Let us help you find your perfect vacation

Copyright 2006 All Rights Reserved.

How To Find A Fabulous Cruise Deal?

By Linda Woods
For some people, a cruise is a once-in-a-lifetime vacation. For others, it’s an annual event. But whether you’re a frequent sailor or a first timer, a cruise deal is a must for those of us on a vacation budget. Avoid going in blindly and picking up any and all cruise brochures from a travel agent and then picking the first itinerary that appeals to you. In your breathless excitement to start packing, you might miss some big savings. No one pays full price if they can help it and everyone looks to score better value for their money. If you were buying a new car, wouldn’t you do all you could to negotiate for lower prices and better perks? Of course, and it’s the same with a cruise deal.

1. Be a smart shopper.
As with anything, it’s buyer beware. Shop around and know what you’re getting for your money. You could consult with a travel agent to find a great cruise deal. Or, you could be your own travel agent. Some online companies will have secured a collection of staterooms at a group discount and then can pass along the savings to you. Travel agents can usually add bonuses like free upgrades, free travel insurance, shipboard credits or coupons for on board discounts.

2. Compare, compare, compare.
Allow yourself enough time to analyze the kind of cruise deal that different companies offer in terms of perks and base pricing. Some websites provide a handy price comparison tool that enables you to put various offers side by side and see which represents the best value for you.

3. Take advantage of industry competition.
There are many cruise lines around and each has several ships. With so much business to offer, your vacation dollar is valuable to all of them. Be an opportunist. Put up your hand and say: “I want to buy a cruise” and let them all vie for your attention. Try one of the websites where you can list your requirements. These are then passed on to competing cruise line companies. It’s the same as those websites that look for the best price on electrical goods and new or used cars. The result will be a cruise deal that’s best for you, based on your criteria.

4. Consider a one-way cruise.
A fabulous cruise deal can be found if you can take advantage of a one-way sailing. When a cruise company dispatches a vessel to a new destination (ending a season or beginning a new one), it’s called a “repositioning” sailing. They are often longer than usual; feature fewer ports of call and more days at sea, so a different kind of passenger takes these trips. As such, the rates per day are often cheaper than those of normal sailings.

5. Don’t cruise alone.
If you travel alone, the cost of cruising skyrockets. To have a cabin all to yourself, you will be required to pay in the vicinity of one and a half times the regular single fare. So why not take along a companion? And if you bring along nine of your closest friends, you’re likely to score group rates on your cruise deal, with a satisfying discount.

You work hard all year to save up for your vacation. Do a little homework and it will pay off. Plus, you’ll enjoy your trip so much more if it doesn’t put you into debt!

Linda Woods is a freelance writer and radio talk show host with a focus on healing, self-help and empowerment. Intention is everything. Set your intention to take time for yourself. Get the latest information on cruising at http://www.takethatcruise.com Be sure to check out our cruise deal pages.
 
 

Carribean Cruise

By Stein Ove Stien

Caribbean Cruises are among the most demanded cruise vacations in the world; with almost two million plus travelers sailing on different liners every year. Warm tropical climates sprinkled with great beaches, exotic foods and excellent tourist spots in a chain of fine islands is a hot tourist destination in the world. Cruising along Caribbean is very popular as the liner anchors at different ports in different islands giving cruisers a rare opportunity to explore the whole region. Cruises to any country are fun as they offer comfort at one’s finger tips and amenities of top order.

Planning for a future Caribbean Cruise is relatively easy nowadays, as most of the cruise liners have their details listed on their own web portals. Tour operators abound all over the continent and a lightening speed service is almost assured on a click of a mouse button. A well planned tour schedule might well work advantageous as tourists clog the liners during vacation time. Depending on the season, cabins may get completely booked months before the cruise is scheduled to set sail and hotel accommodation becomes too difficult. Caribbean cruise bookings can be made either online or by tour operators. Here comes the most difficult part of the plan; choosing the right liner! Most of the cruise liners vie each other for their share of almost two million prospective travelers. The competition among these cruise line operators is very fierce and getting the major chunk of the lot is the ultimate motto! Never ever get confused as to which liner should be chosen! Well, it depends on your objective.Travelling with full family? Then choose a liner which offers facilities for tiny toddlers to mature adults. Keep in mind the comfort of elders too! Teenagers need special attention on the cruise liners. For instance, if the time allotted for the planned cruise is for the family, it makes a perfect sense to choose a Disney cruise; it might be best since these ships design activities specifically for children and teens. May be a liner which is based on family themes. There are liners for travelers on a tight budget too! Traveling couples should opt for a quiet ship with romance theme; likes of Princess Cruise is a wonder! Fat wallets can find some of the most luxurious liners which offer anything and every thing except moon! Look for liners known for their top notch services such as Crystal, Silversea, or the new Queen Mary II. However, it is best decided with a cool mind after surfing over the information provided by them in their online portals.

Of the numerous cruise liners bound to Caribbean Islands, each offers a variety of price, schedule, and island stop options. Pick your dream ship liner-be it an extravagant vacation aboard a floating luxury hotel, a romantic getaway with your loved one on a love liner, or an activity-filled voyage on a family cruiser. Almost, 20 different classes of cruise liners travel over to different parts of Caribbean! Four classes of cruises are right now available and pick any one of them depending on your objective, budget, time, places to visit and the facilities offered. Contemporary/Value class caters mostly to tight budget travels while premium, luxury and specialty classes cater to those special classes traveling on extravagance, comfort and status.

Carnival and Royal Caribbean are two of the most popular contemporary/value cruise lines and together make up almost 90% of the entire cruise industry. These are designed for people with tight budget and on popular holidays. Premium cruises are more expensive and the ships aren’t too large, but the service is considered superior to that of a contemporary/value cruise. Ocean liners like Celebrity, Princess, and Holland America boast a larger online staff for fewer passengers. . Ocean cruise liners like Seabourn, Windstar and Cunard belong to this highest class and offer top-notch service and amenities and are designed for those who are high society and premium grade. Specialty cruises like American Hawaii cruises sail to a secluded and unique destination and are exclusively designed for special passengers like elders, singles and some times gays and lesbians too.

Stein O Stien is the webmaster of http://www.travel-and-vacation.com. If you want to read more, you can find it at Carribean Cruise: