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.
Yes! Well actually, no. My out-of-pocket cruise fare was really $49. But what can one even do with a dollar these days? Even my kid acts offended now when the tooth fairy leaves a Washington and asks out loud if she’s ever heard of inflation, so I rounded up from $49 to $50. I should also note that I had to pay an additional few hundred dollars in port fees and taxes (which can never be avoided no matter how cheap cruise fares drop).
The cruise is a 7-night Alaska itinerary round trip from Seattle on the Norwegian Encore departing on May 5 and visiting Juneau, Glacier Bay National Park, Skagway, Ward Cove (Ketchikan), and Victoria. I booked the cheapest cabin category (an inside guarantee) and was assigned an inside cabin on deck 12 forward. So, how did I score this unbelievable deal?
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 $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.
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.
You can see on the graphic above that if I had limited my search to, say, only Carnival, Princess, or Royal Caribbean, I would have missed some unbelievable deals on NCL 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.
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 purple below:
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 my recent Bliss cruise:
Essentially I paid $250 total for two $250 future cruise credits, one of which I applied to my Encore booking, saving me $250 off my cruise fare. 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!
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 2024 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 $50 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!
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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We’ve sailed on Holland America and Carnival, and both cruise lines are constantly sending us things for cheap or free cabins. We booked a 7 day New England/ Canada cruise on Holland America for $300 apiece, counting port fees and taxes. I thought that was a pretty good deal!