Best Cruise Booking Websites

Is the open sea calling your name? Are you longing to enjoy another cruise or looking to experience your first cruising experience? A cruise booking site can help you select the right cruise line, dates, and ports of call to help ensure you have a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

With a cruise booking site, you'll also be able to compare prices for different cruise options to help make sure you get the best deal possible. Read through our reviews below to help you pick the best site to help you book your next cruise.

Top 5: Cruise Booking Site Reviews

Product Image & Rating (Out Of 10)

Product Name

Contact

Priceline

9.9

Kayak

9.8

Expedia

9.6

TripAdvisor

9.4

CruiseDirect

9.1

Recommendation #1

Priceline

9.9

Recommendation #2

Kayak

9.8

Recommendation #3

Expedia

9.6

Recommendation #4

TripAdvisor

9.4

Recommendation #5

CruiseDirect

9.1

Priceline

With Priceline's features and search tools, you'll be able to find a great deal on an amazing cruise. They offer a variety of search options to help you find just what you're looking for. If you have a specific cruise line or cruise ship in mind, you can search only for availability from those options.

If you are looking to visit a specific destination, select that destination from the drop-down menu. Or, if you simply want to find a great deal on a cruise for the dates you have available, select your departure dates, departure port, and desired cruise length (if you have one) to see what's available.

Priceline

After you've entered whatever search criteria you'd like, Priceline will display a list of the cruises that match what you enter. The search results will show you the cruise line, departure port, ports of call, and the sailing dates.

You'll also be shown any available bonus offers. These bonus offers may include extra savings, money to spend onboard, or other specials. If you're interested in a particular cruise, you can view the itinerary and more specific information about the ship and available staterooms. Then, if you're ready, Priceline will help you get it all booked.

When you visit the 'Cruise' section on Priceline's website, if you scroll down, you'll see a few additional ways to find great savings on cruises. Priceline displays cruises that are under a particular price point or that are being offered at a special rate. You can also browse through different cruises that are available from popular departure ports or ones that visit top destinations.

Pros

  • You can search using any number of criteria to help you find the cruise that will best meet your needs.
  • Priceline offers additional bonus offers for many of the cruises you'll find.
  • You can also browse through cruise special offers on their website to snag a great deal.

Cons

  • You may be overwhelmed by the number of search results you're shown if you don't enter very specific criteria.
Kayak

Book the cruise of your dreams with Kayak. Simply visit the 'Cruises' section of their website to enter information about the cruise you're looking to book. You can specify specific departure ports, destinations, cruise lines, or cruising months.

After you've entered your search information, Kayak will display all the cruises that match your search. To help you narrow down your search results, you can choose from the various filter options offered at the top of the page. For example, you can filter by cruise line, price, cruise length, departure date, or stateroom type.

Kayak

In the search results overview page, you'll be able to view key details about each cruise option. You can see the cruise line, ship name, departure date and port, cruise lengths, and price for different stateroom options. Clicking on the listing will bring up the more detailed itinerary, any bonus offers, and will allow you to book the cruise if you're interested.

In addition to viewing the prices offered by Kayak, they'll also allow you to compare prices for the cruises you're interested in to what Expedia and Priceline offer. You just need to click on the compare buttons on the right side of the search results.

Pros

  • Kayak offers lots of different options for filtering your results.
  • The search overview page displays all the key information about a cruise you'll need to help you make a decision.
  • You can easily bring up the full cruise itinerary by clicking on the listing.

Cons

  • You can only choose to compare cruise prices with two other travel booking sites.
Expedia

When you want the best deal on a cruise, Expedia is a great place to start your search. Just click on the cruise symbol on the search bar, and you'll be able to enter your desired destination and range for departure dates.

After you've started your search, you'll be able to refine it by filtering the results. You can select your desired departure port, cruise length, cruise line, or even the specific cruise ship you'd like to sail on. You can also have Expedia sort the results by departure date, price, or cruise length.

Expedia

Once you've set your filters and determined how you want the results sorted, you'll be able to view the cruises that match your search. On the search overview page, you'll be able to view the cruise line, cruise ship, price, sailing date, and the number of nights. You can also click on 'View itinerary' to view all the ports you'll visit along with the general schedule of the cruise.

In addition to their online search options, Expedia also has cruise booking experts that can help you complete your booking. These booking experts are a great resource if you're in need of suggestions or want to make sure you book two cabs right next to each other.

Pros

  • If you need additional assistance, you can call one of Expedia's cruise experts.
  • You can sort and filter using a variety of criteria to help you find the ideal cruise for you.
  • The overview page in the search results displays enough information to help you decide if you'd like to consider a specific cruise.

Cons

  • Expedia doesn't offer as many search options as some other booking sites.
TripAdvisor

When you visit TripAdvisor's cruise page, you'll be able to view their featured cruise deals. These featured deals offer huge savings on cruises that are coming up soon.

In addition to booking one of the feature cruise deals, you can also search for a cruise that fits into your schedule and visits ports of call that are of interest to you. To start this search, just enter your departure month and the region in which you are interested in cruising.

TripAdvisor

After you start your search, you can choose to filter the results by selecting a desired cruise line, departure port, cruise length, or price range. Each of the results that you'll see will show you the cruise line, cruise ship, sailing dates, departure ports, ports of call, average review score, and price.

If you click on the listing, you will be able to view more information about the trip and the amenities offered by the cruise ship. You can also click on 'View Deal' to view even more information about the cruise. When you do this, TripAdvisor will send you to one of their partner sites where you can see more details or book your cruise.

Pros

  • TripAdvisor lets you filter your results, so you're only shown options that match your criteria.
  • A lot of useful information is included on the search overview page to help you decide if you're potentially interested in a particular cruise.
  • TripAdvisor offers featured cruises that depart in the next few weeks at deep savings.

Cons

  • You'll be directed to another site to book your trip.
CruiseDirect

CruiseDirect can hep you make a reservation for your next cruise. With cruise direction, you can view cruises that visit specific destinations, ones that leave from a given departure port, or cruises offered by a specific cruise line. If you want to search using one of these criteria, just hover your mouse over the appropriate drop-down menu and select the option that matches what you're looking for.

Additionally, you can also search for a cruise with CruiseDirect by enter the month you're looking to travel, your desired cruise length, and which cruise lines you're interested in.

CruiseDirect

Once you start a search, CruiseDirect with load and display all of the cruises that match your search. You'll be able to view the starting price for the cruise, the cruise line, the cruise ship, the ports of call, and the staterooms that are available. CruiseDirect often offers bonus deals, such as savings on excursions or additional money to spend onboard, so you'll be able to view these savings as well.

Along the left side of the search results, you'll be able to filter the search results by departure port, price range, departure date range, and what the cruise is best for (weddings, families with kids, teens, seniors, etc.).

CruiseDirect also has cruise experts that are available to help you book a cruise over the phone. If you need guidance or suggestions, using one of their cruise experts can help make sure you get the best deal possible.

Pros

  • You can filter results to find cruises in your price range that will best fit your needs.
  • The search overview page includes a lot of information about each cruise to give you an idea of what it includes.
  • A cruise expert can help you book a cruise over the phone.

Cons

  • Their homepage is a little busy and can make it seem overwhelming to find the information you're looking for.

Buying Guide

A cruise is a truly relaxing and enjoyable experience. You don't want booking it to be stressful or time-consuming. When you use a booking site, you'll be able to compare different cruise options and find the one that best fits your schedule, interests, and budget.

There are few things you'll want to look for in the booking site you ultimately choose. First, consider the search options available. Can you search using a variety of criteria, such as sailing dates, cruise lines, or ports of call?

Next, you may want to look for a site that will allow you to select a few different cruise options that are of interest to you to compare. This will allow you to look at the overview for each cruise that you are considering and compare the different features and prices to help you make the best selection.

Choosing a booking site that offers helpful customer service is also important. This can help you if you have any problems booking your cruise and can help make sure you don't lose out on a great deal because of a technical difficulty.

Finally, look for a booking site that offers a guarantee that you are getting the best price. This way, you can get refunded the difference if you are able to find a cheaper price through another site.

Top Pick

We think you'll love booking your next cruise with Priceline. You'll find that it is easy to find a cruise that will fit your interests, available dates, and budget using the different search options they offer. You may choose to search using a familiar cruise line or cruise ship, or explore different options that look interesting.

Priceline

When you view your search results on Priceline, you'll be able to quickly view all of the pertinent information about each cruise to help you decide if you may be interested in it. Some of this information includes the sailing dates, departure port, ports of call, and price.

Priceline also offers different bonus offers for booking certain cruises. These bonus offers may include money to spend on board, cash back after your cruise, and other incentives.

Commonly Asked Questions

What Is the Cheapest Time to Go on a Cruise?

You'll be likely to find the best rates for a cruise between September and January, since those are not peak travel times for most.

Do Cruises Get Cheaper Closer to the Sailing Date?

You may be able to find cheaper rates for a cruise as the sailing date is approaching. This is because cruise companies don't want to have a boat with a lot of empty rooms, so they'll frequently offer discounted rates to encourage more people to book. Just be cautious, the cruise you are planning on taking could sell out if you wait too long to book it.

Is Everything Free on a Cruise?

Unless you book an all-inclusive cruise, everything will not be free. Your meals should be included in your fare, but you'll likely need to pay for excursions, any shopping you do, and some of the other add-ons offered by the cruise company you choose.

Final Verdict

There is a lot to love about using Priceline to book a cruise. What are you waiting for? Answer the call of the sea, and book your next cruise today!

REFERENCE & RESOURCES


Official Top 5 Review Team
Official Top 5 Review Team

The Official Top 5 Review team is dedicated to testing and researching the top products available for many different industries. We do the research and testing so that you don't have to! We welcome you to provide your feedback on your experiences with any products that you have experience with.

We will be happy to hear your thoughts

Leave a reply

Official Top 5 Review
Logo