How to find a cheap cruise?
Seven Ways to Find Cruising's Best Bargains in 2011
For frugal travelers keen to sail the seven seas, how to find a cheap cruise is surely a burning question. As we begin counting the ways, you could get a head start by checking out this post from Smartertravel.com. It details, at length, tips such as booking early -- way early, like maybe a year -- for the cabin you want on the ship that you want.
Cruise capacity is limited and has been cut back in recent years even as demand is growing. So the simple laws of economics dictate that fares won't get cheaper the longer you wait. Unlike the sweet deals you can often land through blind booking a hotel room (i.e., bid on a room but you don't know exactly which hotel you'll be staying at), there don't seem to be any blind booking options in the cruise world. Maybe it's time for some enterprising web-savvy guy or gal to launch such a service.
Other tips to keep in mind are the usual travel-on-a-shoestring suggestions: cruise in the off-season, choose less popular ships and destinations, keep tabs on deals, know when to book, and be flexible.
"Predicting where and when savvy cruise shoppers are most likely to find dirt-cheap seven-night Caribbean cruises, elusive five-category upgrades or truly generous on-board credit requires a crystal ball. And while travel agents can't see into the future of cruise deals, they do have a few tricks up their sleeves when looking for the best prices. We pumped a couple of knowledgeable cruise sellers for their best tips on finding low cruise fares. Here's what you need to know..."
