7 ways to save money when booking a luxury cruise

Increasing numbers of holidaymakers are opting for a cruise to discover new places without the worry of constant airport delays.

Data from industry body the Cruise Lines International Association (Clia) shows a record 2.4 million UK passengers went on a cruise last year.

Hitting the high seas can give you access to a variety of destinations all from the comfort of a cruise ship.

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Many vessels have also become floating resorts, attracting younger passengers and families with their own bars and entertainment as well as features such as ice skating rinks, rock-climbing walls and waterparks.

With demand increasing, cruise fares are also on the rise.

If you're thinking of booking a luxury cruise for your next holiday, you can expect to spend around 43% more than you would have back in 2019, according to Tripadvisor-owned site Cruise Critic.

The average luxury cruise costs, on average, around £3,000 per person for a seven night Caribbean cruise, according to Cruise Critic, while a week aboard the world’s largest cruise ship Icon of The Seas could cost around £1,200 per person this summer.

You could end up paying a lot more depending on the cabin type, if it is all-inclusive and the flights to your departure port, if required.

While there are many ways to keep holiday costs low, such as by using the best credit cards when travelling abroad and bagging the best travel insurance deals, these top tips may help you slash the cost of your next holiday at sea without compromising on luxury.

6 ways to save money when booking a cruise

Here’s how to slash the costs of luxury at sea.

1. Use reward credit cards

Just like using the best debit and credit cards to collect air miles, you can also get cruise rewards. The selection isn’t as vast but here are a couple to consider.

Amex Platinum Card

The American Express (Amex) Platinum card offers up to $300 in ‘onboard credit’ when you book with one of its cruise partners: Amawaterways, Oceania, Regent Seven Seas Cruises or Holland America Line.

They all differentiate in how the discount is applied. For example, Regent Seven Seas Cruises offers $300 onboard credit excluding the casino, and Oceania includes the same, plus access to its premium wine-tasting event and a bottle of wine from its tasting menu.

Here’s what you need to know about the Amex Platinum card:

• Here’s what you need to know about the Amex Platinum card:
  • Annual fee – £650
  • Representative APR – 694.9% (variable)
  • Get one point for every £1 spent
  • Perks include access to more than 1,400 airport lounges, worldwide travel insurance and hotel benefits
  • Welcome offer: earn 80,000 points if you spend £10,000 in the first six months of your membership

To redeem any cruise offers, you will need to book through the Platinum Travel & Dining Concierge. You can call them on 0800 817 8054.

Virgin credit card

Virgin has its own cruise line, Virgin Voyages. With both of the Virgin Atlantic credit cards (Reward and Reward Plus), you can earn Virgin points and use them towards your next cruise. You will need to spend a minimum of 305,000 Virgin points to put towards a cruise, saving you around £320.

Here’s how the Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card works:

• No fee
• Representative APR – 26.9% (variable)
• Get 0.75 Virgin Points for every £1 spent on everyday spending. Get 1.5 points for every £1 when spending with Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Holidays.
• Benefit from flight upgrades and other perks when you spend £20,000 in a year.
• Welcome offer: earn 3,000 in Virgin Points when you use the credit card within 90 days of your membership.

The Virgin Reward Plus Credit Card has a lot more perks, but at a cost:

• £160 annual fee
• Representative APR – 69.7% (variable)
• Get 1.5 Virgin Points for every £1 spent on everyday spending. Get 3 points for every £1 when spending with Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Holidays.
• Welcome offer: earn a bonus 18,000 points when you use the credit card within 90 days of your membership.

These credit cards might only suit those who travel regularly, as they are pricey, but the cards do come with a host of other travel perks, too. They would only make sense if you take full advantage of them. If you don’t travel as often or already have another travel credit card, the Virgin Reward Credit Card doesn’t cost anything. You should also consider when you’re looking to book a cruise, as it could take a while to rake in enough points on these cards for a worthwhile saving.

2. Best time to book a cruise 

Speaking of timing, the standard travel tip applies for cruises, too – avoid peak travel times such as school holidays and summer. Tony Andrews, managing director of cruise.co.uk says the best months to set sail are February, October and November.

Where you can probably bag a better discount is how far in advance you book. Andrews says: “If you have your heart set on a specific ship, itinerary or cabin, then booking early will give you a higher chance to obtain lower prices. In fact, early bird prices can be up to 50% less.”

3. Get deal ready

Sign up for newsletters from your favourite cruise brands so you can be notified when there is a sale or special offers.

It was worth looking for deals at the start of the year when the industry offers discounts during what is known as the “wave season.” This period usually runs between January and March and cruise brands will offer discounted fares or extras such as onboard credit to tempt passengers onboard during the quieter months or to just ensure they have cabins booked for the year ahead.

There may also be discounts available during popular sale periods such as Black Friday or Cyber Monday.

4. Book activities in advance – or explore yourself 

The great thing about going on a cruise is you get to see more than one place. But, if you’re not careful, you could spend more money than you intended. When you stop off at different ports, you’re going to want to explore.or example, a five-night Western Caribbean Cruise by Caribbean Cruises starts in Miami, Florida, and stops at Haiti and Jamaica. As you can imagine, the longer you go, the more destinations you will see – two more nights on the Western Caribbean Cruise adds Bahamas to the itinerary.

The cruise lines might push you to book their excursions for each port. Not only will this be pricey, but probably exhausting too. There’s nothing to say you can’t go off and explore yourself – and this comes at no extra cost. Plus, if you are going on a Caribbean cruise, you might just want to relax on the beaches. So, if you fancy it, it’s worth considering a couple of excursions, but you can save money by doing your own thing.

Alternatively, if you think you will want to go on most, if not all guided tours, Andrews advises you book a cruise and tour package together. “Booking everything at once – including flights, transfers, hotel stays and guided tours – is often better value than buying all the elements individually,” he adds.

5. Do you need a drinks package?

Most cruise lines will provide water for free as well as juices for breakfast and tea and coffee throughout the day.

But you may have to pay extra for anything else.

This can soon add up, especially on American ships where bar staff can add a service charge.

You could save money by purchasing a drinks package, which can give you access to alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks throughout your sailing.

A drinks package can also be pricey though so it is worth looking up the drinks menu online to work out how much you would end up spending and whether it is worth paying as you go.

6. Best apps and websites for cruise deals  

Doing your research and hunting for the best deal does pay off. Here are some of the top sites and apps to look at.

Seascanner

If you’re familiar with Skyscanner (deals on flights), Seascanner is the equivalent for cruises. The site lets you filter your cruise by destination, date, duration of stay and where you would like your cabin located. If you’re not sure about your choice of destination or any of the other big details, you have the option of selecting what type of cruise you want, for example all inclusive, family cruise or even last-minute cruises. You can see ships based on the cruise line you have in mind, including Celebrity Cruises, Holland America Line and Princess Cruises.

It’s always worth looking at the deals page on the site, which has a number of special discounts with codes and cruise line offers. At the time of writing, you can book an MSC Cruise with a £1 deposit, and Princess Cruises is offering up to £400 per person for onboard spending (subject to terms and conditions). Seascanner also has a special page called ‘Seascanner Super Six’. This is a collection of six hand-picked cruises each week by the site, which they think offer the best deals.

My Kind of Cruise

My Kind of Cruise is an app and website showcasing all of the top deals if you want to holiday at sea. It has deals of the week and deals arranged by cruise lines. These include offers on Virgin Voyages, Royal Caribbean, P&O, Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises. The best thing to do is download the app and make an account – that way you are notified in real time and can bag an offer you like quickly.

7. Go for a repositioning cruise

A repositioning cruise is when a ship moves around as the seasons change. For example, a ship might stay in the Mediterranean in the summer and then set sail to the Caribbean for the winter months. Andrews says: “When a ship sails from one area to the next, in preparation for the new season, these ‘repositioning’ cruises are still open to book. They will feature a majority of sea days rather than calling at different destinations, but they’re available at a reduced cost.”

A few repositioning trips offered by Celebrity Cruises include Barcelona to Florida, Lisbon to Florida and Sydney to Hawaii. These depart as early as October 2025. But you’ll have to move quickly on these as most of the basic cabin options are already sold out.