Cheap Cruises
Cheap Cruises is a private, Fort Lauderdale-based online travel agency that aggregates 9,307+ cruises from 40+ cruise lines into a consumer booking platform, earning commissions while offering exclusive pricing, onboard perks, and a rewards program to individual leisure travelers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersFlorida, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Cheap Cruises does
Cheap Cruises is a private, US-based online travel agency (OTA) that aggregates cruise inventory from 40+ cruise lines — including Carnival, Royal Caribbean, MSC, Norwegian, Celebrity, Holland America, Princess, Virgin Voyages, and Margaritaville at Sea — into a single consumer-facing booking platform. The platform exposes 9,307+ sailings across destinations such as the Caribbean, Bahamas, Alaska, Europe, Mexico, Bermuda, Hawaii, and Canada/New England, supported by search, filtering by cruise line/destination/departure port/length/date, and online checkout. The company also operates a 24/7 phone-based booking support team reachable through multiple toll-free numbers.
Underlying technology is a standard cruise-aggregation e-commerce platform with no proprietary AI/ML, API, or mobile app. The platform integrates affiliate add-ons for shore excursions (Shore Excursions Group) and resort day passes (Resort for a Day), and offers travel protection products. A loyalty program, Cheap Cruises Rewards, lets customers earn points on bookings redeemable for onboard spending, cash back, and stackable pricing bonuses with cruise line loyalty benefits.
The business model is commission-based: Cheap Cruises earns transaction fees from cruise line bookings, does not charge a separate consumer service fee, and monetizes through volume-driven negotiating leverage that delivers exclusive onboard perks (gratuities, credits, upgrades) and a lowest-price guarantee. The company targets individual leisure cruise travelers across all budget tiers (from approximately $96/night budget to $700+/night luxury), with featured deals ranging from 3-night Bahamas sailings to 7-night Alaska itineraries. Cheap Cruises is headquartered at 1201 W Cypress Creek Rd #100, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, employs 51-100 people, and markets via email, SEO, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Cheap Cruises firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cheap Cruises
- Legal name
- Cheap Cruises
- Website
- https://cheapcruises.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Cheap Cruises is a private, Fort Lauderdale-based online travel agency that aggregates 9,307+ cruises from 40+ cruise lines into a consumer booking platform, earning commissions while offering exclusive pricing, onboard perks, and a rewards program to individual leisure travelers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cheap Cruises industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cruise Booking Services
- NAICS
- Tour Operators (561520)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- All-Inclusive Value Ocean Cruise Lines (THAEAAAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Premium Ocean Cruise Lines (THAEAAAB), Adults-Only Ocean Cruise Lines (THAEAAAD), Luxury Ocean Cruise Lines (THAEABAB)
Keywords
Where Cheap Cruises is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Florida
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cheap Cruises business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Cruise Booking Commissions: Cheap Cruises earns commissions from cruise line bookings made through their platform. They leverage volume-based relationships with cruise lines to negotiate exclusive deals and pass savings to customers while retaining a margin.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cruise fares vary by cruise line, destination, cabin type, and sailing date |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Cheap Cruises product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cheap Cruises sells discounted cruise vacations through an online aggregation and booking platform that lists inventory from 40+ cruise lines including Carnival, Royal Caribbean, MSC, Norwegian, Celebrity, Holland America, Princess, Virgin Voyages, and Margaritaville at Sea. Customers can self-serve book online or call 24/7 cruise experts, with the company earning commissions on bookings and adding exclusive perks (onboard credits, gratuities, upgrades) on top of cruise-line promotions. Supporting offerings include the Cheap Cruises Rewards loyalty program and add-on services for shore excursions, resort day passes, and travel insurance.
Product overview
Cheap Cruises operates as a cruise deal aggregation and online booking platform that aggregates inventory from multiple cruise lines including Carnival, Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Virgin Voyages, and Margaritaville at Sea. The platform offers a unified search and booking experience with various cruise lines accessible through a single interface. The company also operates a loyalty program called Cheap Cruises Rewards, and provides add-on services including shore excursions, resort day passes, and travel insurance through affiliate partnerships.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cheap Cruises Online Platform Consumer-facing cruise aggregation and booking platform that aggregates deals from 40+ cruise lines (including Carnival, Royal Caribbean, MSC, Norwegian, Celebrity, Holland America, Princess, Virgin Voyages, and Margaritaville at Sea), enabling individuals to search, filter by destination/departure port/dates, compare, and book cruise vacations worldwide.
- Cheap Cruises Rewards Loyalty program allowing members to earn points on cruise bookings, redeemable for onboard spending, cash back, and exclusive pricing bonuses, with member-exclusive deals stackable on top of cruise-line loyalty benefits.
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 77-82% savings compared to standard cruise fares on select sailings
Companies that use Cheap Cruises
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Cheap Cruises technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Cheap Cruises partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Shore Excursions GroupminorAffiliate partner for shore excursion bookings. Customers can purchase shore excursions through this partner link when booking cruises.
- Resort for a DayminorAffiliate partner for resort day pass bookings, offering customers add-on experiences at cruise destinations.
- Carnival Cruise LinecorePrimary cruise line partner. Carnival is the top cruise line featured on Cheap Cruises, offering exclusive deals and promotional pricing combined with Cheap Cruises Rewards benefits.
- Royal CaribbeancoreMajor cruise line partner featuring exclusive deals, onboard credit promotions, and combined offers with Cheap Cruises Rewards. Over 25 Royal Caribbean ships and 270+ destinations featured.
- MSC CruisescoreKey cruise line partner featuring 24+ MSC ships and 250+ destinations. Offers exclusive promotions including up to $500 onboard credit and complimentary kids' fares.
- Norwegian Cruise LinecoreFeatured cruise line partner offering exclusive deals including 'Free at Sea' package promotions and combined Cheap Cruises Rewards benefits.
- Celebrity CruisescorePremium cruise line partner featuring exclusive offers including up to $700 instant savings and 75% off second guest fares.
- Holland America LinecorePartner cruise line featuring 'Have It All' package promotions, up to $300 onboard spending, and complimentary kids' fares on select sailings.
- Princess CruisescorePartner cruise line offering up to 40% off with up to $400 savings, included gratuities, and free third/fourth guests on select sailings.
- Virgin VoyagescoreAdults-only cruise line partner featuring up to $200 onboard spending credits and up to 70% off second guest with free balcony upgrades.
- Margaritaville at SeaminorBoutique cruise line partner offering laid-back island-themed cruise experiences. Bookings require phone call through Cheap Cruises experts.
Scale indicators2 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cheap Cruises competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Tripadvisor: Major travel content and metasearch platform with cruise booking functionality through Cruise Critic and direct supplier integrations. Adjacent competitor that funnels cruise demand and competes for organic cruise-related search queries.
- World Travel Holdings: Large multi-brand cruise and vacation retailer operating brands like CruisesOnly and Dream Vacations. Comparable business model at materially larger scale, with both call-center and digital cruise distribution.
- Priceline: Large generalist OTA that includes cruise inventory alongside hotels, flights, and packages. Competes for cruise bookings, especially on price-led consumer searches, but as part of a much broader travel portfolio rather than as a cruise specialist.
- Booking.com: Global leader in online travel with growing cruise and tour offerings. Not cruise-focused but competes for the same discretionary travel wallet and benefits from superior brand recognition, app install base, and marketing budgets.
- Orbitz: Generalist US OTA offering cruise inventory alongside hotels, flights, and packages. Competes for cruise bookings on price comparison and rewards-driven repeat travel, though it is not a cruise specialist.
Direct peers
- Cruise Critic: Cruise review, content, and lead-generation platform owned by Tripadvisor that also routes bookings to cruise lines and partner OTAs. Overlaps with Cheap Cruises on cruise deal discovery and booking, and competes for the same organic search traffic.
- CruiseDirect: Cruise-focused online travel agency selling inventory from the same major cruise lines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Celebrity, etc.) with a similar commission-based model, 24/7 phone support, and exclusive promotional pricing. Direct head-to-head competitor in the US cruise OTA segment.
- Vacations To Go: Long-standing cruise-specialist travel agency offering discounted fares across major cruise lines with a heavy emphasis on last-minute and bargain inventory. Closely comparable business model, target customer (value-seeking cruise bookers), and supplier mix.
- Expedia Cruises: Cruise-vertical arm of Expedia, a major global OTA, offering cruise search and booking with both self-serve and consultant-assisted channels. Direct competitor with significantly larger brand and technology footprint.
- Avoya Travel: Cruise- and vacation-focused travel agency network combining independent agents with centralized booking technology. Competes in the same agent-assisted cruise booking category with similar commission-based economics.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Cheap Cruises social profiles
Digital presenceCheap Cruises financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cheap Cruises leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Cheap Cruises funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cheap Cruises M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cheap Cruises
What does Cheap Cruises do?
Cheap Cruises sells discounted cruise vacations through an online aggregation and booking platform that lists inventory from 40+ cruise lines including Carnival, Royal Caribbean, MSC, Norwegian, Celebrity, Holland America, Princess, Virgin Voyages, and Margaritaville at Sea. Customers can self-serve book online or call 24/7 cruise experts, with the company earning commissions on bookings and adding exclusive perks (onboard credits, gratuities, upgrades) on top of cruise-line promotions. Supporting offerings include the Cheap Cruises Rewards loyalty program and add-on services for shore excursions, resort day passes, and travel insurance.
Is Cheap Cruises a public or private company?
Cheap Cruises is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Cheap Cruises founded?
Cheap Cruises was founded in -1. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Cheap Cruises based?
Cheap Cruises is headquartered in Florida, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cheap Cruises make money?
One revenue line is on record: cruise Booking Commissions.
Who are Cheap Cruises's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Tripadvisor, World Travel Holdings, Priceline, Booking.com and Orbitz. Direct peers are Cruise Critic, CruiseDirect, Vacations To Go, Expedia Cruises and Avoya Travel.
Does Cheap Cruises have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cheap Cruises.
What industry is Cheap Cruises in?
Cheap Cruises's product category is Cruise Booking Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAEAAAF, All-Inclusive Value Ocean Cruise Lines, with a secondary code of THAEAAAB, Premium Ocean Cruise Lines. Its NAICS code is 561520 and its SIC code is 7900.