Travel expert warns Brits to try and book their cruise holidays by March

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A travel expert has revealed the best time to book a cruise if you want cheap deals (Image: Royal Caribbean)
A travel expert has revealed the best time to book a cruise if you want cheap deals (Image: Royal Caribbean)

Cruises can offer great value for money with your travel, accommodation, entertainment and food included - so it's particularly satisfying when you also find a great deal.

Of course there are some specific windows where you can bag some great bargains, but knowing when these pop up is key. Luckily, travel insiders have spilled their secrets to finding cheap cruise holidays, and it looks like early in the year tends to offer the best chances.

Sharing her advice with PayingTooMuch, travel insider Melody Moser explained: "It will depend on when and where you want to go, but if you can be flexible, you can often find some great deals and promotions during the shoulder seasons (between peak and off-peak) of your chosen destination. 'Wave season' is typically from January to March and lots of cruise lines offer discounts to attract travellers then too."

Travel expert warns Brits to try and book their cruise holidays by March eiqrtiqdiqzzinvTry booking a cruise in the first few months of the year when there are often deals up for grabs (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

She also revealed there's one type of cruise that can make for a budget-friendly trick to save money. She added: "Repositioning cruises can also be a great way to save money on your trip. These are one-way cruises that take place when a ship is relocating to a new home port."

As for the age-old argument between booking early or leaving it last minute, when it comes to cruises there are perks to both. For example Yasim Pekel, travel expert at Blue Cruise, advised: "Booking well in advance or at the last minute can sometimes help you to grab significant discounts. Cruise lines often offer early bird promotions and last-minute deals.

All the places you can fly to for less than a tenner including Italy and SpainAll the places you can fly to for less than a tenner including Italy and Spain

"Savings could range from around 20-30% or more for booking early to up to 50% or more for booking late, if you have the nerve to plan at the last minute. It is looking like 2024 is going to be a particularly busy one for cruise ships, so it may not be the year to gamble on lines not having sold all of their rooms."

If you're in need of inspiration on where to go, then you may want to check out Norway. It's been named the world's most popular cruise destination thanks to the plethora of activities and incredible landscapes that can be visited year-round, not to mention this year is tipped to be one of the best for seeing the Aurora Borealis and Norway conveniently happens to be one of the best countries for seeing the Northern Lights.

The Caribbean islands and the Canary Islands were also on the list for Brits looking to escape the dreary British weather - and both can offer some great winter sun options!

Cruises have been enjoying a boost in recent months, with bookings for cruises having risen by 56% year on year in 2023. In fact, short-haul cruises have overtaken city breaks when it came to the most booked holiday types according to Your Co-op travel research.

You can find out more about cruise travel insurance on payingtoomuch.com.

Julie Delahaye

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