Towards the end of the year you should be on the lookout for what are termed as closeout deals. Some of the savings one can make are substantial. Closeout deals are basically so-called because the end of the year is approaching and with so many cruises scheduled to depart from the various ports around the world, cruise lines look for a last minute rush on cabins. This is especially so in the northern hemisphere with winter in full flight and the festive season approaching. Many people prefer to stick around home with family and friends and cabins are usually much more available. Where To Find Closeout Deals You could simply phone the cruise lines themselves however, a prudent shopper of cheap cruises will head to their local travel agent or simply phone around. In fact, you don't have to leave this until the last minute as you could talk to travel agents earlier in the year and let them know what you're after and how much you want to spend. The other excellent source of closeout deals are the online booking services and websites. Like office-based travel agents you also have the option of being alerted to possible deals via regular newsletters.
If there�s one thing which life aboard a cruise ship definitely is NOT, it�s boring. Even better, almost all cruise ship activities are included in the cost of your fare. You can have your choice of live entertainment including some very impressive magic acts, or miniature golf, a fitness center, at least two swimming pools, a hot tub, cooking demonstrations with free samples, dance or karaoke contests, and even rock climbing walls.
...The trick to booking cheap cruises is to wait as long as possible--up to two weeks before sailing time if you can--and then book your fare through one of the many online websites devoted to finding the best deals for travelers. All cruise lines are loathe to have any of their ships set sail with empty cabins, and you can save as much as fifty percent on your fare if you are willing to reserve you cabin at the last minute. You may not be able to get ocean view cabins when you book cheap cruises, but if you intend to use your cabin only for changing your clothes, showering, and sleeping, it doesn�t matter much. Try to book your cheap cruises from those which depart ports within driving distance, so that you can save on airfare by renting and dropping off your vehicle before sailing. And �Bon Voyage!� Discount travel websites can often beat the prices quoted by cruise line, and are great ways to find discount cruises if you can travel on short notice. No cruise line operators like to have their ships sailing with empty cabins, and if you can wait until about tow week before a cruise is set to depart, can often pick up a cabin for as much as fifty percent off the regular price.
Here are some tips on getting cheap cruises:
1. CruiseCompete.com - You pick the cruise you want from their easy to use interface, and Cruisecompete submits it to over 300 cruise agencies who in turn bid their lowest price (all done on their site - no e-mail involved). The response time is quick, there's no service charges, and they have a toll-free support line. Quite an exciting new idea, and they've been getting excellent customer feedback too.
2. SkyAuction.com
- Like their air & hotel packages, you stand a pretty good chance of bidding for and winning very cheap cruises on Skyauction. A recent check showed over 250 cruise packages up for bidding, which starts at $1. (other non-bid cruises are available too) Because they are a high volume/low price business, customer support can be spotty at times.
3. Expedia.com Cruises - A complete cruise section with ship reviews, port info, and telephone support. Good selection of affordable cruises. Well laid-out site, easy to navigate.
4. Travelocity Cruises - Travelocity has recently re-designed their whole website, including the cruise section. It's a very attractive and useable site, where everything seems to be right at your fingertips or only 1 click away. Perhaps not quite the extensive selection as found some of the others.
...Generally speaking, it's been our experience that you won�t find too many bargains on the cruise lines official websites. The companies themselves seem more interested in running the actual cruises. So they offload a large chunk of their inventory to an umbrella corporation called NLG which in turn offers cabins to many online cruise retailers, including Cruises.com, Vacation Outlet, Priceline, Orbitz and Hotwire (just to name a few).
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