Can You Negotiate Cruise Prices?
Not the fare itself, but there is more room around it than most people think.
Tell Us Your PriceCan You Negotiate Cruise Prices?
It is one of the most-asked cruise questions, and it deserves a straight answer. Can you negotiate cruise prices? Not the fare itself, in the usual sense: cruise lines set their fares and publish them to everyone who sells them. But there is more room around the fare than most people realise, and knowing where it is helps you get the most from your number.
What Usually Cannot Be Changed
- The cruise line’s published fare for a given cabin and date.
- Taxes, fees and port expenses, which pass through to authorities and ports.
- The line’s own terms on deposits, final payment and cancellation for the fare you choose.
What Can Often Be Improved
- The fare type. A different fare for the same cabin may suit your plans better, trading flexibility for value or the other way round.
- The timing. Sales and promotions come and go; a quote today and a quote during a promotion can differ.
- What is included. Some offers add credits, drinks or gratuities rather than lowering the fare.
- Eligibility rates. Past-guest, resident, military, senior or group rates exist on some lines; tell us anything that might apply.
- Group space. Booking several cabins together can bring group terms on some sailings.
How to Ask, Politely and Effectively
Instead of asking for a discount, give a number and ask what it buys. That is the whole idea of this site. Our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise can then look for the combination of sailing, fare type and current promotion that lands inside it, and tell you plainly if nothing does. If you already have a quote from elsewhere, share the details: the same ship, date, cabin category and fare type are needed for a fair comparison.
For live promotions, see Cruising for Less and Wave Season. If you would rather be on the selling side of the conversation, Be a Travel Agent explains how people become travel advisors. And for travel beyond cruising, the Official Travel Directory, the Official Cruise Directory and Best of the USA are our network’s directories.
Negotiating Questions
Can you haggle on a cruise price?
Not in the way you might at a market. Cruise lines set the fares, and advisors cannot simply cut them. What can change is the value around the fare, the fare type, and the timing of when you book or re-quote.
Can my booking benefit from a lower fare that appears later?
It depends on the line, the fare type and whether you have made final payment. Ask before you book what happens if the fare falls. Our sister site Best Cruise Quote explains how quotes and re-quotes work.
Skip the Haggling. Name Your Price.
Give us the figure; we will find what fits and tell you honestly if nothing does. Free, from Mister Cruise.
Tell Us Your Price