49 nights on a Celebrity Cruise on a B2B2B2B cruise for just $1996 + taxes.
5. Book on Board But Don't Miss a Deal
If you see a good deal that you really want to go on, you should book it straight away. However, if you are already on board a cruise and want to book another and find a good deal, booking on board can secure you some additional perks such as additional on board credit (OBC) or increased flexibility.
If you are searching for a cruise while on board, we always suggest checking the cruise line website first to find the best deals before arriving for your appointment.
6. Consider Interior Cabins
Many people love inside cabins and many others refuse to stay in them.
They are my favourite type of cabin and from a value proposition - often the floor space is the same size as a balcony floor space. When staying in a balcony cabin we often use the balcony for less than an hour in a 7 night cruise.
In some cases, interiors can be half the price of balconies. That is not to say we don't stay in balconies or suites. We often stay in balconies and suites - usually when we are able to get them for the same or less than an interior cabin.
7. Join the Loyalty Program
Each cruise line has their own scheme with varying perks.
In our opinion the best loyalty program is Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor Society.
Being loyal to one specific cruise line can be more costly in the long term, but if you're going to be cruising collecting the points makes sense.
With Royal Caribbean, it can get you discounts on balconies and suites when booking, free drinks, free internet and free laundry as you make your way through the tiers.
Comparatively, these perks on one cruise line may tip the balance on cost from a less expensive cruise on another.
8. Consider Repositioning Cruises
If you enjoy spending time on board the ship as much as getting off, then repositioning cruises might be for you.
They tend to be much more affordable on a cost per night basis and never seem to reach full capacity. They can be a great way to also advance the ranks on cruise loyalty programs quickly for a little cost.
You can often get a 14 night cruise for close to £500pp in an interior. They also tend to have fantastic pricing in premium cabins such as suites.
For example if adding a £500, 14 night cruise will get you to Diamond on Royal Caribbean and save you paying for a drinks package on your next cruise - it might actually be worth doing if you can spare the time.
9. Use Filters
All the cruise lines now have great filter options on their websites.
Make sure when searching, you make use of these and the sort options to sort by price.
Even if you don't wish to book with them, Expedia offer great multi-cruise line searching and the ability to sort results based on cabin type.
Meaning, you can easily find the cheapest suite or balcony rather than relying on the cheapest interior, which most cruise lines use for price sorting.
10. Try the Suite Life
It may seem counter-intuitive to look for a suite if you are searching for a bargain cruise. We recently booked a 12-night cruise for 4 people in a 2-bed owners suite for £760pp.
The price for an inside cabin on the same ship was £580pp. Whilst £180 more per person. This gained us all the perks of a suite, access to the concierge lounge, free room service and double cruise points on Royal Caribbean.
11. Price Out Your Extras
Cruise lines use staged pricing as a way to make cruises seem less expensive.
Adding extras here and there certainly add up. But always consider if any extras are value for money.
Many people always purchase the drinks package as it gives them certainty around cost.
But if you are having to drink 8 drinks a day every day of your cruise, on a port-intensive cruise to break even, is it even worth it.
12. Plan in Advance
Researching each destination in advance means you can make the most of each port of call in the limited time available. In addition you can check out the tours that are offered by the cruise line and compare these to doing it on your own.
In most cases it is cheaper to do it on your own, often saving up to 80% on the cruise price.
If travelling alone often, you will save money with the cruise line.
In some ports, there is a charged shuttle bus to a central location. Compare these to taxi prices and convenience and often if there are 2 or more people, a taxi will work out cheaper.
13. Join a Cashback Website
In past times, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises used to appear on TopCashBack. However, Royal Caribbean removed themselves from the platform, , and Celebrity has recently made a come back. Celebrity at the time of writing is offering 4.2% cash back. On a bargain cruise, that could equate to £40 or more.
Some travel agents and cruise lines also still appear, and if you are going to book with them, you can get cashback on what you were going to spend anyway.
As well as this, you can also get cashback on Hotels, Flights and Travel Insurance.
14. Join our Mailing List
We don't sell cruises, but we do curate the best cruise deals and send these through to your email address on a regular basis.
If we see one of those bargain cruises like our 7-night Caribbean Cruise in a suite at £210pp - we'll let you know too!
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