We are all looking for the best deal when buying anything, and if you are planning to book next year’s cruise holidays, you have come to the right place.
In this article, we will examine some of the strategies that can be used to secure a cheap berth on the cruise of your choice.
Connect With Social Media
All the major cruise operators have official Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook accounts, and they use these platforms to inform people about special promotions and cheap last-minute deals for cruise holidays. Make sure you are following all the major cruise operators’ social media pages and you will be one of the first to know when a bargain is available. Of course, if you see something of interest, do not delay in booking the berth, as many other people will be monitoring these pages, looking for similar deals.
Book high season cruise holidays months in advance
If you are planning Christmas and New Year cruise holidays, you can easily find operators offering Sydney cruises 2020, for example, through a quick Google search. However, you are advised to start searching as early as possible. If you book a high season cruise a month or so in advance, you can expect to pay top prices, whereas, if you book 12 months in advance, you would save yourself some money. The same rule applies for any cruise – the earlier you book, the more of a discount you can expect. It pays to make your mind up as soon as you can.
Monitor prices
Once you have decided on a cruise destination, start to monitor the various cruise operators, and if you do that on a daily basis, you might be lucky and be able to book a berth at a discounted rate. The Internet makes price comparisons very easy, and if you bookmark the operators’ websites, you can spend a few minutes every day having a look to see if there are any special deals to be had.
Flexibility
If, for example, you live within driving distance of your port of choice and you are flexible enough to go at short notice, you could take advantage of a last-minute cancellation to book cheap cruise holidays. These special deals are usually available 90 days prior to the cruise departure. That is because that is the date when all accounts must be paid, and if you are lucky, you could save a fortune on your next cruise holiday.
Group bookings
If you can manage to find a few friends with families that also wish to take a cruise at the same time, you could save some money with a group booking. Exactly how much would depend on many variables, such as the cruise route, time of the year, and the number of berths you are booking.
As you can see, there are a number of strategies that could save you money when booking cruise holidays, and if you are a regular cruiser, this might also bring with it a discount, while some cruise liners offer discounts to servicemen and even teachers, so it is worth asking about such deals.
Featured image source: Storyblocks
Mirela Letailleur is a Romanian travel blogger living in the South of France. She writes on The Travel Bunny travel blog about affordable travel in Europe, creator of unique free travel guides, local travel expert. Problem solver. Wannabe coffee guru.
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