Looking for a Spring Break getaway? What’s better than hitting the water, sailing to the Caribbean, and enjoying some of the most beautiful beaches in the world?
What about doing all of that without spending a fortune? In fact, we’ve found some Spring Break cruises that allow you to sail — with a cabin and meals included — for in some cases less than a flight alone to the Caribbean.
The truth is, Spring Break is one of the times of year where prices for cruises typically spike. However, for 2023, we’re finding a number great deals — including many Spring Break cruises for under $300 per person.
Below, we’ve found some of the cheapest cruises for 2023 season across multiple ports and cruise lines. But before we get to that, here are some pointers on how to find the cheapest trips during this popular time of year.
How to Find Cheap Spring Break Cruises
If you’re wanting to score the best deal during this time of year, then keep the following in mind:
Shorter Cruises = Less Money
While you have a week for Spring Break, if you want the cheapest cruises, then avoid spending all week on the ship. Cruise lines offer a ton of 3-5 day cruises and these are drastically less overall than sailing for an entire week.
This shouldn’t be as a surprise. With cruise fare covering everything from your cabin to meals to entertainment, it costs less to take a passenger on a four-night cruise than it does to take them on a week-long vacation. If you are on a budget, shorter cruises are your friend. (Even so, there are some good deals we found on week-long trips!)
Florida is King of Cheap Cruises
Florida is the cruise capital of the world. You have Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Port Canaveral, and Tampa all within a few hours of each other. The number of ports and ships sailing from the area mean there are a number of options when it comes to cruises. Not every cheap Spring Break cruise sails from Florida, but it’s where a majority of them sail from.
Prices Rise Through Mid-March
Obviously if you are a student, you don’t get to pick when you have your Spring Break. But you should know that prices rise as the month of March goes on. Sailing early in the month is your best bet for the cheapest trips, and prices peak about halfway through the month. A cruise is still an affordable way to travel even if it’s a little more expensive in the middle of March. Just know that early sailing means lower prices.
Use an Aggregator Website That Searches Across All Cruise Lines
Head to a cruise line’s website and you’ll find the prices only for that line. After all, you won’t see Royal Caribbean’s deals on Carnival’s website. Instead, look to a third-party travel site to search across all lines to find the best deals.
Sites like AvoyaTravel.com or Orbitz offer prices for all the cruise lines, making it easy to search and book your trip and find deals you wouldn’t see if you only search a specific cruise line’s website. CostcoTravel.com is also a good place to look if your a Costco member.
Note: The prices below were from a recent search and are subject to change. They include only cruise fare for one person in an interior cabin. Taxes, fees, and gratuities will be extra.
Cheap 2023 Spring Break Cruises
3-Night Bahamas Cruise from Miami (Carnival)
Date: March 3, 2023
Price: $234 per person
The cheapest Spring Break cruise we were able to find aboard Carnival, this trip is three days, heading from Miami to Nassau and then back home. Departing in early March aboard the Carnival Conquest, this trip won’t break the bank as it’s just $234 per person for cruise fare (taxes, fees, and gratuities will add more) for an interior cabin. Since it sails on a Friday and gets back early Monday morning, you don’t have to even miss much work to sail if you don’t have a break.
3-Night Mexico Cruise from Long Beach (Carnival)
Date: March 10, 2023
Price: $259 per person
Sailing from Long Beach is ideal if you’re looking for a short and cheap cruise. For instance, this trip is just three nights, sailing to Ensenada, Mexico and back. That’s perfect for those looking to just let loose for a few days and get out of town for cheap. It sails aboard the Carnival Radiance at the peak of Spring Break — departing March 10.
It only costs $259 per person for an interior cabin, making it among the most affordable cruises we found in the month of March.
4-Night Bahamas Cruise from Miami (Carnival)
Date: March 20, 2023
Price: $294 per person
Heading to The Bahamas is cheap and easy when you sail from Miami. This four-day cruise in March takes passengers to Carnival’s Half Moon Cay and then onto Nassau before heading back home to Miami, with a day at sea thrown in as well. Best of all, you can get the trip for just under $300 per person if you book an interior cabin. The cruise sails aboard the Carnival Conquest. It’s one of Carnival’s older ships, but who cares when you are simply there to have a good time on Spring Break?
6-Night Caribbean Cruise from Galveston (Carnival)
Date: March 5, 2023
Price: $359 per person
Outside of Florida, Galveston is one of the premier departure ports in the United States giving you a lot of options on ships to sail, departure dates, and itineraries. In this case we found a 6-day cruise departing in early March for just $359.
For that amount you’ll head to Mexico (Costa Maya), Roatan, and Cozumel before heading back to Texas. This is one of the cheapest cruises we’ve found for more than 3-5 days. It also gives you almost an entire week to enjoy at sea before having to get back to work or school.
3-Night Bahamas Cruise from Port Canaveral (Royal Caribbean)
Date: March 17, 2023
Price: $300 per person
Royal Caribbean usually isn’t the cheapest cruise line, which makes this trip a rare gem. For only $300, you can sail aboard the Independence of the Seas from Port Canaveral. The cruise takes you to Nassau and CocoCay (Royal Caribbean’s private island) before returning home. This particular cruise departs on March 17 — the peak of Spring Break — however, you can also sail other dates during the month for a similar price.
3-Night Bahamas Cruise from Miami (MSC)
Date: March 10, 2023
Price: $229 per person
If you can make it to the Miami area, then you’ll have a lot of options for inexpensive cruises. This trip is just three days, making it perfect for those on a tight budget. Despite being short, it includes a day and a half (with an overnight stay!) at Ocean Cay — MSC’s private island that’s designed specifically for cruise passengers. The trip sails from Miami aboard the MSC Divina. Best of all, an interior room is only $229 per person. You can learn more about this cruise here.
3-Night Bahamas Cruise from Port Canaveral (Carnival)
Date: March 17, 2023
Price: $284 per person
In terms of absolute value, paying $284 for a three-day cruise isn’t the best deal you’ll find. But paying that much at the height of Spring Break is still pretty good. For just a little under three bills you can escape the cold and sail to Nassau aboard the Carnival Liberty. The cruise departs Port Canaveral on Friday, March 17, returning on Monday, March 20 — so you might have to take off one day from work or school if you live in the area. There are also slightly cheaper trips for other weekends during March if that better matches your schedule.
6-Night Caribbean Cruise from Miami (Royal Caribbean)
Date: March 26, 2023
Price: $453 per person
For any six-night cruise, under $500 is a good deal. For a trip aboard Royal Caribbean, it is even better. This nearly week-long trip departs Miami in late March, headed to Nassau, Labadee (a private destination for the cruise line) and Jamaica for Spring Break.
You’ll also have days at sea, giving you a chance to party on the ship, hang out poolside, and generally relax before heading back to the real world. The cruise is aboard the Explorer of the Seas.
7-Night Caribbean Cruise from Galveston (Royal Caribbean)
Date: March 19, 2023
Price: $591 per person
When it comes to Royal Caribbean, in our opinion there are the Oasis-class ships — which are the largest in the world — and then everything else. These megaships offer an experience that is above and beyond… and usually have a price tag that reflects that.
This trip is aboard Allure of the Seas, an Oasis-class ship that is set to start sailing from Galveston. At just $591 for a week-long trip, that’s a good deal during the height of Spring Break. The cruise will take you to Roatan, Costa Maya, and Cozumel before heading back home.
7-Night Mexico Cruise from Los Angeles (Norwegian)
Date: March 12, 2023
Price: $545 per person
Are you one of the millions that live within a few hours’ drive of the Port of LA? You’re in luck. This cruise departs Los Angeles on a Sunday at the peak of Spring Break, heading down to Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, and Ensenada. In effect, it’s a sampler of all the major Mexican ports on the west coast of the country.
Sailing aboard Norwegian Bliss, you also have have two days at sea to enjoy the ship. All told, the price per person for an interior cabin starts at $545, or less than $80 per day.
4-Night Bahamas Cruise from Charleston (Carnival)
Date: March 9, 2023
Price: $299 per person
While Florida usually wins for cheap cruises, you can find some deals in other ports. This cruise from Charleston, South Carolina departs on March 10 aboard the Carnival Sunshine. For just $299 you can hop aboard. The only ports of call on this trip is Nassau, along with two days at sea. So be prepared to spend a lot of time enjoying yourself on the ship.
7-Night Caribbean Cruise from New Orleans (Norwegian)
Date: March 12, 2023
Price: $549 per person
For many, New Orleans is a Spring Break destination on its own. But it’s also a popular cruise port, and this deal on a 7-day cruise is enticing.
The trip from New Orleans aboard Norwegian Breakaway heads out during the peak of the Spring Break season for just $549 per person. It then heads due south to Costa Maya, Mexico, following by NCL’s private island Harvest Caye in Belize. From there, it’s Roatan and Cozumel before heading back to the Big Easy.
At just about $80 per night, that’s likely cheaper than spending the week on vacation in New Orleans!
Where to Find More Spring Break Deals
Do the cruises above not quite match your schedule? Or you simply want to see what else is out there?
We suggest visiting a site like AvoyaTravel.com, Orbitz, or other aggregators that allow you to search across all cruise lines and schedules to find the cruise that matches your budget and schedule. Sites like CostcoTravel.com can also offer up deals if you are a member. For more details, see our article on the best websites to book a cruise.
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Looking for a cruise for March 28 to April 5 2020 for four to five days from Florida cheap as possible for a family
Timmy — check out third party aggregation sites like AvoyaTravel.com or Orbitz. These sites look at all the cruise lines and you can narrow down by specific dates and then sort by price.