Learn how to Save Money when Cruising

For many of us we wait all year, and save all year, to go on holiday and when we do go on holiday we like to make it worth while, which is why so many of us now opt to go on cruises. However with aspects such as the current economic climate there has never been such a need to find means of saving money whilst on holiday and cruises are no exception. So just how do you go about saving money whilst you are on a cruise?

Believe it or not if you are thinking of booking a cruise you can save money from the moment you book through to when you are actually on your cruise, so let’s start with when you are booking your cruise. Either book really early or very late as either way you could typically find yourself saving between 10 and 40 percent. When you are booking you may wish to think about enlisting the help of a travel agent as they will be able to gather information from you that they can use as a means of gaining you the best deal from a cruise line. What will help you on top of this is the fact that these cruise lines are always offering you discounts for particular things such as discounts for people on their honeymoon, family reunions, senior citizens and frequent cruisers as well as groups and military personnel. Before you do decide to go on a cruise with one of these travel agents it is important that you look at the other options open to you, to do this successfully you should get yourself on the Internet. This is a great place for you to shop around and gather tips etc. By doing this you will ensure that you are getting the best deal possible, also you are more likely to discover deals that are operating at the moment, so keep your options open.

When you are booking your cruise you should look into the different cruise lines to see who offers you the best options and deals. As well as this you need to take on board aspects such as your cabin. The cheapest cabins available will be those inside the ship, i.e. the ones with no balcony or windows. This isn’t exactly something that you should concern yourself with too much for the fact you will unlikely be spending most of your time in your cabin anyway. You probably won’t be in your room unless you are sleeping so does it really matter too much what type of cabin you stay in?

One of the biggest ways to save money when it comes to a cruise however is through the destination you choose and the time of year you choose to go. With cruises a lot of people automatically think that they can only go to places such as the Caribbean or Alaska etc, this however isn’t the case. Most, if not all cruise lines now operate trips such as European River Cruises and Transatlantic Cruises. These are cheaper alternatives that offer you the same stunning views and scenery as well as ensure that you can still partake in activities you would on larger cruises. If however you have your heart set on a destination such as Alaska all is not lost. Opting for the early or late season months such as May, early June or September will offer you some huge savings, in fact you could be saving as much as half the money you would pay to visit places such as Alaska in July or August.

Another major saving comes within sightseeing/excursions. With shore excursions chances are you could have eight to eleven hours to explore. However depending on how close the port is to the city you could end up spending hours travelling and this could have cost you a lot of money when you booked the tour. This is why in many cases you shouldn’t book your shore excursions as part of your cruise; you should make the arrangements yourself. By doing this you can use a variety of modes of transport, getting you to the city quicker, instead of using whatever the cruise line/travel agent laid on, also you will find that you enjoy the experience a lot more.

By organising your shore excursion yourself you can go wherever you choose and decide how you want to spend your time. You will be saving yourself money doing this but you will also be providing yourself with a much more authentic experience as well.

If you are hoping to book a cruise in the near future then my advice to you is to keep aspects such as the above in mind. The more ways in which you can save money the better and by doing it in ways such as the above you won’t be taking away any of the fun or enjoyment out of your holiday but you will have peace of mind knowing you haven’t overspent.

Carla Prossser, Head of Ecommerce and experienced cruiser who writes for www.idealcruising.co.uk