Most people think Royal Caribbean deals are only found in various promotions, but there's a list of the best offers most people don't know about.
Tucked away on the cruise line website is a PDF document that gets updated once a week with the best offers, known as the "Going, Going, Gone" rates.
These are last-minute sailings that have unsold cabins leftover with good prices. Deals can range from "good" to "deep savings", and if you act quickly, you could take advantage of them.
Bargain hunters that have flexibility should start their search with the GGG sales.
The cruise sheet with the deals
Every week on Tuesday or Wednesday, Royal Caribbean updates a list of sailings of heavily discounted sailings.
To be honest, this list is intended for travel agents as a reference to know about good deals, but it's publicly available for anyone to see, you just need to bookmark URL once because it never changes.
You can find the link to the Going, Going, Gone rates here.
These are almost always cruises departing in the next 60 days or so, and it's offered as a way to fill unsold cabins.
For each sailing, there's a listed price for different cabins. Not every cabin category may be available to book, but it gives you a quick reference for the price point.
Where to find the secret list
You won't find the link to the Going, Going, Gone list linked to on Royal Caribbean's website.
Instead, you just have to bookmark it or Google it each time you want to find it.
What to know before you book
Updated usually on Tuesday, the Going, Going, Gone rates are a static list of prices that are bookable on a first-come basis.
Rates can sell out, and the list won't get updated when that occurs.
Sometimes there might be one cabin left at the advertised price on the list, so you'll need to act quickly.
You book the price the same way you'd book any other cruise. There's no promo code or special instructions needed. Going, Going, Gone serves as a heads up that there are lower prices available.
As you'll quickly tell from the sheet, there is a limited selection to choose from on any given week. Only certain itineraries, ships, and categories may be there, and some weeks there could be very few options.
One more thing to know is since these are almost always cruises that are past the final payment date, you'll need to pay the entire cruise fare upfront.
Here are my best tips for browsing the Going, Going, Gone deals and finding the right cruise for you.
Be Flexible: Dates and ships are limited.
Check Weekly: New list drops every Tuesday.
Book Fast: Deals disappear quickly.
Work with a Travel Agent: They make everything easier, and it's how I always book mine.
Compare Total Cost: Always factor taxes, fees, and airfare.
Examples of past deals
Our team has relied on the Going, Going Gone rates as a source of deals to peruse.
One example was an oceanview cabin on Freedom of the Seas for 7-nights for just $584 per person. It cost just $1678 total for two people, and saved almost 60% off the previous price.
Another time we found a 4-night cruise on Allure of the Seas listed on Going, Going Gone for $834.36 for two people in a guaranteed interior stateroom. That's just $104 per person, per night, including gratuities and port fees.
The best deal ever was a $99 per night cruise fare for another guarantee inside room, but this was on Liberty of the Seas.
As you can see, sometimes you have to roll the dice with which cabin you'll get assigned. Flexibility is so important with these special prices.
By far, the best markdowns are on repositioning cruises or off-season sailings.
I've consistently found great deals on September and October cruises especially, because it's a time of year with slower demand for all itineraries: Caribbean, Europe, and Alaska.
Who should book these deals
While anyone can book a Going, Going, Gone rate, I think certain types of people will benefit the most from them.
Given that these are all last-minute sailings that depart within the next 6-10 weeks, I think those with flexible schedules would be the ideal customer.
Retirees, people that can work remote, couples without children, and aging bloggers might have the time off to make these sailings work the best.
I also think someone that lives within driving distance of the embarkation port would be ideal to book. If you're booking a cruise that leaves in a few weeks, pricey last-minute airfare could offset any savings from the cruise fare.
However, if you have airline or credit card points available, this might be the perfect opportunity to cash those in.
Regardless, look at the total cost of the vacation beyond the fare before booking.
Bottom line
Royal Caribbean's Going, Going, Gone can be a hidden treasure chest for savvy cruisers, but you'll need to be swift and be open to limited choices.
While the choices of ships, sail dates, and staterooms are going to be limited, there could be good prices available.
I look at this sheet as a bonus opportunity to sneak in another cruise, rather than the primary means of planning out a family vacation. For those types of cruises, rely on booking a cruise early as the best strategy to get a good price.
If you time it well, this little-known secret can turn into your biggest cruise savings.
