A cruise bargain can be your vacation of a lifetime complete with world-class service, all-you-can-eat fine dining, Vegas-style entertainment, and exotic ports of call. But watch out for those hidden gotchas on that cruise bargain or you will feel ripped-off and your budget will be out the window.
When vendors advertise a cruise bargain, it is often not such a great deal as the fare listed does not included everything you actually pay for. The rates are intentionally split up into ala carte services so you don't see the "bottom line" pricing.
Here are a few items to beware of before you book your next cruise
bargain:
Port Taxes / Fees
Port taxes vary widely depending on the ports of call in your cruise bargain, but for a 7 day cruise you can expect to pay somewhere in the ballpark of $100 to $250 per person.
Fuel Surcharge
Fuel surcharges are not standard on most cruise bargains, so you may not see one at all or your may pay $100 or more.
Optional Insurance
Trip cancellation and suplementary healthcare insurance are optional items available on cruise bargains. Just be sure to read the fine print, so you are not surprised if you opt to include insurance.
Hey - it's CJ - and thanks for checking out my blog. I'm a travel agent, entrepreneur and just plain passionate about travel of all kinds, but especially cruise travel.
Who can resist the exotic ports of call, unlimited fine dining, 5 * resort service, sun, sand, fruity drinks by the pool, and 24/7 Vegas style entertainment common to all cruise travel deals?
My blog is all about how to plan, find, book, and enjoy your next cruise travel deal. Whether you have never been on a cruise or are a veteran sailor, I can help you save money and get more out of your seaboard adventures. Look for tips, hints, and insider secrets on getting the absolute best cruise travel deals available on the planet.
My business is called Travel for Tightwads and the motto is "affordable travel for everyone." I firmly believe that the adventure, education, and exploration of travel is one of life's most precious gifts and that it should not be reserved for just the rich and famous. My goal is to assist average folks take at least one vacation every year.
Don't you deserve a vacation?
5 Tips to Getting the Best Cruise Travel Deals
Here are a few easy to employ hints to ensure that you can book your next cruise travel deal at the lowest possible price.
- Consider a last-minute cruise. As the departure date approaches and cabins remain empty, the vendor will become very motivated to offer a deeply discounted price that definitely qualifies as a cruise travel deal. Best way to find out about these deals is through enews alerts. Try cheapcruises and travelzoo for some of my favorite newsletters.
- Repositioning cruises are a great money-saver. These unusual itineraries are designed to move the ship from one home port to another and are usually 40-60% less than other cruises of similar duration. You will get fewer ports of call, but if you love the pampering and just lounging around on deck or enjoying the onboard entertainment, a repositioning ship is a fantastic cruise travel deal.
- Share a room. If you've ever been on a cruise before, you know that most of your time is spent outside your cabin. In fact, there is so much to do, you may find yourself even sleeping fewer hours than normal. For me, it's about 7 hours total a day in my cabin, with the bulk of that spent sleeping. If you want to save a ton of money, consider sharing a room with your travel buddies. The 3rd and 4th people in a room usually cost less than half of the first two. Spread the savings out evenly and everyone gets an automatic 25% or more off their fare.
- Skip the flight. You may be surprised to know that cruise travel deals can depart from dozens of ports in the USA alone. Not just Florida and California. Find an itinerary that you can drive to and save the cash for something else. Ports can be found in San Fran, Seattle, British Columbia, New York, New Jersey, Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, and many others.
- Go offseason. Most people want to vacation in the spring and early summer; cruise travelers are no different. So cruise lines have no motivation to offer good deals between February and June. Break out of the crowd and try winter or fall (but watch out for hurricane season) and you will find the savings to be worth it. And these cruise travel deals will also have the added benefit of fewer children and smaller crowds.
