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"Smarter Cruising" Newsletter
April 4, 2007 -- Issue #5

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In This Issue:

1) "Profiting From REPEAT PASSENGER PROGRAMS"

2) "Take Advantage of These Great Last-Minute Deals!"

3) "Smooth Sailing Tip: Evaluating Two-for-One Deals"

4) "Rough Seas Ahead?: Solo Cruisers Get Soaked"

5) "Visit Clark's SMARTER CRUISING BLOG!"

==================== FEATURE EDITORIAL ============

1) Profiting from REPEAT PASSENGER PROGRAMS

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Variety may be the spice of life, but when it comes to
cruising, you may profit from sticking with the tried-and-
true.

Namely, if you've cruised on one line at least once before --
and liked the experience -- you may want to cruise on that
same line again (and again, and again...).

Not just because you liked it -- but because you can expect
extra benefits that first-time cruisers won't get.

Cruise lines love repeat customers -- and why not? If they
can count on your business year after year, it makes their
marketing tasks so much easier.

Yet with the recent frenzy of ship building throughout the
cruise industry -- complete with ever more onboard amenities
and combined with widespread price discounting -- competition
to claim your loyalty has reached a fever pitch.

And so most cruise lines will sweeten the pot to try to lure
you back on board.

On most, you automatically qualify for past-passenger benefits
as soon as you complete one cruise with them.

After that, the pot may get even sweeter. Most lines gauge
your level of benefits to the number of cruises you take or
the total number of days you spend aboard with them. The more
you sail, the more perks you pile up.

Keep in mind that it's the actual passenger who gets the
credit for sailing, not the person who paid for the cabin --
so if you treat your kids or mother-in-law to a cruise,
they'll get the benefits (which is just how you'd have it
anyway, right?).

Another point to remember: cruise lines owned by the same
company -- such as Royal Caribbean and Celebrity; and Carnival,
Cunard, Princess, and Holland America -- may extend some
repeat passenger benefits to those who sail on their sister
lines as well.

However, many cruisers have found it hard to collect
from the Carnival-owned group, so check with your
cruise line to make sure exactly what benefits you can
expect.

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What are the benefits?

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Repeat passenger programs can come with a variety of perks,
with cruise lines adding more all the time to try to win
repeat customers.

These may include:

**Discounts on upcoming cruises

**Cabin upgrades

**Invitations to special onboard parties and
receptions

**Discounted or complimentary shore excursions

**Priority status for boarding and disembarkation,
including tendering at some ports

**Advance booking privileges

**Preferred dining assignments or complimentary meals
at premium restaurants

**Onboard credits for use in shops, bars, casinos, etc.

**Freebies ranging from lapel pins and luggage tags to
laundry and Internet service

**Newsletters keeping you abreast of all the latest offers.

Traveling companions are often included as beneficiaries,
even if they've never sailed with the line before (after all,
what good are special dining or boarding privileges
if your companions can't join you?).

Luxury lines, especially, have come up with creative rewards such
as picking passengers up at home for their trip to the airport,
bumping them up on waitlists, and special sailings just for club
members.

A few luxury lines, such as Seabourn and Silversea, even throw
in a free cruise -- though not until you've spent a small fortune
to earn it. (In that regard, the cruise line programs aren't quite
as generous as airline programs -- though collecting on your free
airline flights is getting harder and harder these days.)

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What are the downsides?

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Perks are always nice, but lapel pins can only take you so far.
Don't get lured in by freebies that don't really amount
to much.

The big question is how good are the discounts offered past
passengers?

That depends on the cruise line. Some discounts add up to far less
than those that you'll find on any good Internet site, and which
are available to anyone.

So it's possible that you could grab the "special" deal you're
offered, only to end up paying considerably more than the guy in
the next cabin who found his fare on the Internet and has never
set foot on that cruise line before.

The discounts to look for are those that you can take in addition
to other discounts that are floated to the general public.

Those could really make your "elite" status pay off.

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Some major repeat-passenger programs

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**Carnival Past Guests

**Celebrity Captain's Club

**Cruise West Quyana Club

**Crystal Society

**Cunard World Club

**Disney Castaway Club

**Holland America Mariner Society

**MSC Club

**Norwegian Latitudes Club

**Oceania Club

**Orient Polo Club

**Princess Captain's Circle

**Regent Seven Seas Gold Points Rewards

**Royal Caribbean Crown and Anchor Society

**Seabourn Club

**Silversea Venetian Society

**Windstar Foremast Club

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Assessing the bottom line

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Is it worth it to book a cruise with Line X just to cash in
on its past-passenger discounts and benefits?

The answer is no -- if it's the only reason you'd choose to
sail with that line again.

Remember, cruise lines vary greatly in what they have to
offer. If Line X features 14 decks, Broadway-style shows and
formal dining, and you prefer small ships, whale-watching and
nature lectures, you're better off casting about for an
alternative no matter how big your discount.

But if Line X is your idea of a dream boat, then these
repeat passenger programs may be just the ticket to cashing in
on some nice savings and other perks.

And here's one added benefit that doesn't show up on the bottom
line: by sailing with one cruise line over and over, and being
invited to special cocktail parties and such, you may well meet
more people and upgrade your social life onboard considerably.
You may even have some ready-made friends on future cruises.

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For more insider tips on Tracking Down Discounts
on your cruise

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Do you know how to track down discounts and deals
like the ones listed above?

If not -- or if you simply want to save hundreds or even
thousands of dollars by landing great discounts on your
next cruise -- you can check out our new eBook,
"How to Save Money on Cruises -- Part II:
Tracking Down Discounts" by clicking here.

It's filled with all new information about snagging discounts
for families or other groups, singles, and seasonal specials,
among many other money-saving topics.

And if you order this eBook right away, you'll receive two
FREE bonus books:

1) How to Cruise for Free

2) Go Mini-Cruising

... perfect for weekend getaways!

Click here to find out more.

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For insider tips on Booking the Best Deal on your cruise

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Our new eBook, "How to Save Money on Cruises -- Part I:
Booking the Best Deal" is loaded with insider tips and
techniques -- all geared toward saving you lots of money
when you book your next cruise.

Here's what one of our satisfied customers had to say:

"If you have booked a cruise and have not read 'How to
Save Money on Cruises -- Part I: Booking the Best Deal'
by Clark Norton cancel the cruise immediately.

"Rebook the cruise only after you have read every word
and have memorized the 'Smooth Sailing Tips.'

"Not only will you save money and time, you will feel you
are in the know and that you are in charge and
control of your vacation.

"It will really be smooth sailing."

-- Louie Richmond, Seattle, Washington

I know that many of you are planning to book a cruise
for 2007 in the next month or two.

Don't go into "battle" negotiating your fare
without being armed with all the money-saving secrets
contained in "How to Save Money on Cruises -- Part I:
Booking the Best Deal!"

To learn more about "How to Save Money on Cruises --
Part I: Booking the Best Deal," check out:

www.smartercruising.com

And if you order right away, we'll even throw in FREE
bonus books on saving on airfare, and on how to avoid
airfare altogether!

Don't miss out! Visit:

www.smartercruising.com

3) Smooth Sailing Tip: Evaluating two-for-one deals

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"Two-for-one" deals can be very alluring. If you're a
couple, one of you cruises for free -- what can be
better than that?

But keep in mind that while one of you goes "free," the
other member of the twosome is expected to pay full freight
-- something you otherwise seldom have to do on most cruise
lines, which set their brochure rates artificially high just
so they can discount them.

The clearest way to evaluate two-for-one deals is to
realize that both passengers are paying 50 percent off
the full rate. Then you can compare that to other discounted
prices you see for the same cruise.

Since discounts commonly range from around 25 percent up to
75 percent or even more, depending on how full a given ship
is, that two-for-one deal may be no better than a mid-range
discount.

The more expensive a cruise line is, however, the better
the two-for-one deal is likely to be. Luxury cruise lines
are much less likely to offer huge discounts than
mainstream lines, so 50 percent off may prove quite a
good deal.

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4) Rough Seas Ahead?: Solo cruisers get soaked

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It's pretty common for solo cruisers to get hit up with
"singles supplements" that force them to pay more --
sometimes twice as much -- than what a passenger in a
double occupancy cabin pays for the same cruise.

Fair or not, most cruise lines charge up to 100 percent
more for a single occupant of a cabin because otherwise
they figure they're losing money on that unoccupied berth.

That's a fact of life that most single cruisers are used to.
But now some cruise lines have started charging single
passengers more for port fees, too, up to twice as much
as double occupancy passengers.

Chief offenders at the moment are Norwegian Cruise Lines,
Holland America Line, and Princess Cruises. But like phone
companies and credit card issuers, it's probably a safe bet
that other cruise lines will follow if they see a chance
to help their bottom line.

What are port charges, exactly? There's the rub. Sometimes
they mean taxes levied by foreign ports, but they can also
mean other charges that crop up, such as services provided
by ground crews or pilot-boat captains. Such charges may add
up to well over $100 per passenger for a cruise.

Why should singles pay double price for those?

Good question -- and we're still awaiting an answer. In the
meantime, solo cruises beware, and check the fine print on
your cruise contract before signing on.

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5) Visit Clark's SMARTER CRUISING BLOG!

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I'm excited to have recently launched my new
Smarter Cruising Blog, which you can find at
http://SmarterCruising.blogspot.com.

Please come for a visit -- I've recently done postings on
inexpensive mini-cruises in the eastern
Mediterranean, the rising cost of drinking water on
Carnival Cruise Lines, and how to get a refund if you
overpay for a cruise.

And keep checking back often -- I'll be posting new items
several times a week.

Happy cruising,

Clark Norton

The Smarter Cruiser

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