planet cruise black friday deals

You don't need to wait until Thanksgiving for these early Black Friday cruise offers

Waiting until after Thanksgiving for Black Friday promotions is so 2019. For the past three years, cruise lines have released their pre-holiday deals early, and 2023 is following the trend, with several cruise brands having released their offers as early as the beginning of November.

Early deal releases began in an effort to drum up business during the industrywide pandemic shutdown in 2020. Due to the resounding success of the pre-Turkey Day launches — and Americans' insatiable desire for bargains — cruise lines have kept up the practice.

In recent years, deals have focused on value-added perks like onboard credit, complimentary Wi-Fi and drink package add-ons, and "kids sail free" inclusions. We're seeing more of the same this year, but with a few more fare discounts added to the mix. Additionally, most of the promos we're seeing are for sailings in 2024 and beyond; few, if any, are for last-minute sailings , which is due to how well cruises have been selling in 2023.

Although this year's offers aren't quite as stellar as the ones we saw when the industry was on shaky ground, there are still a few that stand out in terms of excellent value. Here are some of the best deals we've seen so far, with several more set to be released by various lines over the next week. Check back for our full roundup of nearly two dozen deals, which will be published Nov. 20.

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Celebrity Cruises

Through Dec. 5, Celebrity is running a "buy one, get one 75% off" promotion that will let you bring a travel companion for nearly free when you pay full price for yourself. This offer is valid on nearly all voyages through April 30, 2026, which means you can opt to save on a last-minute sailing or plan your travels well in advance. You can also earn up to $300 in onboard credit, depending on the length of the sailing booked.

Holland America

Beginning Friday, for bookings made through Dec. 1, Holland America is running a special offer of up to 30% off fares for select voyages through 2025. This deal also includes crew gratuities, which is a value of $108.50 to $119 per person on a seven-day cruise, depending on type of cabin booked. This discount can be combined with the line's Have It All premium package, which rolls shore excursions, beverage packages, Wi-Fi and specialty dining costs in with cruise fares.

Norwegian Cruise Line

As part of Norwegian 's earliest and longest-running Black Friday sale ever, the line is allowing passengers to take 50% off all cruise fares on all ships — including new Norwegian Viva — when they book a sailing by early December. This deal can also be combined with the line's Free at Sea offerings, which include perks like complimentary shore excursions, Wi-Fi and drinks.

As part of its " Black Friday Sail ," luxury line Seabourn is discounting select cruises through summer 2024 across its entire fleet, including brand-new expedition vessels Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit. When you book a cruise to the Arctic, Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean and other destinations by Nov. 27, you'll receive a two-category cabin upgrade (based on availability), up to $2,000 per cabin in onboard credit (based on cabin category booked) and a 50% reduced deposit.

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The ultimate guide to scoring black friday & cyber monday cruise deals.

Right now’s the time to put an unforgettable bucket list trip on your itinerary — with our best sale of the year. The best part? You don’t even need to leave the house. Book online and take advantage of our Black Friday and Cyber Monday cruise deals on the boldest adventures. From Caribbean getaways to longer journeys into Alaska, the Mediterranean, Asia and beyond. No matter where in the world your wanderlust takes you, now’s the time to set your sights our latest savings and bold new discoveries. What are you waiting for? Keep reading to learn about Thanksgiving season specials, and what to expect from all the savings each cruise offer includes.

Understand What the Cruise Offer Includes

The first step to really taking advantage of specials like our Black Friday cruise deals and Cyber Monday savings is understanding the benefits each promotion includes. Deals like instant savings and onboard credit are often available. Instant savings are deducted directly from your total vacation cost the moment you book. For example, if you see “Up to $200 in instant savings” advertised as part of a cruise offer, that means you’ll enjoy up to $200 off the total cost of your booking. The amount of instant savings you receive usually depends on the stateroom category you book — higher stateroom categories, like suites, enjoy the most savings. On the other hand, if you see “onboard credit” advertised as part of a cruise offer, that means you’ll score money to use onboard the cruise ship or ahead of your cruise on things like shore excursions, drink and dining packages, and more. The next step is making sure you take advantage right now, because our Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers are our best sales of the year. Finally, keep an eye out for resident-only cruise specials. These deals usually apply to folks who live near a departure port, such as Florida, and often include instant savings in the form of a percentage off your cruise fare. Make sure you review the specifics of the deal you’re interested in because they may change every year, and the terms and conditions may also change over time.

Sign Up and be the First to Know About Cruise Deals

You’ll always find the best cruise deals listed on the website, but if you don’t want to be glued to your computer around the Thanksgiving holiday, you can just sign up with the cruise line’s newsletter to receive updates on sales and specials. The rich cruise offers that make up these huge deals often change several times over the course of a few days and can even be extended past their original deadlines, so it definitely pays to stay up to date. By signing up, you’ll also receive notice when certain itineraries go on sale, whether it’s discounts on Caribbean cruises , Alaska cruises , Europe cruises , and beyond. The cruise ship and itinerary length you choose can also determine how much you save. These email updates will help you stay in the travel deals loop without having to hit refresh on your browser every ten minutes

Join Loyalty Programs

While the bulk of your cruise discount and added-value perks will definitely be contained within your Black Friday travel deals, you can supplement your savings by joining a loyalty program. These programs sometimes offer deals on things like drink and dining packages or stateroom category upgrades, and sometimes include freebies like complimentary happy hour in a members-only lounge, vouchers to attend exclusive onboard activities, and other sweet perks you and your family can enjoy during your sailing. Our loyalty program is called Crown & Anchor® Society, and joining is easy. All you have to do is complete a sailing onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship and you’ll automatically become a member. The more you cruise, the higher your membership tier and the more offers and perks you’ll get to enjoy.

Take Advantage of Additional Offers Onboard and via Cruise Planner

Once you’ve booked your cruise getaway using a Black Friday cruise deal or our Cyber Monday sale, you can keep the savings going strong by taking advantage of cruise offers on your favorite onboard experiences, which you can book online via Cruise Planner . All inclusive deals, like our Ultimate Beverage Package or our Taste of Royal dining package, are some of our best cruise deals. They’re a great way to rack up the savings on cocktails and delicious food onboard versus paying a la carte. And by booking things like shore excursions and spa treatments online via Cruise Planner ahead of your vacation, you can often score discounts like instant savings. Hopefully by now, you’re feeling a little more confident about navigating the big, wide world of cruise offers and sales — especially when it comes to Black Friday and Cyber Week. No matter which offer you end up using to book, rest assured you’ll be maximizing your value both onboard and ahead of your vacation.

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Get at least 30% off your first and second guests' cruise fare. Plus, book now and get up to $200 onboard spend per room.

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Second Guest receives up to 75% Off T&C's:

Second Guest sharing a stateroom receives up to 75% Off Fare Savings Offer (the “Offer”) on selected cruises. The Offer applies to eligible bookings made between 10 November 2023 to 1 Apr 2024 (the “Offer Period”) on sailings departing 12 November 2023 to 30 April 2026 (the “Sailing Period”), excluding Galapagos sailings and Alaska cruise tours. The second guest must be sharing the same stateroom as the first guests on the reservation within the same stateroom. The up to 75% discount for the second guest will be based on the fare that the first guest pays, excluding any add-ons & amenities including, without limitation, gratuities, air fares, hotels, transfers, pre-cruise & onboard purchases – which will not be discounted as part of the Offer. The Offer can be combined with No Perks Rates (Cruise Only), All Included & Retreat pricing options. For single occupancy bookings, a reduced single occupancy supplement will be applied.

Second Guest receives 75% is not applicable to any group pricing. Gross FIT bookings can be transferred to a group. The Offer is not applicable to charters or contracted groups. The Offer is non-transferable and applicable only to cruises departing during the Sailing Period. Changes to bookings may result in removal of the Offer. These individual & group offers are not combinable the following: Net Rates, Net Group Rates, Interline, Prizewinner, Casino or Employee Rates. Offers and prices are subject to availability, cancellation, and change at any time.

Black Friday Onboard Spend T&C's:

In addition to the up to 75% Off second guest Offer, The Black Friday onboard credit ("OBC") offer applies to eligible bookings made between 16 November 2023 to 05 December 2023 (the “Offer Period”) on sailings departing 18 November 2023 to 30 April 2026 (the “Sailing Period”), excluding Galapagos sailings and Alaska cruise tours. Eligible new bookings will receive an onboard credit of $150 per person. Up to $600 onboard credit based on 4 guests sharing the same stateroom.

The Guests’ onboard account will be credited with the applicable onboard credit. The onboard credit has no cash value, cannot be used in an onboard casino, is non-transferable, is nonredeemable for cash, and will expire if not used by 10:00pm on the final night of the cruise.

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Black Friday Cruise Deals Are Here 

Cruise into Savings: Unbeatable Cruise Packages. Cruise enthusiasts, rejoice! Black Friday brings forth irresistible cruise deals that cater to every taste. Whether you prefer a sun-soaked Caribbean cruise or a scenic European river journey, Black Friday is your ticket to sailing into savings.

Luxury Cruises and Expeditions Deals

EXPLORE JOURNEYSS

Explora Journeys is having their very first sale since their launch in August 2023. This sale is among the best black friday sales I’ve seen in the industry! We are talking about 50% off of cruises worldwide. Explora Journeys is a brand-new five-star company with the backing of MSC, offering cruises for as low as $2000 per person all inclusive education point this includes poor taxes, all fees, and gratuities!. Every Explorer cruise allows you to relax in the utmost luxurious environment with less than 900 people on board the cruise ship and is all inclusive of port fees, open bar, wifi, gratuities and more. Find more details about Explora Black Friday sale and get 150 euro onboard booking bonus for booking via me !

Hurtigruten Expeditions – Looking to explore the far corners of the world? Sail on small sustainable ships to some of the planet’s most off-the-beaten-track destinations! With a legacy of expedition travel since 1893, we’re proud to offer adventures with science, education, and conservation at their core. Immerse yourself in otherworldly landscapes, get up close to rare wildlife, and encounter unique cultures — in the most sustainable way possible.

From Antarctica to the Galapagos you can save up to 50%! The Black Friday Sale is now live and includes most Expedition Cruises to the coolest destinations! From Nov 1-30, guests can save up to 50% on select expedition cruises to Antarctica, the Galápagos Islands, Alaska, Northern Light cruises through Scandinavia and more! The best deals are on Africa Expeditions and Galapagos cruises. 

Starting November 15, AARP members can save an extra 5% on any booking. Plus, book via a preferred agency like my agency, Scott & Thomas and get an additional $100 onboard credit per person

Seabourn Cruises – Seabourn announced its annual “Black Friday Sail” and it’s already live. The promotion offers value-added benefits on select 2024 ultra-luxury ocean and expedition voyages which include a two-category veranda suite upgrade, up to $2,000 per suite shipboard credit, and 50% reduced deposits. You can enjoy a Veranda 3 for the price of a veranda 1 or a Veranda 4 for the price of a Veranda 2.The promotional campaign will be available until November 27, 2023. 

Last minute travel deal: For those looking to travel between now and Feb 2024, there is also the Final sale. This provides up to a 20% discount, but no room upgrades or onboard credit. This drops the price to Antarctica on the Expedition vessels to below $9,000 per person. 21 day South Georgia Expeditions for $14,000 ! There’s also amazing deals to be had throughout the Caribbean and Asia for as low as $2,500 per person. 

Contact your favorite travel advisor , as these prices are not available online.

Swan Hellenic Expeditions – Swan Hellenic isn’t calling it a black Friday sale, but instead the luxury cruise line launched a travelzoo special around Halloween offering 50% off Antarctic expeditions leaving between now and Jan 8. Prices ranged between $5999 and $6999 for rooms. Most options are sold except the Dec 11, 12, and 20th sailing and even the travelzoo special expired on Nov 10. Yet, for select travel advisors can also match the pricing on other sailings through Feb 2023. These prices are NOT representative online and only available via select agents (aka Scott and Thomas Trave l)

Swan Hellenic has also reduced the price on several cultural expeditions throughout Europe, Africa, the Americas and Arctic expeditions for the 2024 season. Through select travel advisors (aka me) you can save an additional $2000 any price online . A double saving!

QUARK Expeditions – Guests can take advantage of up to 50 percent off select Antarctic 2023/24 departures. On select Arctic 2024 voyages, travelers will receive 40 percent discounts. Also, Quark is offering free cabin upgrades on select Antarctic 24/25 bookings and an additional 10 percent off all Arctic 2024 and Antarctic 24/25 voyages when paid in full at time of booking.

Scenic – Create Stories for Life for your clients with our best offer of the year. Book a voyage of a lifetime with 2 for 1 Fares plus up to $15,000 savings per suite on select ocean voyages and up to $5,000 bonus savings per suite on select 5-star river cruises. With Scenic, it’s truly all-inclusive ultra-luxury in a class of its own. Combine this with two for 1 fares which are already live!

Emerald Cruises – Turn your  dream luxury cruise into a reality with 2 for 1 Fares plus up to $6,000 bonus savings per couple on select yacht sailings and up to $4,500 bonus savings per couple on select river sailings. Experience intimate luxury onboard our award-winning ships while exploring rich local cultures. Plus, drinks packages are included on yacht cruises starting in April 2024!

See Scenic and Emerald river and ocean cruise discounts here.

Azamara – Azamara deal looks similar to Seabourn offering double stateroom upgrades, $1,500 in onboard credit to spend on the ship, and 20% off suites on select cruises in 2024.

Silversea – enjoy a two-category suite upgrade on Ocean-going voyages – or a one-category suite upgrade on Expedition cruises – a $1,000 shipboard credit per suite ($500 per guest), and a refundable 15% reduced deposit. Silversea limited-time Suite Upgrades offer applies to a global collection of itineraries departing January 2024 through 2025. Book before Nov 30. You can stack this with the American Express offer and Scott and Thomas $250 OBC

Ocean Cruises

Norwegian Cruise Lines – Norwegian cruise line has launched their preview sale which is offering. 50% off the full fare of the cruise plus free at sea plus free airfare for the 2nd guest. NCL markets similar deals like this often, so I don’t believe this is their “best” deal, but anything added to save is always great, especially with runaway mandatory staff gratuities which continue to increase. 

Holland America Line – Starting November 17 and running through to December 1, 2023, The Black Friday sale includes up to 30% off cruise-only fares for cruises to Alaska, the Caribbean, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The Black Friday sale will also include prepaid crew appreciation component in its Black Friday Sale, which can add savings of up to nearly $112 per person for a seven-day cruise.

Celebrity Cruises – Celebrity Cruises is offering an almost BOGO deal to help you bring your friends and family for less. With this deal enjoy 75% off the second guest in a cabin and up to $300 in onboard credit on nearly all cruises through April 2026. 

Royal Caribbean – The world’s largest cruise line brings you the world’s largest cruise sale. RCI will offer their biggest sale of the year with the best savings being on prepaid packages. After booking your cruise save upto 55% off beverage packages, WiFi, shore excursions, dining packages, and more. But you have to book first to know how much you can save later.

Virgin Voyages – No official word on what Virgin will do but we have an idea. Virgin Voyages accidentally sent out an early email that said they will be offering 30% off all cruises and up to $600 to spend on drinks. 

Bottom line

Many Black Friday and Cyber Monday cruise deals are already live or announced. If you are looking to travel on your favorite cruise ship between now and 2025, book now for the best savings. For those already on a ship, remember the best deal on a cruise is by rebooking your next cruise onboard. The offering onboard usually provides the best deals. Yet for those not currently onboard, know you can get a deal via these Black Friday sales, many which area already live! Don’t miss out on these sales. Contact your travel advisor of choice today .

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About Rocky Horan

Rocky started blogging on his own website When Doublewides Fly to share information about flying around the world on a dime. By maximizing miles and points, cheap deals, sales, backpacking, and couchsurfing Rocky has traveled to 75 countries and still counting.

• Northern Europe & Baltic Sea

COST of day trip to Moscow ??

By densol , February 26, 2012 in Northern Europe & Baltic Sea

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We have just booked a cruise to the Baltics for next year. I am trying to find out the average cost for a day trip to Moscow from STP. I have searched several times, and whilst I have read reviews and reports about the trips etc - I cannot actually see any examples of the costs. I imagine its quite expensive - but we want to do it so I need to budget LOL !!

Any ballpark figures ? :D

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We have just booked a cruise to the Baltics for next year. I am trying to find out the average cost for a day trip to Moscow from STP. I have searched several times, and whilst I have read reviews and reports about the trips etc - I cannot actually see any examples of the costs. I imagine its quite expensive - but we want to do it so I need to budget LOL !! Any ballpark figures ? Thanks

We did the Moscow trip through our cruise ship in late July 2008. Its cost was a little under $1000 pp. Now, that cost through this cruise line is a little over that $1000 pp cost. Now, most are using the high-speed rail connection versus the air flights as we did. I have seen some other numbers from other cruise lines and/or private firms that run $700-850.

Why cheaper or the differences? As cruise lines are pressured to keep their "sticker price" low, they need to make up some "margin" with ship tours, beverages, spa stuff, etc., to help cover their costs and gain some profit. Second, different tours provide various features. Our tour included going inside the famed and spectacular Kremlin Palace. Most Moscow tours don't feature that option and you cannot just walk up there and get in on your own. That Palace is where the Czars were crowned and all of the current/recent Russian leaders assumed their powers.

We could have saved a little if we had used a private tour to go to and visit Moscow, but, with my wife's pushing, we felt it was worth it to pay a little more, do it through the cruise line. If there had been any problems or mix-ups, it was the ship's duty to "make it right" and we would not have to worry.

If you have three days in St. Petersburg and/or have been there before, then the Moscow tour can work out very well. It's not cheap, but in my view, worth it!! Both are a few of my visuals from this super great city with such interesting history and dramatic architecture.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik . Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 66,454 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 60,364 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

One of the Kremlin Wall Towers in Moscow:

Walking on the famed Red Square of Moscow:

St. Basil's sits on Red Square and dates back to its 1555-61 construction on the orders of Ivan the Terrible (Ivan IV). It commemorates the capture of Kazan and Astrakhan and marks the geometric center of the city. This location has been the hub of its growth for Moscow since the 14th century. It was the tallest building in Moscow until the completion of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower in 1600. This church was near destroyed in the 1930’s when Stalin was in control.:

Here is a small sampling of the Kremlin Royal Treasures of the Czars: Eggs & Jewels insicde the famed Armory.:

Moscow’s subways are called the “People’s Palaces” with their marble coverings and unique designs for each of the different and many stations.:

This is the interior for Moscow's most historic church, Assumption Cathedral or the Cathedral of the Dormition, inside the Kremlin walls. It is the mother church of Muscovite Russia. The church stands on Cathedral Square and was built in 1475–1479 by the Italian architect Aristotele Fioravanti. It was erected on the spot of an older 14th century cathedral of the same name:

We did the day trip to Moscow with Alla-tour and were very pleased with our tour. Our guide whose English was great was a wealth of information and the day went very smoothly. I checked the web site and Alla's prices for 2012 range from $884 a person for two down to $542 a person for 6 with the 5% cruisecritic discount. So if you can get a group together the per person price goes down considerably. You can try to do this on the roll call section of cruisecritic.

We did not go to the Palace and as Terry says this is not included generally in tours. However, we did go to the Diamond Fund, an amazing display of crown jewels and jewelry in the Armoury building but not really part of the Armoury. I would think you could include this if you had a small group and really wanted to see it. It is quite small and does not accommodate a large group. You can google "diamond fund kremlin" to learn more.

Here are some of my pictures

Red Square with St. Basil’s at the far end

Kremlin Cathedral Square

Bolshoi Theatre

Treasures at the Armoury

200 ton Tsar Bell

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

We did the day trip to Moscow with Alla-tour and were very pleased with our tour. Our guide whose English was great was a wealth of information and the day went very smoothly. I checked the web site and Alla's prices for 2012 range from $884 a person for two down to $542 a person for 6 with the 5% cruisecritic discount. So if you can get a group together the per person price goes down considerably. You can try to do this on the roll call section of cruisecritic. We did not go to the Palace and as Terry says this is not included generally in tours. However, we did go to the Diamond Fund, an amazing display of crown jewels and jewelry in the Armoury building but not really part of the Armoury. I would think you could include this if you had a small group and really wanted to see it. It is quite small and does not accommodate a large group. You can google "diamond fund kremlin" to learn more.

Well said, cadreamer! (nice photos, by the way).

We also used Alla. She is just a super person to work with and, if you get a group together, she will accomodate what YOU want to do!! You can check-out her Moscow tour at:

http://www.alla-tour.com/tours/1

As cadreamer suggests, go to your roll call on Cruise Critic & see if you can get a group together.

Terry, your pix, per usual, are awesome! Still envious! :)

Terry, your pix, per usual, are awesome! Still envious! :) jill

Appreciate, Jill, the kind comments! Envy is GOOD!!

Below are a few more visuals on Moscow that are more "interesting". Fascinating to having seen both cities, back-to-back. It really puts all of this unique Russian history and architecture in better perspective.

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik . Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 67,001 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

The famed KGB (Secret Police) Headquarters in Moscow where many entered and did not exit (alive) during the 1950’s and 1960’s:

Kremlin Treasures: Royal coaches:

Young Military Officers on the streets of Moscow with Soviet "High Hat".:

These are the series of smaller domes on the top of the Church of the Deposition of the Robe in the Kremlin Cathedral Square area.:

Inside the newly, more westernized GUM Department Store:

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