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Prices are per person “land only” (excluding air) based on double occupancy.
Finding the right cruise to suit your individual needs is easier than you may think. Begin by launching our Cruise Finder, which will help you compare all cruise deals quickly and easily in one location. If you have any questions along the way about the cruise deals you’re finding (or cruise deals you’re not finding), feel free to ask an experienced travel agent. Call toll free at 800-665-4981 and ask to speak with an agent who specializes in finding the best cruise deals!
Compared to many land-based vacations, cruises offer excellent value. When calculate the value of superior dining, food selection, service standards, cleanliness, safety, and on-board entertainment, you'll be hard-pressed to find an equivalent vacation package on land for less money.
As your floating hotel transports you to various ports of call, you'll avoid the hassle of having to pack and unpack. Especially in foreign lands, it is wonderful to experience local culture while returning to North American standards on-board the ship.
Start searching for your ideal cruise today!
Pricey luxury cruise lines such as Seabourn, Crystal, Regent, Sliversea are all inclusive but Oceania, Celebrity, Norwegian and MSC (Caribbean) offer drink packages in some promotional fares to make them “all inclusive”, meaning, you can have all meals and basic bar in one fare. Gratuities are typically extra for all but the luxury lines.
Best for who? Your needs and your budget? Depends on your expectations of service, space, quality of food and beverage, type and amount of on board entertainment. The lines offered on our site are all good, some are excellent, and some our outstanding, but what is best is determined by your needs and budget. Speak to our agents to help sort through this. Really, there are no bad cruises offered on tripcentral.ca
Our cruise grid shows the lowest priced cruise for each month, and this can also be sorted by lowest price per day. For example, a 10 day cruise may be more expensive than a 7, but on a daily basis, the 10 night a better deal. Airfare is a big factor from Canada. We’ve packaged the most popular cruises booked with flights from Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa and Halifax for certain times of year.
Usually it’s the inside cabin (no window), booked well in advance (tend to sell out or go up in price as space gets tight), and going at the start or end of a season. Airfare is usually cheaper at the start or end of a season when demand is lower, provided there is year round service.
A cruise will be comparable in price to a higher than average priced Caribbean or Mexican all inclusive resort package. By the time you compare drink included fares or packages and gratuities, average all inclusives to Cuba and Dominican Republic will cost less. If you don’t drink alcohol, you will find lead in cruise prices, flights, gratuities comparable to even average all inclusive resorts. You will get far more entertainment on a cruise, and on balance, better food. It is also a great choice for children and in particular teens because there are more kids their own age on a cruise, more freedom, and more organized activities.
Food is included in your fare. There are however some premium restaurants that charge a small supplement for superior cooked to order menu options and even more attentive service.
All charges can be charged to your on board account and settled on your credit card. There are ATMs on board with high fees for cash for the casino. If you gamble, you need cash Pretty much everything else is cashless including gratuities (charged to your onboard account), retail store charges, shore excursions etc.
The low season months for the destination. Cheapest Caribbean cruises are in September and October (hurricane season by the way – fine to book if you don’t mind the chance that the itinerary may need to be changed). Cheap Alaska cruises are in May and September. Europe is in April and late October/November.
The highest deck at the front or back (aft) of the ship will have more rolling motion than the lower decks mid ship – but in normal seas its barely noticeable. For getting around, it doesn’t matter – you’re all over the ship anyway – sometimes the front is convenient to your cabin location and sometimes the aft is. And if you’re mid ship it might seem more convenient but you will always be walking to the front or aft of the ship at some point and returning. Mid ship feels like you’re closer to everything.
Yes – for the majority of people. Proof is that there are far more balcony cabins than any other type for sale on all the major lines. This evolved over the last couple decades from outside cabins (window, no balcony). Even if you don’t sit on the balcony much, the floor to ceiling windows of your sliding doors let more light in. You will feel like a balcony cabin is “bigger”.
There is no real difference when docked. Ships can dock on either side, and the view from either side could be favourable in one place vs another. If scenic sailing from your balcony is important, you need to consider the route and direction during the scenic sail. This can get complicated on Fjord and Alaska cruises as the ships sails between various islands. Consider this only if your ship is sailing in one direction and not a “back and forth” scenario.
The date range of your cruise (weather season) will have more impact on seasickness than the placement of your cabin. Mid ship lower decks experiences less rolling but in calm seas this is practically irrelevant. Some itineraries traverse open seas more than others, and certain times of year are more likely to have better weather. If you get motion sickness in a car or airplane, you will probably feel sea-sick, and that does not stop people from enjoying cruises – you are better to speak to your doctor or pharmacist about motion sickness if you routinely get car sick.
If you drink a lot on vacation, probably yes. A lot would be a few drinks starting after lunch and throughout the afternoon, a cocktail before dinner, two glasses of wine after dinner, and more drinks after dinner during entertainment – then yes. But many people don’t drink that much, and for them, unless it is a great promotional offer on the cruise fare with a small supplement over no beverage package, the drink packages are not worth it. Also, both parties in the cabin have to buy the package – so you both need to drink enough to get your money’s worth. If you like ordering wine by the bottle, this is not included in drink packages – only selected wines by the glass. Your waiter will also store unfinished bottles for consumption the next night. Your itinerary will also determine how much time you are on board vs ashore – so European, Alaska, and port intensive Caribbean cruises will have you spending less time during the day on the ship. Some of the drink packages also include specialty coffees and other fancy non-alcoholic drinks that you should factor. Coffee is free at the buffet, but an Americano or Cappucino at a bar is extra and on some drink packages, included.
It depends on where you are travelling and when. Within the mass market lines that comprise 90% of the bookings by Canadians, it will vary – and this is the beauty of the tripcentral.ca grid – we find you the lowest price or best value for all the major lines. Sometimes it’s Royal Caribbean, sometimes Celebrity, sometimes Carnival, Norwegian, Princess or Holland America. MSC and Costa are often the most affordable in Europe.
The further ahead the better. You can only book airfare about 330 days in advance and we think you should know the airfare cost or at least a ballpark. Some lines will have a price guarantee on fares under deposit, but more are introducing non refundable deposits which have varying rules on price protection before final payment. Earlier is better – no question. If prices are lowered, they often do this on “guaranteed” categories (no cabin assignment – you could be anywhere) as a way of protecting their existing bookings from price reductions.
Usually what they call the Owner’s Suite (not really), but it’s more like an apartment. There are many affordable mini-suites and suites offered, and you need to compare the included amenities. The suites are targetted to people who live in large luxury homes and who expect more space, finer furnishings, and more attentive service. They are limited in number, book very far in advance, and are seldom discounted other than on a no cabin assignment basis.
You’ll find drink prices about the same as what’s offered in most average chain restaurants at home. Beer will be in the $6-7 range, Wine in the $8-11 range, and mixed drinks with regular spirits and simple cocktails within the range. Prices are in US dollars and typically have an automatic 15-20% gratuity added to the bill. They are not cheap, but they don’t take advantage of their monopoly. There are the odd drink specials on featured cocktails or multiple beer purchases.
Generally not. Cruise lines prohibit alcohol being brought on board and can confiscate or levy fines. The issue is not only their monopoly on the sale of drinks and duty free bottles (which are held until the end of the cruise) but the safety and liability of having excessive alcohol running free on board (including access by minors). Don’t try to sneak it or drugs or narcotics on board. The laws are different based on ships registry and port of call – it’s an embarrassing and expensive legal nightmare.
