The cost of cruises certainly isn’t getting any lower. The exact increase depends on the time period you’re looking at and who is doing the research, but cruises have become far more expensive over the past five years or so.
One report found that the “big three” cruise operators (Carnival, Royal Caribbean Group, and Norwegian) are getting 17% more revenue per passenger, per day than they were in 2019. And this is one of the more conservative statistics.
There are several reasons why cruises are far more expensive. Inflation over the past five years is an obvious one, plus there has been a surge in the number of newer, larger, and more expensive cruise ships.
Related: Where Royal Caribbean cruise prices stand now
While cruises can still be an excellent value for your travel dollars, it’s still important to save money where you can. And when it comes to Royal Caribbean and Celebrity cruises, there is one little-known way you could save hundreds of dollars on your next vacation.
Want the latest cruise news and deals? Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter.
Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas commands higher prices because it’s a newer ship.
Image source: Royal Caribbean.
Royal Caribbean gift cards are on sale – sort of
AARP, the popular retirement and senior citizen group, offers discounted gift cards as a perk of membership through its AARP Rewards program. Just to name a few examples, you can get a $50 Panera Bread gift card for $45, a $500 Airbnb gift card for $475, or a $30 Lands’ End gift card for $27.
AARP’s current offers include gift cards that can be used towards both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises, and for a 10% discount to face value. There are two denominations currently available – a $500 gift card for $450 and a $100 gift card for $90.
This can be a great way to save money when booking a cruise. For example, if you are taking a cruise with a fare of $3,000, you can buy six of the $500 gift cards for a total of $2,700, saving $300 on your cruise.
The process of redemption is somewhat tricky. You’ll book your cruise directly through Royal Caribbean or Celebrity’s website and make a required deposit (with money, not with a gift card). You’ll then email a copy of your gift certificate(s) and booking number to a special email address, where they will then be applied to your cruise reservation.
In addition, there are some important points you should keep in mind before buying:
These gift certificates can only be used towards the cruise fare. They cannot be used to pay the deposit and cannot be applied for onboard credit.The gift certificate must be fully redeemed. In other words, if you have a $700 balance and use two $500 gift certificates, you won’t get $300 back.Royal Caribbean and Celebrity gift cards are considered Premium items by AARP and these have a limit of 25 total items per month.
This isn’t an exhaustive list of terms and conditions, so be sure to read them all on the AARP product pages to make sure they meet your travel needs.
More Royal Caribbean news:
Royal Caribbean shares unpopular rule passengers must followRoyal Caribbean’s Instant Cruise Certificates explainedRoyal Caribbean, Coast Guard share dramatic rescue at sea
It’s worth noting that you don’t necessarily need to be retired, or over any certain age, to become an AARP member. AARP Rewards is free to join, but you’ll need an AARP membership to actually buy discounted gift cards, and this costs $15 per year if you agree to automatic renewal. It’s a quick and easy process to sign up — I registered to check the latest gift card deals while I was writing this and was able to sign up and view the current offers in less than five minutes.
Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise.
A good way to save money, but read the fine print
To be clear, you may be able to find discounted gift cards for cruises at other sites and stores than AARP’s website. Just to name one example, electronics discount website Newegg occasionally offers promotional pricing on Carnival cruise gift cards (although it isn’t available at the time of this writing).
Some of the other gift card products you find (especially those for Carnival) can be used towards onboard credit, but that isn’t the case with the AARP Royal Caribbean and Celebrity gift carfs. Even so, these gift cards can be a great way to save several hundred dollars on your next cruise without a ton of effort, so it might be worth a look.
(The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise).
Have questions about booking a cruise? Schedule a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me’s Travel Agent Partner Postcard Travel Planning.
AARP recently stopped selling cards for Carnival Cruise Line as well as Carnival Brands Princess, Holland America, and others.
The website could pull any gift cards at any time, so it’s always best to act early and buy the cards as soon as you know you plan to cruise. (But check for expiration dates which could vary by state).
Are you taking a cruise or thinking about taking one? Visit our Come Cruise With Me website to have all your questions answered.
