Right. It’s time to put yourself first and book that unforgettable cruise holiday. And we are here to walk you through the Thanksgiving seasonal specials, and what you can expect from each cruise deal.

The first thing you need to understand in regards to a Black Friday cruise deal are the benefits each promotion includes. Some deals include an extra bonus layer of inclusions – such as onboard credit or gratuities – while others are based purely on instant savings.

If the black Friday deal boasts of ‘£500 worth of instant savings’, then that amount is directly deducted from the overall cruise price. There’s an extra attribute to note, too – the amount of instant savings enjoyed ultimately depends on the cabin you book.

The higher the level of accommodation you book, the more savings you can typically acquire. That’s when you suddenly find yourself with a Stateroom for the cost of a balcony cabin.

Should you be looking at a Black Friday deal that showcases an advertised amount of ‘onboard credit’, you are effectively scoring extra money to spend while onboard the ship. This credit can be spent on experiences (such as spa treatments, retail outlets or shore excursions), drinks, restaurant upgrades and other additional extras.

The next stage is being timely with your preferred cruise choice. These hefty discounts and exciting deals don’t come around all too often. You need to take advantage of the discount madness when they are active. After all, Black Friday and the subsequent Cyber Monday only come around once per year!

Also worth noting – specific deals are only available once, as each year the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals change.

But, World of Cruising – you geniuses of the market – I hear you cry, what is this ‘Resident-only Cruise Special’ deal that I’ve stumbled upon? Aha! Good spot. These deals don’t materialise very often, and there’s good reason for that. It doesn’t apply to everyone.

These particular deals apply to persons who live close to a departure port, and usually include instant savings and a percentage off each cruise price. These deals are typically found in North America.

You can thank the United States for this wonderful occasion. The start of the holiday season is marked across America by Black Friday – the day after Thanksgiving – and offers the greatest sale date on the planet. It’s an opportunity that nearly all industries and businesses capitalize on to push their biggest yearly offers.

And the cruise industry joins right in with aplomb. In fact, Black Friday (and Cyber Monday) has quickly become the most important date in each cruise line’s marketing calendar. As such, there’s a world of cruising deals to look forward to and inspect.

Deals from each cruise line can vary, although Black Friday and Cyber Monday generally present offers that cover cabin upgrades, reduced deposits, discounts for onboard services, onboard perks and fare discounts.

It's very common to find that cruise lines will include more than one option, grabbing your attention and providing the incentive to make a booking. You’ve got to avoid falling into that trap, though. Major cruise lines always spearhead Black Friday with their greatest headline deals, but these often contain restrictions – such as a strict date range or availability on certain voyages only.

These deals only apply to new bookings. Those trying to wrangle money off a booking that’s already been secured are sadly out of luck. Always delve into the terms and conditions!

That very much depends on what you are looking for! Great value to one person doesn’t always translate to the next. The best offers provide you – the cruiser – with personal preferences that you’d usually go looking for. For instance – if you have your heart set on an quiet Antarctic cruise, but you opt for a wild Caribbean itinerary because it’s slightly cheaper, is that really a great deal?

If you are simply looking to get the most bang for your buck, then look for onboard goodies, free drinks packages, free Wi-Fi or dinner upgrades – these are often worth hundreds of pounds.

If a luxury cruise line has caught your eye, it’s worth remembering that a host of otherwise-costly perks are usually included, so you’ll want to hunt down a deal where generous extras – such as onboard credit, free flights and cabin/suite upgrades – are included.

Good question! It may sound cut-and-shut with terms such as ‘Black Friday’ and ‘Cyber Monday’, but that doesn’t mean the deals are limited to those two individual days. That might have been the case before, but it certainly isn’t now.
Almost all partaking industries now book-end a weekend of outrageous fortune with Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and cruise lines are (pun alert) fully onboard with this adopted trend.

The exact dates change per year, but so long as you keep a track of each upcoming Thanksgiving, then you’ve got four days of splendour to investigate.

Almost all of them. You’ll have to search far and wide to discover a cruise line that doesn’t get involved with Black Friday to some degree. From online discounts to package deals, everyone is in on the act.

Naturally, deals vary between cruise lines and suppliers, but it’s not exclusive purely to the big boys. Smaller and niche providers who supply river cruises, luxury sailings and expedition cruises proudly partake during this busy season. It’s always worth exploring each sector.

While Black Friday and Cyber Monday once stood apart as two separate bullrings to lasso a bargain, both have merged to bookend a wild week of slashed prices and great deals.

Black Friday was originally associated with deals in brick-and-mortar shops with physical items (such as game consoles, televisions and sports gear), whereas Cyber Monday popped up to provide a similar mantra for online vendors and digital purchases.

This distinction is still applied in certain sectors of retail, but the cruise industry operates with the ideology that both days have morphed. It’s common practice to extend Black Friday deals across into Cyber Monday, extending the discounts beyond Thanksgiving.

That being said, it’s not unusual for added incentives to materialise on Cyber Monday and sweeten the Black Friday deals – such as extra upgrades with onboard credit and additional discounts.

Don’t think that you should wait until Cyber Monday to book a deal, however. Many offers sell out, and therefore extra Monday discounts may not occur on your selected cruise. It’s not worth the risk and missing out!

Here’s a fact: your cruise discount and extra benefits will be contained within your Black Friday/Cyber Monday deal. But here’s another fact: it’s often possible to boost your added-value perks by joining the cruise line’s loyalty program. Almost all cruise lines have one, and amazing extras can be had without any further cost.

Each cruise line operates its scheme differently. Some automatically enrol you once you’ve cruised for the first time, others choose to run with a manual system.

Yet, from deals on drinks packages and complimentary WiFi, to cabin upgrades and exclusive areas of the ship, Loyalty Programs are absolutely worth a look.

The more you cruise, the greater the membership benefits and the higher the rewards!

Deals can change over the course of their online lifecycle. Certain packages can be extended beyond the Black Friday/Cyber Monday date range. It always pays to keep up to date!

By signing up for the newsletter, you’ll receive a notification from us about prolonged deals and late additions to the Black Friday line-up.

Once a firm part of our newsletter family, you will also receive early-bird notice regarding new itineraries and further discounts when they go on sale.

It’s the perfect way to receive the greatest package deals without smashing the refresh button every four minutes.

We take pride in making sure that World of Cruising offers the best deals on the market, but rather than burn your retinas for countless hours by staring at the screen, why not sign up for our newsletter?

Besides enjoying our editorial content (it’s rather good, even if we do say so ourselves), the newsletter presents hand-picked cruise deals straight into your email inbox.

When Black Friday and Cyber Monday rolls around, you are guaranteed to receive the best of the best. Booking a great deal on your cruise has never been easier.