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The Best Ways to Book a Cruise

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Not all cruise sites are created equal. While you may find comparable prices on different sites, each site has its own benefits, offers and cancellation policies. 

Before you book, though, have a look at these credit cards that come with cruise benefits to sweeten the pot even more.

What is the best way to book a cruise?

The best place to book a cruise will vary depending on what you're looking for out of the experience. We've broken out cruise booking sites based on common booking goals.

From our findings, here are the top cruise booking sites for your next vacation, plus the pros and cons they offer travelers.

For sailings across the Caribbean, Mexico or Central America: CheapCaribbean

CheapCaribbean.com is the best cruise website for the Caribbean, Mexico or Central America. It offers a best-price guarantee plus limited-time offers and discounts.

If you find a better deal within 24 hours of booking, CheapCaribbean will price match and beat it by $25. The company's customer service is available seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET.

Best-price guarantee.

Customer service is available seven days a week.

Charges a $24.99 processing fee on reservations.

Must provide an email address to receive the best deals and promos.

» Learn more: The best cruise lines

For consulting reviews from other cruisers: Cruise Critic

Cruise Critic is an independent website that encourages community members to post reviews and share tips.

Its message boards offer ways for website visitors to ask questions and share feedback with others based on their personal experiences and opinions. The site also acts as a metasearch for cruise deals, pulling in prices from multiple cruise websites.

Read cruise reviews from travelers who've been on that itinerary before.

"Deal Score" ranks deals to find the best value.

Price tracker shows 90-day trends for cruise prices.

Must click through the deal to book your cruise on other websites.

Prices are not guaranteed and can change before booking due to fees and restrictions on the sites where the cruises are being sold.

To review several cruise prices at once: CruiseDirect

CruiseDirect is the best cruise website when all you want are cruise prices. It doesn't offer hotels, flights, rental cars or other reservations you may want for your next vacation. CruiseDirect does, however, offer bonuses for travelers booking through its site.

Travelers can filter search results by destination, cruise line or departure port on various ships. This site offers cruises for every type of traveler, from budget to luxury, and every type of ship, from riverboats to mega-ships.

Bonus offers on every reservation provide extra value.

Best-price guarantee and free reservation holds.

Buy now, pay later financing options.

Promos offered by cruise lines aren't exclusive to CruiseDirect.

Customer service can be unfriendly.

» Learn more: Should you insure your cruise?

For budget-friendly options: Priceline

Priceline was originally known for its "Name Your Own Price" promotions, but has grown into a full-service online travel agency offering flights, hotels, rental cars and cruises, saving consumers more than $1 billion dollars per year.

Travelers who book a cruise with Priceline receive up to $2,000 to spend at sea, plus waived deposits on their reservations.

Up to $2,000 to spend on board.

Waived deposits of up to $500 when booking your cruise.

110% best-price guarantee within 48 hours of booking.

Ability to book flights, hotels, rental cars and more from the same site.

Must call Priceline to get exclusive offers and unpublished fares.

Restrictions make the best-price guarantee harder to benefit from.

» Learn more: Tips for getting the best cruise deals

For booking travel experiences beyond the cruise: TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor is an online reviewer community where travelers share their experiences, pictures and ratings of hotels, suggested activities and more. This honest feedback and travel inspiration also make it one of the best websites to book a cruise.

Search over 70,000 cruise deals from more than 60 sites at once.

Dedicated ship pages share details, reviews, photos and itineraries.

Too many search results make it harder to narrow down your choices.

» Learn more: Are cruises all-inclusive?

To match with a vacation planner: Avoya Travel

Avoya Travel is a family-owned website that matches travelers with a vacation planner based on their preferences. It's the best way to book a cruise using a travel planner because it offers a low-price guarantee without charging extra fees for the planner.

The downside is that online pricing is not "live." Therefore, you must speak with a travel planner to get the latest prices and book your cruise.

Match with cruise planners according to your needs.

Does not charge Avoya fees for booking, changes or cancellations.

Get a low-price guarantee and the expertise of a vacation planner without extra fees.

Must become a member to unlock the best deals.

Pricing on the website is not "live" pricing, so actual cost may vary.

Cannot book a cruise online. You must speak with an independent vacation planner.

» Learn more: The best cruise insurance right now

To book a vacation package with an airline or hotel

American airlines cruises.

American Airlines AAdvantage members can earn airline miles when booking cruises at BookAACruises.com . All members earn one mile for every dollar they spend on cruise reservations, up to 10,000 miles. Some cruise specials offer up to 100,000 miles based on your selected cruise.

If you have an American Airlines credit card, you'll earn 2x miles, up to 20,000 miles. These miles and Loyalty Points count toward airline elite status. Additionally, trips booked through this site are eligible for promotions offered by the cruise lines.

Earn miles and Loyalty Points toward travel and elite status.

Cardholders earn 2x miles, up to 20,000 miles on cruises.

Cruise experts are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Cruise reservations are offered by a third party, so customer service issues can be a challenge.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

Delta SkyMiles Cruises

Delta Air Lines is another airline that allows members to earn airline miles when booking cruises through its portal. Booking through SkyMilesCruises.com helps you earn Delta SkyMiles on your purchase.

Members get up to 10,000 miles on most cruises and up to 100,000 miles on luxury cruises. Plus, the site waives deposits on eligible cruise reservations.

Can earn up to 100,000 miles when booking a cruise.

Waives deposits when booking eligible cruises.

110% price guarantee within 48 hours of booking.

Most cruise awards are capped at 10,000 miles.

Miles earned are based on the length of the cruise, not the amount spent.

United Airlines Cruises

United Airlines MileagePlus members can earn up to 25,000 miles when booking a cruise through United at Cruises.United.com .

When you have a United Airlines credit card, you'll earn up to 45,000 miles. By offering up to 4x miles per dollar spent (or 7x as a cardholder), this site is the best way to book a cruise and earn airline miles on your purchase. If you have Premier status, you receive additional perks on select cruise lines, like wine and onboard credits.

Earn up to 7x miles on cruises.

United MileagePlus Premier members receive additional perks.

Can redeem miles to pay for some or all of your trip.

Not all cruises can be booked online.

Prices do not include a nonrefundable $24.99 processing fee.

Marriott Bonvoy Cruises

If you want to earn hotel points on your cruise, Marriott Cruise with Points is the best cruise website for you. You'll earn up to 6x points on your cruise purchase, or you can redeem Marriott Bonvoy points to pay for your trip.

Plus, Marriott cardholders can earn an extra 2x points when they use that card for their purchase. While most cruises max out at 25,000 Bonvoy points earned, some luxury cruise lines offer up to 250,000 Marriott points.

Earn up to 6x points on your cruise, up to 250,000 Marriott points.

Marriott cardholders receive an extra 2x points when paying with their cards.

Can use Bonvoy points to pay for your cruise.

Redemption value of Bonvoy points is only 0.4 cent.

Must call to book cruises using points.

Processing fee of $24.99 per reservation.

» Learn more: Airline credit cards vs. hotel credit cards

For cruise package deals: Costco Travel

Costco is a retailer that offers exclusive products and pricing to its members. Through its Costco Travel website , members receive exclusive prices and benefits when booking hotels, rental cars, cruises and travel packages.

Executive Members earn 2% back on Costco Travel purchases and receive additional benefits on select packages. Plus, Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi cardholders earn 3% cash back rewards on Costco Travel purchases.

Earn 2% rewards and extra perks with Executive Membership.

Some cruises offer Costco gift cards or onboard credit.

Must be a member to book reservations with Costco Travel.

Directly with the Cruise Line

In some cases, booking directly with the cruise line can be best because it eliminates a third party. If there's a problem with your reservation or you need to make a change, you don't have to worry about the booking site and the cruise line pointing fingers at each other.

This may be the best approach if you know which cruise line you want to book and which cities you want to visit. However, you may miss out on promotions offered by third-party sites.

Simple search functions.

No hassles with third parties for problems, changes or cancellations.

Less likely to get scammed by fraudulent sites.

Miss out on deals offered by third-party sites.

Harder to compare prices, benefits and routes from multiple cruise lines.

Comparing cruise prices across websites

Without being able to compare prices, it can be a challenge to determine the best site for booking a cruise. To make it easier to compare, we priced out a 7-night Caribbean cruise for two adults. 

We selected the lowest-priced balcony room on Royal Caribbean departing from Miami in August 2023. Here are the results:

Mitigate cancellation policy risks with travel insurance

If you're worried your trip plans being disrupted by bad weather or a change of plans, travel insurance might help. This optional standalone insurance can be purchased separately from your cruise bookings.

But you might not even need to pay out-of-pocket for trip insurance because many credit cards offer travel insurance as a built-in benefit to customers who pay for travel expenses on that card.

» Learn more: The best credit cards for cruises

Travel cards with cruise benefits

You can get even more perks by booking your cruise with the right card.

on Chase's website

on Bank of America's website

on American Express' website

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel.

Receive 60,000 online bonus points - a $600 value - after you make at least $4,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.

Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.

Get 25% more value out of your points when you book cruises through Chase.

Book with your card to get automatic travel protections for your cruise.

Redeem miles as a statement credit to cover spending on cruises.

Book with your card to get automatic travel insurance coverage for your cruise.

Earn 2x points on travel spending, including cruises and some ship excursions.

Book with your card to get trip delay reimbursement, trip cancellation coverage and other travel assistance services.

Get American Express Cruise Privileges Program benefits when you book at least five nights with eligible cruise lines. Terms apply.

Cruise program benefits include $300 credit redeemable toward dining and spa services plus amenities like wine, chocolates and champagne. Terms apply.

Booking a cruise recapped

When looking for the best way to book a cruise, the price is virtually the same on every website. The difference lies in how each seller sweetens the deal.

Several cruise booking sites set themselves apart from the competition by offering additional benefits to encourage booking through them. Additionally, being able to book other parts of your trip — like flight and excursions — on the same site, or offering access to a travel agent, distinguishes some of the best cruise websites. 

When prices are the same, we recommend cruise bookers compare the perks being offered, then book on the site with the most appealing bonuses, like onboard credits, airline miles, hotel points or cash back.

If you're searching for cruises on a third-party website, you may question the legitimacy of that site. This is especially true if the site doesn't look professional or some of the information is outdated.

For this reason, you should stick with one of the best cruise booking sites on this list because they've been vetted for legitimacy and have a good track record with travelers.

Yes, last-minute deals can be the best way to book a cruise. If your travel plans are flexible, these deals can save you a lot of money. Keep in mind that you may not be able to book your preferred destination or routing if it is sold out.

Unfortunately, most cruise lines do not offer free cancellations or changes to take advantage of price drops after you book. Passengers can always negotiate with a booking site or cruise line, but they aren't obligated to refund the difference. Instead, they may offer you onboard credit, complimentary excursions or credit toward another cruise booking.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024 :

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1.5%-5% Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Up to $300 Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

on Capital One's website

2x-5x Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

75,000 Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel.

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The 9 Best Sites to Book a Cruise

Avital Andrews

Avital Andrews, SmarterTravel's editor-at-large, is a travel and lifestyle journalist who is also a contributing editor for AAA's Via magazine. Her stories have been among the 10 most emailed or viewed on the Los Angeles Times, Outside, Sierra, and SmarterTravel websites, and have also appeared in USA Today, HuffPost, Apple News, Business Insider, and many other nationwide outlets. Her travel book , sold at bookstores and on Amazon, is in its fourth edition, and her journalism gets national media attention, including from The New York Times , The Atlantic , Time , NPR, and MTV. She's currently working on her first children's book. Follow her on Twitter @avitalb .

The Handy Item I Always Pack: My laptop—the lightweight and stylish HP Spectre x360—since I'm almost always on deadline.

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: A round-the-world cruise that makes stops to experience Aurora Borealis, the Olympics opening ceremony, Borneo, Madagascar, the Jerusalem Festival of Light, the Bolivian salt flats, Kenya's Giraffe Manor, the Galapagos, the Maldives, Bora Bora, the Seychelles, and every Disney park. (That itinerary definitely exists, right?)

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Booking a cruise isn’t always simple. It can be a complicated, time-consuming process that involves dozens of open tabs and maybe a spreadsheet or two. But knowing the best site to book a cruise can help a lot.

And while would-be travelers are accustomed to clicking around on travel search engines to find the best deals on flights , hotels , and rental cars , many people don’t realize that they can use these same types of sites to book cruises, too.

But is there one best site to book a cruise? That depends on what you’re looking for. Sometimes the best cruise website is actually a cruise line’s own site—since technically, cruise booking websites aren’t allowed to undercut the prices that the cruise lines set.

Often, though, the best cruise search engines are indispensable for locating incredible deals, including ones that throw in booking incentives worth hundreds of dollars—in Amazon gift cards, complimentary shore excursions, onboard freebies, and so on.

To save you the hassle, SmarterTravel investigated the glutted space of cheap cruise sites to determine which are worthy of listing as the best cruise websites; below are a few that come highly recommended.

The Best Sites to Book a Cruise

• Expedia (including Travelocity and Orbitz )
• TripAdvisor

Avoya Travel

Cheapcaribbean.com, cruisedirect, cruise critic, costco travel, cruisewatch.

Expedia is an obvious first mention in a list of the best cruise booking sites, in part because it’s an absolute juggernaut (Expedia also owns Travelocity and Orbitz ). Its cruise-booking interface is simple and straightforward, only requiring you to enter your preferred sailing destination and date range, as well as how many passengers you’ll be bringing along. Then Expedia does the heavy lifting for you, with comprehensive results that make it one of the best cruise search engines.

On Expedia, it’s common to find bookable cruises for 70 percent off face value, with the ability to sort by price so the best cruise deals come up at the top of the list, saving you the scrolling. 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.

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.

Best feature: Sheer search power. Expedia’s easy-to-use cruise search engine generates a useful and well-ordered list of the best cruise deals, without much effort required from the user. Also, Expedia’s prices frequently match what the cruise lines themselves offer.

Check out Expedia

Priceline is another powerhouse among cheap cruise websites. The initial interface comes off a bit clunkier than, say, Expedia’s or Kayak’s, but the tradeoff is that you can quickly search by cruise line, both standard and luxury, as well as by cruise length and departure port.

Using the seven-night Alaska example, Priceline brought up an itinerary aboard Royal Caribbean International’s Radiance of the Seas that starts at just $374 for the full week—roughly $53 per night. Hard-to-believe cruise deals like this show up on Priceline with regularity, which is part of what solidifies it as one of the best cruise websites.

Also adding to the appeal: deals exclusive to Priceline, plenty of bonus amenities (examples include $50 in onboard credit, third and fourth guests sailing free, and free specialty dinners for two), no money down to book certain sailings, frequent onboard credit sales, an 800 number to call should you need assistance while booking, and a loyalty club that’s ties in with every cruise line’s loyalty program. Priceline also lets you click a “senior discount” box if that applies to you.

Best feature: Priceline’s “ 110% Best Price Guarantee ” promises that if you find your cruise listed at a lower price on another website within 48 hours of booking, then Priceline will refund you 110 percent of the cost difference, including port charges.

Check out Priceline

Tripadvisor

Many people think of Tripadvisor mainly as a travel review site, where you go to get real talk on hotels and attractions, and to see non-glamorized photos of places as seen through actual travelers’ eyes. But Tripadvisor is also an excellent site for travel deals, including on cruises.

Tripadvisor Cruise , which launched in April 2019, is among the best websites for cruise deals—it lets you nab the lowest price by comparing more than 70,000 ocean and river cruises from some 60 of the best cruise websites. It’s got an attractive, inspiring landing page, and its newest function, “Explore Ship-tinerary pages,” lets you browse full ship profiles, details, photos, and itineraries.

Though Tripadvisor is technically a meta-search site for cruises, which means that it will send you elsewhere to actually book, its search engine lets users sort by destination, length, cruise line, and month of travel. The default search results are ordered by “best value”, unless you specifically click that you’d rather see the results organized by price, cruise length, departure date, or cruise ship. Even when you click on “price,” the lowest-priced offering doesn’t always come up first, though it only takes a few seconds of scanning to determine which itinerary has the lowest price—that seven-night Royal Caribbean International trip to Alaska came up on Tripadvisor starting at $365.

Best feature: What makes Tripadvisor one of the best sites to book a cruise? In addition to having one of the best cruise search engines, Tripadvisor lets you read other cruisers’ candid reviews of the cruise that you’re considering, so that you get the non-sugarcoated truth about each sailing.

Check out Tripadvisor

7 Things You Should Never Do on a Cruise Ship

A rarity on the internet, Avoya Travel is a family-owned company that has been dealing in travel for more than 55 years. Avoya is one of the best sites to book a cruise in part because of its patented technology that lets travelers search cruises by destination, date range, cruise line, and last-minute status—and then get matched up, in real time, with one of Avoya’s expert vacation planners, who use that algorithm to customize a cruise booking to your specific preferences. (From Avoya’s website: “…we combine the ease of online search, with the expertise and personalized service of Independent Vacation Planners, plus secure exclusive deals and extras so you get more out of every vacation.”)

Avoya’s team of staffers and wide network of independent agencies make for a cruise booking website that’s a bit different from the rest. Its front page shows the “Best Travel Deals,” which might include half-off cruise fares, onboard credit, prepaid gratuities, and free or reduced airfare.

Like several of the other best cruise websites, Avoya offers a low-price guarantee; if you book a cruise with Avoya and then find a lower rate on another website within 24 hours of booking, Avoya will refund the difference.

Best feature: Avoya offers free membership, and members get exclusive deals and discounts, access to unpublished fares, first dibs on promotions, the ability to save favorite searches, and the right to book, change, or cancel travel without incurring any Avoya fees.

Check out Avoya Travel

When looking for the best site to book a cruise, don’t be put off by CheapCaribbean.com ’s overly specific moniker. Despite the site’s name, it offers cruises all over the world. 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. There you can search by cruise line, ship, destination, departure date, and departure port.

CheapCaribbean.com offers refunds on 24-hour cancellations (within certain parameters) and a “ 110 percent best price guarantee, ” a promise that if you find a lower price on the same cruise within 48 hours of booking, the company will refund you 110 percent of the difference. The site also lists traveler reviews about each cruise ship (as supplied by Cruiseline), though the reviews often include comments about the ship’s destinations other than the one you’re considering, which isn’t entirely helpful. There’s also a live chat widget if questions come up while booking.

Best feature: Helping to make CheapCaribbean.com one of the best cruise search engines is the fact that it lets you check boxes for additional discounts, including a senior discount, discounts by state (just enter your ZIP code), and past guest discounts if you’ve previously sailed with, say, Princess, Norwegian, or Disney.

Check out CheapCaribbean.com

Its front page is clunky and sort of in your face, but CruiseDirect is still one of the best cruise sites for a variety of reasons. As a cruise-only company, CruiseDirect doesn’t deal in flights, hotels, or rental cars, allowing it to focus its full capacity on helping you find the best cruise deal possible. 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.

CruiseDirect offers perks on most sailings, like onboard credit, free drinks, free Wi-Fi, free gratuities, free travel insurance, or a free specialty dining experience—check out the “Bonus” box on the cruise listing you’re considering to see what extras it comes with.

Best feature: Like some of the other cruise websites on this list, CruiseDirect offers a “ best price guarantee ,” which means that if you find a lower price on another cruise booking website within 24 hours of your initial booking, you’ll get refunded the difference. But one key difference between CruiseDirect and the other cruise sites is that you don’t have to pay the cost of your cruise up front, just a deposit—and then if your cruise fare drops before you’ve made your final payment, CruiseDirect will readjust your rate accordingly.

Check out CruiseDirect

5 Crazy Themed Cruises You Can Take in 2022 and 2023

A subsidiary of Tripadvisor, Cruise Critic has similar search results to that site, but it offers a bit more comprehensive information for seasoned cruisers who want more details before they book. Cruise Critic has tons of filters and sort options to help you find what you want, including everything from cruise line to cruise style (family cruises, luxury cruises, cruises for the disabled). Each itinerary clearly lists what is and isn’t included in the fare; Wi-Fi, alcoholic drinks, gratuities, and port taxes and fees are among the common exclusions.

Certain itineraries are marked with graphics declaring that the ship has won one of the site’s “Cruisers’ Choice” awards, denoting vessels that Cruise Critic members declare to be the among the best in categories such as cabins, entertainment, and family-friendly features.

You can sign up for price alerts, which will notify you by email when the fare on your selected itinerary drops.

Once you’re ready to book, Cruise Critic shows you a variety of offers from some of the best cruise booking sites, including bonuses such as onboard credit and prepaid gratuities. Then you click off to the site of your choice to make your purchase. Prices generally match what’s advertised on Cruise Critic.

Best feature: Under each search result is a tab for “reviews” where you can read reviews from Cruise Critic members who’ve previously traveled on the ship. On certain cruises you can click over to a full-length write-up of the ship by one of the experts on the Cruise Critic editorial team, including detailed information on dining options, cabins, entertainment, dress code, and more.

Check out Cruise Critic

When you think of Costco, you probably think of bulk food and toilet paper. But the next time you’re booking a cruise, it’ll be worthwhile to pull up Costco Travel , which is, unexpectedly, one of the best cruise websites.

The site doesn’t look fancy—it’s pretty bare-bones, visually—but the upside of going with a no-frills cruise-booking website is that Costco Travel offers extremely competitive prices, as well as some of the most attractive incentives, usually in the form of Costco Cash delivered to you after you get home from your cruise.

Though there’s no single point of contact if you need to call and discuss your cruise booking, Costco Travel’s call center is staffed with helpful agents from early morning until evening, seven days a week, and passengers can rest assured that Costco won’t go out of business before they set sail. Note that a Costco membership (starting at $60 per year) is required to book with Costco Travel, and that Costco doesn’t accept American Express.

Best feature: Rock-bottom prices—plus lots of cash back if you play your cards right: Costco Citi cardholders earn 3 percent cash back on cruise purchases, which can combine with the 2 percent Costco Reward for Costco Executive Members for a total of 5 percent back on Costco Travel’s already super low cruise rates.

Check out Costco Travel

Pondering which is the best site to book a cruise? Keep Cruisewatch in strong consideration—more than a typical cruise booking website, Cruisewatch bills itself as a “digital cruise advisor” that couples data power with personalization.

As an artificial intelligence cruise advisor, Crusewatch created technology that makes searching and booking a cruise more efficient—the first, it calls “Cruise Price Prediction.” In short, Cruisewatch collected and stored the daily price for each ship and cabin over a span of five years, resulting in millions of data points—and a massive database that informs exactly when cruise prices are lowest, and when the greatest saving potential exists.

Thanks to this comprehensive price history, Cruisewatch can predict cruise prices and drops with an accuracy rate of around 80 percent. Using the site’s cruise price prediction alerts, travelers can save up to 71 percent just by booking at the right time.

In addition to being able to predict prices, Cruisewatch tailors user search results to match their established preferences through customizable profiles and other similar features. This means you won’t waste time wading through cruises that may be cheap but don’t align with your vacation goals.

Best feature: Cruisewatch’s easy-to-set price alerts, based on tons of data, allow users to be notified in real time of the best new cruise deals the minute they come online.

Check out Cruisewatch

Book a Stay With SmarterTravel Hotels

Need a place to stay the night before you set sail? Search SmarterTravel Hotels for great accommodations in your port of call.

Some of the links featured in this story are affiliate links, and SmarterTravel may collect a commission (at no cost to you) if you shop through them.

Follow Avital Andrews on Twitter  @avitalb  or on  Facebook .

Editor’s note: Sarah Schlichter contributed to this story.

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Best Cruise Deals

U.S. News has identified the best cruise deals by taking into account prices, cruise line ratings and cruise ship reviews. Use the list below to find your next cruise vacation.

Read Best Cruises Methodology

3 Night Bahamas

01/31-02/02/2025

4 Night Bahamas

09/22-09/25/2024

10 Night Repositioning Caribbean

04/28-05/07/2025

10 Night Egypt & Israel

03/07-03/16/2025

10 Night Western Caribbean

04/07-04/16/2025

Royal Caribbean

11/15-11/17/2024

02/14-02/23/2025

10/20-10/23/2024

10/24-10/26/2024

4 Night Western Caribbean

01/09-01/12/2025

01/13-01/22/2025

4 Night Catalina & Ensenada

02/10-02/13/2025

03/10-03/19/2025

3 Night Bahamas & Perfect Day

09/27-09/29/2024

12/09-12/12/2024

12/02-12/05/2024

02/24-02/27/2025

9 Night Western Caribbean

02/25-03/05/2025

4 Night Eastern Caribbean

12/05-12/08/2024

10 Night Baja Peninsula & Sea Of Cortez

01/04-01/13/2025

11/11-11/20/2024

10 Night Southern Caribbean

04/23-05/02/2025

9 Night Southern Caribbean Seafarer

11/29-12/07/2024

Holland America

11/21-11/30/2024

10 Night Western Caribbean Explorer

11/17-11/26/2024

Imagine a vacation where you can visit multiple destinations and only unpack once; a trip where one fare covers your lodging, dining and, in some cases, as many fruity drinks as your heart desires. These are the perks of a cruise vacation – and it's a trip option that doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg.

Cruises can be an excellent value proposition compared to other types of getaways. That said, sailing away to paradise as uncertainty remains around the coronavirus pandemic may make you uneasy. Be sure to check with your specific cruise line, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other organizations before booking your trip for the most up-to-date guidance on cruising in the time of the coronavirus.

To make sure you are getting a good deal on your next cruise vacation, you have to know what to look for. The easiest way to save money on a cruise is to consider a short itinerary on a budget-friendly cruise line. Still, paying less money doesn't always guarantee a great value. It's important to weigh the experience you will have with the amount paid to know whether or not you are getting a good deal.

To choose a cruise line, you should think about what matters most to you for your vacation. Consider: Do you care more about a pampering onboard experience or interesting stops and shore excursions? Would you rather purchase an inside stateroom to enjoy the benefits of a pricier cruise line (like included fine dining and butler service), or go with a budget line and stay in a more spacious balcony room overlooking the ocean?

You should also consider time of year if you're intent on scoring the best cruise deals . Though peak season varies by destination and cruise line, Christmastime, spring break season (usually during the months of March and April) and summer are typically when you'll see the highest prices for cruise fares. If you opt to travel outside of the busy season for your selected itinerary, you may be able to snag a deal on the cruise line of your dreams. For example, hurricane season in the Atlantic (June through November) brings cancellation risks, but it can be a great time to find discounts on Caribbean cruises. Additionally, many cruise lines highlight deals during "wave season" (named for the abundance of promotions that roll through like a wave) between January and March.

Some cruise lines also offer more deals than others. Typically, luxury cruise lines list their best prices up front, when the itineraries are first published. Planning ahead and jumping on these fares can save you money rather than waiting for additional deals to pop up. Meanwhile, bargain cruise lines often have consistent deals year-round, even during the busy season, to entice travelers to book a trip. In some cases, waiting until the last minute can score you a deep discount or other promotional value on one of the more affordable cruise lines.

If you'd like to take a cruise but aren't sure where to start, we are here to help. Read on for U.S. News' guide to finding the best cruise deals. (You can also browse the Best Cruise Lines rankings to learn more about specific cruise ships and lines.)

How Do You Know If You're Getting a Good Deal?

To know if you're getting a good deal on a cruise, you should consider a few different factors. First, you should determine when your preferred cruise lines are at their busiest and most expensive. Cruise lines that attract families, such as Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International and Carnival Cruise Line, tend to see a lot of customers during the summer when school is out. As a result, prices spike during these months. In comparison, luxury lines like Seabourn Cruise Line may raise their prices around Christmas and New Year's. If you are traveling during these peak times, you may not be securing as good of a deal as you could at another time of year.

The popularity of certain destinations themselves also varies depending on the time of year, which can affect cruise prices. For example, travelers often opt to take Caribbean cruises during the winter and early spring to escape the cold weather where they live. Because of this, Caribbean cruise rates at this time may be higher than at other times of year. On the other hand, Mediterranean cruises are typically less expensive during late fall and early spring months and more expensive once the weather starts to warm up and conditions in Europe are more favorable.

Another factor to consider when looking for a good cruise deal is the ship. Newer ships with all the bells and whistles often mean higher fares than older ships that have been in service for longer. If new, exciting features and modern staterooms are important to you, you must be willing to accept potentially higher costs. If not, search for a similar itinerary on an older ship to find a better deal.

How to Get Last-Minute Cruise Deals

If your schedule allows, another great way to get a deal on a cruise is to wait until the last minute to book your trip. As cruise ships fill up approaching their embarkation dates, cruise lines typically discount cabin rates in an attempt to fill any remaining staterooms. Rates usually start dropping about 60 to 90 days prior to the sail date, when many penalty-free passenger cancellation policies expire. Prices often continue to decrease as the date of departure gets closer, so the most daring of travelers may decide to wait until a couple of weeks out to book. Just remember that cabins can sell out – as can flights, for those who need to hop on a plane to get to their embarkation destination. You'll need to keep a close eye on all the moving parts of your trip if you plan to pull the trigger at the last minute. 

To stay in the loop about last-minute cruise deals, sign up for email price drop alerts or consistently check fares on cruise line websites or third-party booking sites like Priceline, Cruise Critic and Cruiseline.com. Even a last-minute discount on an alcohol package or shore excursions will save you some money over the base cost. Still, travelers should keep in mind that luxury cruise lines are usually an exception to this rule. You will often get the best deal on a premium cruise by booking early – sometimes as far as a year out.

How to Find Cheap Cruise Deals

When considering what constitutes a cheap cruise deal, you should think about what you're getting for the price you are paying. For example, if the prices for a five-night itinerary aboard a new ship on a ritzier line and a seven-day cruise on an older ship with a more budget-centered line are in a similar ballpark, you may opt for the shorter vacation to get a more luxurious experience.

Still, if saving money is a bigger concern than getting more value or a higher-end experience, opt for less expensive cruise lines – like Carnival Cruise Line or Norwegian Cruise Line – with short itineraries to score the cheapest deals. Depending on the cruise line you choose and the time of year you book, you may be able to find rates for less than $200 per person. To save extra money, look for cruise promotions and discounts, and also consider bundling any flights and necessary hotel stays together if the cruise line offers that as a package.

Cruises Under $200

Having a small vacation budget doesn't mean you have to miss out on taking a cruise. In fact, some cruise deals can dip below $200 per person. When you see a deal this cheap, you should keep in mind that it will likely be for an inside cabin (no windows) on a short, two- or three-night cruise.

If you're looking for cruise rates under $200, check lines like Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International since these cruise lines often advertise sailings at that price point. Keep in mind, these low prices tend to apply to itineraries in the Bahamas and other areas of the Caribbean. If you're within driving distance of a port, you also won't need to worry about paying for airfare on top of what you're spending on your cruise.

Best Cruise Deals by Region:

See the Best Caribbean Cruise Deals » See the Best Bahamas Cruise Deals » See the Best Alaska Cruise Deals » See the Best Hawaii Cruise Deals » See the Best Mexico Cruise Deals » See the Best Europe Cruise Deals »

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I've sailed on two all-inclusive, ultra-luxury cruise ships. These are the 3 reasons I think they're worth the cost.

• I sailed on Regent Seven Seas and Silversea's newest ships, Seven Seas Grandeur and Silver Ray.
• The pricier of the two, Silver Ray, starts at $400 a day in 2025.
• The convenience, all-inclusivity, and suites make  ultra-luxury cruise ships  worth their hefty cost.

Luxury cruises can be more than quadruple the cost of an average ship. But before you click away, hear me out — the higher-end vessels are worth the splurge.

The world's largest and most popular ships are beloved for their exciting, family-friendly amenities. But if you'd rather trade the VR arcades for complimentary cocktails and rock climbing walls for some time in the sauna, luxury cruises could be a great option — especially if you prioritize convenience over cash.

I attended complimentary, non-revenue sailings on ultra-luxury cruise lines Regent Seven Seas and Silversea's latest ships, Seven Seas Grandeur and Silver Ray . The latter and more expensive of the two starts at a cool $400 per person and day for a weeklong cruise in 2025.

Not cheap, compared to Carnival's equally new Firenze ship , which starts for as little as $82 per guest and day next year.

But you get what you pay for. And in the case of the cruise industry, money does, in fact, buy happiness.

If you think spending hundreds of dollars a day for a small ship sounds unreasonable, I have three good reasons you should reconsider.

Luxury cruises have some obvious and expected plus-sides, like an elegant ambiance and great food.

On Regent Seven Seas and Silversea's latest ships, mediocre lunch buffets are replaced with endless raw fish. And instead of a "main dining room" with upcharged lobsters, guests can dine on complimentary caviar and foie gras.

I love fine dining. So, it might be a surprise to hear that I don't think the free beef tenderloin is the best part about Silversea's and Regent Seven Seas' cruises.

Instead, I think the ships' convenience, all-inclusivity , and suites make them worth the cost.

1. Their convenience is unparalleled, even by industry standards.

Cruises are popular in part for their ease of travel. What other fare includes dining, activities, accommodations, and the opportunity to see several destinations in just a few days — all without needing to plan logistics like hotels and ground transportation?

But if you think mass-market cruises are easygoing, just wait until you see their luxury counterpart.

If you're willing to pay extra, you won't even have to plan your flights.

Close your Google Flight tabs. Silversea and Regent Seven Seas will book your roundtrip pre- and post-cruise airfare for you, although at a cost.

Silversea offers three pricing tiers: door-to-door, port-to-port, and an "essential fare."

The first, the most expensive option, is best for guests who want a truly all-inclusive package . It's the only one that includes flights (with the option to upgrade to Business Class), private transfers between the airport and guests' homes, and shore excursions.

But with this comes a fairly stark price difference.

One of Silver Ray's cheapest door-to-door itineraries in 2025 is a seven-day cruise from Monte Carlo, Monaco, to Rome for $6,700 per person. The same itinerary's port-to-port option, which doesn't include flights or transfers, is $1,500 cheaper.

Regent Seven Seas' cruises can also be upgraded to include the same services. However, doing so will cost an extra $1,100 per guest for Seven Seas Grandeur's most affordable seven-night roundtrip Miami cruise in 2025, which already starts at $4,200 per person.

It's worth it if convenience is your top priority.

Planning the trip and getting to the ship could be your cruise vacation's only two stressful moments.

If you're flying to the port, should you arrive the day before or just a few hours in advance? When should you call your Uber to the airport? What if you miss your desired embarkation time because you mistimed your flight?

All these logistics could add plenty of unwanted stress to an otherwise stress-free trip.

So, if you detest the pre-vacation planning routine, the airfare upgrades that make these cruises truly all-inclusive could be worth the extra cash.

2. No need to worry about onboard spending when you don't have much to spend on.

Many mass-market cruise lines are increasingly outfitting their new ships with irresistible pay-to-play amenities . Dinner at a specialty restaurant, an hour at the arcade, and a few glasses of wine later, and travelers could easily blow past their budget.

Ironically, guests on more expensive all-inclusive ships rarely face this problem.

Yes, the upfront fare is higher. But once onboard, you'll never have to reach for your wallet.

The incessant and difficult-to-resist upcharges on Carnival Firenze left me more annoyed than relaxed.

The opposite can be said for Seven Seas Grandeur and Silver Ray.

WiFi, alcohol, and access to the spa are all included in the base fare, as are almost all excursions if you opt for Silversea's door-to-door fare.

You'll have to pay extra when you're at the casino or want a spa treatment, a fancier bottle of wine, or, in the case of Silver Ray, dinner at the Chef's Table and French restaurants. Besides that, all the dining venues, bars, and activities are complimentary.

Free booze. Imagine that. There's truly no cruise vacation more relaxing than one where you can't overspend.

3. You'll never be stuck in a windowless interior cabin.

I've stayed in some dark and depressing cruise accommodations. My interior stateroom on Carnival Firenze looked like it belonged in a hospital, while my balcony cabin on Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas had the smallest bathroom I've ever seen.

You won't have to worry about cramped cabins on a luxury cruise.

Ironically, smaller high-end cruise ships seem to have more spacious accommodations than the world's largest vessels.

Even Silver Ray and Seven Seas Grandeur's cheapest cabins have balconies and sumptuous amenities like a bottle of Champagne and high-end toiletries.

My suites on both ships had spacious balconies, walk-in closets, and espresso machines.

My 332-square-foot concierge suite on Regent Seven Seas's ship was only 25 square feet bigger than the smallest option. And yet, it was one of the most spacious cabins I had ever stayed in, complete with a bathtub and L'Occitane en Provence toiletries.

Unfortunately, some of the decor looked dated for a brand-new ship . But a relaxing warm bath quickly helped me forget my design gripes.

Silver Ray's 357-square-foot Deluxe Veranda suite didn't come with fancy products.

But it did have a toiletries "menu" with Bulgari options, a separate pillow menu, a stocked mini-fridge with alcohol, and a butler.

Yes, butler. Every suite on Silver Ray has one who can help with tasks like packing your luggage, setting up a relaxing shower, and even delivering caviar.

Because if the suite itself didn't convince you that ultra-luxury cruises could be worth the price, I'm sure the hand-delivered caviar — which you can eat on your couch while wearing a comfy bathrobe— might.

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