Let's Book Your Cruise Blog

Here’s how to do it without breaking the bank

Look, after a week on Icon of the Seas, I get it — these ships are pretty amazing. They’re well suited to groups of friends, couples, families, or multigenerational groups. Heck, I would even cruise on one of these ships as a solo! There’s truly something for everyone.

But because these ships are the new hotness in Royal Caribbean’s fleet (as least as of the writing of this blog post in March 2026), they’re going to cost you. Here are a few tips that show you how I can help you plan a cruise on one of these ships that won’t cost a (total) fortune.

Book during the slower seasons

You can historically get lower prices for cruises by avoiding school breaks, holidays, and summers. If you can travel January-February, late April/early May or late August through early November (hurricane season), you can get lower pricing for your cruise.

If you’re planning to bring kids 12 years old and under, you might even find that you’re eligible for Kids Sail Free pricing during these times, where kids 12 and under only pay taxes and fees.

Look for shorter sailings

At this time, Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas are both doing 7-night sailings. However, the third Icon-class ship, Legend of the Seas, will be doing 6- and 8-night sailings when it joins the fleet in summer 2026. I’ve noticed that these 6-night sailings have a slightly lower price point than the full week-long sailings.

Skip the extras

I had the Ultimate Dining Package on my Icon cruise, because I wanted to try all of Icon’s specialty venues. (Plus, I was with a group of fun people who also had the package, and I didn’t want to have FOMO from missing group dinners.) I could have easily skipped it, though, because Icon-class ships have so many new fast-casual food options that are included in your cruise fare: Aquadome Market, Basecamp, and Surfside Eatery, just to name a few.

(Full disclosure, the two pics on the right are from specialty restaurants, but the pick on the left is from Feta in Aquadome market.)

Use a travel agent (me!)

I have access to some great group rates from Icon and Star (and soon to be Legend) for double-occupancy cabins. If you’re flexible in your dates and want me to check out your options, send me an email or schedule a phone call with me and let’s book your Icon-class cruise!