Caribbean Cruise Deals: Tips for Getting the Most Bang for Your Buck
Caribbean cruise deals are hard to beat. With every mainstream cruise line offering year-round itineraries throughout the Caribbean, there is an abundance of short cruises and lengthier sailings to keep sunseekers coming back for more.
But how will you know you’ve found the best Caribbean cruise deals? Your deal-scoring chances are high for finding a fun, affordable, and hassle-free vacation, but there are a few tips and tricks worth exploring. Even the savviest of budget-conscious cruisers know there are ways to trim the bottom line while seeking out those dreamy beaches and turquoise waters.
Read on for our expert breakdown of Caribbean cruises, deals and incentives, including when to sail, when to book and which embarkation port to choose. We also uncover how to decipher pricing, so you’ll know you’ve snagged the best cruise deals to Caribbean destinations.
What Kind of Caribbean Cruise Deals Can You Expect to Find?
Caribbean cruise deals are offered by every cruise line that sails in the region, from Carnival and Royal Caribbean to Disney and Virgin Voyages, and even luxury lines like Regent Seven Seas. To start narrowing your selections, though, you need to know what constitutes the best Caribbean cruises deals.
You might first explore a baseline of Caribbean cruises, deals and incentives by searching Cruise Critic’s Caribbean deals. Consider the desired length of your cruise, and whether you’d like to stick with specific cruise lines to take advantage of your loyalty programs.
With Cruise Critic’s deals search, you can also filter by desired embarkation port or filter your focus on bonus offers ranging from onboard credit, reduced deposits or free gratuities. Sort your results by price and evaluate the bottom line thanks to Cruise Critic’s deals ranking system, which ranks with an easy-to-understand score from 0 to 100. The closer to 100, the better the deal.
Once you’ve narrowed your search, you’ll be able to assess the per person nightly fare or total price of a cruise. Once you have this baseline, you’ll have a clearer idea of what average rates are -- and what a deal may look like to you.
Remember, at first glance, inside cabins are often the least expensive rooms to book, but that’s not always the case. Balcony cabins for Caribbean cruises can offer some of the best nightly price deals, considering that you get your own private outdoor space. They also make up an abundance of the overall Caribbean cabin inventory and prices can vary widely. So as you search for the best Caribbean cruise deals, keep an eye on the price point for each cabin category.
The best cruise deals to Caribbean destinations aren’t just about saving on a stateroom. Besides low base fares, Caribbean cruise deals may include perks like kids sailing free or fares inclusive of a drink package or specialty dining. Be sure to assess whether such add-ons offer true value to your bottom line. Then you’ll know whether a deal is a deal, or a distraction from your vacation budget.
Caribbean Cruise Deals: Does That Package Really Save You Money?
Whether your idea of the best Caribbean cruise deals includes perks -- like Norwegian’s Free At Sea promotion -- or you elect to purchase extras on yourself, it’s important to evaluate the total fare inclusive of packages and excursions.
Add-on packages can be deal busters if you don’t take an honest look at how many beverages you will really drink or how much internet you truly need during your cruise. The standard advice is to buy these packages in advance at a discounted rate, but you might be able to save even more by waiting until you actually need Wi-Fi onboard the ship or seeing how much you're craving those poolside drinks.
If paying out of pocket for Wi-Fi, keep in mind the availability of free Wi-Fi in port destinations, and that most cruise lines also offer Wi-Fi day passes for a flat rate once onboard.
And rather than pre-purchasing an all-inclusive drink package, consider alternatives according to your preferences. Many cruise lines offer a bottled wine package, others offer a zero proof package with tasty mocktails included, and there’s often a bottomless bubbles option for soda fans.
Many cruise lines also allow guests to bring one bottle of wine or a small selection of sodas on embarkation day. The point is to consider all your options before you commit to spending more money.
Caribbean Cruises: Deals and Hidden Costs of Ports and Excursions
The best cruise deals to Caribbean destinations may begin with choosing the right embarkation port. It’s instinctive to focus on the homeports closest to you but keep an open mind when seeking the best cruise rates. A road trip or short flight may open up better deals for your desired travel dates.
Florida cruise ports inclusive of Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Tampa tend to offer deals simply because they offer so many itineraries across the cruise lines. But don’t overlook sailing out of New Orleans or Galveston, for example, as these Gulf Coast embarkation ports may offer appealing deals.
When considering Caribbean cruise deals, remember to factor in travel costs to your embarkation port -- and whether you’ll also be booking a pre-cruise hotel stay -- to assess the final tally of your vacation budget.
In reviewing a variety of embarkation ports, you’ll also see the variety of Caribbean destinations broaden as well. Research each island for what dreamy excursions are available, or whether you can enjoy a free exploration of the town.
Cruise line private islands offer sandy beaches and relaxation, so do you need to spend money on a private island excursion? Other ports like Cozumel, Curacao, Grand Cayman and Key West offer free or low-cost activities like walking tours, museums, nature paths and beaches, so tempting Caribbean shore excursions aren’t always necessary.
Be sure to calculate each of these potential add-on costs when determining how to save money on your next cruise.
Seasonal Sales Might Offer the Best Caribbean Cruise Deals
Perhaps the best time to shop for Caribbean cruise deals is during wave season, which starts annually in January and ends in March. This is when the biggest deals tend to show up online -- and in your inbox if you subscribe to cruise loyalty program emails.
Second to wave season are Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. These seasonal deals often include value-added perks like drinks or shore excursion credits, or incentive pricing for solo cruisers.
No matter what time of year, last-minute deals are often hard to beat for the best cruise deals to Caribbean destinations. Your choice of cabins will be limited, and you may even have to swap your brand loyalty and try another cruise line, but last-minute deals in the Caribbean are often astonishing. Start looking for these deals 90 days before sailing and continue until the ship nears capacity.
Another tip for finding cheap cruise deals is to keep an eye on sailing dates between August and October. The Caribbean is affected by the Atlantic hurricane season from June through November, which can cause itinerary changes and even cruise cancellations. But, if you have insurance and are flexible about which ports you visit, this can be a great time to sail on the cheap.
There are mid-summer deals out there, but you’ll need to shop for them during wave season or use a last-minute strategy to snag them. Subscribe to the Cruise Critic newsletter to make sure you score the best cruise price every time.
Tips for Beginners: How to Find the Best Caribbean Cruises, Deals, Discounts
First off, let's start with the basics for finding Caribbean cruise deals: Put your name on several email deals lists so you never miss an opportunity, including the Cruise Critic deals list. Subscribe to email alerts with the cruise lines you are most likely to cruise with and watch your inbox.
When it comes to older versus newer ships, you can expect to pay more for something shiny and new that everyone wants to experience. If your goal is to find the best deal, look for older, smaller ships. These are generally refurbished frequently, making them just as appealing.
Scoring a deal on a holiday cruise is possible, but prices tend to soar for Christmas and New Year’s sailings. If you must cruise during the winter break, look for five-night sailings that don’t include the actual holidays themselves. And shop early: There aren’t usually many last-minute holiday cruise deals.
Look at itinerary lengths outside the norm. The highest demand is for three, seven, and 10-night cruises, so all other lengths might offer a potentially good deal. However, do the math to reveal nightly costs before you commit.
Don’t forget to apply every possible discount when you book. You may get reduced fares for your age, your occupation, military service, state of residence, or even through a membership with AARP. Look for those checkboxes before you finalize your bill (note that they are sometimes hard to find) and remember to always enter your cruise line loyalty information. Having sailed with a cruise line previously may earn you lower rates or upgrade opportunities.
Join social media groups devoted to your favorite cruise lines or spend time on the Cruise Critic message boards for money-saving tips from fellow cruisers.
Expert Advice: Scoring the Best Cruise Deals to Caribbean Destinations
Well-seasoned cruisers know there are tried and true tricks for zeroing in on the best Caribbean cruise deals. That often starts with being flexible about a cruise cabin category or its location. When you see language that boasts cruise fares “starting from,” that tends to lean toward inside cabins, lower decks, or possibly those with obstructed views.
Consider how much time you’ll actually spend inside your cabin during a sunny Caribbean cruise, and whether you need to be on the same deck you always favor. Open your options up to what’s the cheapest, and you’ll still have a great time sunning in the solarium.
Frequent cruisers also know the best deal doesn’t always lean toward the cheapest voyage. The flip side of going as cheap as possible is using Caribbean cruise deals to splurge on a dream cruise. Maybe you’ve always wanted to go on Viking Ocean, Windstar or Regent Seven Seas. While the overall cost is higher than mainstream lines like NCL and Carnival, premium lines may offer a far better value for bucket list vacations in the Caribbean than luxury cruising elsewhere in the world.
Finally, if you are an avid cruiser, don’t forget about shareholder benefits for those who own cruise line stocks. And if you like playing the stocks, chances are you also enjoy a little action in the cruise ship casino. Most cruise casinos have their own deals and incentives to offer regular players, likely making your best Caribbean cruise deals a sure bet.