Though cruise packages are more expensive than the conventional holiday packages, they offer a much greater value for your money. In contrary to the latter, cruise fare doesn’t only include transportation and accommodation but it also includes meals, selected drinks and both tea and (regular) coffee, free access to most on-board facilities, various on-board activities and programmes as well as entertainment. This, however, doesn’t mean that you have to take the first price. With a little bit of effort and patience, you can find a much better price for your dream cruise.
One method to get a better price for your dream cruise is to book early as most cruise lines offer generous discounts for early bookings. But you need to make a reservation months in advance. If it’s too late to get a discount for early booking, there is another option – wait for the last minute deals. While more and more travellers are waiting for the last minute deals, it is important to be aware that the choice of cabins is very limited and that they sell out very quickly. And if you need to fly to the departure port, keep in mind that last minute flights are the most expensive. There is another option to get a better price for your cruise which can save you a lot of money as well – shopping around.
The competition between travel agencies as well as cruise lines is very intense. In order to beat the competition, they need to offer more for less. The difference in prices is often symbolic but the price varies greatly from one agency to another. So if early booking discounts have passed and if you don’t want to wait for the last minute deals, be sure to take some time to compare the offers between different travel agencies/cruise operators.
Found a great price? That’s fantastic. But don’t make any reservations just yet because you might not be getting what you think you are getting. The price may be lower but it may also include fewer things/services. When shopping around, you are highly recommended to pay attention to what’s included in the price because the cheapest offers often turn out to be the most expensive.
