The Best Memorial Day Cruise Deals for 2026: From Family Cruises to Luxury Sailings
Memorial Day weekend has become one of the biggest times of the year for travelers to shop for a cruise vacation. As summer approaches and travelers start planning future getaways, cruise lines across nearly every segment of the industry are rolling out limited-time promotions aimed at filling upcoming sailings.
This year’s offers range from simple fare discounts to more layered packages that include airfare, hotel stays, onboard credit, reduced deposits, complimentary upgrades and free fares for additional passengers. Some are clearly geared toward families trying to stretch their vacation budgets a little further. Others are aimed at luxury travelers, couples or travelers looking for expedition sailings and more remote destinations.
To help make sense of it all, we reviewed marketing materials, booking windows and terms and conditions from nearly 30 cruise brands to better understand what these promotions actually include, and where you may find the strongest overall value.
This Year’s Memorial Day Cruise Deals Trends
One thing that stood out was how many cruise lines were promoting 2026 sailings. Roughly half — and likely more — of the campaigns we reviewed included a strong focus on 2026 itineraries.
Riviera Travel River Cruises is featuring one of the strongest overall value packages for 2026 departures. Its campaign offers an additional $250 per person flash-sale discount with up to $1,500 in air and hotel credits and included drinks on select itineraries.
Reduced deposits is also appearing frequently. Many cruise lines use lower upfront deposits to make future bookings feel a little more accessible. In some cases, deposits dropped as low as $25.
Another noticeable trend was the number of cruise lines stacking flash sales on top of existing offers instead of replacing earlier promotions entirely.
This all may be good news, however, if you haven’t already secured your cruise this year, or may be looking to add another one.
Different Cruise Deals Work Better for Different Travelers
One thing is very clear: the “best” cruise deal really depends on the kind of traveler you are and the type of vacation you are planning.
Stacked Promotions Bring Biggest Savings
Several cruise lines are combining fare discounts with extra perks during the Memorial Day sales period. Lines like Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line, and Crystal are pairing lower fares with additional incentives.
Celebrity Cruises is offering up to 75 percent off the second passenger with free third, fourth and fifth passengers. Virgin Voyages is cutting up to 70 percent off the second sailor fare and adding up to $1,000 in instant savings, and as much as $400 in Sailor Loot (onboard spending credit.)
Family Cruise Deals Are Built Around Free Passenger Fares
Families continue to see some of the strongest value opportunities. MSC Cruises, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, and Carnival Cruise Line all highlighted promotions designed to reduce the cost of bringing additional passengers.
For instance, Royal Caribbean International is discounting fares up to $900 per stateroom with Kids Sail Free as third and fourths.
Expedition Cruise Deals Are Also Out There
Expedition lines, like Hurtigruten and Ponant, pair very targeted fare discounts with unique itineraries and smaller-ship experiences. Lindblad Expeditions is offering savings of up to $1,500 per guest during its “Last Chance to Say Yes” campaign.
Luxury Lines Competing Through Added Value
Luxury brands are also especially active during this period. Cunard, Explora Journeys, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Seabourn and Silversea all are promoting large fare savings, reduced deposits, suite upgrades or bundled amenities that would normally cost extra.
In this case, Crystal Cruises is enticing travelers with hotel and air credits worth up to $5,000 combined.
The Fine Print
We compiled the following reference table summarizing the major Memorial Day cruise deals currently in market. Our research and promotional review were current as of May 23, 2026. We made every effort to review digitally published marketing materials, booking windows and terms and conditions made available by the cruise lines at the time of publication. All savings figures reflect the maximum advertised promotional values published by the cruise lines during our review. Most deals apply only to select sailings, cabin categories and departure dates.
We also encourage you to work with a trusted travel advisor before booking. Cruise promotions can change quickly, and a travel agent may be able to help identify additional savings, combinable offers or better overall value depending on your travel style and budget.
We hope you find the following table helpful. You can sort the table’s columns alphabetically or numerically by clicking the column headers. The search box can also help quickly filter offers by cruise line, promotion type or included perks.
| Cruise Line | Offer Name | Start Date | End Date | Fare Savings (UP TO) | Onboard Credit (UP TO) | Value-add Amenities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AmaWaterways | Memorial Day Offer | May 20, 2026 | May 27, 2026 | $2,500 per stateroom | Complimentary land package; $599 AirPlus roundtrip economy airfare | |
| American Cruise Lines | Free Airfare & Savings up to $1,500 | $1,500 per room (Great Lakes, Ohio River, Hudson River, and SE Sea Islands Cruises) | Complimentary airfare on Great Lakes, Ohio River, and SE Sea Islands Cruises | |||
| Azamara | May Flash Sale | May 12, 2026 | May 29, 2026 | 20% off | $750 per stateroom | 50% reduced deposits; extra 30 days to pay |
| Carnival Cruise Line | Stars, Stripes & Savings | May 19, 2026 | May 30, 2026 | 55% off | $500 per room | 50% off deposits; free room upgrade; 25% off select onboard experiences |
| Celebrity Cruises | Memorial Day Sale | May 22, 2026 | May 25, 2026 | 75% off second guest + $650 per room | 3rd, 4th and 5th passengers sail free | |
| Celestyal Cruises | The Iconic Sale | Apr 27, 2026 | Jun 02, 2026 | Select drinks and beverages during food service hours; entry level Wi-Fi package; port fees and gratuities | ||
| Crystal Cruises | Exceptional Savings | Apr 01, 2026 | May 31, 2026 | 30% off | Hotel stay worth up to $2,000; air credit up to $3,000 | |
| Cunard | Memorial Day Sale | May 14, 2026 | May 27, 2026 | $300 per stateroom | $300 per stateroom | 10% off White Star Luggage Service; Hotel & Dining Service Charges included in Grill Suites |
| Emerald Cruises | May Savings Boost | May 18, 2026 | May 31, 2026 | $200 per person | ||
| Explora Journeys | An Invitation to Explora: Memorial Day Edition | May 18, 2026 | May 27, 2026 | 35% off | 10% reduced deposit | |
| Holland America Line | Anniversary Sale | Jun 01, 2026 | 30% off | $400 per stateroom | $25 deposit; free kids fares | |
| Hurtigruten | Save up to 30% on Norway Winter Departures | May 04, 2026 | Jun 21, 2026 | 30% off | ||
| Lindblad Expeditions | Last Chance to Say Yes | Apr 28, 2026 | May 28, 2026 | $1,500 per guest | Payment in full required at booking | |
| MSC Cruises | Memorial Day Sale | May 19, 2026 | May 25, 2026 | 40% off | Free kids as 3rd and 4th | |
| Norwegian Cruise Line | Memorial Day Sale | May 01, 2026 | May 25, 2026 | 50% off | $1,000 | Free at Sea; free airfare for 2nd passenger; Kids Sail Free |
| Oceania Cruises | Memorial Day Sale | May 15, 2026 | Jun 02, 2026 | 40% off | $1,200 shore excursion credit | Up to 2 category upgrade; 50% reduced deposits |
| Paul Gauguin Cruises | Take Your Sweetie To Tahiti | Jan 06, 2026 | Apr 30, 2026 | $1,000 per booking | Champagne and chocolate | |
| PONANT | 2026 Smithsonian Journeys Offer | Jan 06, 2026 | May 31, 2026 | $1,000 per stateroom or suite | ||
| Princess Cruises | Memorial Day Sale | May 21, 2026 | May 26, 2026 | 40% off + $800 instant savings | $25 deposits; free 3rd and 4th passengers | |
| Regent Seven Seas Cruises | Spring Savings | May 16, 2026 | May 31, 2026 | 45% off | ||
| Riviera Travel | Save More | Mar 30, 2026 | May 31, 2026 | 50% off; extra $250 per person off 2026 river cruises | $1,500 air and hotel credit; drinks included | |
| Royal Caribbean International | Memorial Day Sale | May 05, 2026 | Jun 01, 2026 | Up to $900 off; 60% off second guest | Kids Sail Free; free 3rd and 4th passengers; up to $100 off longer cruises | |
| Scenic Luxury Cruises | May Savings Boost | May 18, 2026 | May 31, 2026 | $200 per person | Select Danube and Bordeaux departures | |
| Seabourn | 5-Day Sail | May 21, 2026 | May 26, 2026 | 15% off | $1,000 per suite | |
| Silversea | Save up to $8,000 | Mar 17, 2026 | Jun 02, 2026 | $8,000 per suite | Reduced deposits from 15% | |
| Uniworld Boutique River Cruises | The 50th Anniversary Sale | Dec 19, 2025 | May 31, 2026 | 50% off | Payment in full required at booking | |
| Viking | Spring Sale | May 01, 2026 | May 31, 2026 | 30% off ocean cruises; 20% off expedition cruises | Free airfare; $25 deposit | |
| Virgin Voyages | Memorial Day Sale | Apr 01, 2026 | May 28, 2026 | $1,000 off; 70% off second sailor | $400 per cabin (Sailor Loot May 21–25, 2026) | |
| Windstar Cruises | Complimentary All-Inclusive Package | Jun 30, 2026 | 5% off when paid in full | $100 per guest | Unlimited Wi-Fi, gratuities, select beer, cocktails and wine by the glass | |
| Cruise Line | Offer Name | Start Date | End Date | Fare Savings (Up To) | Onboard Credit (Up To) | Value-add Amenities |
The Sale That Is Kicking Off Summer
Memorial Day is one of the cruise industry’s biggest promotional periods outside of Wave Season. While Wave Season — which typically runs from January through March — still remains the industry’s largest annual sales window, holiday weekends such as Memorial Day, Labor Day and Black Friday have become increasingly important moments for cruise marketing campaigns.
The next major round of cruise promotions could arrive around the Fourth of July holiday. That timing may carry even more significance as the United States prepares to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. The milestone could become a major marketing theme across the industry.
