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Flexibility
We mention flexibility in
just about every travel article, and it is no different
here. Keeping your travel plans flexible could
mean the difference between one cruise or two.
Also, different areas have different high and low (also
referred to as soft) seasons. For example,
September is a good time to cruise the Caribbean.
Between back-to-school and hurricane season, you'll see
lower rates.
Initial Cruise Research
Before you can begin
looking for the ultimate cruise deal, you first need to
determine what type of cruise you seek. Cruises
come in all shapes and sizes. They vary by length,
price, geography, target audience, departure location
and more. Mediterranean, Caribbean, an Alaska
cruise?
The best website for
learning about cruises is
CruiseCritic.com. CruiseCritic houses an
immense collection of information on cruising including
an extensive library of reviews of the different cruise
line and ships.
Once you have an idea of
which cruises fit your travel plans, you need to decide
on living arrangements for the cruise. Most of the
cruise lines and travel search websites will have four
options:
1. Inside
Cabin
2. Oceanview Cabin
3. Cabin with Balcony
4. Suite
These options are self
explanatory. The reason you need to decide as to a
preference is because when you are doing research on
various travel websites, you want to be able to compare
apples to apples. It serves no purpose if you end
up comparing an inside cabin to a balcony room.
You'll also want to
choose a time of the year and work away from it one
month at at time.
When beginning your
research, if you can, break it down to just two or three
separate, specific cruises. Let's say that there
is a 7 day, Royal Caribbean cruise leaving on November
9th from Miami. Isolating your search to this one
product now allows you to visit multiple websites and
make a true comparison in price.
Finding Cruise Deals
Begin your search by
researching at least four different sources. Here
are some sites from which you can begin your search:
Flexibility
Yes, we did say to narrow
down your variables as much as possible, but it is still
important to be flexible. The same cruise with the
same itinerary launches as often as once per week.
The price for this cruise could vary by hundreds of
dollars per person depending on the time of year.
Being flexible could mean big savings. Below is a
screen shot of a five-day Caribbean cruise leaving from
Miami, Florida. Take a look at the differences in
price throughout the year:
So, if your initial plan
was to take a cruise with a suite during the latter part
of June and you're able to move it to September you will
save $450. per person. For a family of four,
that's a huge difference.
Cruise
Coupon Codes
Once you have found the
lowest price, do a Google search for coupon codes.
Sometimes you can find additional savings.
Check
the Cruise Line's Website
Before booking any cruise
through a travel website, always stop by the website of
the actual cruise line and get a price from them.
Often, they will beat the prices featured on the travel
websites.
Other
Cruise Discounts
Returning customers,
residents of certain states, military families, and
senior citizens all may be eligible for further
discounts. Check the website of the cruise line
for details.
One
Last Cruise Website
Now, get ready to land an
even better price for your desired cruise.
The website
CruiseComplete.com allows you to submit the exact
cruise you are considering. You list your dates,
how many in your party, desired cabin, etc. The
information will be posted to more than 90 travel
agencies who will in turn bid for your business.
It's simple: they either beat the quote you already have
or they don't. We've seem some great quotes come
from the travel agencies, so it's definitely worth a
look.
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