If the winter cold weather has you thinking it might be time to book a cruise, Royal Caribbean has some deals you ought to consider.
Royal Caribbean's Wave season deals began this month, in which the cruise line is offering sales on cruises going through early 2025. Since our readers likely want to get away sooner than 2025, there's also a great array of choices you can find low prices for that depart in the first half of this year as well.
The current promotion offers 30% off every guest and Kids Sail Free deals when booking a cruise between January 3 to January 31, 2023.
In searching for cruises that depart between January and May 2023, I found super low rates on cruises that visit the Caribbean, Alaska, and the Mexican Riviera.
Like any last minute cruise, the "catch" with these deals is you're going to have to act fast to not only book them, but ensure prices for airfare are reasonable as well.
Since now is one of the best times of the year to book a new Royal Caribbean cruise, here's a look at some of the best deals you can book for a winter or spring getaway.
Cruise deals
In looking through the cruise deals for sailings in the first half of 2023, here are some of the top picks:
Alaska
It's never too early to start thinking of a cruise to Alaska, and there are some really low rates for the beginning of the Alaska cruise season.
- Radiance of the Seas 7-night Northbound Alaska & Hubbard Glacier cruises begin at $350 per person (the southbound route is also similarly priced) for May 26, 2023.
- Brilliance of the Seas 6-night Pacific Coastal cruise from Los Angeles up to Vancouver is just $350 per person too, sailing April 12, 2023.
- Radiance of the Seas has a rare roundtrip sailing from Vancouver to the Alaska glaciers on May 11, 2023 starting at $521 per person.
Caribbean
If a warm-weather escape is what you want, there are lots of deals on cruises around the Caribbean.
- Rhapsody of the Seas 7-night Southern Caribbean cruise from Barbados is just $351 per person for March 19. There are lots of other inexpensive sailings in January, March and April.
- Voyager of the Seas 7-night Southern Caribbean cruise from San Juan, Puerto Rico begins at $438 per person on February 12, 2023.
- Radiance of the Seas from Galveston, Texas to the Western Caribbean has a cheap sailing on April 15, 2023 for a 6-night cruise.
Mexican Riviera
For our west coast friends, Navigator of the Seas has a lot of great rates left for cruises in January and February 2023.
Sailing from Los Angeles, there are 7-night sailings that visit Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan, beginning at $471 per person for the April 28, 2023 sailing.
More deals beyond
These are just some of the cheapest prices I could find for a 7-night cruise that leaves in the next few months.
Royal Caribbean uses this time of year to boost its sales for the rest of the year, so you can find great prices for sailings later in the year, especially the fall.
In general, cruise pricing tends to favor those that book early and there are great rates to be had for cruises not just this year, but over the next few years.
Royal Caribbean is also advising that more deals will be coming this month, including flash deals of $550 instant savings and discounts on beverage and dining packages, shore excursions, internet and more throughout the month.
Renewed demand for cruises
It's not your imagination, a lot of people are looking at a cruise vacation.
According to a AAA survey, 52% of adults in the United States this year are likely to consider a cruise vacation. That's up from 45% a year ago.
Why are so many people looking to cruise? In short, many travel experts see 2023 as a big bounce back year for travel after the events of the past three years.
Royal Caribbean already saw a record-breaking Black Friday sales event, and AAA believes new cruise ships are enticing a lot of folks to try a cruise.
What to look for in a cruise deal
Ready to book a cruise for this year? There's plenty of options, so here's my advice for sifting through all the options.
Don't just chase the lowest price
It's tempting to sort cruise prices from lowest to highest and harp on the cheapest price you can find, but you'll want to look at the big picture first.
First, look at the choice in cabin because that super low price is almost certainly for an inside cabin. There's nothing wrong with staying in an inside cabin, but some people want more space and a view with their cruise.
You'll also want to see if the price is for a guarantee cabin or not.
A guarantee cabin is when Royal Caribbean assigns your stateroom location, meaning you are unable to select exactly where on the ship your cabin will be. If you aren’t picky about your cabin location, booking a guarantee rate can be a nice way to save money.
If you’d prefer picking your own cabin location, though, expect to pay slightly more per person on the cruise fare.
Read more: What you need to know before booking a cheap cruise
Price out flights and other travel considerations
Royal Caribbean has some great cruise fares you can book, but the airlines might not.
Before you book a cruise, you'll want to quickly check airfare prices to ensure you can afford the price to get you to that cheap cruise deal.
If you're looking at a cruise more than 3 months from now, you'll probably be fine in terms of flights. But if you're looking to getaway sooner, last minute flight prices could be a challenge.
Read more: Why booking a last-minute cruise isn't always a great idea
Check with your travel agent first
If you see a great price listed for a cruise, your next step should be to ask your travel agent to price it out.
Travel agents can see a host of discounts you might not think of, as well as agency rates and special offers.
Plus, a travel agent may be aware of other deals available based on pricing they've been tracking.
