She cautioned travelers booking nonrefundable deposits – which they may not get back if they have to change their plans – to be certain the reservation they make will work for them. But those booking refundable deposits "have nothing to lose," she said. However, the optimal time to book may depend on when you plan to sail.
Wave Season Is the Best Time to Score Cruise Deals—Here's How - Condé Nast Traveler
Wave Season Is the Best Time to Score Cruise Deals—Here's How.
Posted: Tue, 09 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
What Cruise Lines Offer the Cheapest Rates?
If there's no best day to book a cruise for the best deal, you might think there's a best month. While you can find cheap cruises any month you look, I can give you some pointers about which months are most likely to feature cruise sales with value-added promotions. Through diligent monitoring, I’ve observed that Thursdays occasionally present notable fare drops. However, there’s no guaranteed timeframe for when deals appear, so flexibility is a boon if you’re employing this tactic to get the best deal on a cruise.
How to save money in port
13 ways to snag cruise ship suites for less - The Points Guy
13 ways to snag cruise ship suites for less.
Posted: Mon, 15 Apr 2024 15:56:15 GMT [source]
Even if you can’t book a cruise during the cheapest times of year, there are certain times you should avoid cruising if you are looking to save money. The holiday weeks of Christmas and New Year’s Eve are among the most expensive times to cruise. If you have your heart set on that holiday cruise, be prepared to pay a premium. Other times to avoid are traditional “school break” weeks, such as late February into early March and the weeks right around Easter (which tends to be in April). The middle of the summer, late June to early August, is probably the most expensive time to travel to any region. If you must travel in the summer, earlier (or later) in the season offers lower costs.
Travel
Rain is generally limited to the Southern Caribbean, including islands like Aruba. Ocean temperatures in the winter hover around a pleasant 79 degrees and average highs and lows in St. Kitts, for example, are 85 and 74 degrees, respectively. Caribbean cruises in January and February can be extremely budget friendly, with sailings available from $50 per person, per night.
However, crowds and high fares are the norm at this time of year and rain is likely, especially in August. You're likely to find discounted rates for cruises from June through November, but keep in mind that both Mexican coasts are affected by hurricanes throughout hurricane season. Cruise fares can be cheaper, though weather in the Riviera Maya and Cozumel will be oppressively humid.
This would be disastrous for the cruise lines, who want you to book as soon as possible. In fact, some lines refuse to drop prices any lower once the cruise gets within a few weeks of departure. It seems like basic logic that if a cruise were about to set sail with empty rooms, the company would slash prices to get people on the ship. After all, once a room leaves empty, it earns no money for the cruise line. Booking a cruise is a lot like booking a flight (which, you may also have to do to reach your ship). There are countless resources out there to help, ranging from travel agents to booking sites like Cruisewatch and CruiseDirect.
What About Sea Conditions in the Caribbean?
For cruise passengers, the risk of being caught in a hurricane on a ship is low. Cruise ships actively avoid storms and steer for better weather. Like airfare, cruise fares can move up and down over time (though not near as drastically). If you book a cruise and see the price drop later, you should call the cruise line and request a refund of the difference.
Similarly, the middle of January to the end of March (minus school breaks) are also considerably cheaper. Even if your cruise fare isn't dirt cheap, you can still get more value from your vacation dollars when you pay for that vacation at sea with the right card. For example, book with The Platinum Card® from American Express and its Cruise Privileges Program will get you double Membership Rewards points, onboard credit and cruise line-specific perks.
Convenient Port Canaveral “Park & Cruise” Hotels
You can often barter over the price of crafts, food or souvenirs in open-air markets, or negotiate rates for taxi tours or rides. Always be friendly and polite when haggling, and be prepared to walk if the vendor does not accept your offer. You don't need to shell out big bucks for an organized tour in every port. To keep costs down, skip the beach break tour and walk or take a bus or taxi to the beach. If your tour independently, you won't have to pay for a guide or cruise line overhead. You're getting familiar with the ship's layout, signing up for all the things and likely going to the main dining room for dinner to meet your waiters.
While you can save quite a bit sailing in the beginning of the year, you can save even more by cruising to this region during late August through early October. Again, the kids are back in school, but this time of year is also the peak of hurricane season. Given the recent technology, most ships are able to avoid storms and find the tropical weather you are looking for during your vacation.
While there are no guarantees with fare tracking — with some risks, like limited cabin availability — it is often worth the effort for those with adaptable travel plans. In both months, the weather is usually the coldest of the cruise season, with late October being especially cooler. New England can be still moderately warm during these months, but Canadian cities cool down quicker due to their latitude. May and late-October Canada and New England cruises are the cheapest times to cruise, but don't expect to be using the onboard swimming pool much. When kids are out of school, it means that more people are able to sail.
That’s when you’ll see Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals that will likely sell out well before wave season can even begin. July and August can be the most expensive months to cruise the Caribbean, but there are plenty of exceptions. Because more and more ships sail the region every year, prices can be competitive for families, couples and friends planning their summer getaway.
This chart is a great way to see the cheapest cruise months at a glance. One more thing to keep in mind is the summer months in the tropics can often mean regular afternoon thunderstorms. (For example, Nassau in The Bahamas see about nine inches of rain in August.) Late winter and early spring months are drier. If that weren’t enough to convince you to buy as early as possible, you should also consider how waiting until closer to the cruise sail date doesn’t always save money.
The final payment date is a day of reckoning for cruise salespeople. It's the last date that undecided travelers can cancel without penalty. Once final payment is due, the cruise line has a more accurate picture of who is likely to sail (since once you pay, you're likely to go, barring an emergency). Are you guaranteed to find the cheapest, most freebie-laden pricing during these months? Cruise lines sometimes inflate prices before a sale, so deals for 30% or 50% off may not be as good as you think.
As you can see, the prices for this trip are similar from one year to the next, though there is some variation across weeks. Finally, the cruise lines are simply looking to fill rooms faster so they can maximize revenue, plan berths and coordinate other logistics a little earlier in the year. Let’s take a closer look at everything you need to know to book your Caribbean cruise at the time that’s best for you. The temperature remains warm throughout most of the year, though there may be an occasional cold front during the months of November through February, but they are short lived. That being said, Norwegian Cruise Line has begun sailing there more frequently, meaning you might be able to find a good deal just about year-round.
If you're okay with slightly colder temperatures, you can usually snag a great deal around then. January and February are two of the best months to cruise the Caribbean for those who need a break from gray, wet winter weather. You'll also find the some of the most diverse cruise lengths and itineraries throughout the region in January and February. When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information. For the real procrastinators out there, the absolute last day you can book a cruise before its departure has changed over the years.
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