How to Find the Best Cruise Bargains

If you want to save the most money on your next cruise, look for seasonal discounts. As a general rule, shoulder-season sailings (those that take place at the beginning or end of a cruising season) tend to be the most budget-friendly. While the weather may be less than ideal, you can often benefit from less crowded destinations and possibly more affordable airfare.

Autumn is a bargain time for cruising in many regions, but the lowest prices are for Caribbean, Bahamas, and Mexico itineraries. Carnival Cruise Lines and Celebrity Cruises, for example, are advertising 7-day cruises from South Florida for under $100 per person, per day (based on double occupancy). And Royal Caribbean International has 7-night Mexican Riviera cruises for similar rates.
These low prices are partly caused by fewer people vacationing between Labor Day and Christmas but also are a result of tropical storm season. Of course, it’s impossible to predict what the weather will be on any given day or week, so be certain to get travel insurance to protect yourself against canceled cruises or delayed sailings due to stormy weather.

To cruise Alaska at budget rates, choose a sailing in May or September right after the ship has arrived in the region or right before it’s set to depart for warmer waters. For instance, both Holland America Line and Princess Cruises offer savings of $300 to $400 per person when you sail in September rather than in July. Although the weather is typically cooler in May and September, you can still enjoy the spectacular scenery and wildlife for which the Great Land is famous.
In the past, most ships left the Mediterranean in fall and returned in the spring. Now, more ships are staying through November and returning in March or even remaining in Europe during the winter.  Cruising the Mediterranean during the winter months has several distinct advantages, including fewer crowds, comfortable temperatures, value, and unique holiday celebrations in culturally diverse settings.

Prices for winter cruises—and airfares to get to and from Europe—are a bargain. Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Jade, for example, is sailing 12-night roundtrip Barcelona cruises in November and December this year and in January, February, and March of 2011. Royal Caribbean offers 5- to 9-night Mediterranean cruises in November, including a 7-night Venice to Barcelona itinerary. In addition to low cruise fares, this year the USD is stronger against the Euro, so your vacation dollars will go further at shops and restaurants in your ports of call.  
For more information on how to find the best cruise bargains, call us today.