Save on cruises with Costco Travel

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I know lots of folks who love to vacation at sea.

Cruises are popular because there’s so much included in the price, like meals, onboard entertainment, and unlimited use of the water slides. So it’s a great option for a family getaway. Plus, many cruise itineraries include visits to multiple destinations — and you only have to unpack once!

If you’re planning a cruise and are a Costco member, I recommend checking options on Costco Travel because similar to warehouse club’s vacation packages, you can often find the bfest prices and get extra perks. For example, a Costco Travel cruise migh

t come with a credit to use onboard or an all-inclusive beverage package.

I’ll share the benefits of booking a cruise with Costco Travel. And compare prices and perks you find through the warehouse club with what you’ll get booking directly or through a 3rd party site.

How to use Costco Travel for a cruise

There are a variety of cruises available through Costco Travel. Destinations include popular spots like:

• Alaska
• Asia, Africa, and the Middle East
• Caribbean and Bahamas
• Europe
• Hawaii
• Mexico and Central America
• South America
• South Pacific
• and more

And you can choose to sail with most of the popular cruise lines, such as:

• Azamara Club Cruises
• Carnival
• Celebrity Cruises
• Crystal Cruises
• Cunard
• Disney Cruise Line
• Holland America
• Norwegian
• Princess Cruises
• Regent Seven Seas
• Royal Caribbean
• Uniworld River Cruises

You can book just about any cruise that’s available directly through the cruise line on Costco Travel. The prices are typically similar or cheaper to those you’ll find booking directly, but the benefit of using Costco Travel is you could earn a Costco shop card, which you can then use to purchase merchandise or gas at any of their warehouse clubs in the U.S. and Canada.

If you’re looking for exclusive Costco Travel cruise deals, we recommend checking out the “Featured Cruises” section of the site. These packages come with additional perks like a larger Costco cash card or extra savings like an all-inclusive beverage package.

Here are a few sample cruises you can book through Costco Travel:

Disney Cruise to the Bahamas

I found a seven-night cruise on the Disney Fantasy, which departs from Port Canaveral in Florida and stops in:

• Cozumel, Mexico
• George Town, Grand Cayman
• Falmouth, Jamaica
• Disney Castaway Cay

Disney cruises are popular because they include Disney Character experiences, excellent food, and adult nightclubs and lounges.

For a sample trip in April 2020, the cheapest price I found on Costco Travel for two adults and one child under age 17 was ~$5,015, which includes all taxes & fees. But you also get a $380 Costco cash card, which effectively makes the cruise price ~$4,635.

I checked the price of the same itinerary directly through Disney Cruise Line and it’s ~$28 more AND you don’t get any additional perks like you do with Costco Travel.

The price on Costco Travel is also better than what I found on Orbitz, Expedia, and Priceline.

Mediterranean cruise through the Greek islands

There are many amazing cruise itineraries for folks looking to sail the Mediterranean Sea.

I found a seven-night Mediterranean cruise on the Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas, which departs from Venice, Italy and stops in:

• Dubrovnik, Croatia
• Kotor, Montenegro
• Santorini, Greece
• Katakolon, Greece

Through Costco Travel, the cost for two adults traveling in June 2020 is ~$2,322.

For this sample trip, the cost when booking directly through the cruise line is actually slightly cheaper — ~$2,247. But the benefit of booking through Costco Travel is you get a $140 Costco shope card. So in the end, you’re saving $65 by booking with Costco.

Earn bonus miles & points on Costco Travel purchases with these cards

When you book a cruise through Costco Travel, you can earn bonus cash back, miles, or points when you pay with a card that includes travel as a bonus category. Here are a few to consider:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve® – 3X Chase Ultimate Rewards points
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card – 2X Chase Ultimate Rewards points
• Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi – 3% cash back on eligible travel purchases

The information for the Costco Anywhere Visa card has been collected independently by Million Mile Secrets. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Bottom line

If you’re a Costco member, you can find amazing deals on cruises through Costco Travel.  The prices I found are usually the same or cheaper than what you’ll find booking directly with the cruise line or through online travel agencies like Orbitz, Expedia, and Priceline.

But the main reason to book through Costco Travel is they often include extra perks like a Costco cash card or unlimited beverage package. For example, a sample Disney Cruise I found comes with a $380 Costco cash card, which you can use toward merchandise or gas at any of their warehouse clubs in the U.S. or Canada.

Have you used Costco Travel to book a cruise? We’d love to hear your thoughts!