What’s the best way to find cruise specials?

It sounds like you need some basic information about cruises before you start looking for specials so that you will know a real deal when you see or find it. Most cruises are done by cruise lines like Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Princess, Celebrity, Holland America, and Disney. Most of the ships for these lines are now 1500 to 2500 passenger ships. The ships are big but things are so well managed that you really don’t feel crowded on them. Prices on these ship can be as low as $ 800 for a 7 day inside cabin and about $ 1200 for a balcony cabin. The first rule in getting less expensive cruises is book early. The second rule is go with the same cruise line multiple times because they do offer repeat customer discounts of $ 50 to $ 100 per person in a cabin. The third rule is shop around for specials. Some lines will offer specials on a date that does not usually sell out, like Christmas or Thanksgiving week. So don’t lock yourself in to one particular week of the year; be flexible.

If/when you go to a cruise line web site you will see the various cabins listed by type, i.e., SUITE, VERANDA/BALCONY, OUTSIDE, and INSIDE. the category, and generally the square footage of each cabin type. The category will generally be listed next to the cabin type. The most expensive cabins are the penthouses and owners’ suites, which are like apartments and what you saw on the old TV program “The Love Boat”. Next are the jr and full suites. The next are the VERANDA or BALCONY cabins (you have your own private patio). The next lowest priced are OUTSIDE cabins (they have either a window or porthole). The cheapest cabins offered are always the inside cabins; those without a window or porthole. The inside, outside and balcony cabins are generally the same size on each ship, but may vary by ship and cruise line.

When you see a cruise advertized its generally the lowest priced cabin on the ship. Another thing to remember is that a cruise price can vary by date. Alaska cruises for example are cheapest in May and Sept. Some Cariibbean cruises are cheaper in mid-summer, because that’s hurricane season.

Now the best way to find specials is just go to the web sites for the cruise lines and click on specials, OR if you find a cruise that goes where you think you want to go, check to see when the price is the lowest. We just booked a cruise in the Southern Caribbean for May and the date we are going is the lowest price for that cruise.