Celebrity Cruises is an upscale cruise line with some of the most awarded cruise ships at sea. With attentive service, exquisite dining, exotic itineraries, and modern vessels, Celebrity Cruises is one of the most popular cruise lines for adults and couples.
However, Celebrity Cruises can be more expensive than other mainstream cruise lines, such as Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line. Celebrity’s cruise ships are midsize, and the cruise line operates a smaller fleet with just 16 ships at sea. This even includes three expedition ships that exclusively sail to the Galapagos Islands!
Celebrity Cruises is centered around accessible luxury by building cruise ships that rival floating resorts. You won’t find rollercoasters or waterslides on a Celebrity ship; instead, you can enjoy an upscale, more refined cruising experience specifically curated for adults.
Read more: 10 things Celebrity got right with Celebrity Ascent
With a higher cruise fare, you might be looking to save some money on a Celebrity cruise. The more money you can save on your cruise, the more you can spend on other things that you value. For me, this means splurging on a specialty dining restaurant or a fun excursion.
I’ve sailed on three different Celebrity Cruises with two cruises scheduled in the next year. I’ve grown to love the Celebrity brand, especially the cruise line’s innovative ships and destination-focused itineraries, but I always need to budget appropriately for my Celebrity cruises.
After booking multiple cruises with the cruise line, here are some of my best tips to save money on a Celebrity cruise.
Book with a travel agent
For years, I booked my own cruises because I prefer to be in control of my vacation planning. Within the last two years, I have started to book cruises through a reliable travel agent, and I have saved so much money.
Travel agents have access to group rates and special rates for Celebrity Cruises. This means that the travel agency has allocated specific rooms for a set price, which could be cheaper than what you find through the cruise line.
Take for instance my upcoming cruise on Celebrity Solstice. The 15-night sailing was advertised as $4,500 on Celebrity’s website for an inside cabin without any added perks or benefits. I checked with my travel agent, and she was able to secure an inside cabin with included drinks, gratuities, and internet for $4,139.
In fact, my parents canceled their existing reservation and rebooked with the travel agent because the price was so affordable. The group rate offered through the agent was a better deal, even with the cancelation penalty. Our agent’s rate was too good to turn down.
Needless to say, consider booking your Celebrity cruise with a reputable travel agent. It costs you nothing extra, and your travel agent will save you not only time but most likely money, too. A travel agent can also handle any questions, concerns, or issues related to your cruise.
Read more: 5 Reasons to Book With a Travel Agent for Your Next Cruise
Book early or at the last minute
When it comes to booking a Celebrity Cruise, you have two options to snag the best deal. In my experience, it’s best to book as early as possible. This allows you to lock in a great rate, in addition to having a wide selection of cabins to choose from.
The earlier you book, the more likely you will be able to take advantage of special promotions as well. With Celebrity Cruises, this often includes onboard credit during special promotions.
If you book early and the price goes down before your final payment, you can ask Celebrity Cruises to reprice your sailing. In this way, you really have nothing to lose with booking far in advance. We recommend 12-18 months in advance for cruises to lock in the best rate.
On the other hand, you can also find some incredible last-minute deals with Celebrity Cruises. If you are flexible with your travels, you could consider waiting until the last minute to book a cruise with Celebrity. Flexibility is key here, as you will likely be assigned the leftover cabins onboard. You might also not receive your top choice of excursions, dining times, etc.
However, if you are just looking to get on a cruise and you aren’t picky about when or where, then this could be a lucrative strategy. Some of Celebrity’s last-minute sailings are very cheap, which you can find on the cruise line’s website.
Consider Celebrity’s CruiseCare Plan
Insurance is nobody’s favorite subject to talk about, but plans can change. To accommodate guests with extra protection, Celebrity Cruises offers the option to book their CruiseCare Plan for insurance. This is an optional add-on to any Celebrity cruise booking. You can add the CruiseCare plan during the booking process or after you’ve paid your deposit.
While the CruiseCare plan will provide you with travel protection, it also has a Cancellation Penalty Waiver Program. In the case that you cancel your cruise for a specified reason, you can cancel without penalty. Of course, these covered reasons are very specific.
Even better, if you cancel for any reason, the CruiseCare plan includes a Cancel For Any Reason Cruise Vacation Enhancement benefit. This will allow you to cancel your cruise for any reason and receive a future cruise credit up to 90% of the non-refundable value of the cruise vacation paid to Celebrity.
If your plans change with Celebrity Cruises, having this additional protection can be very valuable. You will also receive additional perks like baggage delay protection, medical expense evacuation, and 24/7 emergency assistance.
Read more: Cruise travel insurance and why you need it
Choose All Included Pricing
Celebrity Cruises is one of few cruise lines that offers guests the option to book a more all-inclusive cruise fare. The cruise line offers "All Included" packages for guests looking to book a drink and internet package.
According to the cruise line, guests can save anywhere from $200 to $800 by booking an All Included rate compared to onboard prices. The All Included package encompasses a Classic Drinks Package and unlimited Basic Wi-Fi for the duration of your cruise.
If you are someone who is planning to drink extensively onboard your Celebrity Cruise, you can save big money with a drink package. Most of the time, guests need to drink anywhere from four to six drinks daily to break even with a drink package. However, drink packages also include specialty coffees, juices, bottled water, and more.
Additionally, many guests plan to book a Wi-Fi package for their cruise regardless to stay connected. The basic internet package is unlimited with All Included pricing and provides access to one device per guest.
Those who are already planning to purchase a drink package and onboard internet will want to consider the All Included package pricing. Depending on your drinking style and connectivity needs, this could save you money on your Celebrity Cruise.
Read more: 16 tips to not waste money on your first cruise
Check your credit card offers
One of the biggest ways that I’ve saved money with my Celebrity Cruises is through my American Express credit cards. With my Platinum and Gold American Express cards, I’ve received numerous offers to save money or earn additional membership reward points with Celebrity Cruises.
Periodically throughout the year, American Express will provide these offers to cardholders. The offers are typically along the lines of, “Spend $500 with Celebrity Cruises and receive 20,000 bonus points” or “Spend $1,000 with Celebrity Cruises and receive $350 statement credit”.
All you have to do with an American Express offer is add the offer to your card online or through the app. The offer is then tied to that specific credit card. You will need to make a purchase directly with Celebrity Cruises to receive the offer. It’s important to read all of the terms and conditions to ensure you are making a proper purchase for the offer.
I would guess these offers are available two to three times each year, although they are usually targeted offers. Keep an eye on your credit card offers to see if you’ve received a targeted offer to save money with Celebrity Cruises. I’ve saved hundreds of dollars and earned thousands of additional points taking advantage of these offers. Typically, I try to make payments for my cruises when these offers are available.
Join the Captain’s Club
All cruise lines have a loyalty program that rewards cruisers for being loyal to the company. Celebrity’s loyalty program is called Captain’s Club. Similar to most loyalty programs, the more you cruise with Celebrity, the higher status you can earn and the more points you can accrue.
With each cruise night onboard Celebrity Cruises, you earn points based on your stateroom category. Higher-end suites earn more points while affordable inside cabins still earn you two points per night.
As you work your way through Captain’s Club tiers, you will earn more lucrative benefits that can save you money. For example, once you reach Elite status, you receive 20% off any bottle of wine, 15% discount on drink packages, 30% discount on the Wi-Fi package and 40% off digital photo packages.
You also receive an invitation to a happy hour each night with complimentary drinks! If you reach Celebrity’s top-tier status, Zenith, you earn complimentary premium Wi-Fi and drink packages.
It certainly pays to be loyal when it comes to cruising and it’s free to join the Captain’s Club. You can sign up for Captain’s Club on Celebrity’s website or visit the Loyalty Desk once you’re onboard your cruise. You will start earning points once you’ve completed your first cruise.
Read more: Everything you need to know about cruise line loyalty programs (2024)
Status Match with Royal Caribbean
Celebrity Cruises is owned by Royal Caribbean Group, meaning the cruise line is a sister-brand to Royal Caribbean International. While Royal Caribbean is family-focused, Celebrity Cruises is upscale and focuses on the adult experience.
However, Celebrity Cruises offers a generous status-matching program with Royal Caribbean’s Crown and Anchor Society. With this reciprocity program, a loyal Royal Caribbean cruiser can earn top-tier status in Celebrity’s Captain’s Club without stepping foot on a Celebrity cruise ship.
Guests who have earned Diamond, Diamond Plus, or Pinnacle status can automatically earn Elite status with Celebrity Cruises. This affords benefits like complimentary happy hour, 30% off internet packages, 15% off drink packages, and more.
Status matching with Celebrity Cruises is easy. All you have to do is call the Captain’s Club loyalty number and ask for the status match, then you use your new Captain’s Club loyalty number when booking your Celebrity cruises and automatically receive Elite benefits.
Prepay Gratuities
Once you’ve booked your Celebrity cruise, it’s highly advised to prepay your gratuities. These are daily allowances given to the crew members for tips. Currently, Celebrity Cruises provides the following rates for daily gratuities, per person. If you do not prepay your gratuities, your cabin will be automatically charged the daily rate once onboard.
- Inside, Oceanview and Veranda staterooms: $18 USD per guest, per day
- Concierge Class and AquaClass staterooms: $18.50 USD per guest, per day
- The Retreat: $23.00 USD per guest, per day
By prepaying your gratuities, you will lock in the current daily rates provided by Celebrity Cruises. It’s not uncommon for the cruise line to raise their gratuity rates every so often. If you’ve prepaid your gratuities, you won’t need to worry about a price hike.
Check for special rates
Like most cruise lines, Celebrity Cruises offers additional discounts with special rates. When booking your Celebrity cruise, you will be prompted at the beginning of the process to apply a promo code or exclusive rates discount.
In the dropdown, you can enter your Captain’s Club number and state residence. You can also select if you are a military member or Police/EMT. Not all sailings provide discounts for these special rates, but it’s worth selecting whichever applies to you when booking your Celebrity cruise.
Because cruise lines are looking to entice specific cruisers - such as those within close proximity to the ports in Florida - residents of certain states receive special discounts. As a military family and Florida resident, I almost always receive an additional discount with Celebrity Cruises. These discounts can vary, but some of them have saved me an extra $100 to $200.
Read more: The best cruise booking perks – and are they actually free?
Allie Hubers
Allie Hubers has been cruising since she was a tiny toddler. What started as a yearly vacation with family quickly turned into a passion for travel, cruising and adventure. Allie's been on nearly 30 cruises all over the world. She even studied abroad on Semester at Sea, sailing the world on a ship while taking courses for college and visiting 4 continents.
