Finding a great cruise special can save you hundreds of dollars on your next vacation. However, if you choose a discount cruise without reading in to it carefully you can end up with a bad cruise experience and may even end up spending more money. To avoid this, here are some things to look for when you start looking for a great cruise special to avoid getting ripped.
Give the gift of the high seas! Incredible deals on last-minute cruises starting at only $49.
Timing is Everything
Taking a vacation during the shoulder season (cruise speak for off season) is a great way to find amazing cruise deals. However, there are sometimes when this isn’t smart. You need to understand the region you are planning on travelling to before you make your mind up on a cruise special. For example- during an Asia cruise being able to visit the tropical areas and pristine beaches is a large part of the vacation experience. However, if you travel during the rainy season you’ll be sorely disappointed. The rainy season in the Asia region isn’t what you may be used to stateside. Expect very hot weather, and hours upon hours of very heavy rain. This isn’t the kind of rain you can walk around with an umbrella either. Most cruise lines won’t offer cruises to the worst areas, but you still need to research before you think you’ve found an awesome cruise special. If you’re taking a Caribbean cruise you need to research as well. Hurricane season can cause a tense vacation, and end up costing you money if the cruise needs to be cancelled by the cruise line due to weather. A lot of cruise specials won’t include basic travel insurance, so if you didn’t read the fine print on the cruise package you could end up losing money if the cruise is cancelled. The supposed savings on cruise deals like this will actually end up costing you far more than it’s worth.
Meal Plans with a Cruise Special
It’s pretty unheard of to board a cruise ship and not have some meals included. Most cruise packages will include a simple buffet style meal service in the price of the cruise. You still want to check this though. Just because most cruises will include plenty of free meal options, some of the not so great cruise special deals out there won’t include this. Some of the supposed discount cruise packages will only include 1 meal a day, or they may not have 24 hour dining available. While many people this is fine, when you consider that all cruise ships will have dinging available around the clock, and a cash free system for onboard charges, it’s going to be very hard to stay away from this. You’ll end up paying anywhere from $5-$45 for each ‘upgraded’ meal onboard the cruise line ship. A full fare cruise deal will probably save you money. If you consider yourself a foodie, look for a cruise special that will cater to this. You can find cheap cruises that will include more than the standard cruise as far as dining goes. Depending on the area you are cruising, you may find more options for less money as well. For instance, if you want to take an Asian cruise look for cruise ships that offer a variety of food, including local cuisine.
Shore Excursions
A cheap cruise is great, but you have to plan beyond the boat. You’ll have activities to participate in while onboard. A lot of these are free, but you may have to pay for specialty activities. Still, most people can deal with this. However, when you are at port, you’ll have to find something to do while the ship is sitting. A cruise vacation isn’t complete without some form of entertainment when you’re off the ship. This is especially true for cruises to Asia. There are many exotic locations to explore, and so much to do while at port it can get overwhelming. Expect to pay extra for the cruise line excursions. Even the best cruise special won’t include many of the excursions, if any, in the price. You can find fun excursions for very little money if you plan well. If you don’t plan well, you may end up only being able to choose from very pricey packages, or having to go it alone. Before you book your cruise, take a few minutes to explore the excursions that are offered by the cruise line for each port you’ll be stopping at. Pick a couple, and keep the whole thing in your budget. Many of the destinations, especially with an Asian cruise, are beautiful to just hang out near the port, so you don’t need an excursion with each stop. If you set a budget aside and plan the excursions to stay in that budget, you’ll get the best cruises experiences possible. Without this, you can end up paying far more at the end of the day than you planned, making the savings you were looking forward to with your cruise special null.
Search by Cruise Destination on Travelocity — Lowest Cruise Prices, GUARANTEED