Spring cruise deals have just dropped for 2025 – and these are the best

The best cruise deals as the end of ‘wave season’ approaches

Mar 5, 2025 - 21:01

0 7

Spring cruise deals have just dropped for 2025 – and these are the best

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Many new year cruise deals are coming to an end but passengers are still being encouraged to get on board and hit the high seas with spring offers.

The first couple of months of the year are typically a busy time for cruise lines – known as “wave season” – where companies release new offers to tempt passengers onto winter sailings so they can fill their ships and to secure bookings for the year ahead

The deals usually expire by the end of March but you may be able to depart up until 2027 in some cases.

Promotions can vary from extra onboard credit to discounts on drinks packages or reduced cruise fares.

Read more: The best adult-only cruises

Even once “wave season” deals expire there is still a chance that better offers will arise as many cruise companies also have spring sales.

Booking a cruise holiday is one way of brightening up the winter gloom, giving you something to look forward to in the coming months.

It is important to shop around though to ensure you are still getting value for money and check the total costs including any flights and tips.

Here are some of the best cruise deals for 2025.

Azamara

Luxury small-ship brand Azamara is offering passengers up to $1,000 (£790) of onboard credit on bookings made up to 31 March 2025.

It applies to select voyages departing until 11 May 2026.

You can earn $200 (£158) of onboard credit per cabin when booking a Club Interior, $400 (£316) on a Club Oceanview, $500 (£395) on a Club Balcony and Club Balcony Plus, while you will only get the full $1,000 when booking a suites.

One itinerary option is an 11-night Gems of the Adriatic and Aegean Voyage aboard Azamara Pursuit. It departs from Venice on 22 July 2025 and includes long 10-hour stops in destinations such as Koper in Slovenia, Dubrovnik in Croatia and Santorini in Greece – giving you plenty of time to explore.

Prices start from £2,619 per person for a Club Interior cabin, while suite rates start from £6,159 per person.

Ambassador

British no-fly cruise brand Ambassador is offering a range of deals or what it describes as its “Bloomin’ Great Spring Deals Campaign.”

Passengers booking until 2 April 2025 can access offers including 30 per cent off for a second sailor and 15 per cent off solo bookings on selected sailings for the 2025, 2026 and 2027 seasons as well as 15 per cent off drinks packages on all sailings.

The offers are available for both ships in the Ambassador fleet, with Ambience operating from her home port of London Cruise Terminal and Ambition sailing from seven additional regional ports including Newcastle, Dundee, Liverpool, Belfast, Bristol, Falmouth and Portsmouth.

Celebrity

Celebrity Cruises is offering up to 60 per cent off a second passenger when sharing a cabin as well as up to $600 of onboard credit per room.

Additionally, the brand is offering flights to Europe from as little as £99 (£77) per person.

The offer applies to bookings made until 10 March 2025 and for sailings departing up to 30 April 2027.

It includes a departure from Barcelona aboard the brand’s newest ship Celebrity Xcel for a seven-night cruise around Italy, Spain and the French Riviera from £1,214 per person in June 2026.

Celestyal

Celestyal passengers can get a free cabin upgrade on select departures until 2027 for bookings made until 16 March.

The “Love Your Vacation Dream” promotion has been applied to 44 Celestyal itineraries in the Mediterranean and 40 Desert Days sailings in the Arabian Gulf.

Sailors can also get 50 per cent off fare prices and €200 of complimentary CelestyalPay credit per cabin for specialty food and drinks on some sailings such as its Greek island cruises, seven-night ‘Heavenly’ Adriatic cruises and its seven-night ‘Desert Days’ itineraries

Cunard

Cruisers can receive up to $660 (£514) onboard credit per balcony stateroom on select Cunard bookings made until midnight on 2 June 2025.

The promotion is available on 450 voyages across the luxury line’s entire fleet, including ocean liner Queen Mary 2 and the brand’s newest ship Queen Anne.

It can be used on short breaks as well as Cunard’s world cruises departing between 1 August 2025 and 21 April 2027.

Holland America Line

Passengers can secure a free cabin upgrade and up to $400 of onboard credit on select Holland America Line sailings for bookings made until 31 March.

Itineraries include a seven-day Alaska Explorer cruise departing from Seattle this May, with prices starting from £1,419 per person, including an upgrade, tips and wifi.

Hurtigruten Expeditions

Hurtigruten Expeditions has reduced prices on select sailings by up to 20 per cent until 29 April 2025.

Cruise fares have been cut by up to 20 per cent on its Original Voyages, departing between 1 July 2025 and 31 January 2026.

Prices on select Astronomy Voyage, North Cape Line and Svalbard Line sailings have been reduced by 15 per cent.

This deal would cut the fare for the brand’s northern lights-focused Astronomy Voyage from Bergen, departing in November 2025, from £2,594 to £2,263 per person.

Read more: Best cruises for teenagers

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line is offering 50% off all sailings until 20 March, plus kids can sail from £139 per person when in a cabin as a third or fourth passenger.

Upgrades to premium drinks packages and wifi are also available from £119 per person, down from £249 per person previously.

Passengers can also get up to £250 of airfare credit per person on select cruises.

Port fees and expenses are excluded.

Using this deal, a family of four could sail aboard Norwegian Epic for a week-long Mediterranean cruise departing from Barcelona on 9 August for £3,546 in total, down from £6,000.

Princess

Princess Cruises passengers can get up to $300 (£234) free onboard spend per stateroom and up to £350 off flights per person when booking a fly cruise with the brand.

The deal is available now until 30 April 2025.

Additionally, passengers who book a 2025, 2026 or 2027 sailing up until 15 December 2025 are being offered a “Best Price Guarantee”.

If you find a better fare on princess.com for the same cruise, stateroom category and sail date at any time before their final payment, Princess Cruises will provide 120 per cent of the difference in the form of an onboard credit, up to $2,000 per person/booking/stateroom. This applies up to 90 days prior to sailing.

Virgin Voyages

Fans of Virgin Voyages can currently get 80 per cent off a second ‘sailor’ on all 2025 and 2026 itineraries. There is also up to $300 of credit for an onboard bar tab.

Sailings of up to five nights will get $100 of free drinks, rising to $200 for six to eight nights and $300 for nine nights or more.

This deal would reduce the price of the adult-only brand’s six-night UK Comedy Fest cruise from Portsmouth this August – headlined by Jack Whitehall – from £3,180 (for an inside cabin) to £2,132 based on two people sharing.