Nothing says summer like hitting the beach and getting some sun and water. And what better way to get to the beach during the summer than with a cruise?
Taking a cruise in the summer can’t be beat. But prices can be high. That’s why we scouted out some of the best summer deals.
With a cruise, not only can you travel in style to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, but you can also sample several different places while having your room, board, and entertainment taken care of on the ship.
The best news is that the cost of a cruise can be considerably cheaper than the cost of airfare and hotel at a Caribbean resort. Meanwhile, cruises are much less of a hassle to book than having to search and put together a trip on your own.
That said, there’s no doubt that the summer is one of the more expensive times to set sail. With kids out of school and vacations on everyone’s mind, higher demand leads to higher prices. The good news is there are still deals out there — including many cruises under $500 per person.
Below, we’ve rounded up a sampling of the cheapest summer cruises for 2025. But before listings those cruises, here are some pointers on finding cheap trips of your own during this time of year.
How to Find Cheap Summer Cruises
Searching for your own deal on a cruise, in addition to what we’ve found below? Here are some tips to keep in mind:
Sail Late in the Summer for the Best Fares
As you’ll see below, the cheapest summer cruises are in August, and more specifically, late August. In general, the closer you can sail to September, the less you’ll pay for your cruise. And if you can wait until early September to take your summer cruise, you’ll get the best of both worlds — the cheapest prices while still having warm weather and water nearly everywhere in North America.
Why are cruises so much cheaper later in August? The late season sees a drop-off in demand for family vacations as many people have already done their travel for the season and are looking at the start of the back-to-school season.
Keep Trips Short for Lower Fares
You’ll notice that cruises longer than five days aren’t heavily mentioned in our list below. Don’t think this means there aren’t deals available on longer trips. In fact, just like with shorter cruises there are some great deals — especially later in the summer season.
However, if you want to pay the absolutely lowest amount for a cruise, then it makes sense to stick with shorter trips. Sailings of 3-5 days can be found for less than $400, with even more options for under $500 per person. Longer trips, which mean more nights, more food, and more entertainment, are obviously more expensive on a total basis.
It Helps to Be Flexible With Ports
There are summer cruise deals all around the country, as you’ll see below. But if you are closest to Florida, you’ll have an advantage of being able to sail from several different ports including Port Canaveral, Port Everglades, and Miami.
In a different part of the country? Most people have a port within a few hours drive, if not closer. However, if you are able to travel to other ports for better deals, then you stand the best chance of getting a cheap summer cruise.
Older Ships Usually Mean Lower Fares
It’s not written in stone, but in general the lower-priced cruises will be on the older ships. Since there is often more demand for sailing on the newer ships, cruise lines can charge a premium on the cruises.
Older ships still give you a similar experience (although not quite the same) at a price that can be considerably less expensive if you’re hunting for a deal.
Search Across Multiple Websites at Once
Head to the cruise line’s website and you’ll get the prices… for that cruise line. Instead, to find the best deals we like to use sites like AvoyaTravel.com or Orbitz. These sites search all the cruise lines at once, giving you a chance to find deals that you might not find on a cruise line’s website.
Cheap 2025 Summer Cruises
Note: Prices listed are per person for cruise fare only, in an interior cabin. Cruise lines typically charge double occupancy. These rates do included taxes/fees, but not gratuities. Keep in mind that prices will vary and may not be the same as what’s listed below when you read this article.
3-Night Bahamas Cruise from Miami (MSC)
Date: August 21, 2025
Price: $374 per person
MSC only departs a few ports including Miami and Port Canaveral, making it not as well-known as some other lines. However, it offers some of the least expensive fares that you will find. Case in point, this trip departs in August from Miami to Nassau and then Ocean Cay (MSC’s private island). All told, it comes in at just $374 per person, which includes taxes and fees. In other words, you can have a 3-day getaway for two for less than $1,000 total.
4-Night Mexico Cruise from Long Beach (Carnival)
Date: August 31, 2025
Price: $354 per person
As a rule of thumb, if you can find a trip for under $100 per night during the summer, then you’ve likely found a good deal. This trip costs just $89 per night if you take a late August departure. Sailing from Long Beach, the trip takes you to Mexico on a four-night journey aboard the Carnival Firenze. There are other dates available earlier in the summer that still come in under $100 per night, but this is the cheapest date we found.
4-Night Bahamas Cruise from Port Canaveral (Carnival)
Date: August 25, 2025
Price: $459 per person
As we mentioned, sailing in late summer is key to finding low fares. Sailing from Port Canaveral or Miami is also helpful because with so many ships sailing from these spots, it’s easier to find deals. This trip leaves in the late summer from Port Canaveral and costs only $459 for four nights. That’s dirt-cheap. It leaves aboard the Carnival Glory with stops in Nassau and Celebration Key — Carnival’s brand-new private destination. If you’re looking for one last hurrah before the fall, this is among your cheapest options.
6-Night Mexico Cruise from Long Beach (Carnival)
Date: August 10, 2025
Price: $679 per person
How abundant are the deals in August? This deal from Long Beach departs earlier in the month and comes in at about $110 per day with taxes and fees included. On the nearly week-long trip aboard Carnival Panorama (a relatively new ship), you’ll spend two days in gorgeous Cabo San Lucas giving you lots of time to explore. Then there is a stop in Ensenada before heading back to California. If you want to save even more, the same cruise is available for just $599 if sailing later in the month..
5-Night Caribbean Cruise from Tampa (Royal Caribbean)
Date: August 25, 2025
Price: $539 per person
Think of cruising and Tampa likely doesn’t spring to mind. But if you like smaller ships (and many people do), it can be ideal. Due to a bridge that must be passed to get in and out of port, the mega-ships can’t dock in Tampa. That means smaller ships with fewer people.
Departing Tampa aboard Enchantment of the Seas, the cruise takes you first to Costa Maya before heading over to Cozumel. There are also two days at sea so that you’ll have time to enjoy the ship and work on that tan.
4-Night Mexico Cruise from Los Angeles (Royal Caribbean)
Date: June 2, 2025
Price: $453 per person
We have a couple of trips from the Los Angeles area in our list, but you don’t always have to sail Carnival. This trip aboard Royal Caribbean is $453 per person for a four-day cruise from LA.
It’s an older ship (Navigator of the Seas), but still offers a ton to do. During the cruise you’ll visit Catalina (one of our favorite ports) and Ensenada along with a day at sea. For those that can’t sail in August, this is one of your cheaper summer cruises.
5-Night Caribbean Cruise from New Orleans (Carnival)
Date: August 18, 2025
Price: $529 per person
This cruise is a five-night departure from New Orleans aboard the Carnival Valor for just $529 per night. You’ll have stops in Cozumel and Progreso before heading back to the New Orleans. If you can’t sail on August 18, the trip runs regularly throughout the summer, although you should expect to pay a little more for taking your cruise during the height of the summer season.
4-Night Caribbean Cruise from Galveston (Royal Caribbean)
Date: August 28, 2025
Price: $498 per person
You don’t have to sail from Florida or California to find cheap summer cruises. This trip aboard Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas leaves in August and costs less than $500 per person all in. For that price you set sail for four nights, headed to Cozumel. On each side of the port day you’ll have a day at sea to hang out by the pool and enjoy the warm weather. If you can’t make this trip, there are many more throughout the season, but just know they will be more expensive.
5-Night Caribbean Cruise from Tampa (Margaritaville at Sea)
Date: August 12, 2025
Price: $401 per person
Many people haven’t yet heard of Margaritaville at Sea, but the Jimmy Buffett-themed cruise line has some of the least-expensive cruises you’ll find. They operate just two ships — one in Palm Beach and one in Tampa. We found this Tampa cruise to Mexico (Cozumel and Progreso) on a five-night trip for just $401 per person after all taxes and fees.
Yes, the ship is a little older so don’t expect things like roller coaster and waterslides, but for many that’s a positive, not a negative. And as for value? This cruise is tough to beat.
7-Night Caribbean Cruise from Tampa (Royal Caribbean)
Date: August 23, 2025
Price: $691 per person
It shouldn’t be a surprise that shorter cruises take up most spots on our list. That’s because the shorter the cruise, typically the lower the price. Still, we found this deal that gives you a week-long cruise for under $100 per person, per day. And remember, that price includes all the taxes and fees.
And while you might be able to find less expensive cruises, this one visits Royal Caribbean’s popular CocoCay.
During the trip you’ll head to Bimini and Grand Bahama, with a stop at CocoCay afterward. Following that day, you’ll visit Nassau before a day at sea and then back to Tampa.
7-Night Bahamas Cruise from New York (MSC)
Date: June 1, 2025
Price: $589 per person
One of the final cruises on our cheap summer cruise list is a 7-night trip aboard the MSC Meraviglia. This trip departs New York during early June — before the summer peak of the cruise season in North America. From there, it heads to Port Canaveral, Nassau, and Ocean Cay. At just $589 per person, it’s among the cheapest week-long cruises that you’ll find.
7-Night Alaskan Cruise from Vancouver (Royal Caribbean)
Date: June 1, 2025
Price: $842 per person
Think of summer cruising, and you likely picture the warm Caribbean. But summer is also the Alaskan cruising season. The best deals are the early (May) or late (September) part of the season, but we found this deal in June.
This cruise departs Vancouver for a 7-day trip to Sitka, the Tracy Arm Fjord, Juneau, and Ketchikan, with a stop in Prince Rupert, BC, to cap things off. That’s a great lineup of ports giving you plenty to do and see while visiting one of the most remote parts of the planet… for a price that can’t be beat.The post 12 Cheap Summer Cruises for 2025 first appeared on Cruzely.com.
Source: Cruzely.com
