There Is A Discount Cruise Waiting For You!
Cost is a big factor for many prospective cruise holidaymakers and if you have been holding back because of this then I’m here to tell you that you that it really shouldn’t be an issue at all. Discount cruises have enabled many holiday makers to enjoy the pleasures of sailing the high seas in recent years and with a little due diligence on your part, you could very well be sunning it on a cruise ship in the near future.
You see, discount cruise holidays are being offered all the time. You just need to be aware of them.
Did You Know?
Cruise lines rarely sail a ship which is only partly booked. Discount cruise fares are one way for them to make sure that as many cabins, and in most cases, all available cabins are booked. Why? Well, giant cruise ships are expensive to operate; that’s a fact and cruise lines will offer varying degrees of discounts prior to departure to fill as many rooms as possible rather than leave them empty. That is good business sense.
How To Spot Discount Cruises
It’s unlikely you’ll see these type of offers advertised in mainstream media. So it’s up to you to check with travel agents and cruise lines to see what type of deals are on offer. It also pays to join travel and cruise site memberships if only to receive discount offers. In other words, you need to do some digging to find the nuggets of gold.
The question often arises of whether a discount means a compromise on quality. This is a question you need to raise whether shopping for deals but I can assure you that any reputable cruise line would frown on any suggestion of diminished quality simply because of a cheaper price. There is just too much at stake for these shipping conglomerates and while they are always trying to attract the first time vacationers, you can bet that a large percentage of their business comes from repeat cruisers. Put it this way, a regular buying customer at a discount price is a lot more valuable than a one time purchaser. So quality should never be an issue.
On a recent Royal Caribbean cruise to Cancun, Mexico which I booked at late notice at a tidy discount, my experience was so good that I was already planning my next adventure. The cost of the trip was well below “full tote odds.” One way to land nice discounts I’ve found is to deal with agents who who deal in bulk. That’s the bulk sale of cabins which gives the purchaser plenty of room to move price wise.
Be diligent in your approach to finding discount cruises. Get on mailing lists from agents, either travel or cruise lines. The information you receive will keep you up-to-date on the available of discounts and depending on availability, last minute deals are always the ones to be on the lookout for.
Dean Caporella
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/there-is-a-discount-cruise-waiting-for-you-59522.html
Help on Royal Caribbean cruises…People with experience with this cruises mostly…who have booked cruises.?
So I am planning on going March 28 on the Liberty of the Seas around the Caribbean. I will be booking an Inside Stateroom. The current price for that stateroom right now is $549 which I think is a really good price since that week is Spring Break!
1st Question: Is there possibilities that the Inside Staterooms will get sold out since there’s only 733 Inside Staterooms in the cruise and it will sail during Spring Break???
2nd Question: Is it better to book the cruise NOW or wait for last minute discounts? That also goes to that if I try to book last minute, will the Inside Staterooms get sold out?
3rd Question: Where should I book – VacationsToGo.com or RoyalCaribbean.com?
4th Question: What’s the difference between the two Web sites?
5th Question: On which Web site will I get better prices?
6th Question: If I book with the real Royal Caribbean site, since I live in Pensacola, should I book a plane with them too or will I get better prices on like CheapTickets.com or Expedia.com?
If you can answer any of these questions, I will be most grateful… Thank You!
By the way, everyone of my family who is going have never been in a cruise or ever booked a cruise before. Take that in considerance.
Stick with one source. Usa royal caribbean for the whole package. Why use a sideline company for airfare or whatever. Use the KISS theory which means "Keep it simple stupid".
If you reserve early you may get a free upgrade to a better room as you keep in contact with royal caribbean druing the process. And if any troubles arise you have one source to go to for the problem. Trust me I’ve cruised.
References :
1: yes, since it is spring break, they more than likely will sell out.
2: book now if you really want to go. if you aren’t that passionate about going, and rather just go if it’s cheaper, then wait to see if there is a discount. since it is spring break though, it’s more than likely going to sell out.
3. book with whoever has the lowest rates. i booked mine through aa.com.
4. i think the only noteworthy difference would be price. if you have cruised before on royal, it may be cheaper to book on their website. otherwise, just book with whoever has the lowest price/most perks.
5. see above answers 3 and 4.
6. once again, shop around for the cheapest prices. typically buying your airline tickets through the cruise vendor or a hotel is more expensive than through the airline itself or a discount site. i’ve also noticed that sometimes, aa.com or the airline website itself is cheaper than expedia or travelocity or the discount sites.
References :
i travel a lot.
It will go quick for spring break. I can beat that price and get you more. What I do for my clients if the price goes down while they are booked with me, we can get the reduced price. Airfare is on your own, cheaper by far. We can speak further if you would like to email me at dena@thecruiseplanner.com
References :
travel agent
Went on a RC cruise this past sept. Mariner of the seas 7 days. I book on line with RC.com its easy. If you know for sure that you are going go ahead and book it now that way you can make payments on it. Dont get you air ticket from them get it your self
References :
1. Yes, that cruise will most likely sell out. Spring break is a very popular cruising time.
2. Therefore, you should book now. There usually aren’t great discounts for spring break cruises. And since they sell out, there probably won’t be any last-minute anythings.
3. Booking directly through the cruise line is usually more expensive, so I recommend an outside agency like the one you mentioned. I’ve never used them so I can’t vouch for them though.
4. Royalcaribbean.com is the official website for Royal Caribbean. VacationsToGo is a travel agency website.
5. You’ll probably get a better price NOT on royalcaribbean.com.
6. Never book airfare through the cruise line. It is a ripoff and you get bad flights, usually with layovers. The only thing this usually gets you is included transfers to and from the ship. To dispell a common myth, if you book your airfare through the cruise line and you flight is late, they WILL NOT hold the ship for you. The cruise line airfare service is simply a convenience service for you. (It’s not like booking excursions with the cruise line (as opposed to a private company), in which case if your excursion is late they’ll hold the boat for you.) When it comes to airfare, use an outside company.
Also, it is best to arrive as early as possible if you fly in the day of the cruise. As I said, the cruise ship will not wait for you if your flight is late. Check what time your cruise departs. Check-in closes at least one hour before that. (So if you set sail a 4pm, check-in closes at 3pm at the latest.)
My recommendation is to fly in the day before the cruise and just lodge at a hotel or motel for the night. This will pretty much eliminate any chances of you missing your cruise due to problems with your flight. Better safe than sorry.
And finally, be sure to get travel insurance. Hopefully you won’t need it. But if you do, it will save you a lot of money.
Cruising is a great way to travel. But like any vacation, don’t expect it to be perfect. Go in with reasonable expectations and you’ll have a great time! Remember, your vacation is what you make of it.
References :
http://cruisingdave.com