First up, it’s not as hard as you think to find discounted cruises, particularly online. Most people reserve cruises through a travel agent, which not only means a service fee but subjective rates as well. So your travel agency is probably the last place to approach for a cheap cruise. Turn to the Net instead!
As a first step, you must take the time to understand cruise lines lingo like guaranteed staterooms, singles supplement and run-of-the-ship
If you book directly through main cruise lines sites such as Royal Caribbean, Carnival, or Princess, you may pay a higher cabin price, even if the sites show reduced prices. In other words, a cruise booking site may charge you an even lower rate
For the best discounts, check with large vacation suppliers such as Travelocity, Expedia, or cruise booking sites like CruiseDirect.com, which can put together a cruise package just for you
Remember, online travel suppliers and cruise companies may either pre-purchase cabins at a very low price, or are directly linked to the cruise lines’ inventory database. They also receive the latest stateroom information, which means they know in advance about cabin inventory deals, and can pass them directly on to you
Once you understand what the online suppliers have to offer, you may avail discounts that range from 20-60% depending on the season, itinerary, and cruise ship
Finding the right cruise
Be on the lookout for inaugural cruises. Just like any company introducing a new brand in the market, cruise lines offer huge discounts for inaugural cruises, because they rely heavily on word of mouth. Trust us, this form of ‘advertising’ is far more valuable than media promotions. And most cruise lines recover many times the amount that they lose on inaugural discounts
Ever heard of a repositioning cruise? In simple terms, not all cruise destinations are uniformly in demand in all seasons, though most of them operate cruises all year. What happens then is that cruise lines send ships from one area to another to meet the demand. So as the Caribbean slows down in late spring and summer, the European cruises begin to reach their peak season, and ships from the Caribbean are sent to European and Mediterranean ports. Here’s where you come in. Cruise lines would rather charge unbelievably low prices to fill these ships than to leave them empty as they travel across the world. They have to pay staff anyway, so why not have them take care of you in luxury and style while taking in a full cruising experience?
Look for last-minute specials online. With many travel suppliers offering special search tools, last-minute email alerts, and last-minute auction deals, you can book your last-minute cruise with very little effort, and without the disappointment of calling a travel operator to find that the last four seats have just now been sold
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