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The exquisite Cruise Vacation - How to Spend Less For the Very Best
Where do you buy your cruise tickets to get the best price? Should you buy from a customary tour agent, an online mega-seller or direct from the cruise line? Surprisingly, when it comes to the base fare, it doesn't make much difference. Price distinction is more contingent on qualifying for a single type of discount; promotional, seasonal, past passenger, troops or last minute booking- than on where you buy your ticket. The real variables between booking channels are in the level of aid provided during the process and perks offered. So read on to learn how to max the taste while development sure you are getting the best value.
When trying to decide actual price from the advertised price, cruise fares can be practically as maddening as airline pricing. Advertised cruise prices are often misleading and unnecessarily vague. Published prices are always per man based on double occupancy. Additional people occupying the same cabin pay less...usually a lot less. Port taxes and other fees are necessary and are the same for everybody, regardless of type and whether they are the first or fifth man in the cabin. The add-on fees and taxes when combined with the base fare have been known to add 20% to 50% to the total per person, especially on shorter, already deeply discounted cruises. always remember to ask about price inclusive of all fees and taxes- or note the fine print if you are reading a brochure. Some cruise lines contain the added fees in their advertised prices, most do not. always ask.
How to qualify for discounts -
The most base discounts are seasonal, last minute, military, geographical, past passenger, senior citizen, positioning itineraries, promotional and distressed categories.
Seasonal - Caribbean cruises are typically discounted in the fall. Alaska cruises will be cheaper at the starting and end of the season (May, September and October). Ditto for European and Mediterranean cruises - avoid the peak months of July and August and you'll probably snag a good deal.
Last minute - Waiting to book can also lead to a great bargain, especially if you are ready to leave on short notice, having no strong preferences on which ship or itinerary.
Military - Tell the agent that you won the Medal of Honor fighting alongside Sgt York at the Battle of Verdun and you might get an extra 5% to 10% off.
Geographical - Sometimes small discounts will be ready because of where you live - say in Paris, Texas instead of Paris, Tennessee. (Don't ask why - it is something known only to cruise line executives.)
Past Passenger - lines will often offer discounts and/or perks to loyal customers -depending on the estimate of old cruises with that single cruise line.
Senior people - If you are over age 55, ask if an age associated reduction is available.
Promotional - These kind of discounts can rear their pretty minute heads for any estimate of reasons - again, some only known by cruise lines executives.
Positioning Cruises - These are necessary but less beloved itineraries needed to get the ship from one seasonal station to an additional one - say, from Miami to Seattle for the Alaska season. These itineraries are ready mostly in the spring and fall and practically always offer deep discounts. But be forewarned - these positioning cruises involve long days at sea and fewer ports. This is especially true of trans-Atlantic positioning cruises.
Category Sale - an additional one frequent price promotion - a ship may be over-sold in one type and grossly under-sold in another; resulting in deep discounts on the latter.
How to get the most perks -
Many times it is as straightforward as asking! If you are working with a tour agent, have the Ta quiz the cruise line reservations group about any and all ready promotions and perks on the sailing(s) that interest you. A good, experienced agent will have a long laundry list of inherent perks for which you might be qualified. Or, if booking direct with the cruise line, use what you have learned here about booking direct- but you will need to play the role of Grand Perk Inquisitor yourself.
People who are associated with a group of passengers traveling on the same navigation will automatically qualify for some aggregate of perks- such as type upgrades, on board spending credits, free photo, bottle of wine, secret meetings, a free shore excursion, etc.
Tip - What most would-be cruisers don't know is that you only need to be associated with the group on cruise passenger list - not literally. Hence, you only need to find an group or online consolidator that has group space reserved on cruises that match your desired dates and destination- and before you know it you're cruising in Perk City. Additionally, if the group is a theme group lead by a celebrity- you might find yourself temporarily basking in the glow and glory of one of your all time idols. Imagine the thrill of being part of the Simon Cowell School of Charm Cruise - unblemished with an in-the-flesh tongue lashing and communal humiliation by Mr. Warm & Fuzzy himself!
Many mega-agencies will have hundreds of departures ready with blocked group space into which they can slip perk hungry purchasers.
How to keep on board costs low -
Cruises were once all-inclusive - one price paid for everything. Today the cruise fare can pale in comparison to the bill you receive at the end of your cruise. There are so many extra cost options - you need to carry on those activities as you go.
On board you have no need to carry cash, a prestige card or even your wallet on your man - you are issued one card with a magnetic stripe that does triple duty as your room key, on board spending card and boarding pass. You can purchase anyone on board with this minute piece of plastic convenience in your pocket- alcohol, soft drinks, gift shop items, shore excursions, photographs, spa treatments, art work, surcharges for alternative restaurants, internet access, ship to shore phone calls- you can even buy chips for gambling in the casino.
Tip - many ships now allow real time entrance to your on board spending tab at any time from the terminated circuit Tv in your cabin- displaying a current, up-to-the-minute running total - with details for each line item. So, you can rein in spending if it appears to be getting out of hand. Plus, you can call the front desk at any time to dispute an item if you think the payment is incorrect or excessive for any reason.
Tip toe lightly straight through the minefield of extra costs -
Alcoholic beverages - Booze is always at extra cost with prices running about what you would expect to pay for similar aid in a gradually upscale on-shore establishment.
Sodas - priced from to per soda depending on ship and cruise line - if you consume soda daily best bet is to buy the flat rate "unlimited sodas" selection for period of the cruise.
Wine - always at extra cost with prices running about what you would expect to pay for similar in a gradually upscale on-shore establishment - there will be some "freebies" like at the Captain's Welcome Aboard party or a complimentary bottle if it is your anniversary.
Specialty & Alternative restaurants - most have surcharges of to per man per reservation - the average being about . In our thought the price is well worth paying for a night or two - especially if you want to taste elegant, high-end dining at a level that could verily cost 0 or more per man in a similarly upscale shore side establishment.
Internet entrance - ready on most ships, you can purchase a basket of minutes for a fixed price. To economize on these dearly priced minutes, read and institute email offline - then log on just for sending and receiving.
Ship to shore phone calls - forget about it! Charges run to Per Minute! Buy the Internet entrance plan instead - then use Skype from your laptop. Plus, your regular cell phone will work on opening - especially if you are departing from a Us port and near land. My Sprint phone normally works just fine from the deck of the ship when within 5 or 6 miles of Miami, Ft Lauderdale or any Us island like St. Thomas, Puerto Rico, etc.
Coffee bar - Although regular coffee at meals is included in the cruise fare, you are expensed extra for specialty coffees such as espressos and cappuccinos - priced at about what you would expect to pay at Starbucks.
Photos/videos - They are grossly over-priced but it's a captive audience, so they can get away with it. Even so, you might want to go ahead and buy one or two. My spouse and I always like to get a classy shot of us all dressed up in our matching pink satin bib overalls on formal night.
Shore Excursions - an additional one huge behalf center and normally way over-priced - but there's good news; there are now extremely reputable and reliable third party options that can save you a ton of money. Shoretrips.com is a good example.
Art Auctions - normally held on days at sea to insure a captive audience, these events are intentionally set in a high trafficked communal place to warrant that innocent victims strolling by will be sucked in by the slick, silver-tongued Art Auction barker. You are cautioned to hold your hand firmly over your pocketbook when in proximity, as well as averting your eyes, humming loudly to yourself to drown out the beguiling sales pitch. It is our personal ideas that these Pimped Up Picasso Pushers may be a contributing factor in the modern rash of suicides by jumping overboard. But, that's just us.
On Board Shopping - What started out years ago to be just a storehouse closet with a Dutch door - only open for company for an hour or two each day - primarily for elderly passengers to stock up on essentials such as Denture Cream and establishment H (sold separately so as not to be confused) has now morphed into mega-malls to rival those of a small city. And, the deals have gotten good and good - with volume has come lower prices - sometimes even lower than shore side because of the lack of taxes.
Tip: Merchandise often goes on sale during port visits - if local authorities allow the shops to stay open while in port - as well as on the last day of the cruise. If you can wait to buy that tacky tank top that says "I went down on the Titanic", you might save a few bucks.
Gratuities - This is an additional one aspect of cruising that has changed drastically over the years - from no tipping, period...to no tipping required...to "you'd good tip if you ever want to see your luggage again"...to prepaid tips. On cruises today you can expect to tip - but our preference is to avow operate over who and how much. So we stick with the old fashioned method. Pretending to be Congressional lobbyists, we go around the ship on the last night passing out envelopes stuffed with cash. However, if you are into convenience - go the prepaid route. You can always give a minute extra on the side at the end of the cruise.
Gambling - There is a surmise why the English blackjack dealers refer to customers in the casino as "punters". For that same reason, our advice is to Stay Out!...especially if you are verily mesmerized by loud noises, flashing lights and shiny objects going around in circles (Nascar fans...are you paying attention?)
Tip: Occasionally people just have to test Lady Luck. If this is the case, set aside a fixed estimate of money - an estimate that you can afford to lose - and when that is gone, casually sip the last of your drink - but Never eat the ice; nervous, out-of-control ice eaters have been known to snow in their pants - then gradually but humbly stagger away from the table with downcast eyes, pockets turned inside out. Your dog will still love you.
How to earn a free cruise -
It is a well known secret that cruise lines offer a "Tc" - or Tour Conductor berth - to tour agencies booking groups. With most cruise lines the ratio is one free for every fifteen full fare paying passengers traveling on the same cruise. The sixteenth man pays only the taxes and fees. (Note that only the first two people occupying a cabin are credited towards the Tc- third and fourth people sharing a cabin at a reduction rate don't count- so you can't stack-the-deck by cramming five people into each of three cabins.)
Tip - There several ways to leverage this offer - and most tour agencies will work with you on this. Give the prestige away to a fellow cruiser; use it to defer your own cost of cruising; tell your tour agent that you want the prestige to be an allembracing reduction for the group- or, like a bankrupt Ceo bailed out by tax payer money - skip the cruise, pocket the prestige as a cash bonus and retire to your fancy double-wide on the shores of Lake Titicaca.
Pros & cons of booking direct with the cruise line -
Pros - If you know exactly which line you want to take, the cruise line should be able to retort all your questions in great information and will take your booking direct. You can entrance a cruise line's online booking motor 24/7 and not have to wait for the tour group to open for business.
Cons -The cruise line is going to offer the same price as tour agents - you won't save any money on the fare. However, they are not going to tell you about any other cruise line that might match your needs - or have lower prices for the same itinerary. If you register on many of the cruise lines own sites for information, the lines will taste you often. One can receive weekly phone calls and emails for months or years!
Once you've talked with a tour agency, you need to let the group deal with the cruise booking details, consequent up questions, etc. (although other cruise associated add-ons such as airfare, hotels, car rental, tour insurance, shore excursions, etc. Can still be handled on your own - or online if you are a "do-it-yourselfer" and wish to avoid group aid fees.)
If the cruise line knows that you have already reserved space straight through an group they are not likely to furnish Additional information. In such case, when called directly, the cruise line will stonewall - relentlessly referring you back to your tour agent for any more details.
Now you are ready to cruise - to max the taste while controlling the costs. But there's more. Coming soon - articles on getting the best airfare; the best stateroom, maximizing shipboard experiences such as dining, activities, entertainment, as well as how to get the best deal on tour guarnatee (hint: it is normally Not the coverage offered by the cruise line).
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