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Although cruise vacations (a.k.a. cruising) suffered during the pandemic, the industry has recovered, and more people than ever are enjoying vacations aboard cruise ships. Whether you love to cruise or are new to this popular travel recreation, finding Black Friday deals can help you hit the high seas for less.
Black Friday cruise deals offer a range of options from where you want to go to and what you want to do and see on your cruise holiday.
Our top picks for the best Black Friday cruise deals
MSC Cruises
This is another free option for cruising with kids; plus, when you book during this Black Friday sale, you can get up to $500 onboard credit to enjoy drinks, specialty dining, shore excursions, and spa treatments. Cruise the Caribbean, Bahamas, the Mediterranean, and other locations in 2023 and beyond.
MSC Cruises - Get up to $500 onboard credit
Hurtigruten Cruises
Get up to 30% off sustainable boating destinations to Antarctica or up to 50% off cruises to the Galapagos Islands. If your family prefers excursions and educational tours to simply lounging by the pool during a cruise, this is the one for you. These expedition-based cruises are a great way for your family to experience being explorers together in an epic adventure. Also, kids are 50% off to help you save on your family’s next memory-making trip.
Hurtigruten Cruises - Get up to 50% off
Princess Cruise Lines
This Black Friday, get up to 50% off cruises for 2023 to 2025 on Princess Cruise Lines, plus third and fourth guests are free, which means you can bring friends and family for less. Choose from a wide variety of destinations such as a three-day Pacific Coast cruise (San Francisco, California to Vancouver, Canada) for $223 a night (down from $278), or if you want to travel far, a three-day sea-cation in waters off Australia (from Sydney to Brisbane) is marked down by $100 to $138 a night.
Princess Cruise Lines - Get up to 50% off cruises
Celebrity Cruises
When you visit Celebrity Cruises' Black Friday sale, you can save 75% on your special someone’s ticket and enjoy up to $300 in onboard credits. Don’t worry if your romance already includes little ones—Celebrity Cruises are great for families, too.
Celebrity Cruises - Get up to $300 in onboard credits
Expedia
While not a cruise brand, Expedia is offering select cruise deals as part of their Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.
Expedia - Best Cruise Deals
Oceania Cruises
Smaller ships don’t mean small savings—during this Black Friday sale, you can find cruise packages up to $5,400 off. Oceania also offers two-for-one fares on selected cruises, free roundtrip airfare, free shore trips, plus free dining and drinks- because you should absolutely drink free champagne on a luxury cruise. Choose from 100 cruises and make 2024 your year of setting “sail” on open waters.
Oceania Cruises - Find cruise packages up to $5,400 off.
Avalon Waterways River Cruise
When you sign up for 2024 river cruises with Avalon, you can save up to $500, plus receive free airfare from select cities and other freebies.
Avalon Waterways River Cruise - Save up to $500
Holland America
Kids cruise for free during Black Friday sales at Holland America, and you can receive a $400 shore excursion credit to ensure everyone enjoys their time off and on the water. Plus, inclusive gratuities and 30% off select trips make this a great bargain for families who want to travel by 2025.
Holland America - Receive a $400 shore excursion credit.
Margaritaville at Sea
Book a couple’s cruise for $89 plus 30% off food and beverage, shore excursions, and more. Jimmy Buffet may be gone, but Margaritaville is forever.
Margaritaville at Sea - Cruise for $89 plus 30% off food and beverage.
Amazara
Amazara cruises are considered luxury on the high seas and offer trips around the world from ports in South and West Africa, India and Sri Lanka, Japan, and Norway to the French Riviera. Amazara understands the allure of global travel on luxury ships, where cruisers also want to experience new cultures. This Black Friday, you can find deals on upgrades to staterooms and 20% off suites in select 2024 sailings in Australia, Asia, Europe, South Africa, and South America. Plus, you can get a $1,000 onboard credit to enjoy during your stay.
Amazara - Get a $1,000 Onboard Credit
What you need to know for Black Friday
When is Black Friday?
Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, which always falls on the fourth Thursday in November. This year, Black Friday is on November 24, 2023, and theoretically ends on Sunday, November 26, 2023.
Many travel companies and cruise ship brands offer markdowns on or near Black Friday to incentivize travelers to purchase trips. Other sales dates to note are Cyber Monday and Travel Tuesday, a relatively new addition to the Black Friday shopping season.
What deals should I expect on cruises?
Cruise deals may include a percentage off the cruise cost, credits to use while onboard, discounted additional excursion activities, or money off the cost of a ticket or a companion ticket.
What kind of cruise deals did they have last year?
Costa Cruises offered up to $200 onboard credit per customer; Holland America cruisers received up to 40% off select cruises, and Hurtigruten came in with 50% off cruises to Greenland, Iceland, and Alaska, among other destinations. These are just a few of the great deals consumers who love to cruise were able to enjoy last year.
How to get a good deal on cruises on Black Friday
A great way to get a good deal on cruises is to follow cruise blogs—yes, that's a thing—like Cruise Critic and Cruise and sign up for email alerts from major cruise lines like Holland America, Celebrity Cruises, Disney, and others. As with any sale, it also helps to sign up for Google alerts if you are looking for specific brands or destinations for your future cruise.
How to choose the best cruises for you?
Decide if you want to travel on a giant or smaller cruise ship. Most cruise ships offer off-board excursions, so decide what kind of traveling you want. Are you more of a lounge-by-the-pool type, or do you want a cruise with a learning or adventure component?
Would you rather pay for an all-inclusive cruise or pick out your meals and activities on an à la carte basis?
Also, consider where you would like to set sail from. Do you prefer a New York City-based port, or would you rather fly to Florida to catch your boat? Some cruises start in Europe, so make sure you budget for plane tickets for the first leg of the journey. The good news? Hundreds of cruises are available, so you can narrow your choices to find the best fit.
Where to find Black Friday deals on cruises?
If you want a general idea of which Black Friday deals are out there for cruises, we recommend checking out and bookmarking the popular travel sites and cruise brands to learn about the best steals for your next adventure or leisure time at sea: Expedia, MSC Cruises, Hurtigruten Cruise Lines, Princess Cruise Lines, and Celebrity Cruises.
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