Deal alert: 7-night cruises with Celebrity starting at $239
Looking for a last-minute cruise that won't break your bank account? Celebrity Cruises could be your line.
As part of an aggressive new wave season promotion, the Miami-based cruise operator is offering fares for seven-night sailings at extraordinarily low rates — as little as $239 per person.
The catch: The very lowest rates are for sailings that start in just a matter of days to just a few weeks from now.
That's a sign the line has suddenly found itself with last-minute inventory to sell for upcoming departures — something that works to your advantage if you're in the market for a spontaneous trip.
The deal
The most enticing offers available as of early Wednesday included:
- A seven-night sailing from Los Angeles to the Mexican Riviera beginning Saturday that starts at $239 — or about $34 a day.
- A seven-night sailing from Los Angeles to the Mexican Riviera beginning Jan. 21 that starts at $299 — or about $43 a day.
- A seven-night sailing from Los Angeles to the Mexican Riviera beginning Feb. 4 that starts at $269 — or about $38 a day.
- A seven-night sailing from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to the southern Caribbean beginning Feb. 18 that starts at $299 — or about $43 a day.
- A seven-night sailing from San Juan to the southern Caribbean beginning March 4 that starts at $349 — or about $50 a day.
The sailings to the Mexican Riviera will take place on Celebrity's 2,850-passenger Celebrity Solstice. The voyages to the southern Caribbean are on the line's 2,218-passenger Celebrity Millennium.
As of early Wednesday, Celebrity was also offering a couple of early-season, seven-night departures to Alaska for as little as $350 — or $50 a day. The trips will take place on Celebrity Millennium in May and June.
All of the low-priced fares are for the cruise only. The line's all-inclusive package — which includes drinks, Wi-Fi and crew gratuities — would incur an extra charge above these low base prices.
The stunningly low fares are part of the line's new wave season promotion called the Semi-Annual Sale. It offers 75% off a second adult fare when purchasing a full adult fare. In addition, the line is tacking on additional savings of up to $800 in onboard credit per stateroom (based on sailing length and number of passengers in the cabin).
Related: Norwegian drops rates as low as $37 a day for some sailings
The Semi-Annual Sale offer is valid through March 1 for most voyages departing through April 30, 2025.
In addition to seven-night voyages for as little as $239, Celebrity is advertising select three-night voyages for as little as $168 per person, not including taxes and fees.
Additional savings
Meanwhile, would-be cruisers might be able to get additional savings of up to 35% when booking one of the deeply discounted Celebrity trips with an American Express card, thanks to a lucrative new Amex Offer unveiled in recent days.
This offers a rare "double dipping" opportunity for discounts when booking a Celebrity voyage in the coming weeks.
Note that most of the discounted fares mentioned above are only available for windowless "interior" cabins, which are the lowest-category cabins on each of the ships. But that's not always the case. The $299 fare available for the Jan. 21 sailing of Celebrity Solstice is for an ocean-view cabin — that is, a cabin with a window.
Plus, in some cases, it doesn't cost much to upgrade to a better cabin. On the Feb. 18 sailing of Celebrity Millennium, for instance, an ocean-view cabin is available for $349 — just $50 more than an interior cabin.
Related: 6 ways to get a deal on a cruise
All the fares, notably, are per-person rates that are based on two people staying in a cabin. They're not available for solo travelers.
In addition, while the rates include accommodations, meals and entertainment, they don't include port taxes and fees, which range from $102.50 to $223.53 for the above-mentioned sailings. Cruise lines typically advertise fares without including taxes and fees but add these costs to final bills at the time of checkout.
Base pricing below $300 for seven-night cruises is relatively unusual for Celebrity, which bills itself as a more upscale brand than some of its big-ship rivals.
By contrast, the lowest-priced seven-night sailings available from Norwegian Cruise Line early Wednesday started at $399 — about 67% more than the lowest-priced seven-night sailings available from Celebrity.
The lowest-priced seven-night sailings available from Royal Caribbean as of early Wednesday started at $329 — about 38% more.
Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
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Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.