How To Book A Cruise Cheaper
Cruising is no longer relegated to the well to do. It is becoming more of a mainstream choice for vacation as people are realizing the value of a cruise when it comes to dollar sense. If you are looking to stretch your hard-earned money and still dream of seeing exotic destinations with pampering to boot, look no further than your nearest online travel agency like World Tours and Cruises. Cruising is not only about roaming an elegant ship the height of a 12-story hotel and nearly 6 football fields in length, but it is also about having your hotel with amenities and entertainment on a floating island.
The trick to extending your vacation budget is to know how to book a cruise cheaper.
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Here are 5 Great Tips To Booking A Cruise Cheaper:
Tip #1. Book Early. The farther the departure date is from your booking date, the more affordable becomes your cruise fare and the better your cabin choices. Last minute pricing is expensive and the cabin choices are minimal. Make sure you purchase travel insurance just in case your travel plans change. Travel insurance is highly recommended if you are traveling outside the country as your own insurance may not cover you.
Tip #2. Organize a group. Group rates are the best discount rates. Your group could be an affinity group like family gathering for a reunion, a wedding party, fundraising group, interest group, or workshop. If your group reaches 16 people occupying 8 cabins with double occupancy, you as the group leader could negotiate a better rate with your travel agent. The more people you have in your group, the better you can negotiate for a cheaper cruise fare for all or a free cruise for yourself.
Tip #3. Travel during shoulder seasons. These are the times of year when it is neither high-peak nor low peak. This leads you to the question, “Where do you want to cruise?” High peak seasons are mostly summer months, from late May to early September, when school is out. Shoulder travel seasons are April - May and September - October. As a general rule, stay clear of special holidays or festivities if you wish to cruise for less. If you are on a holiday vacation then, most likely, so are the rest of the cruisers. Try to avoid major holidays like Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and special event like Valentine’s Day. The cruise ships will be full so the cruiselines have no problem selling the cabins at higher prices.
Tip #4. Take advantage of repositioning cruises. Repositioning is when cruiselines position the cruise ships at port of embarkation from one end of the world to another. Cruise lines must reposition their ships from Alaska to the Caribbean in the fall, and then move them back to Alaska in late spring. Most cruise ships spend their summers in Europe then cross the Atlantic in the late fall to spend the winter months in the Caribbean, and vice-versa. This allows you to cruise for longer days at sea. This is perfect for workshops at sea as you have many days at sea to host your courses. Rather than sail empty, the cruiselines offer these cruises for a lot less.
Tip #5: Ask for special discounts. From time to time, cruiselines offer discounts for the following groups: Age 55+, Firefighter, Police, Military, Teacher, Interline, Past-Guest, and Singles. When you speak to your travel agent, make sure you note that you belong to one of these groups. To qualify for the discounts, an identification card is required to provide proof. Keep a close relationship with your travel agent. Get on their mailing list to receive notices from cruiselines about cruise specials or offers of shipboard credit discounts. Your travel agent will also keep a tab on your likes, dislikes, preferences, and circumstance so you would have your cruising experience more customized to meet your needs and wants.
When you combine all these tips, you definitely will be cruising for less and still have all the fun. What would you do with all the money you save? Why not book another cruise for yourself or a loved one ahead of time?
By Gina Alzate, World Tours and Cruises
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