Josh Elledge - Chief Executive Angel
5 Smart ways to save on a cruise vacation
If taking a cruise vacation is on your bucket list, you’re going to love the savings tips I’ve gleaned from my conversation with Bob Levinstein from CruiseCompete.com.
A cruise can give you amazing value for your vacation dollar. So, how do you get the best deal on a cruise vacation? For starters, a cruise is an all-inclusive way to vacation. Meals, sporting activities, live entertainment, activities for kids, and plenty of other things to keep you busy during the cruise is already covered in the price of your cruise. What you spend above and beyond that is entirely up to you.
The time of year makes a big difference: Peak times over holidays, summer, and other times of the year when kids are out of school are going to be the most expensive. Cruise lines want to fill their ships, so booking during a slower time of the year will get you the best rates. Months like November, when kids are in school are better than peak seasons. A one week cruise can start as low as $500-$600 a person in the off-season.
Longer vs shorter:
The best value for your money is a 7-day cruise as opposed to a shorter one especially if you have to fly to the cruise destination. You need to consider all the expenses you may incur just getting there and back home again.
Limit on-board spending: The big money makers for a cruise ship is extra money that is spent in 3 different areas: alcohol, casino gambling, and shore excursions. If you are frugal in the areas of alcohol consumption and gambling you’ll automatically save.
To get around the high cost of shore excursions offered by the cruise line, check the offers available through a tour consolidator like CruiseCompete.com. You are likely to get a much lower price on an excursion tour and enjoy a less crowded and better experience.
Another way to save is to come up with things to do on your own. Possibly just a cab drive around the port area will give you plenty of sightseeing.
Don’t book your cruise directly through the cruise line. This is the most expensive way to take a cruise. Going through a booking agent will likely get you the best deal. A site like CruiseCompete will send your selected cruise criteria out to a plethora of travel agents. These agents work within the guidelines of the cruise company to give you the best deal they can find.
Last minute cruises less expensive? “Last minute” to the cruise lines tend to be about 6 weeks before sailing. However, if a cruise has not been completely filled, you may be able to get a little better price or some extra perks. The biggest consideration in doing this is whether or not you have to fly to the cruise destination. The price of a “last minute” cruise may go down a bit, but, the savings could be more than offset, if the price of a “last minute” flight is more expensive.
Many thanks to Bob Levinstein from CruiseCompete.com for his savings tips and strategies. If you use my link to CruiseCompete.com (https://savingsangel.com/cruise) we get affiliate credit for sending them a new user. That money is used to continue to operate our site and record podcasts to help thousands of families like you save every day.
