Spring break is one of the most in-demand cruise periods of the year. After a winter full of cold, wind, and snow, a lot of families want to escape to a warm tropical vacation.
Royal Caribbean cruises are in high demand in March and April because schools have built-in time off, and that leads to more families cruising. Suffice to say, there's a lot of other people looking to book a spring break cruise.
The good news is you can still book a spring break cruise, but you're going to need to be strategic about it and act quickly.
However, you'll need to have a degree of flexibility because with just a few weeks to go, there are fewer choices, and higher fares than if you booked last year. Nonetheless, it's still doable!
I'm here to help you work in a spring break cruise, provided you can take advantage of these five steps.
Last minute spring break 2026 cheat sheet
Before you read all of the best tips for finding a last-minute spring break cruise, here are the best options that most people overlook and are still available to book:
- Serenade of the Seas 7-night Southern Caribbean March 15, 2026 from Cartagena, Columbia: Prices for a balcony $1,030 per person
- Enchantment of the Seas 5-night Western Caribbean March 14: Prices for an inside $900 per person
- Navigator of the Seas 3-night Ensenada April 3: Prices for an inside cabin $491 per person
- Quantum of the Seas 6-night Mexican Riviera April 1: Prices for a balcony $849 per person
Prices were accurate as of the publishing of this article, but they could change quickly.
Be flexible with dates
The first problem you may run into is trying to shoehorn in a cruise that fits exactly with the week you have in mind.
A lot of schools have the same time off, so if you have the ability to travel another time, that might work out better.
The most popular spring break weeks this year are:
- Middle weeks of March
- The weeks surrounding Easter (April 5, 2026)
Here are a few tips for finding a cruise that skirts around these in-demand times:
- Find a a sailing a few days before or after local school breaks
- Look for a shorter 3–4 night cruise instead of 7-nighter
- Take your kids out of school and bypass your scheduled week off
Not everyone can take advantage of these tips, but if there's any wiggle room, you may find better options.
Expand your port options
If your first instinct is to find a cruise sailing from Florida, you should widen your search to find even better options.
I find most people only check one homeport because that's what they're used to, and that kind of tunnel vision can lead to limited choices.
Instead, this might be the year to try a spring break cruise from one of these alternative ports:
- Galveston, Texas
- Los Angeles, California
- Tampa, Florida
- San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Cartagena, Colombia
In my experience, drive-to ports still sell out fastest and most of those are in Florida.
If you want the "cheat code" to finding a good last-minute spring break cruise, I'd start with a west coast cruise from LA. These always seem to be the cheapest sailings and have the most inventory.
Cruises from Galveston tend to be another good choice because Texas isn't quite as drive-to as Florida.
If Florida is your best option, then I'd look for a cruise to Tampa. Ships based here tend to be smaller and older because bigger ships cannot access the port.
Here are the ships you should be targeting because they're likely going to still be available and priced reasonably:
- Grandeur of the Seas
- Enchantment of the Seas
- Navigator of the Seas
- Quantum of the Seas
- Rhapsody of the Seas
- Brilliance of the Seas
Don't shop by price alone
It's tempting to sort cruises by lowest price first, but the cheapest sailings will sell out first.
When you're in the market for a last-minute cruise, I find mid-range itineraries sometimes have more availability. Cruises that are 4- and 5-nights in length tend to evade top searches because weekend and 7-night cruises are the most popular spring break cruises.
Another mistake with shopping by price is waiting for a "deal" rarely works in spring break. It's just too in demand.
Royal Caribbean uses dynamic pricing for its cruises, which means the more the demand, the higher the prices go up.
If you spot a cruise that within your budget, I'd jump at the chance before the price goes up or the cabin sells out. Or both.
Consider rooms you normally wouldn't
Starting your cruise search off with a balcony cabin might limit your choices, so instead try another category that could yield more options.
Oceanview rooms are a great alternative because you still get outside light and a view, but it lacks the access to the outdoors.
If that seems like a compromise, remember that you'll be out and about enjoying everything your ship has to offer. So having a balcony is nice, but not critical.
Another idea is to roll the dice with a guarantee cabin, where Royal Caribbean picks your cabin.
Guarantee cabins usually result in being assigned either an unsold cabin or a room that gets cancelled at the last-minute. That doesn't mean it will be necessarily the worst room on the ship, but it's a great choice for saving money. However, it definitely favors someone that doesn't get easily seasick and has a sense of adventure with their room choice.
The room category you can pretty much give up on finding are suites.
There are so few of them to begin with, and demand is usually quite high. The only chance might be an unsold Junior Suite or one of the very expensive suites that has such a high price tag it's given others pause before booking it.
Move fast on flights and hotels
Once you find a spring break cruise, be sure to quickly book a flight and a pre-cruise hotel stay, because those aren't getting any cheaper either.
Just like cruises, airfare spikes quickly during spring break. In fact, this might be the time to cash in those credit card points to redeem a flight.
Speaking of flights, be sure to book your flight to fly in at least one day before your sailing begins. Never risk traveling the same day your cruise sails, because it's a mistake waiting to happen.
Hotels are also difficult because you're competing with everyone that wants a hotel for a land-based spring break vacation.
My advice is to look for hotels near the airport and well-away from the beach. It might mean a longer Uber ride to the port, but you'll probably pay a lot less for the hotel.
Quick booking checklist
If you want a cruise this spring break, do this today:
✅ Search flexible dates
✅ Check multiple departure ports
✅ Be open to interior or guarantee cabins
✅ Book flights immediately after
Spring break cruises are possible, but don't wait
It's not too late to book a spring break cruise, but you'll want to act quickly. Prices are only going up and more cabins will be sold out.
Real talk: every spring break cruise will sell out and the ships will sail full. Royal Caribbean won't have any problem selling them, given how they've explained recently close-in demand has been really strong for them.
I'd focus less on it being the absolute perfect ship and itinerary, and instead look for an opportunity to enjoy a warm, well-deserved break from your daily life.
