Travel
Booking a cruise on your New Year’s to-do list? How to save money from an industry insider
The year’s biggest cruise sale is almost here, but is it really possible to both save money and be eco-conscious?
Wave Season is famous in the cruising industry for being the busiest booking period of the year. 2025 is set to be no different, thanks to the post-pandemic boom in cruising.
From January until the end of March, bookings flood in, with some of them made years in advance of the voyage.
I’ve previously worked for a cruise line and have been a travel writer for 24 years, so I guarantee Wave Season is the best time to save money and score perks like free room upgrades or credit to use onboard.
Thanks to the Friends of the Earth US’s (FOE) Cruise Ship Report Card, you can now easily make more environmentally responsible decisions, too.
Here, I give you my tips and tricks for finding the best bargain while avoiding the most common mistakes.
How to save money on a cruise – and why a bargain might not be all it seems
There’s little point in shunning the fireworks to leap onto booking sites at 00:01 on 1 January. Bargains can be found throughout the three-month sale period, with additional discounted cruises often added right up until the end.
How far in advance should you book a cruise? The industry is unusual in that bookings can open well over two years in advance, a long time before flights are even bookable. Such advance bookings are, however, unlikely to attract large discounts, so during Wave Season, you may want to focus on departures within 12 months.
It’s possible to find heavily discounted last-minute deals, but they usually mean you have to go when there are still plenty of available cabins on a particular sailing rather than having a choice of dates.
I have, however, seen excellent deals (such as an MSC Cruises holiday departing Southampton for just £50 (€60) per person per night in a balcony cabin) up to two months before departure. Further savings can be made if you’re not fussed about cruising during a destination’s low season.
Be warned: cheaper cruises will often get you the bare minimum for your bargain holiday. You’ll pay extra for access to the spa and some restaurants, and for any drinks apart from teas, coffees and juices.
I equate the cheaper end of the cruise market with the Ryanair model of offering incredible up-front prices, then pestering you for those optional extras. Whereas before, you could choose where your cabin is, now, when you pay less, you don’t necessarily get that choice.
Apart from the cons of cruising on a minimal budget, there are also positives. Having been on an astonishingly cheap MSC cruise, I can safely say that you’ll still have a great time. You’ll be going to the same destinations as those who have paid considerably more, mostly eating the same food and enjoying the same on-board entertainment. There won’t be any hidden charges, like taxes and tips, either.
There’s a lot to be said for paying more too. Paying upfront for drinks packages and access to speciality restaurants means you won’t be worrying about your spending once on board. If you think you’ll be wanting spa time then it’s often cheaper to include this in your package before you sail.
My personal preference is to go as cheap as possible. I know that if I want additional drinks, I can purchase them individually without a huge on-board cost. For example, a beer on Royal Caribbean’s ships will set you back about US$8 (€7.62), and there are often daily promotions on certain drinks. Because I’m not interested in having more than two or three paid-for drinks every day I know that drinks packages are not for me.
Is it better to book a cruise directly or via a travel agent?
I’m a keen independent traveller, I like creating my own holidays and saving money along the way. But when it comes to booking a cruise, a travel agent can be of enormous value. I’ve seen cruise lines provide agents with prices you may not find elsewhere, plus agents have the expertise of pulling in various other discounts to get you the very best deal going. Found a better price elsewhere? It’s possible that an agent can beat it, so don’t be afraid to ask.
Airlines like to hide some of their most discounted rates by combining them in package holidays. So if you’re booking a cruise that necessitates flights, having an agent package them together could save you money, especially during the main airline sale season (which overlaps with Wave Season in January).
You can cut your carbon footprint by looking into arriving at your cruise’s departure point by land or sea rather than flying. Long-distance and overnight trains are booming right now, with journey times ever shorter and trains more comfortable than ever. You also only need to arrive at the train station an hour before your train leaves – instead of waiting in an airport for hours. Websites like Omio and Trainline are great for figuring out routes and prices.
Being loyal to a cruise company rewards them – and you
If you’ve been on a cruise before and you still have access to your previous booking details, you can enjoy that cruise line’s loyalty programme. Cruise companies love loyalty – they’re willing to offer generous discounts and perks to repeat bookers.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by choice, I recommend starting your Wave Season sale search with a cruise line you’ve enjoyed sailing on before. That amazing sale price you found? It can be made even more amazing by adding the loyalty discount on top.
After a slow start, the cruise industry has now caught on to more advanced online booking technology. I still find it worthwhile shopping around different cruise agencies, but, in my experience, the difference in price can be negligible. Where the real differences between these websites lie are in how search results are presented and the filters you can select when searching.
Combining cruise deals with environmental responsibility
Another benefit of the advances in booking cruises online is that you can search for less polluting cruises. I love that online agency Iglu Cruise has researched each line’s sustainability goals, using criteria such as shoreside power and advanced wastewater systems to create an ‘Eco-Friendly’ filter on its search page.
The FOE’s Cruise Ship Report Card ranks lines and ships from A to F based on four key environmental factors: Sewage treatment, air pollution reduction, water quality/scrubber use, and transparency.
It’s rare to see such a complicated issue presented so clearly. All you do is compare cruise lines in the left-hand column with the grade they received in the right-hand column. Look out for the tabs at the top of the table to see the scores for individual ships.
I’m impressed at how this report card cuts through the usual greenwashing. For example, many lines boast about how some of their ships can now run on liquified natural gas (LNG), but it’s not as clean as they claim it is. “Lately many cruise ships have been outfitted with LNG technology,” says Marcie Keever, author of the Cruise Ship Report Card, “but this is a polluting fuel producing harmful amounts of methane.”
It’s thanks to this level of research and detail that the report card is the best tool for any cruise booker wanting to easily make more responsible decisions.
How to be environmentally friendly while onboard a cruise
There are plenty of things you can do once onboard a cruise to contribute to reducing the voyage’s carbon footprint. Firstly, don’t bring more luggage than you need – as that makes the ship heavier.
Act as you would in your own home – don’t waste water (an especially precious resource on a ship), turn off the lights, and unplug devices when you leave your cabin.
Many ships now have advanced recycling centres, so take the time to throw away your rubbish in the correct bin.
It’s always best to reuse towels and bedlinen to reduce ocean pollution. For example, the ship Norwegian Bliss gets through 5,000 kg of laundry every day, with the resultant wastewater pumped into the sea.
When you first see those buffets laden with delicious food or learn that you can, in fact, order as many dishes from the menu as you want, you may be tempted to pile up your table with as many plates as it can carry.
I get it: food is a big part of any cruise. On Royal Caribbean’s largest ships, an incredible 3,200 slices of pizza are served every hour. My advice is to pace yourself, not least because, by doing so, you will help to reduce the vast amounts of food waste generated by cruises.
I’ve never noticed a difference in price between cruises that spend more time in ports than they do at sea. But cruises that involve more sea days will, of course, be burning more fuel.
In addition to choosing cruises with less travel time, it’s also worth seeing if your cruise stops at ports that offer cleaner shoreside power. Cruise Lines International Association has produced this handy map to help your search.
Travel
From rising rents to rewilding: How tourists are rethinking their impact on the places they visit
Tourists are increasingly aware that the way they travel matters – not just for the planet, but for the people who call popular destinations home.
That’s the key takeaway from Booking.com’s 2025 Sustainable Travel Report.
In its tenth edition, the report finds that more than half of travellers are now conscious of tourism’s impact on local communities as well as the environment.
Based on insights from 32,000 people across 34 countries, the report reveals a potential paradigm shift in how we define responsible travel.
Are good intentions enough?
Seeing the world in a more sustainable way seems to be more popular than ever.
A whopping 93 per cent of respondents to the survey, which included thousands of people across six continents, said they want to make more responsible choices and have already taken steps to do so.
That is more than double the percentage of respondents who said as much in 2016.
Simple actions, from turning off air conditioning to avoiding overcrowded hotspots, have begun to enter the mainstream, too.
But this year’s research shows that more environmentally friendly travel is only part of the story. The economic and social effects of exploring new places, from the pressure added to housing systems to paying due respect to cultural traditions, are now top of mind for many tourists.
Almost 40 per cent of respondents are seeking advice on travel outside of peak seasons or visiting alternative destinations to avoid overcrowding.
The report also reveals a disconnect between ideas and action, however.
Almost a third of respondents reported rising living costs in their home destinations due to tourism. Yet only 16 per cent believed that capping visitor numbers is the answer. Instead, many call for better investment in waste management, public transport and conservation to curb the impact of overtourism.
Many destinations are embracing this shift in priorities
Some places are adapting to evolving traveller expectations.
Chile, for instance, is actively courting “responsible high-spend tourists” – people who, according to the country’s tourism board, seek immersive, culturally sensitive experiences. They are also willing to spend more to support local businesses and conservation efforts.
To target these travellers, the country is expanding protected areas, supporting rewilding projects and investing in eco-friendly travel options.
In theGalapagos, where fragile ecosystems face enormous pressure from tourism, some cruise operators are rethinking their business models. Itineraries now prioritise sustainable activities, with guides reminding guests of the impact even a single footprint can have on the environment.
The islands have also pushed back against overtourism by doublingentry fees.
Others are feeling the pressure
The situation is more strained elsewhere as increasing visitor numbers overwhelm some destinations.
After a trial last year, Venice relaunched its day-tripper tax in 2025 to help manage the flood of tourists that strain its historic core. Visitors who fail to pay can face steep fines. But the €10 fee has done little to dissuade travellers from descending upon the city en masse.
Last summer, the number of tourist beds in Venice overtook the number of residents.
Spain has seen a rise in anti-tourism sentiment. In destinations likeBarcelona,Mallorca andTenerife, locals have protested the impact of short-term rentals, noise and congestion.
Local governments are beginning to act, but change has been slow and piecemeal.
Outside La Sagrada Familia – one of Barcelona’s most photographed places – officials are introducing aselfie space to ease overcrowding. But the plan seems unlikely to stem the tide of tourists queuing up to see Gaudí’s famously unfinished cathedral.
Tourism needs clearer direction
The findings of the 2025 Sustainable Travel Report underscore a key challenge for the industry: aligning growing traveller awareness with meaningful, accessible action.
“To ensure that destinations can continue to be enjoyed by both locals and visitors alike, tourism, infrastructure and innovation need to keep pace with travellers’ good intent,” says Danielle D’Silva, director of sustainability at Booking.com.
The app itself is likely to contribute to these causes. D’Silva says the company plans to feature hotels, homestays and guesthouses that have reputable sustainability certifications or provide training and guidance for its accommodation partners.
With so many travellers wanting to make more sustainable choices, the question now is whether next year’s figures will show intent turning into impact.
Travel
Egypt travel: Pyramids of Giza revamp project hopes to curb congestion and aggressive vendors
Millions of visitors travel to Egypt each year to see the iconic Pyramids of Giza.
Despite being one of the world’s most famous ancient sites, the experience leaves many travellers with unpleasant memories.
For years, the UNESCO World Heritage Site has been plagued by poor management, unregulated and aggressive vendors, and reports of animal cruelty.
Now, Egypt is taking steps to clean up the Pyramids of Giza – but the revamp has got off to a rocky start.
Vendors protest relocation to new zones
Experiences of overcrowding and persistent tour touters have tarnished many tourists’ experiences of the Giza Plateau – home to several pyramids and the Great Sphinx.
The Egyptian government’s newly unveiled plan aims to relaunch the site with improved management and regulations.
The project, led by Orascom Pyramids Entertainment Services Company, is reportedly set to cost $51 million (€45 million).
This week, a new access point to the complex on the Fayoum Highway was tested, replacing the historic entrance near Marriott Mena House, which frequently suffers from traffic jams and congestion.
But the trial run faced pushback from horse and camel tour operators, who blocked vehicles from entering in a protest against their relocation to new designated parking areas.
They say these are too far from the entrance and will damage business. The vendors have long been accused of harassment and alleged extortion by visitors.
Businessman Naguib Sawiris, the founder of Orascom Telecom Holding and Orascom Investment Holding, wrote on X that sellers who refuse to move to the new zone area would be banned.
“The well-being of the public and preservation of this treasure is far more important than catering to the interests of 2,000 individuals who have caused harm to the country for years,” he posted.
Pyramids of Giza adopt electric vehicles
The new measures also prohibit private vehicles and tour buses from entering the plateau, instead providing visitors and their guides with eco-friendly electric vehicles to get around the site.
While the transition aims to improve the sustainability of the complex, some visitors have complained on social media about the availability of the vehicles, saying they’ve been forced to wait or walk in the heat.
Orascom issued a statement in response, stating that 45 electric buses had been made available on the site and are scheduled to run every five minutes.
The revamp will also see several tombs restored, the introduction of online ticketing and a new visitor centre.
Visitors warned against animal tours at Pyramids of Giza
Some hope that the relocation of tour vendors is also a step towards bringing an end to animal cruelty reported at the site.
A recent investigation by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) found instances of routine abuse and animals left to rot at the side of the road.
“PETA has documented the routine punching, kicking, whipping, and starving of horses and camels at the pyramids,” says PETA Asia Vice President Jason Baker.
“Animals are literally ridden to death and then dumped like rubbish outside the gate. The Pyramids of Giza should symbolise Egypt’s beauty and history – not unchecked animal abuse. The Egyptian government must act to remove these suffering animals from Giza.”
The campaign group is urging tourists not to engage the services of these animal tour companies.
Travel
When is the Sistine Chapel closed? What to know about visiting Rome following Pope Francis’ death
Tourists who have booked to visit Rome in the coming weeks will experience the city during a rare historical moment.
Following the death of Pope Francis on 21 April, a series of religious rituals and procedures will be enacted that might impact travel plans.
The Argentinian-born pontiff died on Monday of a stroke, which triggered a coma and “irreversible” heart failure, the Vatican announced.
The Sistine Chapel will be closed to the public while it is used for voting on the new pope – a process that will see the famous room closed for over a week.
Crowds and queues around the Vatican are expected to be particularly heavy, especially given the celebrations for the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year are already drawing an increased number of visitors.
Here’s what to know about expected travel disruptions in Rome, or, if you’re planning a trip to witness some of the religious traditions, where you can participate in them.
When will the Sistine Chapel be closed?
Travellers to Rome in the next few weeks have been warned to expect closures, visitor restrictions and crowds at some of the city’s main attractions.
Rome’s key tourist sites within the Vatican – the heart of the Catholic Church – will now be absorbed by mourning and reelection procedures.
Around 15-20 days after the pontiff’s death, the conclave will begin, a storied process to determine the next pope.
This strictly confidential gathering sees Roman Catholic cardinals locked inside the Sistine Chapel until a decision is made.
As such, the room adorned by Michelangelo’s frescoed tour de force will be closed for about a week before the conclave begins and will remain closed for the entire duration of the process.
It will likely open again a couple of days after the conclave ends, as it has done after the death of previous Popes.
The Vatican City State has announced that the Sistine Chapel will be closed to the public from Monday 28 April, for the requirements of the conclave.
The chapel is accessed through the Vatican Museums. These will remain open to visitors with all other parts accessible, including the Raphael Rooms, according to tour operator Through Eternity Tours.
The Vatican Museums and the Castel Gandolfo Museum Complex will, however, be closed on 26 April as a sign of mourning for the funeral of Pope Francis.
Tours of the Necropolis of the Via Triumphalis and the Vatican Gardens will be suspended for security reasons, however, as the cardinals are bused back and forth from the chapel to their accommodation through the grounds.
The Vatican Museums states that all tickets, including for the Sistine Chapel, are non-refundable and dates, times or names cannot be modified.
If you have purchased tickets through a third-party operator, you should check their website or contact them about refunds or date changes.
Long queues and dress codes for St Peter’s Basilica
Tourists should expect limited access to St Peter’s Basilica, where Pope Francis’ body is now lying in state from today, 23 April.
As mourners flock to pay their respects, tourists wanting to visit the church should expect lengthy queues and heightened security.
The dress code for visiting the sacred site will be strictly enforced. This includes having shoulders and knees covered and avoiding wearing short skirts, shorts, flip-flops and sleeveless tops.
Some areas of the basilica may not be accessible, including the dome. Guided tours to the basilica are suspended as access is via the Sistine Chapel.
Pope Francis requested to be buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, a majestic UNESCO-designated sanctuary containing a piece of the Holy Crib and a venerated icon of the Virgin Mary as the protector of the Roman people.
Access to the church is likely to be restricted due to funeral preparations and the burial.
Millions expected in Rome for Pope’s funeral
While it may be disappointing to forgo seeing the Sistine Chapel or St Peter’s Basilica, a visit in this period can also be a once-in-a-lifetime experience (the Italian expression for ‘once in a blue moon’ is ‘every time a pope dies’).
Visitors from around the world are expected to descend on Rome in the coming weeks for a chance to witness this monumental event for the Catholic Church.
“Historically, during the passing of a pope – as we experienced firsthand in April 2005 during the death of Pope John Paul II – travellers witnessed a profound moment of history,” James Ridgway, CEO of Christian travel specialist ETS, told Travel Weekly.
“While some sites around St. Peter’s Basilica and Vatican City experienced closures or restricted access, many travellers were able to participate in public gatherings, memorials and prayer services, creating a deeply meaningful experience.”
If you are planning a short-notice trip to participate in some of the funeral and reelection events, you should expect higher flight prices.
“We’ll definitely see an increase in flight prices to Rome and to Italy over the next few weeks, as the faithful flock to pay their respects and potentially to see the announcement of the new Pope,” Angus Kidman, travel expert at Finder, told Australian site news.com.au.
Hotel prices in Rome are also likely to rise as demand increases, says Tim Hentschel, the co-founder and CEO of travel company HotelPlanner, while some shops and restaurants may be closed as a sign of respect.
The Pope’s body will be lying in state for public viewing in St Peter’s from 23 April until Saturday, 26 April, when the funeral will take place in St Peter’s Square.
The chapel where he is on display is accessible on 23 April from 11 am to midnight, 24 April from 7 am to midnight, and 25 April from 7 am to 7 pm.
The funeral is expected to draw huge crowds, possibly larger than that of Pope John Paul II in 2005, which was attended by approximately four million people.
Where to witness the announcement of the new pope
When the conclave begins, St. Peter’s Square will remain open, but it will be packed with visitors and media.
The outcome of voting rounds is indicated via smoke released from the chapel chimney – black for inconclusive, white for the successful election of a new pope.
According to the National Catholic Reporter, you can see the smoke from the chapel twice daily – around noon after the first two ballots and again at 7 pm after the last round of voting.
White smoke might appear earlier, at around 10.30 am or 5.30 pm.
-
EU & the World6 days ago
Is Bobby Coming Back to ‘911’? Find Out if Peter Krause Will Return
-
EU & the World6 days ago
WrestleMania 41 Start Time: When Does it Begin?
-
Sports7 days ago
Premier League 2024-2025: Aston Villa-Newcastle, the likely lineups
-
EU & the World5 days ago
Easter Sunday 2025: What Stores Are Open and Closed Today
-
EU & the World5 days ago
What Happened to Eugene in ‘The Last of Us’? Find Out What Joel Did
-
EU & the World4 days ago
Is Pete Hegseth Resigning? Find Out if He’s Stepping Down as Defense Secretary
-
EU & the World5 days ago
How Did Eugene Die in ‘The Last of Us’? Why Joel Killed Him
-
EU & the World3 days ago
Shannon Sharpe: 5 Things About the Former NFL Player