How to get a free or cheap cruise ship cabin upgrade

Table Of Content

• $3,201 pp — 8nt Luxe Greece Balcony: exclusive $400 back, up to $1,150 OBC + free drinks & tips
• Save up to 82% on Cruises!
• Mention your special occasion
• Free at Sea & Limited-Time Offers
• $2,799 pp — 8nt Luxe Greece & Turkey Suite: exclusive $400 back, $200 OBC + free drinks, tips & Wifi
• Sponsored Deal of the Week
• $929 pp — 7nt Alaska Balcony: exclusive $50 OBC, free tips + 70% off 2nd, 3/4th free, drinks, excursions, more

As a rule of thumb, shoulder-season sailings (those that take place at the beginning or end of a cruising season) tend to be the most budget-friendly. While the tradeoff for your cheap cruise fare might be less-than-ideal weather, you can often benefit from less crowded destinations and possibly more affordable airfare. Cruise.com offers some exceptional Disney Cruise deals including exclusive onboard credits, special resident rates and military rates. Book online or call one of our cruise experts to get the best Disney Cruise deal on your next Disney Cruise. But before you get too excited over these low prices, don’t forget to factor in the cost of the extras when calculating your total expenses—that’s one of the secrets cruise lines won’t tell you. Things like drinks, shore excursions, gratuities, spa treatments, specialty dining, airfare, photos, taxes and port fees aren’t included and can add up quickly.

$3,201 pp — 8nt Luxe Greece Balcony: exclusive $400 back, up to $1,150 OBC + free drinks & tips

Additionally, you can rack up points for perks that might eventually include free or discounted upgrades. For instance, if you reach the top Diamond status with Carnival Cruise Line's Very Important Fun Person loyalty program, you get a one-time free cabin upgrade. Whenever you book your cruise online through the cruise line’s website, there is typically a place to put in your loyalty number. Often you’ll find that longer cruises are actually cheaper on a per-day basis, offering a better value for what you are spending. On this basis, a $500 per person 7-day cruise is “cheaper” than a $300 3-day cruise.

Save up to 82% on Cruises!

View award-winning vacations sailing from your backyard and discover deals you won't have to go great distances for with our collection of cruises near you. Sail on a Star Clippers and visit ports often untouched by larger cruise ships, offering passengers the activities, amenities and atmosphere of a private yacht. Holland America Line has been cruising both popular and less-traveled ports in the Caribbean, Alaska, Mexico, Europe, South America, the Panama Canal, Australia, New Zealand and Asia for 150 years. It has a fleet of 11 classic ships and does more than 500 sailings a year, visiting all seven continents. So how do you know whether or not a cruise deal is worth your hard-earned cash? Cruise Critic's Deal Score is a data-based tool that measures inclusions and extras with itinerary length and nightly fare discounts to help you understand how much of a deal you're actually getting.

Mention your special occasion

Swan Hellenic takes expedition cruises to a new level with intimate luxury polar-class ships. Explore the world and get exclusive offers, onboard credits and more. Call Cruise.com to get the best Swan Hellenic cruise deal on your next adventure. Let Avalon Waterways take you on a deluxe river cruise throughout Europe, Asia and Egypt.

Personally, we like to start a search on these sites and then book directly through the cruise line. There’s nothing wrong with booking through a third-party, but it does add another layer to the process. If there is a cancellation or price change, we like knowing that we can contact the cruise line directly. So stop moping and start shopping -- there are plenty of affordable cruise vacations if you know where to look.

$2,799 pp — 8nt Luxe Greece & Turkey Suite: exclusive $400 back, $200 OBC + free drinks, tips & Wifi

Here are some tricks to scoring a free or discounted cruise ship cabin upgrade and landing better cruise rooms without breaking the bank. A real score for cruise passengers is a free or cheap cabin upgrade. Just like with airline seats, you can't count on an upgrade — but it sure feels great when it happens. Several methods will help improve your chances of landing in better cruise ship accommodations. Our cheap cruises from Miami FL have year-round availability to bask in the Bahamas or the Caribbean, and seasonal availability to experience Costa Rica or the Panama Canal.

Sponsored Deal of the Week

Avalon Waterways is also one of the few cruise lines to sail to the Galapagos. The Avalon Waterways cruise experience offers exceptional service and unique itineraries aboard intimate river ships. It’s important to pay attention to the cheapest times to book a cruise if you want to save even more.

$929 pp — 7nt Alaska Balcony: exclusive $50 OBC, free tips + 70% off 2nd, 3/4th free, drinks, excursions, more

Cruise.com's incredible cruise deals offered on Celebrity Cruises include free-prepaid gratuities, onboard credits, onboard savings offers, dollars off and more. You won't find entire seasons of one- or two-night sailings, but these every-so-often cruises make great short getaways that won't break the bank. For example, both Holland America and Princess Cruises offer short sailings between Vancouver and Seattle, starting from $69 per person. Carnival also offers super-short cruises, occasionally for under $100 per person, per night. You'll spend little time in your cabin, so it makes sense to pay less for the trip while you get your money's worth of food, entertainment and onboard amenities like the pool and nightclub.

When it comes to planning the ultimate getaway, there are so many reasons why cruise vacations rank among the most popular travel options. If you’re not a planner, or if the only things you’re looking to focus on during your getaway is savoring great food, relaxing, and soaking up the sights, cruise vacations are the way to go. A cruise vacation is also a great option if you’re traveling with the whole family, especially when you opt for a Royal Caribbean cruise. All of the ships in this cruise line’s fleet offer family-friendly experiences for guests of all ages.

It all starts with the boldest cruise ships at sea — and ours have won awards for everything from world class dining and spectacular entertainment, to record-setting onboard thrills and groundbreaking innovation. Like airfare (although not as drastic), cruise fares do fluctuate. There’s always a possibility that you may book a trip and then the price falls. In that case, don’t hesitate to call the cruise line or your travel agent.

The Best Ways to Book a Cruise - NerdWallet

The Best Ways to Book a Cruise.

Posted: Wed, 17 Apr 2024 16:01:35 GMT [source]

You'll find a treasure trove of early bird discounts, two-for-ones and other cut-rate promotions on the world's best lines. Our world-famous 90-Day Ticker is a complete listing of last-minute cruises on the world's best cruise lines. Average availability is less than seven days and many cruises sell out within hours of listing. This sort of upgrade would typically be a "surprise" that occurs when you check in at the pier, so you can't plan for it in advance.

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. As well, cruise fares are quoted on a per-person basis, but almost always are charged for double occupancy.

They just might not have the space and amenities seen on larger, newer vessels. Cruise.com offers some exceptional Carnival Cruise deals including cash back, upgrades and more. Book online or call one of our cruise experts to get the best Carnival Cruise deal on your next Carnival Cruise. If you're looking to cruise at the cheapest rates possible, certain itineraries stand out as almost always having low total or per-night prices.

These tend to be the shortest cruises and voyages with a high percentage of days at sea. Cruises on older ships tend to have lower rates for two reasons -- the ships lack the amenities and the hype of the newest vessels, and they tend to be deployed on shorter or less popular routes. But that doesn't mean you can't have a grand old time on an older ship, and if you're a first-time cruiser, you won't even realize you're missing anything -- other than higher fares.

It’s truly impressive that these all-inclusive cruises can charge so little. When you book your cruise, note in your reservation (or remind your travel agent to note) that you're celebrating a special event in your life. Whether you are a loyal customer or a first-timer that the cruise line hopes will become a repeat cruiser, you might be rewarded with an upgrade. The hotel director on any cruise ship has a certain amount of discretion in moving guests to different cabins. Being bold enough to ask for an upgrade once you are on the ship could pay off. Your best course is always to book the nicest cabin you can afford.