An article recently published by the New York Times offers different ways to find bargins on cruise line prices.
The article says to get the best deals, travelers must act quickly because many lines have seasonal promotions ending soon. The author, Michelle Higgins, says “in general, the cheapest rates for a given sailing tend to be at the very beginning or end of a cruising season.”
Another way to save some money is to look into cruising aboard an older ship. Because newer ships have higher prices, consider sailing on a ship that is one generation older. As far as amenities, there is not a lot of difference between a last generation ship and a newer ship within every cruise line because lines are constantly upgrading to have the “latest and greatest.”
A third tip to a less expensive trip is to book through an agent. Higgins says, “Cruise lines still rely on outside travel sellers. In some cases they offer special promotions through agencies. In others, the agencies buy up blocks of rooms in advance to secure the best rates for their clients.” If your agent does one or both of those, you could save some money.
The last bargin finding advice is to “go upscale.” This may seem odd, but “luxury cruise rates fell the most amid the recession. Though prices are recovering, their steep drop means that they have farther to go to catch up.” Because the luxury rates cost the most, there are larger savings deals available.
Photo provided by: http://www.crescentinc.net/international_travel_agency.htm
