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What is a Cruise & Stay Package?
Package holidays with flights, transfers, accommodation and meals included have been around for years cruise & stay packages are just a natural progression of this.It means having a pre- or post-cruise hotel stay included with your cruise and flights. Sometimes the basic hotel bed-and-breakfast offering is topped up with a few free extras such as sightseeing tours.The number of hotel nights can vary: from just one night before you sail, to make sure flight delays don't make you miss your ship, to several nights in one of the more glamorous port cities so you can really get to know a place.Sometimes the stay will be in specialist resorts, though, enabling you to explore exceptional countryside or just take it easy at a beautiful beach.When is the Best Time to Book a Cruise & Stay Package?
You can book directly with some cruise lines, but it's worth asking your travel agent if they can put together a bespoke deal, or take a look at specialist online agents who always have cruise & stay packages on offer.The best time to book direct with cruise lines can be when they first release their new itineraries, so that could be up to two years before you go. At this early stage, they may include free onboard credit to pay for excursions or bar drinks, Wi-Fi or specialty dining, and the price is likely to be at its cheapest.It also means you have the best choice of cabins on the ship you want to cruise on to the destinations you really want to see, rather than just picking through what's left nearer the departure date.Cruise lines tend to increase their prices as the months slip by and try to avoid last-minute discounting. But, canny cruisers may wait to snap up bargains during the wave season, from January
to , when special offers are available, although you lose the opportunity to choose just about any cabin or cruise you want. Also, it may not be as cheap as when the itinerary was launched.Buying your next cruise while you're still on a cruise can lead to good discounts, especially if cruise lines offer upgrades and loyalty schemes get you free amenities.Some cruise lines even join the shopping frenzy of Black Friday, the pre-Thanksgiving Day sale in that is now a feature of British retail life. And, some may have their own sales -- although these are rarely as good value as during the wave season.Finally, last-minute deals do happen, mostly through online travel agents, so it's worth signing up for their alerts in case you suddenly get the urge to travel.Royal Caribbean

Princess Cruises

Marella

Holland America Line

P&O Cruises

Seabourn

Celebrity Cruises

Disney Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line

Updated January 18, 2020
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