There is nothing better than finding a great deal on a cruise, especially a cruise fare that starts in the double digits.
Not only does a low price allow me to cruise more often, but I'm also able to budget more on the extras that matter to me. While I’ve seen prices for short cruises in the $100’s, we recently spotted the deal of the year: a $99, 3-night cruise on Liberty of the Seas.
This was Liberty’s first sailing out of her new home port, Fort Lauderdale, FL. She had previously been in Galveston, TX since 2015. She dropped her last guests off in Galveston on October 30, and then made the 2 day trek to Fort Lauderdale to set sail again on November 1.
After going on my first 3-night cruise this summer, I knew that this would be a perfect getaway. While normally a cruise priced this low would keep my expectations relatively low as well - that was not the case here. I sailed on Liberty in 2019, and knew that it was a great ship with the perfect amount of onboard activities.
For this cruise, I was sailing with my mom who had only ever been on Oasis of the Seas for our wedding, and she found that to be too overwhelming. I knew that she would love a Freedom class ship, and was excited to show her around.
How I found a $99 Cruise Fare
Just like flights, cruise prices are constantly changing. They can vary by length, destinations, occupancy and current promotions.
If you have the flexibility to go on last minute cruises, some of the best prices you'll find are the Going, Going, Gone rates. These deals are sent out weekly to Royal Caribbean's travel agent partners, and are only available for a short period of time, or until it sells out.
In early October, the weekly Going, Going, Gone flyer had dozens of sailings listed, but this 3-night cruise from Fort Lauderdale was one of the lowest rates, with only a 2-night Freedom of the Seas cruise coming in lower at $89. For $10 more, who doesn't want an extra night?
We knew we had to act quickly, so we confirmed that we could make these dates work, and contacted our travel agent to secure the booking!
Cruise Planner Purchases
With the cost of the cruise being so low, we were able to splurge on some extras that we could enjoy.
We purchased the Unlimited Dining package during a cruise planner sale. We always enjoy the offerings in the Main Dining Room, but I wanted my mom to experience the other options onboard.
When going to purchase my internet package, which luckily was serviced by Starlink, I noticed that The Key was only $2 more per day than Voom Surf and Stream. Having never tried The Key, but reading Jenna’s recent review on her experience with it, I figured why not try it! It was nice to have priority boarding in the terminal, as well as being able to avoid the Windjammer for lunch on the first day.
We also decided to purchase Royal Caribbean's drink package, as it’s nice not to have to worry about how much you’re spending once you’re onboard.
I’ve also been able to try a variety of new drinks when having the package, since it is reassuring that if I don’t like the drink I’m not out $15.
Stateroom
We booked a month before the cruise was set to sail, and there were still plenty of staterooms available in all categories. The $99 price tag was for a Guarantee Interior stateroom, and was the per person price.
About two weeks before boarding, we were assigned our interior stateroom on deck 2. Around this time we got an email for a chance to bid on a RoyalUp offer. Our offers ranged from $10 - $130 per person, for a Spacious Interior Stateroom to an Ocean View Balcony.
I have made Royal Up bids before, without success, though most of those sailings were at or near capacity. We realized that this sailing still had staterooms available in every category at this point, and we decided to bid the minimum ($30) for a chance at a Panoramic Ocean View.
Within an hour, I received the email notification that we had won the bid, and were reassigned to Deck 12.
One of the gripes I’ve heard about Liberty in recent years is that the staterooms were in need of an upgrade. We were pleasantly surprised to find that our room had looked renovated, and offered plenty of storage. After speaking with our stateroom attendant, we learned that the rooms on these decks had been added within the last few years, which would explain why they didn’t feel rundown.
I have never sailed in a Panoramic Ocean View cabin before, and immediately fell in love with it. With the floor to ceiling windows that were angled out, I felt like I had found a cheat code for room categories. Not only did we have amazing views, but it is always so refreshing to have natural light in the cabin.
Itinerary
Due to Liberty arriving from Galveston the same day that we embarked, the cruise didn’t depart until 8pm at night. In fact, the earliest check-in time you could select was 2:30pm. This was helpful for us, as we decided to drive down the morning of the cruise from Sarasota. The drive is only 3 hours, and it was nice to have a leisurely morning, and be able to avoid the rush-hour traffic.
This cruise had one stop at Perfect Day at CocoCay, and a sea day. This was perfect for us, as it was my mom’s first time at CocoCay, and also gave us a full day to enjoy the ship.
One of my favorite parts of going to CocoCay is that you don’t have to spend any money to have fun. We decided not to do any excursions, and just enjoy the island. After walking around to see the offerings, we opted to grab some chairs on South Beach, and spent the day enjoying the sunshine, floating bar, and of course, the mozzarella sticks. It really was the Perfect Day!
Our last day was a Sea Day, which was a perfect opportunity to relax and take it slow.
After having breakfast in the Windjammer, we went to search for a spot in the Solarium. We had a feeling at this point that the cruise wasn’t sailing at capacity, but when I looked around the Solarium at 9am and there were no chair hogs in sight, that is when I knew for sure.
It turns out that we only had 2,800 passengers on board. I felt like we had won the lottery, as we’ve never had so many choices on which chairs to choose! We spent the day relaxing, watching the World’s Sexiest Man and Belly Flop competitions, and tricking my mom into riding The Tidal Wave water slide.
Dining
With having the Unlimited Dining Package, our first night’s dinner was at Sabor. This restaurant was replaced with Izumi on Freedom of the Seas and Independence of the Seas. It will likely be replaced when Liberty eventually goes to her dry dock, so I knew I needed to go while we still could. Starting with fresh guacamole, and then ordering 3 more courses, we left feeling like we wouldn’t need to eat again for the rest of the cruise.
Of course, this wasn’t the case. What can I say, cruising really brings out my appetite! We enjoyed Chops Grille our second night, which I knew would impress my mom. She said it was the best meal of any cruise she has been on. We rounded out our third night with an excellent meal at Giovanni’s Table.
We ate breakfast every morning at the Windjammer buffet, and were happy with the offerings they had. With the lower capacity, it was easy to find a table, and the lines never felt crowded.
Of course, there were also a few trips to Sorrentos included. There is something about pizza at sea that just makes it taste better.
How Much Does a $99 Cruise Really Cost
When booking a cruise, it’s important to remember that there are extra fees that will be added into your final cost.
When booking a cruise, you'll notice a line item for Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses. These include any government imposed fees, tolls, taxes, as well as fees or charges incurred from docking in port. These fees are charged per person, and vary per cruise.
Additionally, you'll want to factor in daily gratuities, which are currently $16 per person, per day for non-suite staterooms, and $18.50 per person, per day for suites.
You’ll also want to factor in any Cruise Planner purchases, such as excursions, dining, drink and internet packages, or onboard spending you may want to do.
So, how much did this $99 cruise end up costing us? Let’s break it down:
Cabin type & party size
Cruise length: 3 nights
Stateroom category: Guarantee Interior
Passengers: 2 adults
Base cruise fare
Cruise fare: $198
Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses: $192.50
Prepaid gratuities: $96
Base price after taxes and fees: $486.50
Cruise extras
RoyalUp: $60
Deluxe Beverage Package (including gratuities): $472.35
Unlimited Dining Package (including gratuities): 235.98
The Key: $125.94
Onboard spending: $26
Parking at port: $45
Grand total
Grand Total: $1,451.77
As you can see, the $99 cruise fare advertised rate ends up costing a bit more once you factor in the fees and taxes. Had we not purchased the extra packages (and if I had remembered my flip flops and didn't have to buy them onboard) the total cost of the cruise was $486.50, or $234.25 per person.
After you factor in all the extras we decided to buy (and a new pair of flip flops), we spent about $725 per person, for a 3-night vacation.
Final Thoughts
We had an amazing time on this cruise, especially considering the price. With the fare being as low as it was, we felt like we were able to splurge in other areas like dining and the drink package.
We felt that the value we got on this vacation was much higher than the rate that we paid. We would have never been able to enjoy all of what we did on a land vacation for that same price tag. Finding cruises at such low rates allows us to cruise more often, which is what’s most important for us!
