How our pricing works

An independent comparison service

CruiseCaptain is an independent cruise price-comparison and discovery service — not a travel agency, booking platform, or affiliate of any cruise line. We collect publicly available cruise pricing so travelers can research and compare sailings in one place. We do not sell cruises, process payments, or act as an intermediary between you and any cruise line.

Where our prices come from

The fares you see are sourced from third-party inventory data feeds, not entered or negotiated by us. We refresh this data regularly so the figures stay close to what the cruise lines are advertising, but a feed is always a snapshot — there is a gap between when a price is published, when it reaches us, and when you view it.

• Prices are shown in US Dollars (USD), per person, based on double occupancy unless otherwise noted
• Prices include estimated taxes and port fees but may not reflect every surcharge, gratuity, or fee
• Promotions, group rates, and last-minute changes may not be reflected immediately

Which fare we show

The headline price on a cruise is the lowest fare we track that anyone can book — one that doesn't require you to prove where you live, how old you are, or that you've served. Cruise lines file many private fares alongside their public ones, so we leave the restricted ones out of the number you see:

• Resident fares (e.g. a rate only open to people in one state or country)
• Military, veteran, and first-responder fares
• Senior and other age-gated fares

When a cabin has only restricted fares, we say so — "eligibility-restricted fares only" — rather than showing a price you may not be able to book. The trade-off is honesty: if you personally qualify for a resident or military rate, the real price for you can be lower than what we show.

The cruise lines' data feed doesn't explain what most fare codes mean, so beyond the clearly restricted ones above we treat a fare as a public offer and show it. Eligibility is set by the cruise line — always verify at booking. Personal prices that unlock the fares you qualify for (residency, service, age) are on our roadmap; they aren't live yet.

Indicative, not guaranteed

Because of the way the data flows, every price on CruiseCaptain is indicative and informational only. It is not an offer, and it is not guaranteed. The actual fare can differ due to timing, availability, cabin grade, occupancy, promotions, or data delays. Always confirm the final fare directly with the cruise line (or a licensed travel agent) before you book.

The "Prices verified" stamp

Where you see a "Prices verified [date]" note on a cruise, that date tells you when we last refreshed the pricing data for that sailing from our source feed. It is a freshness signal to help you judge how current the numbers are — it is not a guarantee that the fare is still available or that it matches the cruise line's checkout price today.

Booking your cruise

When you follow a "View on …" link from a cruise page, you leave CruiseCaptain and book directly on the cruise line's own website. We don't sell cruises or take payment; some of these links are affiliate links, and we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure and terms of service for the full picture.

Questions about a price

Spotted a price that looks wrong, or have a question about how a figure was calculated? Let us know at [email protected].