Budget Cruising Tips: How I Paid Under $200 for a Solo Alaska Cruise in 2025

Introduction

The purpose of this post is threefold. First, it serves as a not-so-humble brag. Second, I hope it will give renewed optimism to those who fear that bargain-basement cruise fares are a wistful memory. And third, I intend to share the secrets of how I scored such a low cruise fare with the intention that others might do the same. Because there’s nothing I love more than sharing my passion for cruising with others (except for actually cruising of course. And dessert.)!

First, the particulars.

Did you really pay under $200 (all in) for a 7-night solo cruise to Alaska in 2025?

Yes! $189 to be precise. And that price included all taxes and port fees.

The cruise is a 7-night Alaska itinerary round trip from Seattle on the Norwegian Bliss departing on May 17 and visiting Sitka, Juneau, Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier, Icy Strait Point, Ward Cove (Ketchikan), and Victoria. I booked the cheapest cabin category (an inside guarantee). So, how did I score this unbelievable deal?

How I paid under $200 (all in) for my Alaska solo cruise

I utilized four strategies. First, I searched for last minute cruises. Second, I didn’t limit myself to a particular cruise line, instead searching across every line sailing from my home port of Seattle. Third, I searched for cruises with no solo supplement. And fourth, I applied a 20% off loyalty coupon and a $250 NCL Cruise Next deposit (which I got for free by purchasing two $250 Cruise Next deposits on a prior NCL cruise) toward my fare.

How to find cheap cruises

1. Cruise last minute

You will almost never find cruises priced at under $50 per person/per day (especially for solo cruisers) unless they are last minute cruises. And by last minute that usually means within a few weeks. I used my favorite website for perusing cruise fares, vacationstogo.com. I have no affiliation with this online travel agency and almost never actually book with them, but their simple website allows for quick and easy comparison of cruise fares across every cruise line at once, making finding the best deals easier.

2. Search across cruise lines

You can see on the graphic above that if I had limited my search to, say, only Royal Caribbean or Celebrity, I would have missed some unbelievable deals on NCL, Carnival, Princess, and Holland America. I know some are “Loyal to Royal” or only “Ride with Carnival,” but you’ll often pay much higher prices by only sticking to one line, especially for Alaska.

3. Locate cruises with no or a low solo supplement

If you’re cruising solo, like I am, you’ll also want to further refine your search to those cruises with either no solo supplement or a low solo supplement. You can do that on the same website by clicking the link circled in red below:

And here’s what the results look like, filtering by lowest price to highest for solos (as you can see, there are currently three cruises to Alaska from Seattle with ZERO solo supplement):

4. Take advantage of future cruise deposits, loyalty discounts, discounted gift cards, etc.

Another way I save on cruise fares is by purchasing future cruise deposits on every one of my cruises that offer them. Here’s the deal I took advantage of on a prior Bliss cruise in April:

Essentially I paid $250 total for two $250 future cruise credits, one of which I applied to this current Bliss booking, saving me $250 off my cruise fare. I also had a 20% of coupon in my Latitude’s loyalty account (which could be applied to sailings on the Bliss, Encore, or Joy). If you have a loyalty account with any cruise line, always do a mock booking through their website to see what coupons or credits you might have available.

It’s also smart to look for discounted cruise gift cards (such as those offered through AARP) to reduce the cost of your cruise fare. You’ll note in the graphic below that you can purchase a $500 Carnival gift card for just $450. That’s an instant $50 savings if you apply it to your cruise fare! AARP offers discounts for Holland America cruises too!

Final Thoughts

Here was the final cost breakdown of my cruise:

Advertised fare: $549 (with 0 solo supplement)

Price with 20% loyalty coupon applied: $439

Final price after $250 Cruise Next certificate applied: $189

That price INCLUDED all taxes and port fees and came out to just $27 per night. I consider anything under $100 per night a fantastic deal, so this one was…phenomenal! Almost unbelievable for a solo fare to Alaska in 2025.

I know not everyone has the luxury of being able to cruise last minute, but I hope you found a few of my other tips helpful. And I hope everyone is heartened to know that, while cruise fares in 2025 are the highest I’ve ever seen them, there are still bargains to be had! You just have to know how to find them! Now excuse me while I go pack for my $189 cruise (as I’m putting items such as sneakers and jackets in my suitcase I’ll be gleefully proclaiming, “these sneakers cost more than my cruise!” “this jacket cost more than my cruise!”). And with that…

Class Dismissed!

Today’s Bonus Cruising Tip

I ALWAYS buy travel insurance to cover my cruises, but I never purchase it through a cruise line. It costs more and usually covers less than policies you purchase on your own. I go through sites like travelinsurance.com* to compare plans and prices and get the best deal for the coverage I want. Simply enter your total travel costs, dates of travel, and some basic information about yourself and compare many different plans at once. Spend less on insurance and spend more on excursions, special onboard cruise experiences and…future cruises!

Homework (10 points): Share to the comments any tips for finding great cruise deals or brag about any deals you’ve taken advantage of!

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