In these recessionary times, do not be discouraged in scheduling a soothing vacation by sailing on a cruise. Don't forget that others are thinking the same while bigger and bigger cruise ships are built !. So what does it mean? It means you have the advantage since the cruise companies are really eager to get your business. Use this to your benefit and review the following tips.
Pre-Boarding Considerations:
Here's how to find the lowest fare at the best time.
•Checking the bulk buyers
Check out cruise consolidators. They buy large blocks of cabins from the cruise lines at a deep discount. The majority of the offers don't include airfare, but the savings are significant, and companies such as Cruiseone dot com, CruiseBrothers dot com, and Cruise dot com feature dozens of discounted cruises around the world every week.
•Don't ignore the 'shoulder season'
The 'shoulder season' is that time in between a destination's high and low seasons. Because of the timing, shoulder season rates are much lower. For example, try sailing to Alaska in mid-May or early September, to the Caribbean in late April or September-October, to Hawaii in late August or late November, or to the Mediterranean in March or November. In addition to better prices, cruise lines tend to offer special packages throughout the shoulder season as well as low season to entice guests to book.
•Check if school is out
Avoid any time kids are on vacation, such as spring or summer break. If the kids are all on holiday, cabin prices are at their peak. Cruises are wildly reasonably priced right after Labor Day and during the week after Thanksgiving, for example.
•Ready .. Set .. Now book it!
If you don't have a specific cruise date in mind, try waiting until the last minute to book online. The closer you get to the actual departure date, the lower the pricing gets as most cruise lines start to quietly unload empty cabins to maximize their returns. Note: 'Last minute' doesn't mean what it used to. After 9/11, security regulations now require cruise lines to close the list of passengers as much as 96 hours before sailing.
Post Boarding Considerations:
Since cruise lines almost try to give away the cabins just to get you on board, they try to make it up later during the cruise. Here's how to keep your budget afloat.
Plan for Tipping
Some cruise lines automatically add gratuities, while others still rely on passengers to make that decision. To avoid overtipping or undertipping, go to this website, cruisetip dot tpkeller dot com and they will give you a very good idea, broken down by cruise lines and by the services provided (i.e. waiters, head waiter, chambermaids and so on).
Maximize the Use of the Main Dining Room:
More and more cruise ships have specialty-restaurants to give passengers options beyond the cost-included main dining room and midnight buffet. On some cruise lines, for example, dinner at one of their designer restaurants can run you a minimum of $50 per guest!
Budget for Booze:
Remember that BYOB does not apply to cruise lines. Most cruise lines frown on this, and some actually employ a 'liquor retention team' to seize alcohol not purchased on board. The bottles are returned to you at the end of the cruise.
Follow these basic guidelines and you are on your way to getting the best value for your money while enjoying that well deserved cruise vacation!
Author Resource:-
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