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Theme Cruises, Cruise Excursions

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In this review:
  1. Cheap Cruises
  2. Weekend Cruises, Repositioning Cruises
  3. Theme Cruises, Cruise Excursions
  4. Cruise Reviews
  5. Best Cruises, Cruise Food & Entertainment
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Cruises Features (continued)

Cruise Seasons.

As a general rule, shoulder-season voyages (those that take place at the beginning or end of a cruising season) tend to be the cheapest cruises.
While the trade-off for your bargain cruise fare may be less-than-ideal weather, you can often benefit from less crowded destinations and cheaper airfare. Holland America, for example, lets you cruise Alaska at budget rates (starting at $699/person for week-long trips) in May or September, right after the ship has arrived in the region or right before it's set to leave for warmer climes. In the fall, you can find cheap cruise deals on ships in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Bahamas, but this period also coincides with hurricane season (generally August through October). Travel insurance (typically 5%-8% of the trip's nonrefundable cost) might be a wise investment in these instances. For more glamorous, but still inexpensive cruises, consider a winter departure. A winter 16-night round trip cruise to Malaga, Spain on deluxe line Azamara Cruises starts at less than $115 a night.

Inexpensive Theme Cruises.

Once upon a time, cruises catered primarily to the "newlywed and nearly dead." Not so anymore.

Many cruise lines now serve specific demographics or customer interests. Some of the most common cruise "themes" include romantic, family, singles, wheelchair accessible, sporty/adventure vacations, wine and food, gay/lesbian, music-themed, outdoors/nature, and cultural. But the seas are wide open. We found clothing-optional cruises, ukulele-themed cruises, and musician tribute cruises, to name a few. The themes are noticeable both in the on-ship activities (for instance, the presence of a rock climbing wall for high adventure, or private sunbathing decks for romance) and the stops on land (retiree and family cruises tend to offer gentler land activities, such as museum or historical tours).

Review continues below

Cruise Shore Excursions.

Many cheap cruises offer passengers the option of joining organized shore excursions at stops along the way. The cruises book these excursions through local guides, so prices and availability vary from ship to ship and season to season and can add as much as $300/person to your total cost or as little as $25/person. Many cruise lines, including Princess and Carnival, allow you to view brochures and book your desired excursions in advance. For example, on Caribbean cruise ships and other tropical cruises you can line up a diving or snorkeling excursion. On Mediterranean cruises, expect the option for museum tours or visits to ancient ruins. Holland America Cruise Line has been known to offer excursions centered on food and wine.

You may be able to save money by finding out which company is running the shore excursions or similar outings and then booking directly. Another excursion alternative is provided by Cruise Cheap, which lets you search by ship and cruise date for local side trips that you can book online before setting sail. Researching all your options from the comfort of home without anyone pressuring you is a big advantage, but if the excursion has not been coordinated with the cruise line, be absolutely sure you leave yourself sufficient time to return to the ship before its scheduled departure -- the captain won't wait for you.

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Best Cheap Cruises

Norwegian Sky Cruises
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Norwegian Sky Cruises

 One of Norwegian Cruise Line's most famous ships, the Sky offers four-night Bahamas cruises out of Miami at $169 per person, making it one of the best values around. A casual atmosphere, plenty of activities, a spa, and comfortable accommodations appeal to thrifty travelers, but the dining options get mixed reviews. Passenger capacity: 2,002. Read more »
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Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas Cruise
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Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas Cruise

 The four-night Bahamas cruises aboard this ship start at $199 and depart from Miami. The ship caters to all ages with a full menu of entertainment, adventure, and food options, plus onshore excursions; passengers give the ship high marks in all these areas. Passenger capacity: 2,350. Read more »
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Carnival Cruises
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Carnival Cruises

 Each Carnival Cruise Lines ship is slightly different, but most Carnival cruises rank high in expert and consumer reviews for value and overall experience; of particular note are the Liberty (out of Miami), Splendor (out of Los Angeles), and Miracle (out of New York). Budget travelers report getting value for their money given the quality rooms, good food, inclusions, and overall experience. Passenger capacity: 2,000+ (depending on ship). Read more »
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MSC Opera Cruises

Several of MSC's ships, including the Poesia, Magnifica, Melody and Fantasia, do one-way repositioning cruises at rock-bottom prices. But hidden fees are travelers' biggest complaint (tea, coffee, and bottled water cost extra at some meals), along with grumbles about sub-par food and limited hours at the pool and restaurants. Passenger capacity: between 1,500 and 3,000 (depending on ship). Read more »

 
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