When I am on a cruise, I think about the people in the cabin on my left and on my right.
And wonder who paid the least.
We've got the same grade, same layout, same facilities, same deck, same location on that
deck, and yet all three of us will almost certainly have paid a different price for
basically the same cabin based on how, when, what and where we booked.
I am going to show you how to stop paying more for your cruise than you need to.
And become the person paying less than others in similar cabins to yours.
If you are new to the channel, welcome aboard.
I am Gary Bembridge and I am here to help make it easy and fun to discover, plan and
enjoy dream cruise vacations
The most basic way to pay less is to book a "guarantee fare".
This means that you pay for a certain type of cabin, be that inside, oceanview, balcony
or suite, but you do not get to choose your specific cabin.
You are leaving it to chance as the cruise line allocates you a cabin from one of those
left over after those paying a slightly higher fare have chosen theirs.
Presumably those lot taking the best cabins in that grade.
I never ever use the "guarantee fare" approach as there are, in my view, smarter ways to
pay less.
Ways that mean I have more say in which cabin I stay in, and can ensure it meets my needs
- like not having an interconnecting door, or being below noisy areas like the nightclub.
However, it is a very popular way and many cruise passengers looking to pay less use
this as it's a really simple one to do.
Whether you go for a guarantee fare or one where you choose your cabin, you need pick
the right time to book to ensure you are not paying more than you need to up front.
In my experience, these are four best times to book a cruise:
First, book during what the lines call "Wave Season".
This is a week or two when all the lines cut prices and are competing at the same time
for bookings.
The main Wave Season is in January, just after Christmas and New Year.
Second, many lines have got on the "Black Friday" November trend of offering deep price
cuts.
So, another good time.
Third, when the line is running ad-hoc promotions that cover your chosen cruise.
Cruise lines do sometimes run promotions to meet quarterly sales targets, for example.
Sign up for the email newsletter of the line you want to sail with, and be ready to book
when they offer deals.
Wait for them.
These promotions can happen at any time of the year.
Fourth, is to book as soon as your cruise first comes on sale.
When cruises launch, there are always deals.
Prices then go steadily up from there as the number of cabins allocated for those deals
get booked.
By picking one of these times to book, you have greater chance of grabbing your cruise
at a lower price than you will pay out of these periods.
Do not assume once you have booked that the fare you agreed to is locked in stone.
It may not be.
Once you have booked, tracking fare movements is the essential way to keep reducing your
fare.
At worst, it will confirm you have the lowest price possible
As if to prove my point, as I was preparing for this episode, I received an alert from
the site I use to track all my cruise fares, telling me that I could save another $83,
as the price for my cabin on a Celebrity Apex Mediterranean cruise has reduced in price
once again.
This is the second alert for this cruise, and it is still over a year away from happening.
Prices for cruises change frequently, and knowing when they do and if they have come
down is key.
The best way to track fares, in my experience, is on CruiseWatch.com . It is free to use.
You input your cruise, cabin level and even sub-level and every time fares change they
alert you.
Then simply contact your line and ask for the new fare.
If you have not paid the final balance, they will usually cut the price.
If they will not cut your fare, and you have booked with a refundable deposit (which you
should always do) then cancel and rebook at the lower fare.
This can happen multiple times, and you could end up paying way less than you thought you
had to when booking.
By the way, if you have paid final balance or have a non-refundable deposit and they
will not cut the fare, ask for on-board credit.
That brings me to the next way to pay less, which is to not just focus on the fare, but
the total cost of the trip.
And to see what extras you can get included to make it better value.
Which of these is a better deal?
Paying $1,000 for a cabin with no added perks or benefits, or paying $1,000 for the same
cabin but having on-board credit to use for excursions or on-board activities, a drinks
package and gratuities thrown in.
The latter of course by far.
So, when booking if you cannot get the actual fare down, see what extras you can get from
the line, or your travel agent can throw in, to reduce the cost of your overall cruise.
It's not just about the fare itself.
If you use the best time to book tips, you are likely to get a fare with added perks
built in, especially if booking in response to a promotional offer.
Cruise lines often try to offer add-ons rather than cutting the fare if they can to encourage
travellers to book.
They can hold the headline fare in the market and hide discounting in a less direct way.
If all of these tricks and tips sound complex and time consuming, then don't do them - simply
use a cruise-expert travel agent to handle all your bookings.
They will take on all of these and also may be able to better what the best the cruise
line will offer.
Many travel agents will add in their own incentives, perhaps on-board credit, to get travellers
to book through them.
They will never be more expensive than going direct, so you have nothing to lose and lots
to gain.
Travel agents are often given deals and promotions by the cruise lines that are not advertised
to the public.
Many of these travel agency groups generate vast amounts of bookings, and the lines will
incentivise them with agent-only offers for their clients.
So, this is another way to ensure you can pay less then you would have booking in other
ways.
If you still prefer to not use an agent, and like booking online, at least look at sites
that aggregate deals and compare to what the cruise line site is offering.
The ones I that are worth looking at include VacationsToGo.com , and PassionForCruises.co.uk
Another way of paying less than others is if you wait last minute to book your cruise.
This is a high risk approach if you have a specific cruise you want to go on, as it may
be pretty full and so prices are actually much higher.
But, if you are flexible you could look for a cruise departing in the next 60 or so days
and see if fares are below normal levels, as the line is looking to fill empty cabins.
You may be paying less than those around you.
But you may not be on the ideal cruise.
But it is one option for sure.
For more cruise money savings tips, click to watch this playlist with 2 videos I recommend
you watch right now.