Popular TikToker Shares The Cheapest Weeks To Book Your Next Cruise Vacation
With a renewed demand for travel, cruise prices have surged, sometimes prohibitively so. To maximize savings on your next voyage, you have to be equally strategic about when to book a cruise and when to embark on it. Usually, the most opportune time to book a cruise is during "wave season," which spans from January to March. This is when cruise lines often offer a deluge of deals, allowing you to get dibs on budget-friendly fares regardless of when the cruise is scheduled.
But if your priority is to score the most affordable cruise possible, TikToker @covertrip (aka Travel Insurance Guy) points out that certain weeks of the year have less demand for maritime travel. In a viral video, he identified five windows in a calendar year when cruise fares are at their lowest. Post-holiday lulls, when most people have figured out their vacation plans and kids have returned to school, are typically prime time for affordable cruises. In the first half of the year, he asserts that great rates can be found in the second week of January through early February since it immediately follows major holidays.
Likewise, the last week of February is another favorable window, as it's nestled between Valentine's Day and the onset of spring break. As the TikToker noted, "There's a small gap in demand there, and it's great for finding deals." He also recommended checking early May, especially around the tail end of spring break, as demand has died down by then and schools are still in session.
Hurricane season and early December tend to be cheaper
Now, if you're eyeing a voyage in the second half of the year, TikTok influencer @covertrip suggests two options: Nearly the entire month of September or the first two weeks of December. September is reportedly one of the cheapest months to go on a cruise, all thanks to its post-Labor Day timing and being in the middle of hurricane season. If concerns about inclement weather are making you feel skeptical, here's a little secret: Cruising during hurricane season is not as dangerous as it sounds.
As NBC News clarified, most cruise ships are speedy enough to get out of the way long before a hurricane hits. In fact, one of the worst things that could happen is spending an extra day on the water — a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things. Cruise ships have also become advanced enough to steer clear of hurricanes, so you can generally expect calmer seas if you choose to do it at this time.
Alternatively, if you're aiming to schedule your cruise right around the holidays, you can dodge steep fares by booking it in early December, as it strategically precedes the holiday rush and succeeds Thanksgiving. Sure, it means missing the chance to spend Christmas overlooking the vast ocean, but at least you'll get to avoid crowds and cut down on expenses, freeing more room in your budget for an additional holiday indulgence.