Where is a good place to go to book a cheap cruise?
February 6, 2010 by Cruise Tips
Filed under More Cruises Answers
Can you answer morningdrive19’s question about Cruises?:
I want to take a cruise from Florida to the caribbean during the first week of March next year, but i need cheap rates.
Have you claimed your Genesis site?
I want to take a cruise from Florida to the caribbean during the first week of March next year, but i need cheap rates.
Have you claimed your Genesis site?
Cruises Feedback: You are smart planning your cruise now. You are giving yourself almost a year, so you will be able to get some of the best prices. It will also give you more time to pay it off. Your least expensive rates are going to be on Carnival, Royal Caribbean would be your next step up.
If you don’t know much about cruising, be sure to get a specialist. There are little tips and things you should know about each ship and line that are very important. Carnival is going to be the least expensive line, but the quality is no where near that of other lines. You are going to see more drinking, gambling, smoking, partying, etc that other ships. Royal Caribbean is a little more costly, but definately worth the upgrade.
You will have lots of ports to choose from with your cruise. So the best way to save money is see which home port, the port the ship leaves from, is the cheapest for you to fly into.
But again, be sure to find a travel agent that specilizes in cruises. They will help you plan an amazing trip and get everything you want out of it and also be able to provide you with advice and tips. Also, my travel agent often has group rates available for me when I go. It can save you more money if your agent offers these.
A lot of people say the best thing to do is book with sites like Expeida, Orbitz, etc. I don’t agree at all. The reason is that so many people have had problems booking with these sites. The main thing is that they are not travel agents and will not help you with your trip. If there is a problem, many times they will not help you with it. Not to mention that many cruise lines do not work with bookings that were booked with these sites. I just read a story a few days ago where a lady booked her trip with Cosco because they were giving her $200, so it wasn’ much savings. This was in January, she called them back about a week ago because she hadn’t received any information she was supposed to get, confirmations, etc. But she looked at her credit card statements and had paid for the charge of the cruise. Cosco told her they had no record of her booking and there was nothing they could do for her. So in the end she ended up losing all of her money and not getting to take her vacation. Others have had similar experiences with all these type sites. It can even be less important things where you get on the cruise and discover the ports or itinerary changed, your cabin is different, etc. Some people even arrived at the ships to discover they had no reservation at all.
So my suggestion is to find a travel agent that specializes in cruises. As I said above, most agents will find you the same price and in many cases a lower price than the online discounters. But you will have a reliable source that will keep you informed of any changes and give you all the advice you need to take a safe trip and a nice trip. You just need to decide if saving a few hundred dollars is worth risking not getting to take your cruise at all. Some people have had good experiences with these sites, but I feel it is best to get a good agent to help you.
There are also sites that offer last minute discounts for cruises. The cruise lines offer them rates that are so low you are basically only paying the taxes and fees. But you need to be really flexible and not care what you are booking, as far as destination, line etc. This way you get on the boat really cheap. The problem here is that you have to book airfare, I’m assuming. In this case you will need to book your air close to the day you depart. This will be the point when it is the most expensive. So you may not be saving any money on your cruise because of the high cost of air.
These are just a few options.
Hope this helps!
Cruises Feedback: The first rule in getting less expensive cruises is book early. The second rule is go with the same cruise line multiple times. The third rule is shop around for specials. Some lines wil offer specials on a date that does not usually sell out, like Christmas week. So don’t lock yourself in to one particular week next year; be flexible.
If you have not cruised before and don’t know the ropes it may be beneficial for you to use an agent; the agent does not charge a fee but is paid by the cruise line. But, also, do some home work on cruise line, itineraries, and ships. Use the web sites below to look at what’s being offered. Try to have in mind some of waht you want to do when you talk to an agent. If you feel comfortable doing it, you can do your own booking online, the price is the same and you can do everything you need right on the web sites. The sites usually have cruises listed for this year and next. We are going on a cruise in a few weeks and I actually booked it online last August.
Remember that the cheapest cabins offered are the inside cabins, those without a window or porthole. If you see a cruise price of, for example, $799., its probably an inside cabin. The next level is the outside cabin that has a porthole or window. Such cabins may run about $100 to $150 more. The next type is the balcony cabin. These amy be about $200 or more additional. These are now really plentiful and are really nice. They are not generally any larger than the outside and inside cabins, but do have a private balcony for you. The top of the line cabins are the suites and they are pricey.
The shorter cruises are 4 or 5 days, and the normal ones are either 7 or 14 days. If you are leaving from Florida, consider driving to the port, either Miami or Ft Lauderdale. There is plentiful safe parking (I have done this many times) at both places that costs about $12 a day. Driving can save money over the cruise line “add-in” for airfare. We generally drive most of the way on one day from NC and stop about an hour or two from the port for the night. Then continue the short trip the next day to the port.
First of all, if you don’t want to be around a bunch of kids, stay away from Disney and Carnival. Both will have lots of kids on board and even though there are lots of kids activities on the ships, they will still be all over The hallways, elevators and dining facilities. Carnival is the fun ship, but their accommodations are not the best. They cater to a young crowd and first time cruisers. Disney has good ship, but also lots of kids and micky, donald, minnie, goofie, etc all over the ship.
The next step up is Princess, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity (which is owned by RC), Norwegian and Holland America. These lines all cater to an older crowd and people who have cruised multiple times. These ships also have activities for teens and kids.
I do not recommend Norwegian because of their “freestyle” cruising. It means that you do not have to specify a dining option; don’t have a table and waiter assigned to you. But it also means that you may be standing in line awaiting a table on some days(like we had to); not what you want on a cruise. The option to this being pushed on NCL is their optional dining which you must pay to use.
In my experience Princess and Royal Caribbean have the nicest ships. Both provide great service. Both provide good tours. Celebrity is right along with them. I have no experience with Holland America, but its a reputable company.
You may also want to consider Cunard and the Queen Mary II. The ship is fantastic and the prices are comparable with RC, NCL and Princess.
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