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Smarter Cruising Newsletter
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"Smarter Cruising" Newsletter
March 3, 2007 -- Issue #4
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In This Issue:
1) "REPOSITIONING CRUISES: Bargains for Spring and Fall"
2) "Take Advantage of These Great Last-Minute Deals!"
3) "Smooth Sailing Tip: When to Book for Group Travel"
4) "Rough Seas Ahead?: Beware of Higher-Deck Cabins"
5) "Visit Clark's SMARTER CRUISING BLOG!"
==================== FEATURE EDITORIAL ============
1) REPOSITIONING CRUISES: Bargains for Spring and Fall
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Just as seabirds migrate south for the winter and north
for the summer, so do many cruise ships.
The results are called repositioning cruises -- or
"repo" cruises for short -- which occur when a ship
moves from one set of waters to another due to the
change of seasons.
For instance, ships leave Alaska in the fall to head
for Hawaii, Mexico, Florida, or the Caribbean, and
then head back to Alaska in late spring.
Similarly, ships often leave northern Europe or the
Mediterranean in fall and sail to warmer climes in
the Caribbean or South America, then return to Europe
in the spring.
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What are the benefits for passengers?
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Because they often involve transatlantic crossings or
voyages through the Panama Canal, repositioning cruises tend
to be longer than most regular cruises. Sailings of nine
days, two weeks, or even three weeks aren't uncommon.
Yet they usually feature only a few port stops, if any.
The repositioning ships could sail empty, but instead
cruise lines add them to their schedules and try to make them
as appealing as possible to attract passengers.
One way is to cut rates. And so "repo" cruises can amount
to some of the greatest bargains in cruise travel.
Repo cruises also tend to be cheaper than many other
cruises -- at least on a per-day basis -- because they
typically occur at the end of shoulder seasons (spring
and fall) when rates are less than in peak season.
A typical spring itinerary might start in Rio de Janeiro
and spend five or six days at sea before landing in
Tenerife, Canary Islands, then continuing to Lisbon,
Portugal, over the course of 11 or 12 days.
Here are some repo cruises now being offered for both
spring and fall:
** A 13-day Panama Canal cruise from Santiago, Chile, to
Miami aboard the Norwegian Crown departing April 8.
Inside staterooms start at $799 per passenger;
that's just over $60 a day!
** An 18-day Panama Canal cruise from New Orleans to
Vancouver on the Norwegian Sun, departing April 15,
with inside staterooms starting from $1299 (about $72
per day).
** A two-week non-stop from Barbados to Lisbon on
Windstar's Wind Surf (a beautiful ship), with
oceanview rooms for just $1,002, departing April 8.
That rate is available from the Internet discounter
VacationsToGo.com.
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Repo cruises may come mini-sized, too
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Though more unusual, you can also find short repositioning
cruises.
Here are two coming up in May from Norwegian Cruise Line:
** A five-day cruise from Los Angeles to Vancouver with
stops in San Francisco and Victoria, B.C., Canada,
departing on May 6. (Oceanview cabins start at $399
at VacationsToGo.com.)
** A four-day cruise from Los Angeles to Vancouver with
a stop in Astoria, Oregon, departing May 1. (Inside
cabins start at $199, oceanview at $249, balconies at
$279 and suites at just $329 at VacationsToGo.com.)
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The upsides and downsides of repo cruises
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Repo cruises may appeal to you if:
** You have the extra time (but not extra money) to spend.
** You prefer the solitude of a long sea voyage to the
frenzy associated with frequent port stops.
** You want to take a transatlantic voyage or cruise
through the Panama Canal, but also want a bargain.
** You like the idea of stopping at some out-of-the-way
ports such as the Azores or the Canary Islands in the
Atlantic.
Repo cruises may not appeal to you if:
** You don't have the extra time to spend.
** You get bored by "sea days" on cruises and would prefer
a new port every day.
** Airfare proves prohibitively expensive. Remember, these
are one-way cruises so you won't be able to take advantage
of cut-rate roundtrip airfares. (Cruise lines may throw in
good airfare deals, though.)
If you're among the former group, I suggest you take a
serious look at repositioning cruise offerings each spring
and fall!
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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
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2) Take Advantage of These Great Last-Minute Deals!
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** Both Holland America and Regent Seven Seas Cruises
are offering kids-sail-free deals on select Alaska
sailings this summer; kids must share a cabin with
two paying adults. Book soon since family-sized
staterooms tend to sell out fast for Alaska.
** MSC Cruises has a kids-sail-free offer for selected
sailings in Europe, with balcony rooms starting at
$1,145 per adult passenger, based on two paying adults.
Departures are March through October; the offer
expires March 15.
** Uniworld Grand River Cruises offers savings of up to
$300 per couple on a number of European and Russian
cruises if booked by March 31.
** Blue Lagoon Cruises (www.bluelagooncruises.com) is
offering six nights for the price of three on its
small ship Fiji Islands itineraries if booked by May 30.
Departures run until late spring and again in the fall.
Prices start ay $1,136 per person, double occupancy.
** General Tours World Traveler is offering AARP members
savings of $1,200 per cabin on the April 29 sailing of
the luxurious MV Mozart (a Peter Deilmann ship) on a
week-long Danube River cruise through Central Europe,
with stops in Vienna, Budapest,and Bratislava
(www.generaltours.com) or call 800-221-2216.
** Imperial River Cruises is offering a discount of
$3,000 per cabin for its exotic 10-day cruises exploring
the Russian Far East (Sakhalin Island, Kuril Islands,
Kamchatka Peninsula, etc.) if booked before March 31.
Departure dates are in June and August.
Remember to weigh any such offers against other deals
you might find, especially from Internet discounters
who offer last-minute specials.
As I discussed in the December edition of my Smarter Cruising
Newsletter (which you can find archived here, sometimes
you can find
much better deals by booking late rather than
booking early.
Keep in mind that you do risk losing your top choices in
dates, itineraries and cabins by waiting too long.
Generally speaking, the more flexible you are on when, where,
and to what degree of luxury you travel in, the more sense
it makes to wait -- and vice versa.
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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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3) Smooth Sailing Tip: When to Book for Group Travel
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As a general rule of thumb, passengers who are traveling
as part of a large group of friends or family (needing
more than three or four cabins) should try to book their
staterooms at least six months in advance. If your group
has 50 or more people, book at least nine months in advance.
This is epecially true if you need cabins that are
generally of the same type and location.
And don't forget to ask for group discounts!
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4) Rough Seas Ahead?: Beware of Higher-Deck Cabins
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Keep in mind that even though higher-deck cabins are
generally more expensive than those on lower decks --
because they tend to be closer to the action and have
bigger windows and less engine noise, among other
factors -- they are also more prone to rolling in bad
weather.
That means that if you're prone to seasickness, you
may have just paid more for a cabin that makes your
queasiness even worse.
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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 with Clark Norton Blog, which you
can find at http://SmarterCruising.blogspot.com.
Please come for a visit -- recent postings include
special two-for-one offers from Star Clippers,
how to win shipboard credits by signing up friends
for a cruise, and a special website for anyone
daydreaming about a cruise.
And keep checking back often -- I'll be posting new items
frequently, almost always original material you
won't find in this newsletter, including hot deals
that may last only a day or two.
Happy cruising,
Clark Norton
The Smarter Cruiser
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