Deal alert: 3 of the cheapest cruise and flight packages from Vancouver

Looking for a cruise out of Vancouver over the winter months?

Unfortunately, you won't find any passenger vessels sailing through Canada Place from November to early March. But there are several ultra-low-cost options for travellers looking to cruise during the winter - as long as they are willing to take a flight to get to them.

Cruise and flight packages offer some of the best value for local travellers - even when cruises are available from Vancouver. 

While there are some affordable options from Canada Place, Alaskan cruises that sail from the port regularly start at prices upwards of $2,000 per person. There are some cheaper Pacific Coastal cruises in the early spring and at the start of fall, but these options are limited and generally require a flight to or from California, too.

You'll also have to wait to sail locally: the first cruise that departs out of Canada Place is a five-night Pacific Coastal sailing on the Disney Wonder that departs on March 11; the next cruise doesn't depart until March 31.

Travellers looking to sail during the winter can pair low-cost flights with cruises in ports across the United States, including hot spots such as Los Angeles, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale.

Have a look at some cheap options for flights that depart from Vancouver International Airport (YVR) that will connect you to cruises.

Los Angeles to Mexico 

Carnival Cruise Line, known for its laid-back, joyful onboard experience, has several short cruises that sail out of Los Angeles over the winter and visit cities along the California coast and Mexico. 

A Carnival cruise departing Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 26, visiting Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico before spending one day at sea, returns to Los Angeles on March 1. The ship is the Carnival Radiance. 

The Baja, Mexico cruise is the cheapest option departing from the City of Angels this winter, totalling US$755.30 for an interior stateroom (no window), which works out to approximately C$1,021.48 based on the current exchange rate. This price works out to a per-person rate of C$510.74.

Not only does that cost include your transportation on a beautiful ship, but it also includes meals, entertainment, snacks, and lodging. The only thing it doesn’t factor in is alcohol, but you may opt to purchase a drink package that can reduce the cost of your spending.

Prices for ocean view and balcony staterooms don't cost much more and may provide a more comfortable or pleasurable experience. 

Travellers may want to spend a night in Los Angeles before the cruise so they don't miss the sailing. The cruise departs at 5 p.m. sharp and won't wait for stragglers. Plus, cruise lines typically advise that they arrive four hours before that time to check in and get settled in their stateroom, as well as to hear the safety instructions. 

If you choose to fly in on the day of the cruise, ensure that you book the earliest option. However, keep in mind that a flight delay could mean that you run the risk of missing your cruise.

Luckily, flights from YVR to LAX are among the cheapest trips available bound for south of the border. A flight that departs Vancouver on Sunday, Feb. 25 (the day before the cruise departs), and returns from Los Angeles later in the evening on Friday, March 1 (the day the cruise disembarks), costs $212 including all taxes and fees. 

To score this low-cost deal, book one-way tickets separately with Flair Airlines and Air Canada. 

The total cost of the cruise package from YVR is C$722.74 ($510.74 plus $212). If you fly the night before, you will want to add the cost of one night in a hotel, which starts from just over $100 to $200 per night.

Miami cruise to the Bahamas 

While flights are more expensive from YVR, Florida offers a wide range of cruises to suit every taste and budget. There are some cheap flight deals but they are less frequent than ones flying into California. 

MSC Cruises, a Swiss cruise line, offers a low-cost option out of Miami onboard the MSC Magnifica, which departs from Miami on March 15. The cruise includes stops in Key West, Florida and Ocean Cay Marine Reserve in the Bahamas, before disembarking in Miami on March 18.

The United States/Bahamas cruise is the cheapest option departing from Miami (except for a Norwegian Cruise Line option that involves a pricey flight back from the Dominican Republic) this winter, totalling C$681 for an interior stateroom (no window). This works out to a per-person rate of C$340.50.

A flight that departs Vancouver on Thursday, March 14 (the day before the cruise departs) makes one stop in Los Angeles before arriving in Fort Lauderdale (an hour away from Miami) on the day the cruise is slated to leave. It returns from Fort Lauderdale on Friday, March 1 (the day after the cruise disembarks) at 12:35 p.m. and costs $644 including all taxes and fees. Since the return time is tight, it is better to spend a night in a hotel at the end of the journey (since you won't pay for one at the beginning of it).

The total cost of the cruise package from YVR is C$984.50 ($340.50 plus $644). You will want to add the cost of one night in a hotel, which starts from just over $100 to $200 per night.

Fort Lauderdale cruise to the Bahamas 

Travelllers who prefer to sail on a family-friendly, entertainment-centred cruise line should look into a Royal Caribbean Line (RCL) sailing from Fort Lauderdale in March. 

In October 2023, RCL released tickets for its newest ship, the massive Icon of the Seas. It is now the largest cruise ship at sea, with room for 7,600 passengers spread across 28 different types of accommodation. 

Boasting the largest waterpark at sea, the towering vessel also has six "record-breaking" slides including the "Pressure Drop": the first open free fall waterslide on a cruise ship. Thrill seekers can also enjoy the 46-foot-tall Frightening Bolt, which is the tallest drop slide at sea, or the Storm Surge and Hurricane Hunter, the first family raft slides at sea with four riders per raft.

Budget-conscious travellers can sail on a smaller -- though no less entertaining ship -- RCL's Liberty of the Seas, out of Fort Lauderdale on Friday, March 1. It makes stops in the Bahamas before returning to the Floridian city on March 4.

The three-night Bahamas and Perfect Day cruise costs US$958.90 for an interior stateroom (no window) for two people, which works out to approximately C$1,290.12 based on the current exchange rate. This works out to a per-person rate of C$645.06.

A flight that departs Vancouver on Thursday, Feb. 29 (the day before the cruise departs) makes one stop in Seattle before arriving in Fort Lauderdale. It returns from Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday, March 5 at 11:58 a.m. and costs $514 including all taxes and fees. 

The total cost of the cruise package from YVR is C$1,159.06 ($514 plus $645.06). You will want to add the cost of one night in a hotel, which starts from just over $100 to $200 per night.