Booking a cruise on your New Year’s to-do list? How to save money from an industry insider

01.01.2025 - 05:47 / euronews.com

Wave Season is famous in the cruising industry for being the busiest booking period of the year. 2025 is set to be no different, thanks to the post-pandemic boom in cruising.

From January until the end of March, bookings flood in, with some of them made years in advance of the voyage.

I’ve previously worked for a cruise line and have been a travel writer for 24 years, so I guarantee Wave Season is the best time to save money and score perks like free room upgrades or credit to use onboard.

Thanks to the Friends of the Earth US’s (FOE) Cruise Ship Report Card, you can now easily make more environmentally responsible decisions, too. 

Here, I give you my tips and tricks for finding the best bargain while avoiding the most common mistakes.

There's little point in shunning the fireworks to leap onto booking sites at 00:01 on 1 January. Bargains can be found throughout the three-month sale period, with additional discounted cruises often added right up until the end. 

How far in advance should you book a cruise? The industry is unusual in that bookings can open well over two years in advance, a long time before flights are even bookable. Such advance bookings are, however, unlikely to attract large discounts, so during Wave Season, you may want to focus on departures within 12 months. 

It's possible to find heavily discounted last-minute deals, but they usually mean you have to go when there are still plenty of available cabins on a particular sailing rather than having a choice of dates. 

I have, however, seen excellent deals (such as an MSC Cruises holiday departing Southampton for just £50 (€60) per person per night in a balcony cabin) up to two months before departure. Further savings can be made if you’re not fussed about cruising during a destination’s low season. 

Be warned: cheaper cruises will often get you the bare minimum for your bargain holiday. You'll pay extra for access to the spa and some restaurants, and for any drinks apart from teas, coffees and juices. 

I equate the cheaper end of the cruise market with the Ryanair model of offering incredible up-front prices, then pestering you for those optional extras. Whereas before, you could choose where your cabin is, now, when you pay less, you don't necessarily get that choice. 

Apart from the cons of cruising on a minimal budget, there are also positives. Having been on an astonishingly cheap MSC cruise, I can safely say that you'll still have a great time. You’ll be going to the same destinations as those who have paid considerably more, mostly eating the same food and enjoying the same on-board entertainment. There won’t be any hidden charges, like taxes and tips, either.

There’s a lot to be said for paying more too. Paying upfront for drinks packages