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Viewing 25 Ways you can Save Money When you Book a Cruise25 Ways you can Save Money When you Book a Cruise
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Ready to sign up for a cruise? Before you get out your credit card, check these tricks of the trade. You might be able to save money, and get a cruise with more frills than expected. Savings can also extend to airfares, vehicle rentals, and hotels. By Smith Chen Ready to sign up for a cruise? Before you get out your credit card, check these tricks of the trade. Book Early Booking three to six months in advance will often save you money, and give you the best choice of cabins. The earlier you book, the bigger the discount. Pay Early Several cruiselines give an extra discount if you pay in full at least six months in advance of your cruise date, sometimes as much as 15%. Book Late Last-minute bookings can also result in savings - no ship wants to leave with empty cabins. However, the cabin choice may be limited, or the ship may have no cabins left at all. Consider Off-Season Cruises Cruises are usually most expensive in high season. If you go earlier or later, you can get a cheaper fare. However, check that the weather is still pleasant, or the wildlife is at the stage you want to see. Sometimes a fare will be less just before or after a holiday. Try a Repositioning Cruise Typical repositioning cruises go between the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, or from Alaska in the fall to the California coast or Baja in the winter. Repositioning cruises are sometimes half the cost, but they have more days at sea and fewer ports of call. Do a New Itinerary or an Inaugural Cruise These cruises often have special introductory rates. However, if you take an inaugural cruise on a new ship, do not expect everything to be perfect. Some problems are inevitable as the kinks are worked out. Cruise with a Group Groups that travel together save together. If you put together a group, we can get you a group fare. Usually if there are 15 or more, you can get a free extra ticket. Choose an Inside Stateroom To some people, a view is important. However, to others the cabin is only a place for sleeping and changing clothes, and they would rather give up the window and keep the money. If you like to sleep late, having an inside cabin will prevent early morning sunshine from waking you. However, you will not have a view or know what the weather is like. Have Three or Four People in a Cabin Third or fourth persons (or children) go at a substantial discount, sometimes free. Everyone shares the savings. Make sure you get along together, though - it can be excruciatingly crowded. Be Flexible: Take a Guarantee If the ship is sold out of the cabin category that you want, you can confirm your booking and the cruiseline gives you a guarantee to provide a cabin in that category or one higher. However, you do not know where the cabin will be. Go Standby With a standby reservation, you are called at the last minute if there is a cancellation. However, be careful of expensive last-minute airfare. Standby bookings work well when you live near a city where cruises originate, then you can make fast plans and not have to deal with air. Become a Repeat Passenger Cruiselines usually give a special discount to past passengers, or they may give upgrades in cabin category. If you have sailed on a cruiseline previously, always tell them that when you ask for a quote or make a reservation. Check for Special Promotions Watch ads and newsletters for promotional specials on both small ships and big ships. There may be a two-for-one offer, kids free, or 50% off for the second passenger. Special Occasions Explain when you book if you are celebrating a honeymoon, anniversary, or family reunion on the cruise, and you we can sometimes get you an extra discount. Added Value Sometimes instead of offering a cheaper fare, a cruiseline will offer free days at a hotel at a port before or after a cruise, or additional days of cruising for a discounted rate. They may also offer credits you can use in shipboard shops or casinos. Cabin Upgrades for Special Reasons Some lines offer an upgrade in cabin category if you are a repeat passenger, on a honeymoon, celebrating an anniversary, are retiring, recovering from an illness, or you bring other passengers onboard. When you book, tell if you have a special circumstance and try to get an upgrade. Frequent-Flyer Miles Sometimes cruiselines offer frequent-flyer miles on some of their voyages. Book Back-to-Back If you arrange to stay on the ship for a second cruise, on many ships we can get you the second week at a greatly reduced rate. Flat-Rate Specials The way this works, is that you tell the cruiseline the cabin category of your choice, but you do not get a specific stateroom designation until a week or so before sailing. You get the best available cabin at that time. This is also called 'TBA' (to be assigned). Senior Citizen Specials Some cruiselines have discounts for persons over age 55 or 65. Sometimes if a senior citizen is traveling with a younger person, a discount will apply to both fares. If you are a senior, be sure to mention it when you ask about a price. Watch Airfares There are ways to save on airfare, too. Sometimes the cruise/air package is cheaper; sometimes booking air separately is cheaper. If you do not need air because your departure port is nearby, you can get a credit on the airfare if it is built into a package price. Plan as far ahead as possible to get the lowest-priced tickets. You might be eligible for a senior discount, or if going with a companion, you can buy a four-coupon packet with many airlines. Hotels and Car Rentals Cruiselines often have reasonably priced pre- or post-cruise packages that can be arranged at the same time you book your cruise. As you plan your vacation and what you will do at the beginning and end of the cruise, tell the agent your plans. The agent can check what the cruiseline has to offer compared to what he or she can arrange for you directly with a hotel at their promotional rate. Compare Cruiselines Different ships often go to the same destinations. Investigate the ships and compare itineraries, accommodations, educational programs, shore excursions, and fares. Some cruiselines have cabins for singles with no single supplement. By comparing, you may find a cruise that offers all you want with cheaper fare. (Be sure when you compare fares that you know whether shore excursions and port charges are included.) Check with an agent, because cruiselines send notices to agencies when there are special deals - and make sure your agent always checks for any new special offerings. Check Newsletters and Websites At smallshipcruises.com, for example, we have a front-page column that will give you latest discounts and special offerings on ships. Let People Know What you are Looking for If you tell your agent the ships and the destinations you are most interested in, and when in the future you might want to book, he or she will tell you when any discounts become available. You can also subscribe to cruise newsletters from website information centers, agencies, and cruiselines themselves to get cruise news and specials. They will never charge a fee for getting a quote or booking your cruise, and they may know of a special offering that you would not otherwise hear about. However, the most important thing of all is not to book a cruise just because of its price, but to find a cruise that best fits your needs and desires. About the Author: Smith Chen is an author and Internet marketing consultant. Find more about listing dir and review page more. Article source: 111 Travel Directory: Triple1.com (triple one dot com) More free articles: 1st Rate Articles - 1stRateArticles.com |
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