Booking a Cruise Online Safely
Know who you pay and how you are protected.
Get a Free Cyber Sale Price CheckBooking a cruise online is safe when you know who you are paying and how you are protected. This checklist covers the payment, the seller and the paperwork for any cyber cruise sale.
Pay the Safe Way
Pay by credit card where you can. Under the Fair Credit Billing Act you can dispute charges for services that were not delivered as agreed; the FTC’s guide to disputing card charges explains that your letter must reach the card issuer within 60 days after the first bill with the error was sent. Debit cards, wire transfers, gift cards and payment apps give much weaker protection, or none.
Check the Seller
- Book on the cruise line’s own site by typing its address, or with an advisor you can verify.
- Some states require sellers of travel to register — for example, Florida’s seller of travel lookup and the California Attorney General’s seller of travel page.
- Look up an unfamiliar agency’s name with words like “complaint” or “scam,” as the FTC suggests.
- Once booked, confirm the reservation directly on the cruise line’s website with your booking number.
Keep the Paperwork
- The confirmation with booking number, ship, sailing date and cabin.
- The offer terms as shown when you booked (a screenshot or PDF).
- The deposit amount and final payment date.
- The cancellation penalty schedule for your fare type.
- Any onboard credit or perks promised, in writing.
Protect the Trip Itself
A sale fare is still a large purchase made months ahead. Travel insurance can cover cancellation for covered reasons, medical care and interruption; buy it soon after booking so time-sensitive benefits apply. Our sister site Cruise & Travel Insurance explains what cruise insurance covers.
Safe Devices and Connections
- Book on your own device, with up-to-date software, rather than a shared or public computer.
- Avoid entering card details on public Wi-Fi; use your mobile data or a trusted network.
- Check the address bar before you type a card number: the domain should be exactly the line’s or your agency’s.
- Use a strong, unique password for your cruise line account and turn on extra sign-in protection if offered.
- Never send passport scans or card numbers by ordinary email.
If anything looks wrong after you book, contact the line or your advisor through contact details you already know, and report fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
What a Real Booking Confirmation Shows
A genuine cruise confirmation names the cruise line, ship, sailing date, cabin number or category, every guest’s name, the amount paid, the balance and its due date, and a booking or reservation number you can look up on the line’s own website. If a seller cannot give you a booking number the cruise line recognizes, you do not have a cruise yet.
Book Your Cyber Sale With People You Can Call
Our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise book the cruise line’s genuine offer, confirm it with the line and keep the paperwork for you.
Book Safely With Us