Take That Cruise Without Going Broke!

During hard economic times, most people do not even think of taking a cruise when it comes to vacation 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. These ships are badly in need of passengers, so this means you are in a buyer's market when it comes time to book that cruise vacation. Keep this in mind as you review the following cost saving tips.

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. They buy large blocks of cabins from the cruise lines at a deep discount. Even though most of these offers do not include your plane fare, the savings are so great, you will still come out ahead. Online, you can find them at such sites as cruisebrothers dot com or cruiseone dot com, all of them showing inexpensive cruises on a frequent basis.

•Don't forget the 'shoulder season'
The 'shoulder season' is that time in between a destination's high and low seasons. Because of the timing, shoulder season rates are much lower. 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. In addition to better rates, cruise lines tend to offer special packages throughout the shoulder season as well as low season to entice guests to book.

•Check the school calendar
This is basic, you stay away from those times when the kids are off. Think spring breaks or summer vacations. That's when the quantity of empty cabins is usually the lowest, and prices for them are highest. This is why cruise prices are real bargains right after Labor Day or after Thanksgiving.

•All set ? .. 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 begin to quietly unload unfilled cabins to augment their returns. Note: 'Last minute' doesn't mean what it used to. For example, security regulations now require cruise lines to finalize their passenger list as early as 4 days before departure.

After You Board:
Since cruise lines almost try to give away the cabins just to get you on board, they try to make it up later during the cruise. Here's how to keep your budget afloat.

Factor in Tipping
Make sure you know if the cruise lines have already factored in the gratuities or if they will leave it up to the passengers. 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:
Watch out for these specialty restaurants that can cost you a small fortune, as compared to the main dining room which is already included in the cost of your cruise. On some cruise lines, for example, dinner at one of their designer restaurants can run you a minimum of $50 per guest!

Alcohol is Extra:
Remember that BYOB does not apply to cruise lines. Most cruise lines frown on this, and some actually employ a 'liquor retention team' to seize alcohol not purchased on board. Your booze is returned to you, of course, at the end of the cruise.

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

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