Cruise deals: How to find a cheap package from Royal Caribbean to P&O Cruises

If you’re not one of the 1.64million British holidaymakers who went on a cruise last year, isn’t it high time you walked up the gangway?

With accommodation, food and entertainment included, it can be one of the best-value holidays you’ll find.

You can expect superb service too – and if that’s not enough, you might find your home-from-home on the water has a climbing wall, ice rink, pool with flumes or a luxury spa.

And what’s not to like about waking up in a new port or country every day?

3 best cruise deals this week

Norwegian Jade cruise: Five-night party cruise, you’ll visit Barcelona, Palma Majorca, Valletta and Venice. Package includes flights and transfers from London Gatwick. Price per person £649, set sail on 2 May 2016 from London Gatwick. To redeem this offer or to find out more, you’ll have to register for free with social-network website talkholiday.
Eastern Mediterranean Black Sea cruise: Seven night Adriatic Affair cruise on Thomson Celebration from £432 per person. Departs from Dubrovnik, Croatia and visits Koper, Slovenia; Venice, Italy; Sibenik, Croatia; Korcula, Croatia and Bari, Italy. Based on two adults sharing a deck 1 or 2 outside cabin on a full board basis, this cruise departs on 15 October 2015 from London Gatwick airport. Price includes return flights, transfers, port taxes, tips and service charges.
Fly-Mediterranean cruise: Seven-nights Fly-Med cruise on family friendly Oceana (E521A) from £849 per person for an inside cabin. Departing September 30, 2015, and includes full board meals and afternoon tea, round the clock kids’ clubs and entertainment on board. Departing from Genoa and returning to Venice ports of call are Florence, Naples, Dubrovnik, Venice (overnight in port).

PO Cruises

PO Cruises is currently offering early bookers package breaks from £179 per person to the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Eurpoe. To find out more visit their Cruise Deals page.

They’ve also got a handy late deals zone, with the best offers on last minute European and international packages.

Fred.Olsen

Fred. Olsen lists a number of its best late deals every week, departing nationwide to Europe and beyond.

You can also sign up to their mailing list for offers, sales and news around the clock.

Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean currently is currently leading the way in cruise sales, with flights from £1, free spending money and buy one get one half price holidays.

If you’re after a 2015 deal, glance their summer sale page, or set sail from the UK in 2016 and they’ll give you up to $500 to spend onboard and regional flights from £1.

Virgin Holidays

If you’re after a Virgin cruise deal, you can see their all year round offers on their Cruise Deals page.

They’ve also broken down their deals into category from Disney-themed breaks to British Isles cruise deals. We’ve listed the main categories below.

5 money-saving cruise holiday tips

With the pound looking stronger than it has in seven years, we asked bookings website Cruise Nation, for some top tips on how to make the most of your money on your next holiday.

1. Be date savvy

If you have the availability, try and play around with your dates as flexibility is important when trying to get a better deal.

Booking a Mediterranean cruise in mid-September compared with one a month earlier can save you hundreds! You should also pay attention to the day of the week you fly out, with Tuesday and Wednesday usually the least expensive days to travel.

2. Keep an eye on the currency rates

It’s always worth looking at the latest currency exchange rates before you choose your holiday destination.

With the Euro at its highest rate against the pound since 2008, choosing to take advantage of this and booking a Mediterranean, Baltic or Balkan escape will mean you can make your pound stretch further.

European cruises usually require less time aboard the ship so guests could spend more time exploring the many countries and cultures included in their itinerary, taking advantage of the excellent rates.

3. The deals are real – so don’t forget to check!

Many people don’t think to check the deals section of travel websites. It’s always worth taking a look, especially if you’re searching for a last minute holiday. Operators will often have stock they need to sell so, if you keep an eye out, you can bag some incredible deals.

4. Book sooner rather than later

It’s often the first question on a traveller’s mind – should I book later or earlier? Unfortunately, there’s no hard or fast rule, especially in the travel industry.

While there are plenty of great late deals available to customers, the cruise industry often has some of its best deals months in advance.

Going forward, cruise lines are looking to change the way the booking system works so the prices go up closer to the departure. If you’re looking to try out a cruise in the future, it’s more likely that the best bargains will be found up to a year in advance of the departure.