When the Cruising Gets…Cheap that’s what Cruise Discounts are For
Of course, it’s your ultimate vacation dream. You’ve saved up a year or two worth’s salary for that cruise. Sure, you want the best. But if you can get a better deal, at a more reasonable price, wouldn’t it be better? So here are some things you might want to remember before hopping on that boat and cruising your way to your dream cruise:
The early bird catches the biggest worm. Cruise lines usually offer discounts to the early birds. You can save as much as 40% if you book your cruise six months ahead. Sometimes, last minute reservations are given also given discounts, especially if they’re trying to fill up cabins and slots. But beware of hidden fees in these last minute deals.
Be a groupie. Discounts are usually offered if you come as a group; the more, the merrier. A group of 8 to 10 people usually get to enjoy a discount of 10% or more, depending on the cruise line. In some cases, for more than 15 people, you can even get one cruise for free.
Choose the right timing. Cruise peak season are usually during the summer and holiday months, so expect a higher price during these times. If you want to get cheap deals, try the second week of September up until the week before Thanksgiving, before things get going again.
The destination and freebies. Popular destinations and luxurious cruise amenities usually have the highest price, although there’s a range of prices from which you can choose the location and amenities you wish to enjoy in your cruise. The more luxurious, the higher the price of course. If you want to enjoy tour add-ons, choose from cruise lines which specialize in these cruise tours. Better avail the tour add-ons as part of your cruise, instead of as a different activity.
Discounts are also available to frequent customers of a cruise line or to members of certain organizations who are given special privileges in certain cruise lines. Of course, there’s discount for the senior citizens and the children especially during the off-season.
One more thing to remember, most of the prices in these cruises are per person. While most cruise cabins accommodate two people, the price decreases as more people are added to the room, so you might want to consider bringing someone along to split the cost with. Taxes usually are 5-15% of the price and are not dependent on the room rate.
With the Internet, there are a hundred and one online sites one can explore to compare prices and deals on cruises. Among the more familiar sites are: www.cruise411.com, www.cruise.com, www.cruisedirect.com, www.cruisestar.com, www.cruiseshiptravel.com, www.mycruiseoutlet.com and www.chooseyourcruise.com. Most of these sites offer detailed itineraries, amenities of the cabins, and allow for email reservations and free quotations from their travel agent.
Of course, it pays to have a travel agent who can answer your questions and help you compare the deals. Make sure that he/she is someone who’s interested in your interests, and not in your wallet. Lastly, compare and compare and then act at once! It might be possible that in your search for the last minute best deal, you ended up with something at a skyrocket price, and the best deal is gone before you know it. Remember, it’s not just you who’s out to get the best deal. Anyone who’s dreaming of a cruise is searching and searching and yes, searching!
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