Cruise Prices Are Fixed, Promotions Change

Cruise fares do fluctuate some over time, but the underlying fare or rack rate is basically fixed. Don't get caught out by the Ending Soon promotions.

Price Fluctuations

The price of a sailing will naturally fluctuate over time. The prices will go up and down based on how the inventory, or available cabins changes. If a sailing isn't selling well, the cruise line is likely to lower the price to attract customers. This was the case with the Symphony of the Seas transatlantic crossing in the spring of 2023, where the price dropped to around $500 per person for a 14 night sailing.

Booking within the first few days of a sailing being released will often get you the best prices on the sailing. Each cruise line will often announce when they plan to release certain sailings, so if you are interested in a particular sailing years in advance, it's worth keeping an eye on the release dates. If you book through a US based agent you can reprice if the cost drops. See our blog Book Royal Caribbean Cruises Through The USA

Promotions

Cruise lines will often have some type of sale on, such as 30% off each passenger or 60% off the second passenger. These promotions are almost always ongoing and don't really count as sales. The basic cruise fare is stays the same but the promotion changes. In order to get you to commit their websites will say SALE ENDS IN 08 HRS to get you to commit.

There are the exceptions to these sales and they are based around specific US holidays, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Labor Day and 4th of July. You may find real sales during these periods, though the best sales tend to be in the Cruise Planner.

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