Katie has been in the points and miles game since 2015 and started her own blog in 2016. She’s been freelance writing since then and her work has been featured in publications like Travel + Leisure an...
Edited by: Juan Ruiz
Juan has been involved in credit cards, loyalty, travel, and personal finance for more than 10 years. He has worked for several outlets including The Points Guy and Forbes and was previously Editor-in...
& Keri Stooksbury
With years of experience in corporate marketing and as the Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Qatar, Keri is now Editor-in-Chief at UP, overseeing daily content operations and r...
13 comments
David Hall
December 20, 2019
Hi, nice review of the best places to book a cruise.
Just one comment on the Delta Cruises which I used to book a transatlantic on Norwegian Epic from Barcelona to San Juan 11/22 to 12/8/2019
We booked a balcony but were never offered the specialty dinning for 2 even though we are both Silver Medallion and I am Gold Medallion. I wonder if this dinning is new or maybe did not apply to the basic balcony.
Traveler
June 27, 2021
How did you miss the cruisecompete site?
Jarrod West
June 28, 2021
Hi Traveler,
This post is a collection of what we view to be the 19 best websites for cruises, and of course, that is entirely subjective. Glad to hear that Cruise Compete is working well for you!
The dude
July 26, 2021
I second this. By far the best pricing on a consistent basis.
George
July 20, 2021
Great review.
Another option I have found is to start with through befrugal, then link through to Expedia. befrugal will provide cash back of 6% (only on the cruise, not on the taxes) after the cruise is complete. I have also done it with priceline this way, but they are currently only paying 4%.
Laura
June 21, 2022
I am surprised you did not mention CruiseCompete.com. Although not a booking site, it does provide an opportunity for travel agents to obtain your business. It is a great site for getting the best deal for a specific cruise.
Lis
July 11, 2022
CruiseCompete.com has offered the lowest prices (highest bonuses) consistently for me, too. Definitely deserves to be on the list.
Edward Fan
January 10, 2023
Here to help!
Robin Leslie
March 18, 2023
Katie did not go far enough in her research. Of the 19 that are listed, 8 of those company’s are managed by World Travel Holdings (WTH). How do I know this, I am a retired Travel Professional for World Travel Holdings. CruisesOnly and Cruises.com are .coms owned by WTH. The other company’s that is managed by WTH on this list is CheapCaribbean.com, Priceline Cruise, American Airlines Cruises, Delta Skymiles Cruises, United Cruises, and Marriott Bonvoy Cruises. Plus, there are 18 other cruise company’s that are managed thru WTH. How can you tell it is being managed thru WTH, if there is a $24.99 processing fee. WTH is a great company because you will get a lot of benefits booking thru them. It is always better to book thru a company like WTH instead of directly thru the cruise line because you will always get the cruise lines promotions plus WTH promotions. Katie also posted that you would get Free Prepaid Gratuities and Specialty Dining for 2, but those are promotions from the cruise lines and are not always available. If you book a cruise thru Norwegian Cruises they always have what they call Free At Sea promotions: what you get is their Beverage Package, Specialty Dining Package for 2, Internet Package, and $50 Shore Excursion Discount per port and also if you need flights the first person pays and the second flies free. A couple of other cruises that offer some of those promotions is Celebrity Cruises, Princess Cruises, and Holland America Cruises. Remember this, things change all the time when it comes to cruises, even for the Luxury cruise lines.
Linda Robinson
April 16, 2023
Thank you for the information because you answered a few questions I have about the the process . It was very informative.
Nunya
April 19, 2023
WRONG! There are no FREE PROMOTIONS! You end up PAYING for them in hidden fees! Book direct. Don’t fall for this!!
Niemi
June 23, 2023
What are some of these hidden fees you speak of?
J.T.
July 20, 2023
Sadly, Cruises.com charges a $24.99 processing fee, just like most 3rd party cruise sites.
Your article doesn’t mention this fee under their “Cons”.
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