Budget Tips for Those Who Want to Cruise

During hard economic times, most folks do not even think of taking a cruise when it comes to holiday planning. Fewer people are booking cruise vacations these days, while at the same time, bigger and much larger cruise ships are being built and launched. So what does it mean? It means you have the edge since the cruise companies are really eager to get your business. Keep this in mind as you review the following cost saving guidelines.

Before You Get on Board:
Here's how to find the lowest fare at the best time.
•Look for bulk buyers
Get a list of cruise consolidators. Consolidators purchase groups of cabins from the cruise lines and re-sell them at big savings to you. Most of the offers don't include airfare, but the cost savings are considerable, and companies such as Cruiseone dot com, CruiseBrothers dot com, and Cruise dot com feature dozens of discounted cruises around the world every week.

•Don't forget the 'shoulder season'
The 'shoulder season' is that time in between a destination's high and low seasons. The rates are lower during these periods, because less people are escaping the winters. For example, try sailing to Alaska in mid-May or early September, to the Caribbean in late April or September-October, to Hawaii in late August or late November, or to the Mediterranean in March or November. The advantage does not stop at lower prices. Cruise lines also offer special packages to get you to sign up during these slow time periods.

•Check the school calendar
This is basic, you avoid those times when the kids are off. Think spring breaks or summer vacations. If the kids are all on holiday, cabin prices are at their highest. Cruises are wildly affordable right after Labor Day and during the week after Thanksgiving, for example.

•Ready .. Set .. Now book it!
If your schedule is flexible, try to book your cruise until the last minute. The closer you get to the real departure date, the lower the pricing gets as most cruise lines start to quietly unload unfilled cabins to augment their returns. Note: 'Last minute' doesn't mean what it used to. After 9/11, security policy now require cruise lines to close the list of passengers as much as 96 hours before sailing.

Post Boarding Considerations:
Cruise lines don't make a profit on your cabin, so they try to separate you from your money as soon as they pull up the gangplank. That means you have to keep in mind a few simple things to minimize the impact to your wallet.

Plan for Tipping
Some cruise lines automatically add gratuities, while others still rely on passengers to make that decision. To help you figure out how much to give or not to give, go to cruisetip dot tpkeller dot com, and you will get a very good breakdown on how much to give by services (i.e. waiters, head waiter, chambermaids and so on).

Stick with the Main Dining Room:
More and more cruise ships have specialty-restaurants to give passengers options beyond the cost-included main dining room and midnight buffet. On some cruise lines, for example, dinner at one of their designer restaurants can run you a minimum of $50 per guest!

Budget for Booze:
Remember that BYOB does not apply to cruise lines. Crusie lines do not like it when you bring your own stuff, so they employ the 'liquor police' to politely get your booze as you come on board. Your booze is returned to you, of course, at the end of the cruise.

Follow these simple guidelines and you are on your way to getting the best value for your money while enjoying that well deserved cruise holiday!

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