There's no better time to start thinking about your spring break plans than right now! After the holidays, spring break is one of the first opportunities for families to vacation together.
Since demand is higher than in February or May, it's not uncommon to find some pretty expensive spring break cruises. A 7-night cruise onboard Icon of the Seas, for instance, that departs on March 30, 2024, starts at a jaw-dropping $3,244 per person for two people in an interior cabin.
While not as expensive, even the brand-new Carnival Jubilee starts at over $950 per person for a week-long cruise the week before Easter.
If you're hoping to find a cheap spring break cruise, don't worry! We've compiled a list of some of the cheapest sailings you can take in March and April to help give you something to look forward to before summer!
Note that rates are subject to change at any time. When published, these were the advertised rates on each cruise line's website, rather than third-party search engines like Expedia or Priceline.
Read more: What is the best way to book a cruise?
What's the cheapest spring break cruise for the week before Easter?
Both the weeks before and after Easter tend to be some of the most popular weeks for school holidays. As such, pricing for sailings tends to be the more expensive. That doesn't mean you cannot score a fantastic, deal though!
When browsing the cheapest cruise for the week of March 24, the winner was a 4-night cruise to The Bahamas onboard MSC Magnifica. Sailing out of Miami, Florida, this cruise will take you to Nassau and MSC Cruises' private island, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve.
At the time of writing, the sailing departing on March 25, 2024 started at $399 per person for two for an interior room.
The second cheapest cruise we found for this week was the 4-night Western Caribbean cruise onboard Carnival Conquest from Miami. Starting at $509 per person for the March 25 sailing, this cruise will visit Key West and Cozumel, Mexico.
4 nights onboard a cruise ship isn't particularly long. If you are looking for something slightly longer, you should consider the 7-night Tropical Caribbean cruise onboard Holland America Line's Nieuw Statendam on March 24. It starts at $799 per person for an interior room and visits Half Moon Cay, Nassau, Amber Cove, and Grand Turk.
There are some cheap sailings for the week after Easter, too
If your child's spring break isn't until the week after Easter, have no fear!
There are some great sailings this week to choose from without breaking the bank. Like the week prior, the cheapest sailing for this week is the 4-night cruise to The Bahamas onboard MSC Magnifica, which starts around $319 per person for the April 1 departure.
There's also a rather cheap 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise onboard Holland America Line's Nieuw Statendam that departs on March 31. For $399 per person, you can visit Half Moon Cay, Amber Cove, San Juan, and St. Thomas.
Carnival Cruise Line is offering a 5-night cruise onboard Carnival Breeze from Galveston, Texas that sails to Progreso, Yucatán and Cozumel, Mexico. At the time of writing, this specific sailing on March 30, 2024 is priced at $484 per person.
If you live in Texas, this might be a good option to consider, as you won't have to worry about purchasing flights to Florida.
Read more: Why you should plan a cruise within driving distance
Some school districts, such as New York City Public Schools, don't have their spring break until as late as the end of April
The cheapest cruise offered the week of April 21, 2024 is a 4-night cruise to The Bahamas onboard MSC Magnifica. At the time of writing, this short cruise was listed as starting at $199 per person.
For $85 more per person, or $284 each, you could opt to cruise from Los Angeles to Baja Mexico onboard a 4-night cruise on Carnival Radiance on April 22.
Here are the cheapest cruises in March and April
The cheapest cruise in March 2024 is a 2-night sailing onboard MSC Divina departing March 1 and visiting just one port of call: Nassau. This cruise starts at $109 per person; however, most might not find it feasible to travel to Flordia for such a short sailing. Plus, it's only offered once throughout the entire month.
While you might not be able to be too picky with the itinerary, MSC Cruises has tons of other voyages to The Bahamas in March for under $200 per person.
Moving to April, the cheapest cruise offered is a 3-night cruise onboard MSC Magnifica that departs on April 19 and starts at $169 per person. With this sailing, you won't have any days at sea. Instead, you will spend one day in Key West and another in Freeport.
How to get a good deal on a spring break cruise
The key to scoring a great cruise deal is to book ahead. If you wait until the last minute, you risk the sailing you've been eyeing selling out or only having certain stateroom categories available, such as balconies or suites.
Moreover, it is important to be flexible with length and itinerary. Shorter cruises to The Bahamas will often be cheaper than weeklong cruises to the Caribbean or Mexican Riveria.
You also have to consider what add-ons you want to purchase and factor them into your overall budget. Things like drink packages, Wi-Fi, and shore excursions can easily double or triple the fare for any given passenger, especially if you booked a cheaper cruise.
If you've already booked your spring break cruise for 2024, now is the best time to start looking into next year's, especially if you want to score a great deal!
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer.
