LUXURY CRUISES MIGHT COST MUCH LESS THAN YOU IMAGINE

So how has cruising changed so much over the years then?

Well one thing is true and that is that cruising nowadays is not simply for a priveleged elite amongst us. Cruising now is for everyone, whatever their tastes.

One thing for certain, but this is indicative of not just cruising, but of every type of holiday, and, I suppose, many other types of product or service purchased, is that we all want to get more for what we pay.

Sadly, there are those who simply drive the prices down and down and eventually something must give…     and that is usually where the customer has a bad experience. The key is knowing when the price is correct for what’s on offer.

The ultra luxury sector means Silversea, Seabourn, Regent, Crystal and Oceania, and with Cunard the Queens Grill.

There’s nothing wrong with aiming to get a good deal but we need to recognise when we have one.

Over the years, cruise lines have tried harder and harder to offer the customer something more to make them return again and again. Lots of new big ships, lots of beds to fill and the lines are constantly coming up with fresh and innovative concepts to make their line stand out.

Years ago when dining, many cruise lines offered basic first or second sitting dining and often only the one restaurant and perhaps an “on deck” alternative. Nowadays, no cruise line can get away with that simple formula. Cruise ships often offer many different dining choices, locations, style and even price. I say the latter because now many ships offer speciality dining but often at a supplement.

Choice is the most desired dining requirement these days as many people want to dine when and where they want without the formality of set dining times. That concept is nothing original for the ultra luxury lines like Silversea, Seabourn and Regent Seven Seas as open dining has been with them since they launched.

Mainstream cruise lines like P&O, Princess, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity are constantly trying to offer something different and original to their customers and they do a great job too.  Just a great pity that we, the customers, sometimes don’t recognise a great deal when it’s offered to us.

When you are planning your next cruise, before dismissing the ultra luxury lines, consider what your total holiday cost is likely to be, not just for the initial purchase, but more importantly, when you get off the ship. How much were all those extras? My last blog was on this very theme of cruise extras often costing more than the initial purchase. That would never happen with the ultra luxury lines. On those, you could on occasions even get away with an extras cost of zero if you really thought about it.

So then, you might be shocked to now discover that booking that ultra luxury cruise at the outset could well have been better value for money than you first thought.

As always, I am keen to hear from you and I can be reached on 0330 303 8397 or email [email protected]