By
Kathryn Thompson
Cruises
are still considered by many people to be the ultimate holiday.
Of course, in some cases, this means that they can also be quite
expensive, especially on the most popular routes, leading to people
being essentially priced out of the market.
Because
we’re all for a bit of equality, we’ve put together this list on
how you can go about finding a cruise for less than you might think:
Book
in advance
In
almost any area of consumer purchase, from train tickets to music
concerts, booking well in advance will save you money. This is
simply because the more spaces fill up, the more competition there is
and the pricier the tickets become. Once a cruise has sold out,
you’ll be lucky to grab a ticket without some astronomical price
tag tacked on. Work out a good nine months in advance the exact
dates on which you want to take your holiday, and go looking forcheap
cruises that
match the date. It’ll give you time to plan your trip, too,
which is never a bad thing if you’re not great at keeping
organised!
Know
the Best Times
There
is typically a right time and a wrong time to book a holiday in terms
of how much you’ll end up paying: you could end up paying twice as
much for the same trip if you get it wrong. If you’re
planning to take the cruise in prime time (during spring break, or
during the summer), then you really should be looking to book a year
in advance. If it’s a seriously luxury voyage, then you
should book as soon as the rates are released.
Know
the seasons
As
with any other holiday, cruises in different parts of the world will
typically have seasons where they are at their most popular.
For Europe, specials can typically be found from around late March
through to April if you’re looking for a discount, and then again
from mid-September through till November. In the Caribbean,
meanwhile, you should be hunting for cheaper rates during either the
autumn months, or in January and February. Essentially, if you
can go on holiday during school term time, then you should!
Look
for any kind of promotions
Whilst
most people know to look out for discounts on the actual fare of the
trip, there are actually a few other promotions around that can help
you save money, such as free upgrades, prepaid gratuities or on-board
credit. Even if these upgrades don’t save you money on the
actual cost of the bill, they could mean you enjoy a far more luxury
cruise than you would have been able to otherwise, which is never a
bad thing!
Look
for the cheaper areas
Because
of the economic recession affecting different people of the world in
different ways, you might be surprised at the low prices that can be
found in some regions, simply because they’re keen to acquire as
many tourists and visitors as they can. Some European areas,
such as the Mediterranean, are especially keen to attract customers,
meaning that some very low fares can be found if you take the time to
shop around. Tourism – like so many other business sectors –
is currently a buyer’s market.
These
are just a few ways to find affordable cruises. We’d love to hear
your methods.
Source:Cruise
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