Discount Cruises

Discount Cruises: Book Early

Contrary to popular belief, most of the best prices, and certainly the best availability, go to those cruise passengers who book early. Cruises, generally, may be booked up to 18 months in advance. Most lines are eager to book cabins early for budgeting and financing reasons, and some lines even offer generous early booking discounts. Several luxury cruise lines, such as Seabourn, even offer a discount if you pay in full at the time of booking. Highly desirable cabins, such as verandah cabins, those on holiday sailings, and the least expensive cabins, fill up early and are rarely available if you wait until the last minute to book your cruise.

Member Program Discounts

If you are like most consumers, you have multiple credit cards, belong to many frequent flier and rewards programs and associations like AAA or AARP. All of these organizations offer discounts or rewards as a member benefit and should not be overlooked when evaluating the best price for a cruise. Many of these deals are also indexed at DealMine.com Cruises which may save you some time when searching around.

Be Loyal

Like airlines, most cruise lines reward repeat passengers with such things as free upgrades, preferred pricing, and special on-board amenities, such as cocktail parties and gifts. Members of such programs as Holland America Lines’ Mariner Club or Celebrity Cruise Lines’ Captain’s Club also get advance information on new itineraries, special pricing, and cruise line enhancements. Membership is free and the the rewards increase the more you travel.

Discount Cruises: Consider a Repositioning Cruise

Repositioning cruises might be the best-kept cruise travel secret around. These one-of-a-kind sailings, generally, are offered in the spring and the fall when cruise lines are moving their fleet from one part of the world to another. For instance, a ship sailing in the Mediterranean during the summer months might be moved to the Caribbean for the winter season. The cruise that takes the ship from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean is a repositioning cruise. These unique sailings offer lots of days at sea, unusual ports, and, often, substantial – up to 40 percent -- savings. Because they need to travel long distances, repositioning cruises are usually longer, and not always suited for travelers with limited vacation time.

Cruise Travel Airfare

Cruise lines make it easy for cruise passengers to get from their home cities to the ship. Most lines negotiate airfare pricing sometimes years in advance to be able to offer competitive airfare to their customers. Often, but not always, this airfare is a good deal, but don’t automatically assume that the cruise line offers the best airfare pricing. Sometimes market conditions change quite a bit from the time the cruise line negotiates the airfare and when you book a cruise. Events, such as a new carrier entering the market, can lower airfares dramatically. Always check the current airfare against the cruise lines air add-on.

One caution, however: most cruise line airfare packages include transportation between the airport and the ship. When you make your own air travel arrangements, you must provide your own transportation or purchase the transfer from the cruise line. This isn’t a major concern in cities, such as Ft. Lauderdale, where the port is just a five-minute drive from the airport, but can be a bigger cost item in cities, such as Rome, where the port is over an hour’s drive away. Another consideration: cruise lines track the arrival times of the flights offered on their air/sea programs and are more likely to hold the ship for passengers on a flight delayed because of weather when they booked the airfare. If you booked your own flights, you generally must make your own arrangements for get to the next port if you miss the ship.

Group Cruise Travel

Almost everyone is a member of some kind of group, perhaps a church association, a singing group, or a book club. Consider taking a cruise together. Not only will you be able to share an enjoyable travel experience, but you’ll often save money. Most cruise lines offer special pricing to groups of fifteen passengers or more. The discounts are more substantial for larger groups and for less popular sailings, such as those in the off-season. In addition to discounts, groups may also receive extra amenities, such as a complimentary cocktail party, group photo, or even a complimentary shore excursion. Do you have a large family? Family reunions also make excellent cruise travel groups.

Cruise travel doesn’t have to be expensive. A little flexibility , careful planning, and the proliferation of discount cruises can put a cruise vacation within almost every traveler’s budget.

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