Patiently, I wait. I wait for all of the cruise companies to begin knocking down my door and ask me to be their personal blogger while setting my friends and family up in their deluxe balcony cabins so that I can share their magic with the world, ultra-luxury style. Flight included. Hey, if you're gonna reach, may as well aim for the ocean stars. Alas, neither doorbell nor phone has yet to ring. One day it may. Until then, we still cruise and love every moment. Here is a little bit of my reality to help you cruise too without opening an equity line on your house.
- Use discount sites to search best deals/dates then go straight to the cruise line's website. Often the prices are marked down there as well and you don't have to pay extra fees. Vacations To Go is my favorite to get an idea of the best dates to travel.
- Register for promotions with individual cruise lines and join their frequent cruising clubs. Over the summer, we snagged a 5 day cruise for all 5 of us for $1,343 because we were past guests.
- Be flexible on your cabin and your ship. Do you REALLY need a balcony or window? Must you cruise on the biggest and newest vessel? Some of the older refurbished Carnival ships are amazing.
- Know the best times to cruise price wise. Hurricane season and the week before or after major holidays are when we generally book. January and October tend to be our best months. And, if you can swing it, Sunday departures are usually the least expensive.
- Calculate the hidden fees and find some work-arounds. Parking can be as high as $20 per day. Trip Advisor is helpful for researching park-and-shuttle lots. Beverages can be another challenge — generally tea, water, lemonade and coffee are included. Many cruises allow you to bring your own sodas. Tips? You MUST tip. We pre-paid all of ours.
- Research the cheapest departure ports. In general, Miami and Fort Lauderdale rock the prices. Port Canaveral comes in a close second.
- Consider driving instead of flying if more than two people will be cruising. Even the gas you spend plus parking may be less than flights.
