Cruises can become expensive, but it is not in the ticket price. First you offer really cheap tickets, and then are welded due doroguschih drinks at the restaurant, such as expensive food, which is not included in the ticket price, and expensive internet for a dollar minute. However, you can find cruises for $ 30 a day, and get at least impressions. You just have to know something, to show willpower and a little trickery.
How to book a cheap cruise
In fact, book a cheap cruise is easy enough, but this requires flexibility. Prices for cruises are formed in the same way as the prices for tours. The closer to the departure date, the cheaper the tickets.
Why? Because cruise ships are not willing to go with empty cabins and lower prices before swimming. The main income comes from the orders and services on board, so that cruise companies are interested in the fact that in gone swimming as much as possible bodies that want to eat, drink, buy something and going to Internet.
In addition, the ship's crew and staff make good money in tips, so that they too profitable to recruit people - more people, more tips.
Here's another great tip from Doug Parker Cruise Radio:
While in school classes, the prices for cruises are the best.
This works for all rounds, but for cruises - particularly because it is a standard form of family entertainment. So do not travel when it makes the mass of the people. If you go on a cruise in the transitional season, the prices are the best.
Oh, and another tip from Chris orlando Chris:
Order tickets or well before the cruise, or at the last minute before departure. So you get the best price.
Where to order tickets
Doug advised to start with the travel agents because they often work with different cruise companies and can get the best tickets at the last moment before departure.
Despite an abundance of opportunities to book tickets directly, travel agents can find cheaper tickets, and help in the case if the cruise line something went wrong.
But if you still want to book tickets without intermediaries, there are two cheap resources:
- Cruise Sheet
- Vacations to Go
On Vacations to Go You can find tour operators and agents who will select the best cost cruises in any direction. But before you book a ticket, pay attention to the different fees because of their ultimate cost may vary.
Site Cruise Sheet - is a simple and useful website aggregator that helps you find the best fares on a cruise at the moment. And to find you spend no more than 5-10 minutes. Simply enter the desired starting point and destination, and see the best prices. There are cruises to all corners of the world, including from Peter tours in the US, they are really more than $ 30 a day.
You can set filters and choose the best short or long cruises, as well as cheap cruises that change location. On the latter, we will talk about later.
Again, it is not necessary to book early, because, as Doug said, the only advantage of the early ticket - it is an opportunity to take the cabin that you like.
Three things to remember
The smaller, less expensive
Cruise on small ships are cheaper because they offer fewer attractions.
Not a season
Traveling out of season, for example, in Alaska, in September or in the Caribbean during the hurricane season, you get great discounts on tickets.
Cruise, changing dislocation
Such cruises are organized when the cruise ships the company is distilled from one place to another in anticipation of the new season. Such cruises - a great chance to cross the ocean on the cheap.
As for the flight to the cruise departure point - do not buy tickets for a cruise on the plane together. There are many ways buy cheaper ticket - take advantage of them, and your journey will not fly in a pretty penny.
How to enjoy cheap cruise
Very often in the ticket price for a cruise does not include food, drinks and entertainment. Therefore, on any cruise ship, the main task of the personnel - to get you to spend money, because of this, they are the main profit.
But, in any case, if you are quite sane and disciplined person, not a cruise will cost you dearly. It will generally cost no more expensive than in the cabin. Here are some ways not to spend money on board.
Do not drink soda
Once upon a time soda on board the cruise liner was free. Now it costs about $ 3 per cup. You can also pay about $ 45-60 for the card and drinking soda, and when they want. You have to drink a soda nemerenoe amount to pay back the card.
Instead, you can drink the free water, iced tea or juices that are available on the ship. It will be good for your wallet, and insulin levels.
No need to be photographed
Do you really need a professional staging photos from aboard a cruise ship? Unlikely. Sfotkayte yourself on the phone or take a camera and just ask someone to take a picture your entire family.
Do not go to a restaurant
On most cruise ships these days there are special restaurants where you can get at an extra cost, for example, an oriental restaurant. The food in the dining areas, coffee shops and stores are much cheaper, but the quality is not inferior restaurants. So, do not even go into these institutions. In addition, you can order a "dinner package" together with the tickets for the cruise - sometimes it helps to save up to 25%.
careful drink
Six dollars for a beer and a cocktail of ten, and this is not the limit. Enjoy the sun and the ocean without alcohol, and your money will not come to an end so quickly. It seems only two glasses of wine at dinner and a cocktail by the pool, and the money starts to melt at tremendous speed.
Bring
Cruise companies allow to carry with them some stocks, so you can pre-buy water, soda, beer and wine is three times cheaper than on the liner.
If you like stronger
If you decide to drink anything stronger than beer and wine, you can carry it on board with the help of bags Rum Runners. Fill them with your favorite alcohol and boldly take with them. They have no air bubbles, so they can not be detected by X-ray machines. A bit of caution, and you do not pay for expensive liquor on board.
Do not go to the casino
Well, you can not add anything at all.
Plan your own trip
Shore excursions are not included in the cruise price, and pay for them later. Instead, you can to find online local guides. They will take a lot less money, will show more than interesting, and you will support the local economy and will see the sights without the crowds of people with cameras.
Just be careful: cruise ship will not wait if you linger. There is even a special company Shore Excursion GroupWhich arranges excursions in the ports cheaper by 30% and gives a guarantee that will take you on board at the time.
Wash clothes themselves
laundry services on cruise ships are very expensive. Instead of paying them, buy the powder and wash your clothes in a tub or sink. After all, if you just need to wash socks, whether or not to give it for 100-200 rubles?
Do not settle for transfers
Cruise companies offer airport transfers at an inflated price. You can take a taxi which is cheaper.
Avoid anything that costs money
On a cruise ship, you can find a lot of things: spa-salons, shopping, internet, phone calls, but it is worth the money, and a lot. It is better to enjoy the atmosphere, beautiful views and new sensations, and all the usual entertainment, leave for sushi - there is everything it's worth much cheaper.
As you can see, "expensive" cruises have become so mainly because of the cost of board and without expensive food, alcohol and entertainment are readily available. Little discipline and forethought, and you can generally do not spend one penny on board, and get no less fun.