I think finding the cheapest cruise is all about choosing the right time of year.
There are certainly many factors to how Royal Caribbean prices a cruise, including age of the ship and stateroom category, but the date your sailing take places often has the biggest impact.
Certain times of the year are going to always be cheaper and that's because of demand. Our own research shows higher demand greatly drives up the price, regardless of the ship or cabin type.
If you're chasing lower prices for a cruise, you really ought to focus on when the time of year and departure date as key factors in finding a lower price.
Here are my tips for booking a cruise at the lowest price possible.
When is the cheapest time to cruise?
Regardless of if you want to cruise to the Caribbean, Alaska, Asia, or Europe, the lowest prices are always during the shoulder season.
This industry term refers to the months of the year where there's far less demand, usually at the beginning or end of the cruising season in a region. Hence the term "shoulder" because it augments the higher peak demand in the middle.
For example, you'll typically see lower prices for an Alaska cruise in May or September. Likewise, the Caribbean has lower prices the first two weeks of December.
Each region has its own cadence to when you'll find the shoulder season. Europe has a longer cruising season than Alaska, and prices in the fall greatly differ from the summer.
The Caribbean is a year-round destination, so it doesn't have a shoulder seasons. Rather, Caribbean demand has peaks and valleys, and one week could be significantly cheaper than the next week.
If you're sold on a shoulder season cruise, there can be a few downsides.
The cheapest times to cruise are almost always when school is in session, which means families would have to pull their kids out of class to take advantage of a lower price.
Another issue can be the weather. Alaska tends to be rainy and colder at the beginning and end of the season. Plus, the lessened demand may see some stores, restaurants, or activities closed until the peak season begins.
What is the cheapest month to cruise?
Here's your shoulder season "cheat sheet" for which months will have the best prices because there's usually less demand.
When comparing the price in these months versus other months, you should see a dip in prices.
- Alaska: May, early June, or September
- Australia & New Zealand: April or November
- Bermuda: May, September, or October
- Canada & New England: May or October
- Caribbean: January, September, October or early December
- Mediterranean: March, April or November
You can include nearly all of hurricane season as a cheaper time of year to go on a cruise, especially mid-August through the end of October. The risk of a tropical storm, oppressive humidity, and school in session all contribute to lower demand.
When is the cheapest time to book a cruise?
One of the oldest pieces of cruise advice is to book early, and I think it's still the best time to book a cruise.
Because of how popular cruises are right now, the chances of a last-minute deal have lessened greatly. That's made booking early even more important.
I recommend booking a cruise at least one year early for three important reasons:
- Best chance at a lower price
- Highest availability of cabins, especially suites
- You can reprice the cruise if there's a price drop later
The closer you get to the sail date, the less cabins there are because other people book the cruise. That in turn drives up the price.
These days, Royal Caribbean prices each sailing individually with a pricing algorithm. In truth, conventional cruise sales are more marketing than actual widespread changes in price.
What this means is you shouldn't wait for a specific sale or time of year to book a cruise, because AI has become so sophisticated that cruise prices don't change based on any single promotion anymore.
It's also why last-minute deals are drying up compared to just a few years ago.
