What Do You Get For A ” Saver ” Fare ?

Cruises do reduce in price generally, as departure date comes closer and cruise lines have cabins they want to sell quickly, but it does depend on the cruise and destination.

Child japanese macaque (snow monkey) sitting on the snow.

If you fancy a Tailor Made trip to see the Snow Monkeys in Japan then you have to book ahead, but fancy a late deal around the Mediterranean, or maybe the Baltic then you should be able to pick up a bargain as long as you are not looking at school holiday dates or Christmas, or want a 3 or 4 berth cabin.

So what exactly what do you get for your last minute booking? Or maybe what you don`t get is more appropriate!

When cabins are reduced they are nearly always being sold on a guarantee basis, most cruise lines work on that basis, and that means you can choose you grade – inside, outside or balcony – but you can`t choose a cabin number. So you decide you would like an inside cabin, but you might be upgraded to an outside on a different deck, sounds great but if you prefer to be in the middle of the ship then its probably not a good idea and, to be honest, there is very little you can do about it once you have booked. So the golden rule is you really do have to be prepared for any cabin, anywhere on the ship.

Dining is the next thing to think about, early, late of open seating , do you have a preference? Some cruise lines will still let you choose when you are booking a late deal , some, like Fred Olsen, will make you pay to choose your dining time if you are booking on a reduced fare and others, P&O and Cunard mainly, don`t give you a choice – its basically you get what you are given. That’s fine but what if you are travelling with friends and you want to dine together? You arrive on board to find not only are you not on the same table but you are not even on the same seating! Could be difficult to get that one sorted out.

With your late deal you are very unlikely to get on-board credit, drinks packages, free car parking or coach transfers. With P&O and Cunard you no longer get complimentary shuttle buses in ports of call where they are provided free of charge.

Lots to think about before you decide to book your late deal and the destination is, of course, equally as important. If you fancy the Mediterranean , Norway or Russia then you could strike it lucky. I think the real key to getting a good cruise, at the best price, is flexibility. You really must be prepared for anything and treat it as an adventure, doing that will ensure you have a great time and get real value for money with your ” Saver ” fare.

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