LAST MINUTE CRUISES
Cruises are one of the most popular travel options to consider for a vacation. Lots of fantastic deals are offered throughout the year, including big discounts and perks, especially for cruisers who reach high levels within a cruise lines’s membership program.
You don’t have to be in the membership program to catch a great cruise deal. First timers and occasional cruisers alike land amazing deals every day.
Planning ahead for a cruise allows the time needed to thoroughly research destinations, ship amenities, cruise ports and excursions. If you’re like me, you might even compare cruise offerings between different cruise lines for the best deals. You’d be surprised to find that some of the sweetest deals on cruises are often for last minute bookings.
You don’t need to hunt for last minute deals. These days cruise lines lay the deals out for you front and center. They’re literally passing out deals like candy. I went to Royal Caribbean’s website and they have a tab dedicated to last minute deals – this is what I found:
For a quick 3-day Bahamas cruise on Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas in mid-late February you can’t beat these prices. The interior cabins are always the cheapest but if you’re looking for an ocean view or balcony cabin, you’re still getting an amazing deal.
Another deal I found with Royal Caribbean for booking last minute offers 60% off a second guest plus kids sail for free. Families can score big on savings by booking a fantastic weekend getaway like this.
VALUBLE PERKS & INCENTIVES
Sometimes cruise cabins go unsold right up to embarkation day. That means less profits for the cruise line. The solution is usually to upsell cabin upgrades and/or offer attractive perks like drink or casino credits to intice sailors to book a cruise and fill those cabins.
I received a $100 drink credit on my recent Virgin cruise just for booking. That credit was a huge incentive for me as one who only drinks occasionally. I might have one drink each day of a cruise so this worked out perfectly in my favor. Having free money to buy a drink when/if I wanted to was a flex.
Virgin Voyages is currently running this Refer a Sailor deal for a $150 drink credit. How it works: if you’ve sailed with Virgin before, you can receive a $150 drink credit when you refer a friend who’s new to Virgin Voyages. They also receive a $150 drink credit.
Here is another great deal I found with Virgin Voyages which is currently running as of January 16, 2026. You have three days to lock in a cruise offering 80% off a second sailor, up to $400 in free drinks and up to $300 in on board credit. That sounds like smart savings.
Right now MSC has some of the cheapest prices on last minute cruises. As with most other cruise lines you can personalize your cruise with add ons such as WiFi, cabin view and location.
The best way to find cruise deals is to sign up for email alerts for each cruise line you’re interested in and check their websites often. I check almost daily which allows me to stay current with all the latest deals, discounts, cruise info and more.
Remember, these deals don’t last for long. Cruise lines are constantly updating their websites and social media pages with new deals and flash sales that may only last for a few days. Even the deals featured in this post could end at moments notice so it’s your duty to check them often or risk missing out big time!
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