5 Things to Avoid If You Want a Very Cheap Cruise
- Joshua Bonnett, Owner
- Nov 15
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 2
(From Someone Who’s Learned the Hard Way!)
At Hidden Paths Travel, we love a luxury sailing moment… but we also love a good bargain. If you’re dreaming of getting on the ocean without emptying your wallet, there are a handful of smart choices that make an enormous difference in what you pay.
Cruise lines are masters of dangling those too-good-to-be-true fares… only for you to discover surprise add-ons or limited availability when it’s time to book. So let’s help you avoid the price traps — and snag the real deals.
Below are the five money-saving secrets I use every time I’m hunting down a deeply discounted cruise for my clients (or myself!).
1. Avoid Sailing in Peak Season
If you want the lowest cruise fares, timing is everything. A few simple shifts can save hundreds per person.
Skip school holidays whenever possible.
Even moving your trip forward or backward by ONE week can dramatically change the price. I’ve seen fares drop by $200+ per person simply by sailing a week earlier.
Sail during the “shoulder season.”
This is that sweet spot just before or after the most popular months.
In Europe, June and September often cost far less than July or August.
Weather is still great, but crowds — and prices — drop.
Go fully “off-season.”
You’ll enjoy quieter ports, fewer ships, shorter lines, and much calmer vibes. For example: Santorini in August? Wall-to-wall people. Santorini in early spring? Perfection.
Even March sailings in the Greek Isles can surprise you — cooler temps, yes, but beautiful sunny days are common… and the savings are huge.
Bottom line: If your schedule is flexible, you can save BIG.
2. Avoid the Newest & Biggest Ships
Look, we all love the shiny new mega-ships — but cruise lines know they’re in demand, which means:
Higher prices
Limited availability
Very few deals
If you’re trying to cruise affordably, consider:
Choosing an older ship in the same fleet.
They often run identical itineraries for much less.
Checking “sister ships.”
These are near-identical vessels where one may be priced significantly lower than the other.
New ships like Icon of the Seas or Sun Princess will sell out no matter what — so the bargain hunters sail smart, not shiny.
3. Book at the Right Time
Timing a cruise purchase is part strategy, part art. Here’s the insider truth:
The cheapest booking windows are usually:
• Very early (2–3 years in advance)
You often get the lowest base price and the best cabin selections.
• Very late (60–90 days before sailing)
This is when final payments are due, so cruise lines know exactly how many cabins they still need to fill — and sometimes drop last-minute rates.
BUT…Last-minute deals are never guaranteed. If your heart is set on a specific itinerary, date, or ship — book it and don’t look back. Flexibility = savings, certainty = security.
4. Avoid Unnecessary Upgrades
Cruise lines LOVE to bundle perks and upsell your experience — Wi-Fi, drink packages, cabin upgrades, you name it.
Before spending extra, ask yourself:
Do I actually need this?
Drink packages only make sense if you’ll drink enough to justify the cost. Otherwise, buying drinks à la carte can be dramatically cheaper.
Wi-Fi isn’t always essential — especially on port-heavy itineraries where you can use cell data while docked.
Ship apps work for free, even without purchasing Wi-Fi.
For example:A soft-drink package on Celebrity starts around $40/day.On an 11-day cruise, that’s $440.If you only drink a Coke here or there, you might spend closer to $100 total. Huge difference.
Upgrades can be wonderful — but only when they truly fit your travel style.
5. Avoid Selecting Your Exact Cabin
This is a big money-saving hack most people skip.
Book a “Guaranteed Cabin.”
You choose the category (Inside, Oceanview, Balcony…), and the cruise line chooses the location. You’ll always get at least the level you paid for — sometimes higher.
Selecting your exact cabin always costs more.
When should you not do this?
If you are:
extremely prone to seasickness
a very light sleeper
particular about noise levels
In those cases, choosing a mid-ship, lower-deck cabin might be worth the extra cost.
Otherwise? Let the cruise line decide and pocket the savings.
Want the Cheapest Cruise Possible — Without the Headache?
That’s where Hidden Paths Travel shines.Tell us:
Your budget
Your dates
Your preferred cruise style
…and we’ll hunt down the best-value sailings, compare every cabin option, track price drops, and help you avoid all the sneaky fees and gotchas.
Because great travel shouldn’t cost more — it should just feel effortless.
Whenever you’re ready to set sail, we’ve got you.
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