Tips for Finding Great Deals on Cruises
Posted on | January 4, 2010 | 9 Comments
A cruise is a great way to beat the winter blues, or get that all inclusive vacation for the whole family. A cruise is the best way to get to many destinations. Cruise ships offer so many amenities that most feel like a floating city. Once a vacationer experiences the enjoyment of a cruise they come back for more.
So, a cruise is a great vacation, but what about the price? Nothing spoils a great vacation faster than going into debt to pay for it. Below are some tips for finding the best deals on cruises.
Be Flexible
One of the best ways to find a great cruise deal is to be flexible about your vacation. Flexibility in the type of cabin, ship, and to some degree the destination, can all increase the opportunity to find deals. Being flexible about departure dates can also reduce the rates significantly.
Choosing off-peak times is also a matter of flexibility. If you are willing to hit the Caribbean in the summer or Alaska in spring or fall you might find more deals. These ships tend to be less crowded and the rates lower. These might be the last, or first, trips of the season and the cruise lines will often offer discounts just to fill the cabins.
For those who are a little more adventurous and have lots of flexibility in their schedule, last minute booking can often save a lot. Ships that are not full will offer reduced rates in an attempt to fill their cabins. This method can be risky and may result in missing a chosen sailing, but can also result in substantial savings.
Flexibility in departure cities can save money also. Departing from the Northeast, especially early in the season, can decrease the cost by quite a bit. When the ships are leaving their home ports and heading south to start the season you can sometimes get a great booking rate from their home city. You might also save on airfare if you live near one of the departure cities. Driving to the port, as opposed to purchasing a flight, is considerably cheaper. Jacksonville, New Orleans, Norfolk, and points in Texas often offer comparable cruises at much lower rates than the ones departing from South Florida.
Book Early
“Early Bird” discounts are very common in the cruise industry. Booking a cruise early, before it begins to fill up, is a great opportunity to get discounts. Once a ship gets near capacity, especially for popular destinations, the discounts dry up and the remaining cabins go for full price.
Booking summer vacations in the mid- to late winter timeframe is a great way to take advantage of these deals. This allows time to shop for the best deals and still book early enough to enjoy the discounts. The same holds true for winter voyages. Booking these in the summer often results in substantial savings.
Use an Agent
Travel agents can often shop the available cruise lines and find the best deal to meet your needs. Some agents specialize in certain cruise lines, but they also often have more leverage with those lines and can offer additional discounts not found directly through the line. Since agents get commissions on each cruise vacation they book, they can often give part of that commission as a discount, to entice the vacationer. This means an even lower rate.
Agents also know the best destinations for the particular time of year to get the best value. They can “shop” the various ships and packages to find one that suits your individual needs. To get the best value from an agent, do a little research first and then ask about the cruises that you found that best suit your plans and price range.
Get All-Inclusive
Cruises offer a wide array of on-board entertainment and food choices. These are always included in the price. The hidden costs can add up quickly. Port charges and taxes, tips, alcoholic beverages, special services, and special events on land can all add up to increase the total coast of the trip.
Airfare is another added cost that can increase the overall price of the trip by a large amount. Many cruise packages offer airfare in the deal. However, sometimes this is from one, or a limited number of, locations. Getting to those airports can increase the cost, as well. Shop for deals that include airfare from your local airport, rental car or shuttle service to the departure point, hotel accommodations (if you will need to stay in the port city before or after the trip), and return airfare, preferably at discounted rates.
Tips, and most port charges and taxes, are seldom included in the price, but a good agent can help you plan for those costs ahead of time. This should be factored into the final decision on destinations and ship choice.
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9 Responses to “Tips for Finding Great Deals on Cruises”
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January 4th, 2010 @ 9:41 am
The only all inclusive trips I have taken have been cruises which I liked because I just unpacked once, settled in, then could choose if/when I wanted to go on shore excursions, or explore all the wonderful activities offered aboard the ship.
As the other answerer said – drinks, massages, beauty salon, etc. on board were NOT included, but there was a lot that was. It all depends on what you like to do & what your tastes are.
Best thing would be for you & your wife to do what he did – type in all inclusive vacations in your browser search line & review what comes up, then keep adding a keyword until you narrow it down to just those that fit the activities, locations, etc. that both of you like.
Good luck!!
January 4th, 2010 @ 9:54 am
My brother & I took a vacation, or more like a trip. Here is our story:
The wildwood flower grew wild on the farm
And we never knowed what it was called
Some said it was a flower and some said it was weed
I didn't gave it much thought…
One day I was out there talking to my brother
Reached down for a weed to chew on
Things got fuzzy and things got blurry
And then everything was gone
I Didn't know what happened
But I knew it beat the hell out of sniffin' burlap
I come to and my brother was there
And he said, 'What's wrong with your eyes?'
I said, 'I don't know, I was chewing on a weed'
He said, 'Let me give it a try'
We spent the rest of that day and most of that night
Trying to find my brother, Bill
Caught up with him 'bout six o'clock the next mornin'
Naked, swinging on the windmill
He said he flew up there
I had to fly up and get him down
He was about half crazy
The very next day we picked a bunch of them weeds
And put 'em in the sun to dry
Then we mashed 'em up and we cleaned 'em all
And put 'em in the corncob pipe
Smokin' them wildwood flowers got to be a habit
We didn't see no harm
We thought it was kind of handy
Have you ever take a trip and never leave the farm
A big ol' puff on the wildwood weed
Next thing you know
We's just wandering behind the little animals
All good things gotta come to an end
And it's the same with the wildwood weed
One day this feller from Washington come by
And he spied us and he turned white as a sheet
And he dug and he burned
And he burned and he dug
And he killed all our cute little weeds
Then he drove away
We just smiled and waved
Sittin' there on that sack of seeds
Y'all come back now, ya hear
January 4th, 2010 @ 7:06 pm
you seem underweight. If you are going on vacation, the best advice i can give you is to HAVE FUN and eat the best and tastiest foods while you are at it. With an active lifestyle, your not going to add or lose too much weight.
January 4th, 2010 @ 8:04 pm
You need to get a Japan Rail Pass which gives you unlimited travel for the time you opt to purchase for………1 week, or 2 or 3 weeks .If you are just going to be on Honshu Island you can actually get a pass that is a bit cheaper just for that island.You could also look at the JAL flight passes but you miss the scenery if you fly.You must buy this Pass in YOUR country…………..you cannot buy them in Japan and you will save yourself a huge amount of money.
Look around Tokyo ………and do take a day trip to Kamakura…….go to the Tsukiji Fish Market on the way.
If you plan to go to Kyoto which is gorgeous you can mostly walk if you choose accommodation in a good location. There are maps with walking routes you get at the station.You won't get top see it all just do one section – we opted for the area near Murayama Park.There are so many shrines, temples gardens etc near here.
Catch the bus to Fuji go ko – Fuji Five Lakes…it is only an hour and a half and just beautiful …….at the base of Mt Fuji. Then take the bus to Gotemba which is a beautiful trip round the base of Mt Fuji through old traditional villages with thatched cottages etc.Change to a bus for Mishima – just catch the bus behind they call it Station 2 to Station 3.but was quite literally just the bus behind the one we got off. This bus takes you right to the Shinkansen which you can catch through to Kyoto.
If you go to Osaka, you should try and go further on to Himeji and see the castle …………probably the best in Japan and the Shrine and then on to Osaka. You could go on a little further to Okayama which has one of japan's best gardens but from Okayama you can take an ordinary train to Kurashiki – only 30 minutes ……..which is a really beautiful Edo period town.
You can look at these places at http://www.fascinating-travel-destinations.com/japanese-holidays.html
January 6th, 2010 @ 4:35 am
It must be a slow day in the J.J. household today. But to answer another of your fabulously funny questions, I will give it my best shot. Go out in the garage, climb up into the attic and get out all the seldom used camping equipment. Then, after you have removed all the camping stuff, take into the living room and set up the tent with your sleeping bags, etc. You may have to go outside to find enough rocks to build your fire pit, but place it near the tent so you will not get cold during the night. Go to your local convenience store and pick up enough wood to last through the night. Then return home, turn your air conditioner down to 60 degrees. When your husband comes home, you can have a nice roaring fire going, with a cup of hot chocolate and only wearing a smile. It will be the best at home vacation ever. Good luck with that.
January 6th, 2010 @ 11:15 am
at grand teton national park go hiking up to lake solitude, its 15 miles round trip but 100% worth it. In yellowstone I would recommend spending time just driving around looking at the wildlife, maybe hike to the top of Mount Washburn (only like 6 miles) oh and go to Bubba's Barbeque in jackson hole!!!!!
January 6th, 2010 @ 5:32 pm
book supplier direct to avoid cancel or non refundable fares.
dig up association member cards, like AAA or AARP, you can get 10-15% off the weekly rate, (weekly rates are 5x the daily)
check with the company you work for, they may have a coporate agreement in place that may be available- many of these agreements waive airport fees and taxes, add'l driver and underage driver fees- real expensive fees here.
Also return the car to same location to avoid drop off charges and lastly, reserve a Compact car, most people are looking for smaller cars now with the most fuel efficiency. So reserve a smaller car and most likly they will upgrade you for free at counter.. if you wanbt a larger car, reserve in advance as paying for an upgrade at counter is usually much higher. oh, yeah, bring a copy of insurance card with you as well..
January 6th, 2010 @ 6:46 pm
January 7th, 2010 @ 5:46 pm
This website might help , check it out –
http://www.usairwaysforum.com/