To secure the best rates, travelers must act soon as seasonal promotions designed to spur early bookings are drying up.
WITH cruise bookings on the upswing, bargains are tougher to find this year. But it’s still possible to nab a deal, if you act quickly.
Below, a guide on how to cut your cruise costs.
Unlike the airlines, which have been severing ties with travel agents and online agencies in recent years, cruise lines still rely on outside travel sellers. In some cases they offer special promotions through agencies. In others, the agencies buy up blocks of rooms in advance to secure the best rates for their clients.
Not surprisingly, the newest vessels command the highest prices. But as cruise lines continue to build new ships with bigger and better pools, spas and other features in an effort to outdo one another, booking an older ship doesn’t necessarily mean less comfort or fewer amenities.
Cayole.com, a new clutter-free cruise search site, offers price predictions based on seven months or more of data to give cruisers an idea of whether they should buy now or wait for a possible price drop. For example, by clicking “get more details” for Celebrity Century’s April 2 departure from Miami for a western Caribbean cruise, the site recommended that travelers booking suites — the top level cabins — buy “as soon as possible, because prices are likely to increase.” For interior, ocean view or balcony cabins it said, “prices may go down.”
Luxury cruise rates fell the most amid the recession. Though prices are recovering, their steep drop means that they have farther to go to catch up.
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