Going on a cruise alone, with family or friends, is among the most listed items in dreams and wish lists. Cruises are more romantic and exciting, offering many sightseeing, food, and entertainment choices. If you thought cruises were expensive, you would be excited to know there are many ways of saving on cruise prices by using various packages, deals, and offers from cruise lines. So here’s everything you need to know about cruises.

Best time to book cruise packages
Cruise packages are all-inclusive deals offering basic amenities, food, lodging, and entertainment. Booking an all-inclusive package saves you from paying for everything on board. It helps a cruise line both to fill seats early and to fill last-minute cancellations. Apart from food, lodging, and entertainment, a cruise package can also include the following:

• Hotel Stays at prominent locations
• Holiday time accommodation and amenities
• Unique amenities for honeymoon or wedding
• Adventure
• Spa
• Shopping discounts

The best time to book an all-inclusive cruise package is between January and March, also called the wave season, when cruise companies offer sales, deals, and discount prices.

Best places to compare cruise prices
If you have started searching for cruises online, choosing the right cruise from the number of cruise lines, routes, and destinations must be overwhelming. You can simplify this process by comparing prices online based on the number of people, destination, vacation dates, budget, and amenities you want. For example, you can compare cruise prices on websites of cruise companies, travel websites, and online travel agencies like:

• Cruise Critic
• Tripadvisor
• Cruisewatch
• Kayak
• Expedia

Best cruise offers that you should not miss
Wave season is a great time to book cruise packages and save on cash by using some of the best perks, freebies, and offers by cruise liners. Look for offers like:

• Beverage package, with exclusions
• Fee cabin upgrade
• Free Cruise Wi-Fi
• Onboard credit
• Free Specialty Dining
• Free Shore excursion
• Free tickets for kids or additional passenger
• Discounts on the next cruise

Best cruise lines for 2023
Cruise ships are categorized by size and the number of passengers they can accommodate. While small ships take about 800 passengers, mega ships can accommodate more than 3,500 passengers. Cruise lines are categorized into mainstream, premium, and luxury lines. Other cruise lines are river and ocean cruise lines and adventure and expedition cruise lines. Some of the best cruise lines for 2023 are:

Carnival
Carnival Cruises caters to travelers looking for affordable, short cruises with family or friends. Their popular destinations include the Caribbean and Mexico, and long cruises to Europe and Australia. Carnival cruises offer many fun activities for kids and adults, making their cruise fun. Carnival is known for its sumptuous menu, cuisines, and food quality in its sips. Carnival Cruises sail to about 700 destinations around the globe.

Disney
Disney Cruise Line’s five famous ships are well-known for customer service, fun-filled activities for all ages, and excursions to exotic locations en route. Their ships have the best restaurants, nightclubs, shops, and recreational amenities. In addition, Disney Cruises offers cruises to multiple locations, including Alaska, Bahamas, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Australia, and Mexico.

Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises is an affordable luxury cruise line known for its top-class service and amenities aboard its ships. World-class cuisine with Michelin-starred chefs, shops, boutiques, casinos, and Broadway-style shows are some amenities and activities you can enjoy. In addition, they have cruises to the Bahamas, Mexico, Alaska, Bermuda, Greece &Turkey, and the Caribbean.