BEST Cruise Deals 2024 + 2025: Cheap & Discount Cruises

Table Of Content

• Night U. S. Pacific Coast CruiseDetails
• Seabourn Quest
• Best cruise line for budget travelers
• Royal Caribbean

When shopping for a cheap cruise, you’ll notice that there are low “headline” fares mentioned. So a 7-day cruise might go for $559, but the total cost is much higher — often three times as high — by the time you actually buy the trip. Of course, with the health crisis that’s changed a bit, but cruise lines have largely made it a point to keep pricing steady as the sail date nears. After all, if a cruise always dropped prices right before the trip, then it would train passengers to wait to book for better deals. As you might expect, filling a ship that starts in one port and ends in another — especially on a lengthy trip like across the Atlantic — can be tougher. If you want to find the cheapest cruise, then it makes sense that you want to search across all the cruise lines.

Night U. S. Pacific Coast CruiseDetails

Cruise lines where kids sail free - The Points Guy

Cruise lines where kids sail free.

Posted: Fri, 29 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

With savvy strategies, you can even find extremely affordable sailings on more upscale cruise lines, as well as the mainstream ships. Royal Caribbean also offers deals based on departure ports and destinations, so if you’re a flexible traveler looking for great savings, you can plan your next vacation around which itineraries are on sale. Just check your email or visit RoyalCaribbean.com/cruise-deals to stay up to date on promotions, sales and special offers. You can even browse sailings and deals by homeport, destination and season, so you can rest assured you’re getting the best possible deal no matter when or where in the world you choose to set sai.

Seabourn Quest

Its latest ship, the Icon of the Seas, which is set to begin sailing in January 2024, will be the world’s largest cruise ship. Carnival Cruise Line—known as one of the most affordable cruise lines—was founded in 1972 and now carries millions of guests every year aboard its 24 ships. It sails to Alaska, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada and New England, the Caribbean, Europe, Greenland, Hawaii, Mexico, Panama Canal, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific. These low prices are partly caused by the general lack of travel between Labor Day and Christmas but also are a result of hurricane season in the Atlantic/Caribbean. MSC Cruises is one of the cheapest cruise lines if you want to take a 7-day sailing to the Caribbean. Finding a cruise for just about $200 per person per day is possible.

Best cruise line for budget travelers

NCL cruises aren’t the cheapest, but they’re far from the most expensive when compared to luxury cruise lines too. It’s the short breaks that tend to drive the average prices up, although once you look beyond the cheapest fares you’ll see that the newest ships are also a bit more costly. You won't find entire seasons of one- or two-night sailings, but these every-so-often cruises make great short getaways that won't break the bank.

There are plenty of ways to get more bang for your buck when you sail on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Every ship in the fleet offers a range of delicious complimentary dining options, but you can dig into even more crave-worthy flavor by purchasing a Specialty Dining Package for less ahead of your cruise. Add a Specialty Beverage Package — which includes unlimited alcoholic beverages, soda, and more — and your experience is as close to all-inclusive as it gets. And with so many complimentary shows and attractions onboard, you can easily fill every sea day without spending a single dollar extra. Even though the lowest tier has some restrictions, it still offers an enjoyable and memorable experience for your entire crew.

Night Tahiti CruiseDetails

18 Most Affordable Cruises For 2023, Ranked By Cost - TheTravel

18 Most Affordable Cruises For 2023, Ranked By Cost.

Posted: Fri, 08 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

They just might not have the space and amenities seen on larger, newer vessels. For any cruises listed, Cruise Critic does not guarantee any specific rates or prices. You only unpack once, yet you wake up in a new country or island every morning. You also never have to worry about where to eat, there are nonstop activities onboard that keep everyone entertained—and most everything is included in the price. So you don’t have to worry much about overspending once you’re on board if you book on one of the most affordable cruise lines.

Best cruise line for LGBTQ+ travelers

After all, going to a cruise line’s website first and searching there limits you to only their trips. Even so, there are definitely some cruises that offer a lot better pricing and value than others. If you’re wanting to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a cruise, that’s possible. But it’s also possible to get by spending hundreds on the cheapest cruises… if you know where to look. Royal Caribbean offers itineraries to 240 destinations in 61 countries on six continents, including Royal Caribbean’s private island destination in The Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay. The innovative brand is known for many firsts at sea, including an ice-skating rink, bumper cars, zip-line, rock climbing wall, robotic bartenders and the Flowrider surf simulator.

In the worst-case scenario, you end up in the category you booked; in the best case, you get your dream cabin. Since you still can't choose your specific cabin, you could end up in a noisy or otherwise undesirable area of the ship — even if the room is technically an upgrade from what you booked. For example, that great view you think you snagged may end up being blocked by lifeboats. Your best course is always to book the nicest cabin you can afford. Here are some tricks to scoring a free or discounted cruise ship cabin upgrade and landing better cruise rooms without breaking the bank. Staterooms are eye-opening as well, featuring transformational cabin beds that allow guests (referred to as “Sailors”) to customize their space.

If there is a cancellation or price change, we like knowing that we can contact the cruise line directly. Furthermore, Cruise Critic makes no guarantees for availability of prices advertised on our site. Listed prices may have blackout dates, qualifications or restrictions. So how do you know whether or not a cruise deal is worth your hard-earned cash? Cruise Critic's Deal Score is a data-based tool that measures inclusions and extras with itinerary length and nightly fare discounts to help you understand how much of a deal you're actually getting. So stop moping and start shopping -- there are plenty of affordable cruise vacations if you know where to look.

This blog helps over a million people to plan their cruises each month. Tips aren’t completely mandatory but you really should pay them. Cruise lines will add them to your account automatically, and if you don’t want to pay them then you need to speak to Guest Services to have them removed.

With Carnival Cruise Line, it’s possible to get tickets for as little as $200. With the cheaper tickets, you may end up needing to purchase more onboard. However, there are plenty of free amenities on every Carnival ship, such as shows and entertainment, a fitness center, pools, slides, youth programs, buffet dining, pizza, and ice cream. To try your luck, you'll want to ask about an upgrade at guest services. Since the crew there will spend embarkation day fielding many questions and complaints from grumpy, travel-weary cruisers, your best bet may be to head to your assigned cabin. Then, wait until the second day of your cruise to ask for an upgrade.

Head to Las Vegas and drop a boatload of cash and don’t be surprised if you get a comped room. Most ships used to cruise the Mediterranean in fall and return only in the spring. Now, more ships are staying into November and returning in March; a few lines, like Costa and MSC Cruises, even stick out the winter in European waters. These online programs are basically silent auctions that only select cruisers (preference is given to loyalty club members) are invited to join.

CocoCay has set the bar in cruise line private islands and can’t be missed. Spending slightly more than $200 per person can give you a few more choices – including slightly longer voyages, and visits to different destinations. Here’s a list of some of the great options you can find in the $200-$300 per person range. I’ve already mentioned these briefly, but the two most common additions are for port fees and taxes, and for gratuities. Princess Cruises is considered a slightly more premium cruise line by some, though it is still cheaper than many other cruise lines targeted at a mainstream audience. It’s not just about the advertised price, but also any other fees you have to pay – port taxes, gratuities, and so on.

21 Secret Codes On Cruise Ships Explained

Table Of Content

• Travel tool
• (great) Mother’s Day gifts
• Code Words You Never Want to Hear on Cruise Ships
• Echo
• What Does Echo Mean on a Cruise Ship?

What I wanted to ask what are the meanings of the different Alert Codes we hear on the ship. The numbered codes are nothing to be alarmed about, and simply refer to cleaning jobs. On a lighter note, a few years ago flight attendant Charlotte Southcott revealed to Telegraph Travel some of the curious lingo used by cabin crew at 35,000ft. You might also hear one of these other coded announcements on your next cruise or ferry trip (but hopefully not). We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. When had a Code ALPHA on one cruise in the middle of the night as well.

Travel tool

If you’ve ever been on a cruise, you may have heard the captain communicating with the crew using codes, and you might wonder what they mean. The announcement “Operation Bright Star” signals a medical emergency (“Code Blue” is an alternative); “Operation Rising Star” means a passenger has passed away. Doris Visits is just a little hobby, and a way of helping people research ports and ships. It is our way of giving back as we are on the ships between 6 and 12 times a year as Guest Lecturers.

(great) Mother’s Day gifts

A Code Alpha on a cruise ship refers to a medical emergency situation onboard that requires immediate attention and response from the ship’s medical team. It is the highest level of emergency code, indicating a potentially life-threatening situation. The term “Code Alpha” is often used to communicate such emergencies within the crew and medical staff, enabling them to respond swiftly and effectively.

Code Words You Never Want to Hear on Cruise Ships

With those terms memorized, hearing “code Alpha,” “code Oscar” or “Bravo, Bravo, Bravo” on a ship won’t cause confusion. Now it’s time to sit back, relax and hope you don’t hear them as crew members pass by your lounge chair. And if you’re still looking for a ship to sail on, browse the best cruises as selected by a traveler who’s taken more than 145 of them.

Sierra/Sierra Team

Cruise Ship Heist was action-packed, suffused with danger, murder, and unpredictability. This was one of those stories that would stay with you for a while, as it delivered mystery and intrigue. The book was fun to read; there was no dull moment, and the entire experience was a rollercoaster ride. It was professionally edited, and I disliked nothing in it. Cruise Ship Heist would be appreciated by lovers of mystery and thrillers.

Cruise ships use a system of emergency codes to swiftly communicate different situations to the crew and staff. Other codes may exist for different types of emergencies, such as fire or security issues. In Cruise Ship Heist by Stuart St Paul, Commander Kieron Philips, a retired military man, was headed to a cruise ship en route to the Panama Canals as a commentator. It was an excellent opportunity for him to see his daughter, Auli'I, a dancer on the ship. At the Airport, Kieron observed many strange things that he couldn't explain. Getting to the ship, he found himself millions of dollars richer, and there was no end to the strange occurrences that only seemed to get more suspicious.

Charlie, Charlie, Charlie

Cruise workers use code words to communicate on board — here are 35 of the secret terms - Yahoo News Canada

Cruise workers use code words to communicate on board — here are 35 of the secret terms.

Posted: Thu, 09 Feb 2023 18:21:43 GMT [source]

He was the guy you wanted in your corner when things got ugly because he wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty. His character stood out because of his keen eye for foul play, bravery, and kindness. More so, the author gave a lot of insight into Kieron's thoughts and the complicated mental process of solving the mystery that lived on the cruise ship. Another impressive character was Hunter Witowski, the cruise ship's head of security. He was one character I didn't expect to like, but he became one of my favorites.The characters' dialogues were exciting. It was fun to see the wordplay between the characters, especially with Kieron and his sometimes funny attempts to keep his 'secrets' secret.

In addition to distress signals like Mayday and pan-pan, most vessels, especially passenger ships, use some emergency signals to alert the crew on board. Signals can be in the form of blasts on alarm bells, sounds on the ship's whistle or code names paged over the PA system. If you hear a code alpha on a cruise ship, there is a medical emergency onboard.

What Does Echo Mean on a Cruise Ship?

This code may not be used across many cruise lines to indicate an extreme flooding incident onboard. “PVI” is short for “Public Vomiting Incident.” As you might have guessed, this secret code relates to incidents requiring quick clean-up, usually when someone has thrown up. As soon as they hear this, the crew will take action to correct the ship’s direction, especially if there’s a risk of collision.

The two main characters start the agency CSCI and the series progresses with new characters joining the team. Code 7 is one of the few codes meant for crew and passengers. If you hear a Code 7, it means that everyone aboard the ship must report to their muster stations. Muster stations are emergency meeting points, and you will be briefed on the process on your first day on the ship. On a Carnival or Disney Cruise Line, Operation Brightstar is a code used to designate a medical emergency. This is only a code that can be used by a member of the medical team to indicate that someone is suffering from an urgent medical emergency, such as cardiac arrest.

Unlike the flags or the horn blasts that vessels use to signal to one another, there is no international standard for these alarm codes. Each cruise line uses its own set of codes, since the purpose to the code is to transmit information on a need-to-know basis. Despite that, cruise passengers usually have a way of figuring out what a particular code means on a particular cruise line. Code pink means an infant under one year old is suspected to be missing.

Some cruise lines will use “Operation Bright Star” in this scenario. However, there’s also “Code Yellow,” which is often used when there’s a spread of illness on the ship, but it isn’t as serious. Soon enough, that announcement will be followed by confining all the affected passengers to their quarters to keep the illness from spreading further. When the captain or a crew member says it, it’s like an announcement for other crew members to take the right measurements to help whoever’s in trouble.

Again, if you happen to hear it on your cruise vacation, the best course of action is to keep your composure and listen for any important instructions. Another code that might sound strange is “Code Sierra” because it gives no clue what’s happening. Well, now we know that it refers to a type of medical emergency that requires a stretcher. Some other cruise companies have their own version of “Alpha,” and an example is Oceania Cruises. The cruise line uses “Code Mike” instead for a medical emergency.

This code means that the captain needs all crew to their emergency posts, and this may occur if there needs to be an emergency evacuation. If you hear this code, pay attention to what’s happening around you and find your travel companions, as you may be asked to evacuate soon. It’s important to note that different cruise lines may use different codes for certain emergencies. For instance, Alpha Alpha Alpha is the code for a medical emergency on Royal Caribbean Cruise Ships. Fire is the biggest threat to a cruise ship and one no cruise captain ever wants to hear or have to alert the crew about. Remember, if you ever witness a Code Alpha or any other medical emergency on a cruise ship, promptly seek assistance from the ship’s crew and follow their instructions.

The security team is quick to break up fights, and may place the offending passengers in the cruise ship jail. Typically, using that call means that there’s a medical emergency on the ship. The Code Alpha lets crew members know that someone needs medical help without causing panic.