Royal Caribbean
Freedom of the Seas
3 nights to the Bahamas from Miami
September 2026 departure
The classic weekend tester at the year's softest pricing
- Perfect Day at CocoCay call
Interior from$249per person
Independent cruise research since 2019
Find the cruise that fits, at the fare it should cost
We compare 15 cruise lines and 15 destinations, sample fares weekly, and publish the numbers the brochures leave out. Every page is written by someone who sails and fact-checked before it goes live.
MSC Cruises
MSC Seashore
4 nights to the Bahamas from Cape Canaveral
October 2026 departure
Four nights with an evening on the private island for under $300
- Ocean Cay overnight call
Interior from$289per person
MSC Cruises
MSC Seascape
7 nights to the Caribbean from Miami
September 2026 departure
The cheapest balcony week in our entire sampling
- Ocean Cay evening stay
- Kids under 12 at reduced fares
Balcony from$449per person
Carnival
Carnival Horizon
6 nights to the Caribbean from Miami
May 2027 departure
Six nights before school holidays lift the fares
- Pre-hurricane-season value window
Ocean View from$469per person
Carnival
Carnival Jubilee
7 nights to the Caribbean from Galveston
October 2026 departure
Western Caribbean on Carnival's newest ship from a drive-to port
- Drive-to Texas departure
- Excel class newest hardware
Interior from$549per person
MSC Cruises
MSC Meraviglia
7 nights to the Bahamas from New York
April 2027 departure
The cheapest Northeast balcony week in our sampling
- Drive-to Brooklyn departure
- Ocean Cay call
Balcony from$549per person
Showing 6 of 32 matching sailings. Use the finder above to narrow, or browse all deal guides.
We actually sail
Our five reviewers have logged 480-plus sailings across every line we cover, paid for by this site rather than by cruise lines.
Real numbers, sampled weekly
Every price on this site comes from our weekly fare index across 40-plus departures, not from a brochure rate card.
Fact-checked before publication
Every page names its writer and its reviewer, and prices are re-checked at least every 90 days. Our editorial policy.
Compare cruise lines
Fifteen lines scored on the same six criteria, from budget mainstream to ultra-luxury.
Royal Caribbean
4.4/5Mainstream · from $105/night
Royal Caribbean is a contemporary cruise line operating the world's largest cruise ships, best known for onboard activity density rather than destination immersion.
Read the review
Carnival
4.0/5Budget · from $82/night
Carnival Cruise Line is a contemporary cruise line focused on short, low-fare sailings from a wide network of US home ports.
Read the review
MSC Cruises
4.0/5Budget · from $82/night
MSC Cruises is a European contemporary cruise line owned by the MSC shipping group, competing in the North American market primarily on price and ship newness.
Read the review
Celebrity Cruises
4.5/5Premium · from $148/night
Celebrity Cruises is a premium cruise line within the Royal Caribbean Group, known for contemporary design, above-average dining and an adult-leaning passenger profile.
Read the review
Disney Cruise Line
4.5/5Premium · from $245/night
Disney Cruise Line is a family-focused premium cruise line operated by The Walt Disney Company, built around character experiences, rotational dining and unusually strong child-to-adult separation.
Read the review
Virgin Voyages
4.3/5Premium · from $172/night
Virgin Voyages is an adults-only cruise line launched by the Virgin Group in 2021, differentiated by included gratuities, no buffet, no upcharge restaurants and a design-led onboard aesthetic.
Read the review
Where to sail, and when
Month-by-month weather, real costs and the ports worth leaving the ship for.
Caribbean
The Caribbean is the world's largest cruise region, split into Eastern, Western and Southern routes sailing year round from Florida, Texas and Puerto Rico.
Best: Late August to early October
Bahamas
The Bahamas is the closest cruise destination to Florida, dominated by two to four-night sailings and by cruise line private islands rather than by traditional ports.
Best: September and October
Alaska
Alaska is a summer-only cruise region sailing from Seattle and Vancouver between late April and late September, built around glacier viewing and Inside Passage scenery.
Best: Late April, May and late September
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean is Europe's largest cruise region, split into Western routes from Barcelona and Italy and Eastern routes through Greece, Croatia and Turkey, sailing April to November.
Best: April and November
Recently updated guides
Every page shows its update date and its fact-checker, and prices are re-verified at least every 90 days.
Deals
Last Minute Cruise Deals: How Inside-60-Days Pricing Works
Cruise fares drop inside 60 days when a sailing has unsold cabins, because an empty cabin earns nothing. The deepest cuts appear on older ships, repositioning routes and shoulder-season Caribbean sailings. The trade-offs are real: cabin choice is gone, flights cost more, and popular ships rarely discount at all.
Updated
Planning
Cruise Budgeting: Building the True Total Before You Book
Budget roughly double the cruise fare for the true total on a mainstream cruise. The fare buys the cabin and main dining; taxes, gratuities, drinks, WiFi, excursions, transport to port and incidentals reliably match it. A $700 fare is a $1,400 trip; running the worksheet before booking is how the number stops surprising people.
Updated
Costs
How Cruise Pricing Actually Works
Cruise fares are set by revenue management systems balancing one goal: sail full, because an empty cabin earns no fare and no onboard spend. Prices open moderate at launch, dip around 10 to 12 months out, firm through the middle, and either spike or collapse inside 60 days depending on how the ship filled. Ten to twelve months out is the reliable window.
Updated
Cruise Types
Best Family Cruises: Lines, Ships and Costs Compared
Disney is the best family cruise line and costs roughly double Royal Caribbean for the same week. Royal Caribbean offers the most facilities per dollar, MSC has the cheapest child fares, and Carnival is the lowest total cost. Choose by your children's ages rather than by brand reputation.
Updated
Planning
First Cruise Guide: Everything Before You Board
For a first cruise, book a three to seven-night Caribbean or Bahamas sailing on a mainstream line, an interior or balcony cabin midship, and fly in the day before. The fare covers your cabin, main dining and entertainment; drinks, WiFi, gratuities and excursions are extra. Budget roughly double the fare for the true total.
Updated
Costs
Drink Package Costs by Line: The Complete 2026 Table
Unlimited alcohol packages run from $59 per day on MSC to $109 on Royal Caribbean before the 18 to 20 percent gratuity added to the package price itself. Non-alcohol tiers run $9 to $45. Bar prices for comparison: beer $7 to $9, wine $9 to $14, cocktails $12 to $15. Pre-cruise purchase saves 20 to 30 percent everywhere.
Updated
Fare drops, once a week
Every Thursday we send the sailings that actually dropped in price, plus one planning tip. No spam, unsubscribe in one click.
We never sell your address. Read our privacy policy.
Your saved cruises
Tap the heart on any sailing or review to build a shortlist that survives your visit.
The questions everyone asks first
What is the cheapest month to take a cruise?
September is the cheapest month for Caribbean cruises, at the statistical peak of hurricane season, with balcony fares 40 to 60 percent below winter peaks. Early December and late August follow. For Alaska, May and September undercut July by 30 to 40 percent, and for the Mediterranean, late October and March carry the lowest fares.
How much does a cruise cost in total?
Budget roughly double the advertised fare on a mainstream line. A $700 seven-night fare becomes about $1,400 once taxes and port fees, gratuities of $16 to $21 per person per day, some drinks, WiFi, an excursion and transport to the port are added. Luxury fares run higher but include most of those items.
Which cruise line is best?
It depends on who is travelling. Royal Caribbean offers the most onboard activity, Disney the best family execution at double the price, MSC and Carnival the lowest fares, Celebrity the best food in the premium tier, Virgin the only true adults-only fleet, and Regent the most inclusive luxury fare. Our reviews score all fifteen major lines on the same six criteria.
When should you book a cruise for the best price?
Ten to twelve months before sailing, where our weekly fare index consistently finds the best combination of price and cabin choice. Book earlier for suites, holidays and new ships, which never get cheaper, and later only if you can sail on short notice from a drive-to port, where unsold cabins discount 40 to 60 percent inside 60 days.
Written by the 3 writers and fact-checked by the 2 reviewers on our editorial team.