How to Get your Best Deal on a Cruise! – Post-Covid

Quite a few things changed in the cruise industry since the cruise industry resumed activities after the Covid-19 shutdown. We have booked or sailed on 25 cruises since September 2021. Yes, that is a little crazy, but we enjoy the ships, the people, the activities, and the adventure. If you know me, then you know that I am cheap…not thrifty,,,,down right cheap! I like nice trips….. and I like the trips better if I get them at a price where its more expensive to stay home. Below are a few examples of the cruises we have booked and the prices we paid for two including all taxes and fees (tips are extra and run $29/day):

Navigator of the Seas
  1. RCL Quantum of the Seas, Sept 12, 2022 for 7 nights in Alaska: $1,409.38 Inside cabin with a Virtual Balcony – $146 On Board Credit (OBC)
  2. RCL Symphony of the Seas, Sept 24, 2022 for 7 nights in the Caribbean: $1,364.18 Balcony Cabin – $400 OBC and a specialty dinner
  3. RCL Brilliance of the Seas, Nov 5, 2022 for 15 nights, Transatlantic Rome to Tampa: $1,736.24 Balcony Cabin – $650 OBC
  4. RCL Odyssey of the Seas, Apr 22, 2023 for 14 nights, Transatlantic Ft Lauderdale to Rome: $1,445.62 Inside Cabin – $550 OBC
No caption needed!

As you can see, we are paying $50 – S100 per person per day. Not bad, since this includes the room, all food, entertainment and travel. Also, we like to sail with Royal Caribbean, since we have sailed with them enough, that they give us 5 free drinks a day and a slew of other perks, including free laundry. You can get similar deals (maybe even better) on other lines, as long as you do your homework and follow some simple guidelines. Below are some ideas on how you can get great prices on cruises as well. However, I am always open to ideas, so please comment and share your thoughts:

Bumper Cars on the Odyssey of the Seas
  1. Pick the right travel agent! Post Covid, we have seen almost no price difference between the the cruise line and the travel agency’s rates. However, some agencies still have group rates with the Cruise Lines and also offer good additional perks. Get quotes from several agencies before booking if possible. We have found that the best agencies to book cruises through are:
    • Crucon: Usually, has the best perks plus $50 loyalty credit! They usually have good sales around any Holiday. As an example, a recent special included 10% of the cruise price back as OBC, Complimentary Tips, an extra $100 OBC and a free Specialty Dinner (example was for a Balcony on an RCL Oasis Class Ship). On the down side, they are not open on the weekends or evenings, and Customer Service is inaccessible except via email. www.crucon.com
    • Vacationstogo: This is the world’s biggest cruise wholesaler and there web site is easy to search. This is where we get most of our cruise ideas and initial prices. The perks aren’t as good as Crucon but they are easy to contact and work with. You must call to book a cruise with them and often you can get a slightly better deal when you are talking with an agent. They have very good customer service and book with almost every Cruise line….including MSC (Crucon does not sell MSC Cruises).www.vacationstogo.com
    • Online Vacation Center and I-Cruise: These are two other good agencies to get quotes for cruises and we infrequently will book a cruise through them. Online Vacation Center specializes in package deals including airfare and strong customer service. I-Cruise has a great cruise search engine and posts best cruise ship deck plans that we have found.www.onlinevacationcenter.com, www.icruise.com
    • CruseCompete: CruiseCompete is a nice option if you know the cruise you are interested in and are ready to book. Recently, we wanted to book a MSC Cruise and Vacationstogo wasn’t offering any OBC. We posted the cruise on CruiseCompete and received three offers. All the cruise prices were the same, but one Agency offered us $150 OBC for booking a balcony cabin. Definitely worth checking out! www.cruisecompete.com
    • Other Agents: Several people like Cosco but we have not tried them. Many people just book directly with the Cruise line and sometimes this isn’t a bad option (but usually you can do better).
Voyager of the Seas
  1. Don’t Pick the Wrong Travel Agent! Here are the companies we don’t use: Cruises.com, AAA, or local travel agencies. Basically, any agent who charges a fee! I particularly dislike cruises.com. They add a $50 booking fee into their price that is well well disguised. However, if you are married to a travel agent or have some other close relationship, you may feel differently.
  2. Check for discounts: State Residents, teachers, military members past and present, firefighters, medical personnel and others often can get an extra discount from the cruise lines….just ask.
  3. Book while on board for a future cruise: Typically, you can get additional OBC and a reduced deposit if you book on Board. Also, most cruise lines allow you to transfer these bookings to your travel agent to take advantage of their additional benefits. Also, book your next cruise the day you board, if possible. If you do, you will often get extra perks like a bottle of sparkling wine.
  4. Check to see if there are any casino specials: I have written a separate article on earning free cruises by playing in the casino … check it out!
  5. Check out the family of MyVegas Slot Games on your phone: RCL and MSC Cruise lines have awards posted that you can claim by playing free video slot games. There are actually six different games that you can play for free; MyVegas Slots, MyVegas Blackjack, MyVegas Bingo, MyKonami Slots, POP Slots and MGM Live. These games are all affiliated and you can earn loyalty points which can be exchanged for cruise discounts, OBC or even free cruises as well as hundreds of other discounts and free casino rooms.
  6. Invest in the cruise lines: If you own 100 shares of RCL, Carnival or NCL you can get additional OBC. At the time I was writing this, the share price of RCL was $43, CCL was $11and NCL was $14. So for $1,100 to $4,300 you can make an investment that will give you additional OBC. Each cruise line has instructions for requesting the credit and once it is awarded, nothing prevents you from selling the stock.
  7. Cruise Line Credit Cards: Don’t waste your time! Each cruise line has its own branded credit card that usually gives you a $100 credit for signing up, 2% back on cruise line charges and 1% on everything else. You can get much more from your credit cards as cash…which you can use for cruises or anything else you want. Check Doctorofcredit or NerdWallet for ideas. We get 3.5% back on all travel charges and 2.6% on everything else in cash.
  8. After booking; Check the price frequently: If the price drops, you can get the lower price or additional OBC if you notify your Agent or the cruise line. I keep a spreadsheet and recheck the prices every couple of months and always a few weeks before the cruise.
MyVegas Family of Games
Crazy Carla, cruises free.

This is the best advice I have for getting your cruise as cheap as cheap as possible! And, I do like cheap….anyone up for Taco Bell?

Cruise on Ducks!