How to get a free or cheap cruise ship cabin upgrade

Table Of Content

• Comparing cruise prices across websites
• Starting Your Search for a Cruise
• Visiting Lovely Loch Ness on Scotland Vacations Royal Caribbean Cruises
• The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
• Booking Through Specialized Cruise-Travel Websites
• GREAT CRUISES NEAR ME
• Caribbean
• Best Restaurants on Spectrum of the Seas

Friends and family (or even people online) might have someone they recommend that can help you find the right cruise. If you don’t care or know which cruise line you want to sail, then start with one of these sites. Wanting to take a cruise, but feeling overwhelmed with actually booking the trip? We are a team of global travelers and cruise enthusiasts with several combined decades of experience in providing world-class luxury travel to our clients. Download or print our digital brochure for even more information on itineraries, ships, adventures and how to book. Get inspiration for your next mother-daughter day onboard.

Comparing cruise prices across websites

Make the most out of your adventure by adding exciting shore excursions and deluxe drink packages. Be sure to also review packing tips and essential documents for seamless onboarding. Are you sailing with your significant other, your family, a group of friends or traveling solo? Browse our sailing options to find the perfect adventure for you. 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.

Starting Your Search for a Cruise

In other words, you can book your spot on the ship completely online at any time of the day. If possible, it’s best to book with a deposit and then pay off your cruise as slow as allowed. If you buy a cruise and the price drops, then you can often (though not always) give the cruise line a call and get the fare adjusted. The price difference is either refunded to you or sometimes given as onboard credit. While the classic cruise is a 7-day trip, today you can sail on anything from a three-night getaway to a 180-day around-the-world cruise. The number of options provide another variable in finding the perfect cruise to book as the length of trip has a major impact on your sailing.

Visiting Lovely Loch Ness on Scotland Vacations Royal Caribbean Cruises

For instance, one recent search promoted free gratuities on trips booked through the site, but we couldn’t find any mention of this once we actually started the booking process. Digging further, the incentive applied only to certain cruises, despite being heavily promoted. Every major cruise line allows you to book online and do everything from find a cruise to make upgrades, buy extras like drink packages, and pay for the trip.

The Northeast is a must-visit destination for travelers who love food, culture, history and the outdoors. Don't know the differences between the Caribbean islands? Here's how to choose between eastern vs. western Caribbean cruise itineraries for your dream vacation. When you're planning a weekend away, packing is incredibly important. If you're wondering what to wear on a cruise, this guide has you covered. On our family Alaska cruise, we created lifetime memories by sharing glacier spotting, dog sledding, flightseeing and other adventures with our teens.

3 ways to book a cheap Royal Caribbean cruise - TheStreet

3 ways to book a cheap Royal Caribbean cruise.

Posted: Sun, 31 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Which Deck to ChooseModern cruise ships can be up to 20 decks tall. As a general rule of thumb, we suggest that the higher the deck, the better — especially if you have a balcony cabin where high decks can give you a better view. Cruise line websites will offer sailings only from that specific line, narrowing down your choices. Each site will also have filters that you can use to trim the list of available cruises, including departure date, port, length of cruise, and more. Ease in and out of your next cruise with transportation to and from your ship.

Another consideration is to use port days to spend more time on the ship. Leppert notes that onboard amenities like pools, buffets and waterslides are less crowded when most people are ashore. If a particular destination doesn’t appeal to you (or perhaps you have been many times before), it’s ok to enjoy the ship instead.

Caribbean

Disney Cruise Line is an obvious place to start for families, but it has a surprising number of activities and experiences for adults, too, including adults-only areas on board. Still, this isn’t the line for an adult-only vacation unless you’re a hard-core Disney fan. If something goes wrong, an agent can help rectify the situation faster than you may be able to if you go it alone. Most make their money via commissions from the cruise lines. Leppert calls it “the best of the best” advice to go with a travel advisor.

Best Restaurants on Spectrum of the Seas

Special deals and repeat traveler discounts can also affect the overall cost. Leppert highlights Wave Season (January through March) for booking a future cruise since this is when cruise lines typically announce their best deals although last-minute bargains always pop up. Like Spencer Brown, he says that demand is outpacing inventory so it is best to book as soon as possible. For example, we found a cruise offering a $45 Costco Cash Card for booking the cheapest stateroom for just $409. In other words, that deal is like getting 11% off the price of your cruise. The cash increases substantially with upgraded cabins.

However, if there is a reason where you need to change your booking or get a refund, then it could be a little more complicated than booking directly through the cruise line. However, not everyone wants to sail on an older ship or has the flexibility on when they sail. We suggest seeing our 10 Rules for Getting a Cruise Deal for more on how to sail while also saving your money.

Traveling with a group of friends or family, celebrating a special occasion, or looking to extend your stay in one of your favorite departure or arrival ports? All the information you need on how to plan your cruise is right here. 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. American Airlines AAdvantage members can earn airline miles when booking cruises at BookAACruises.com.

These include rooms with different designs than the rest of the ship and perks offered like exclusive areas  that only those staying in high-end suites can visit. Many travelers enjoy, for example, taking repositioning cruises. These happen typically as the seasons change and cruise lines move their ships from one region to another (between the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, for example). Sometimes, these cruises visit islands that are rarely frequented making them more expensive.

The site also acts as a metasearch for cruise deals, pulling in prices from multiple cruise websites. Your travel adviser can also steer you toward specific cruise lines or sailings where you stand a better chance of an upgrade. Also, your agency could have access to special group rates, meaning you'll pay a discounted price for that upgraded cabin you desire. Sloan agrees and says people book cruises much further in advance than a hotel or flight, which means that inventory can get gobbled up quickly. Many cruise lines open up their reservation window as far as two years in advance, which means certain cabins can get snatched up.

If the incentive isn’t that strong or you don’t want to go through a third-party to your reservation, then booking directly through the cruise line is your best bet. In addition, these sites feature their phone number prominently for those who wish to talk to a person about their reservation. You don’t always find that with the large aggregation websites. Their staff are also focused on cruises, giving you someone who knows what they are talking about compared to someone with more general travel knowledge.