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Frequently Asked Questions
Priceline Cruises
- I am 20 years old and want to be with young singles near my age. How can I tell if I will be comfortable with the people on the ship—and them with me?
- Can I get a senior rate through priceline?
- What are the biggest bargains among priceline cruises?
- What cities or ports do ships leave from?
- What about airfare?
- Are cruises good values?
- What's not included?
- Will I need a passport?
- Will I need formal clothing, such as a tuxedo?
- Does priceline have a low price guarantee?
- Are priceline cruises refundable?
1. I am 20 years old and want to be with young singles near my age. How can I tell if I will be comfortable with the people on the ship—and them with me?
Generally, for Caribbean and Mexican cruises, the shorter the cruise, the more youthful the passengers, and the later most will want to stay up. During the spring break season—mid-February through Easter or Passover—expect especially young crowds on seven-day or less cruises.
Other factors relating to the age of the passengers are the “rating” and cost of a cruise. The more highly-rated and expensive cruises tend to have older passengers. Priceline shows you typical ratings for the ships it sells. However, most people, regardless of age, plan to have fun on cruises, and they won’t care if you’re up all night dancing, as long as you don’t disturb them.
2. Can I get a senior rate through priceline?
Yes, Priceline.com Cruises offers senior discounts on most ships,
in addition to its already deeply discounted rates.
Senior rates typically start at age 55, and as long as one person in the cabin is 55, everyone gets that rate.
3. What are the biggest bargains among priceline cruises?
After you click on Priceline.com Cruises,
be sure to click on last-minute cruises that leave within 30 days.
In addition, be sure to click on "Cruise Specials" below the green "Next" bar
on the Priceline.com Cruises page.
This shows featured cruises first—the ones with
the biggest discounts.
Especially if you're traveling during the fall or spring, you can sort results by "Cruise Destination," and look for positioning cruises, when ships move from one area to another. These one-way trips may be the best bargains of all.
For example, at the end of the peak Mexican cruise season in May, ships move from Los Angeles or San Diego to Vancouver for the start of the Alaskan cruise season. During September, they go back.
In the fall and spring, more ships than usual cross the Atlantic traveling to and from their Caribbean or European voyages.
But don't worry if you prefer a regular, roundtrip cruise. You'll also find plenty of bargains for these in the featured and last-minute cruises.
4. What cities or ports do ships leave from?
Currently, Priceline.com Cruises offers 23 U.S. ports, as well as
ports in Europe and elsewhere.
Most ships still depart from Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Vancouver, and the New York City area, although more and more ships leave from “non-traditional” ports.
These include Galveston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Norfolk, Port Canaveral (near Orlando), Charleston, Boston, and others.
Leaving from one of these may save you travel time and money getting to port.
However, if your Caribbean cruise in January leaves from New York, trying to relax by the outdoor pool during your first and last several days on ship may be quite uncomfortable!
5. What about airfare?
In most cases, Priceline.com Cruises will show you the cost both with and without airfare.
If you book your own airfare, we urge you to arrive at the port the day before. This helps protect you in case of weather or other delays. Call it a cheap insurance policy. Also, allow at least 7 hours between your arrival back at the port and your flight departure.
6. Are cruises good values?
A discounted Priceline.com Cruises vacation offers tremendous value.
Because you’ll know the cost of nearly everything in advance—transportation, room, all-you-care-to-eat meals, a wide selection of entertainment, taxes, etc.—you can easily compare this to the price tag of a land-based vacation.
Value comes from your safety, too. Although you’ll hear of incidents periodically, ships offer a much more secure vacation environment than most land-based resort areas.
7. What’s not included?
Optional sightseeing tours at some stops could turn out to be your biggest extra expense, unless you prefer an on-board casino.
In most cases, tips are not included. Ships offer guidelines for tipping, but you may tip more or less, depending on the service.
Often alcoholic beverages and sometimes soft drinks cost extra, but policies vary. Some ships include wine with meals, some don't. You'll pay extra for laundry services, hair salons, and spa treatments.
Also included are counselors who organize events for your kids, but you'll surely want to tip them—and try to bring them home with you!
8. Will I need a passport?
We highly recommend that you have a passport, but you can still get by with an alternate proof of citizenship on many cruises.
For example, if the ship leaves from Canada and travels to Alaska only, U.S. citizens may be fine with a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license, along with an official copy of a birth certificate (a copy that includes the officially-raised seal). A driver’s license alone does NOT prove citizenship. If the names on these documents no longer match, you’ll need additional paperwork, such as a marriage certificate.
9. Will I need formal clothing, such as a tuxedo?
You definitely won’t need formal wear for typical warm weather cruises (seven-days or less) from the U.S. In fact, these nearly always offer outdoor buffets, where you are able to wear a t-shirt and swimming suit to meals, if you wish.
Even on longer cruises, men can easily get by with a suit, not a tuxedo, in the evening.
However, if you plan a longer cruise on a more expensive ship, especially one that attracts an international crowd, such as a voyage from Sydney to Cape Town, or a shorter trip across the Atlantic, you might want to take at least one formal evening gown or tux, just to get more fully into the spirit of things.
10. Does priceline have a low price guarantee?
Yes, if you find a lower price for the same number of people in the same type of cabin on the same ship on the same dates on another website, Priceline.com Cruises will refund
you 110% of the difference.
11. Are priceline cruises refundable?
No, they are not, and it's important for you to know that before using priceline. That’s the risk you take for these low prices.
Priceline does offer cancellation insurance.
