Finding the best cruise bargains.

I have been working in the travel industry for ten years now. I wanted to give you all a few tips I have picked up along the way, of how to find the best deals out there. Its not a case of booking early or late. It depends on many factors and I wanted to go through the list of options that may suit you depending on your circumstances.

Booking last minute: One of the best times to book a cruise is last minute. When I say last minute I don’t mean wait till 2 days before when you have a family of 5 and you want to go in the summer holidays or over Christmas. Last minute cruise are ideal if you don’t have any ties and are flexible on your dates. As a general rule of thumb the last minute deals come out 60-90 days before travel and aren’t really reduced after this period. By all means you could wait to see if there is a further tumble in price however this might mean you will miss out all together.

Booking early: I know what you are thinking. This completely contradicts rule 1. As I mentioned at the start these little tips all depend on your circumstances. When the cruising scene really started to explode it was always advised to book as soon as the brochure was released. There wasn’t such a thing as last minute cruise. Now there is more competition it is getting harder for all the cruise liners to full maximum occupancy especially on off peak cruises. If you decide to book as soon as the brochure is released there is normally a discount for booking then and an extra discount if you have travelled with the cruise liner before. Some of the other benefits are You get to choose your Cabin Number. This is great if you are travelling as a family and need two Cabins next to each other or if you need a wheelchair accessible cabin. This is also great if you want to be midship or away from the lifts so its not as noisy at night. Other benefits is that you get to choose your dine time. When booking late you don’t always get this option. There is normally some on board credit thrown in for good measure.

Book through an agent: Always book through an agent when booking your cruise. They will give you the best price and will be able to offer you extras that the cruise line direct can offer you. The cruise liners hands are tied when it comes to discounts. Its worth shopping around for the best price. (Once you have found that best price you can phone me and I will beat it.) What I am trying to say is book with me and if I have a day off you are allowed to book with someone else.

Be Flexible: If you are flexible with your dates or cruise line. This could save you hundreds of pounds.

I hope this gives you a few little tips on what is best for you. If you want some more advise you can message me direct and I will be happy to answer your individual questions.

I would love to hear peoples experience on what works best for them. Again message me to let me know your thoughts.