Sunday, August 21, 2011

Getting the Best Deal on Your Dream Cruise

By Quincy Marks


A favorite choice for people who love to travel is going on a cruise and this is not limited to the affluent few anymore. The travel market is abound with nice and affordable cruise deals as long as you know where to find them and as long as luck is at your side. Even with the many great cruise offers that swamp the market, choosing the best one is not an easy decision.

Cruises are much like any other product - you get what you pay for. Cruise ships offer the most basic accommodations from luxurious pampering to gourmet cuisine. Different cruise packages mean different prices which could be just a hundred dollars per traveler per day but could go up to about a thousand.

If it is your first time to hop on a cruise, the best thing to do is to look for a reliable travel agent who specializes in cruise traveling. Searching the Internet will save you time and effort in finding a reliable travel agency. Once you've selected your destination and, more importantly, your budget, you will be able to find a cruise deal that satisfies your desires and needs.

With a variety of options on amenities available, choosing the best deal offered by cruise lines is not an easy task. Like all other businesses, cruise lines compute their fares according to the universally accepted law of supply and demand. You can try the following tips if you want to get a good bargain with your cruise line of choice.

Many popular cruise lines encourage travelers to book in advance so that they can avail of discounts. Try to book your cruise more than six months before your trip to get the best deals. Try looking for cruise lines that can give an additional price reduction on your advance payment if average fares in the cruise market decline.

Booking a few days before departure can sometimes be a strategy to get a good deal. For cruise ships, the more the merrier, in terms of both passengers and income. Biding your time may work to your advantage as many best cruise lines do offer last minute bargains as they prepare to embark.

The best cruise lines deals and prices happen during the lean seasons for cruising. Off-peak periods vary from place to place. The low demand for cruising during the off-peak period makes it easy for travelers to get the best bargains.

Most experienced travelers choose to go on a repositioned cruise to get the best out of their travel budgets. To avoid winter in the usually cold destinations, cruises can be repositioned to warmer itineraries but with longer travel time and route. Because of time constraints, more people prefer shorter cruises, hence a lower demand for repositioned cruises which in turn result to lower prices.

Cruises to favorite destinations often offer better deals because of competition. There are dozens of ships that sail to the Caribbean every week, which is why there is an intense competition among the cruise lines. Being a popular choice, Caribbean cruise packages are considered one of the best deals in the world.

The cruise market is awash with good choices that will serve your needs. All it takes is a little detective work to attain the best deals on cruise lines. Now that you're ready to go on this much deserved cruise, do make it an affair to remember.




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