 Home | About Smarter Cruising | Contact Us | Newsletter | Testimonials Smarter Cruising Newsletter============================================== "Smarter Cruising" Newsletter ============================================== Inflation (food, energy, health care, and other basics) is up.
Housing values, consumer confidence, and the dollar are down. And so is discretionary spending. In this troubled economy, will your cruise vacation be one of the victims? The good news for those of us who love cruising is that while average cruise fares have been rising a bit of late (with fuel surcharges adding to costs), you can still count on finding plenty of cruises for $100 per person per day, and many that are below that. You can drive 100 miles to a Motel 6, eat at Burger King, and go to a movie at night, and still spend almost as much as you would on some cruises carrying you to exotic ports complete with fabulous food and loads of free activities and entertainment. But anyone
who cruises knows that the basic fares seldom tell
the whole story. Unless you're on a cruise (usually pricey to begin with) that includes shore excursions, drinks, tipping, and other expenses, you're likely to be shoveling over buckets of extra cash to the cruise line before you disembark. Yes, you may still well spend less than you would traveling by land and forking over separately for every meal, hotel, train or plane ride, gas-station fill-up, and theme park ticket, to name a few typical costs. But you can still rightly worry that a cruise in 2008 might be an extravagance when you're worried about paying your heating bill or your mortgage. -------------------------------------------------------------- Even though cruise fares continue to hold pretty steady --
compared to fast-rising airline fares and gasoline prices, for example -- you can still save hundreds or thousands of dollars by following a few basic rules. ** Start by doing your own research. An hour or two spent combing the Internet for bargains can pay for itself ten times over. Check discounter websites like Vacations to Go, CruisesOnly, or Cruises-n-More. Check various cruise line official websites to see if they're advertising their own specials -- and to compare their prices with the discounters'. And of course, check my Smarter Cruising Blog for frequent bargains. ** If you aren't sure which cruise line or destination is right for you, or you want more choices and more possibilities for landing bargains, or want help in booking, consult a brick-and- mortar travel agent who's a cruise specialist. The key here is to do some of your own research before talking with the agent, so you'll be able to better evaluate the advice. A good travel agent can be of enormous assistance in helping you sift through the sometimes overwhelming number of choices. ** Try a reverse auction. It's back to the web for this one. Sites like Cruise Compete allow you to punch in the information about which
type of cruise you're looking for -- and then gets
travel
agencies (usually mega-discounters) competing for your
business.
You're under no obligation to accept any offers, but
you might
wind up with an offer you can't refuse.
** Book early for great deals. Booking eight to 12 months in advance can often yield nice discounts, especially if you have to travel at a particular time, are traveling with a group, and know where you want to go, which cruise line you want to go with. and which type of cabin you want. ** Book late for the best deals. Booking within the last few weeks often (though not always) results in the deepest discounts in cruising -- particularly for cruises that still have lots of available space. That's when cruise lines may be willing to "dump" cabins on the market through large travel agencies and Internet discounters just to fill them up. For instance, CruisesOnly (see above) is now advertising an incredible deal on an 18-day cruise from Chile to Boston in mid-April: less than $400 per passenger for an inside cabin, or $22 a day! (See my Smarter Cruising Blog, March 28, for more
details.) Booking late works best for those who have the most
flexibility in where, when and on which cruise line to travel, and care more about a great bargain than what type of cabin they stay in. ** Choose lower rate destinations. If you want the consistently lowest-rate destinations, look to the Caribbean and Mexico. With demand for the Caribbean dropping to its lowest point in recent years, prices have stayed low there. These destinations are also near to the U.S. and generally involve less travel for Americans to get to embarkation ports. ** Choose lower-cost cabins. Sure, everything else being equal, most people would opt for a balcony suite over an inside cabin. But everything else isn't equal -- the balcony suite may cost thousands of dollars more. If you plan to spend lots of time on deck anyway, you can get all the fresh air and views there for free. (Any water view from your cabin, in fact, is going to cost you money.) You can also save money by opting for a cabin on a lower deck.
-------------------------------------------------------------- Don't overlook special discounts that can take more money
off your fares. Sometimes these discounts are combinable with special offers, sometimes not -- but you should always ask about the possibilities. ** Group discounts. A group of at least eight people traveling together and occupying at least four cabins can almost always negotiate a group discount (the larger the group, the better the discount, typically; it's best to let a travel agent handle the negotiations.) And if you put together a group of 15 or more, you'll probably qualify for a free cruise for yourself. ** Discounts for extra passengers in a cabin. Many cruise lines offer huge discounts for third or fourth (or more) passengers in one cabin -- these could be your kids or good friends. ** More family discounts. Besides the above, cruise lines often offer "kids cruise free" of "half off" deals, especially during school holiday seasons. ** Past-passenger discounts. If you've sailed with Cruise Line X, you'll probably qualify for at least five percent off your next cruise on that line; if it's combinable with other offers, it's worth asking about. ** Senior
discounts. A number of mainstream lines offer
these, especially in the off season (ie, fewer kids aboard). Usually only one person in a cabin has to be age 55 or older. ** Occupational discounts. If you're in the military, a firefighter, a police officer, a teacher, or work for another travel-related company, you may well be eligible for a discount. ** Organization and alumni-group discounts. If you're a member of AAA, AARP, or a college alumni group, you may qualify for a standard discount. ** Seasonal discounts. These may kick in when you're sailing in the off season or shoulder season for any given destination. For instance, you can expect European cruise rates to go down in fall through spring; you can expect Alaska cruise rates to go down in May and September. -------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------
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For insider tips on HOW TO BOOK THE BEST CRUISE DEAL -------------------------------------------------------------- Our guide, "How to Book the Best Cruise Deal" is loaded with insider tips and techniques -- all geared toward saving you lots of money when you book your next cruise. And for a short time you can get it for a very special price! That's right -- an incredible deal on information that could easily save you hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars on your next cruise. Here's what one of our satisfied customers had to say: "Smarter Cruising's new eBook 'How to Book the Best Cruise Deal' is packed with useful information. Cruise line pricing has always been mysterious to me. This book helped me understand not only the 'whats' of booking early vs. booking late, but also the 'whys.' Very helpful! I recommend this book to anyone planning a cruise, whether it will be their first or their twentieth." -- Mary Sullivan, Oakland, California I know that many of you are planning to book a cruise for 2008 in the next few weeks or months. Don't go into "battle" negotiating your fare without being armed with all the money-saving secrets contained in "How to Book the Best Cruise Deal!" To learn more about "How to Book the Best Cruise Deal," check out: http://www.smartercruising.com And if you order right away, we'll add FREE bonus books on saving on airfare, and even on how you can avoid airfare altogether! Don't miss out! Visit: http://www.smartercruising.com
Cruise Lines' newest ship, the 1340-passenger Balmoral. Sailing roundtrip from Miami on March 3, the cruise was the first Fred. Olsen voyage from an American port. For those of you who aren't familiar with this British-based cruise line, I strongly recommend you check out their website and future offerings. The Balmoral -- previously the Norwegian Crown when it was owned by NCL, and recently lengthened and refurbished after joining the Fred. Olsen fleet -- is a beautiful ship, dating from 1988. I was especially impressed by the five-tier aft deck space and the wraparound promenade deck that calls out to daytime power-walkers and moonlight strollers. Forget stereotypes about British food: the Balmoral's shipboard cuisine is first rate, with inventive dishes spanning the Continent and the Caribbean, and outstanding ambiance in its three dining rooms (one grand and two more intimate, and none requiring a special supplement). How about a four-course meal of Jamaican aubergine (eggplant) fritters, mussel soup, chicken tikka with coriander-yogurt dressing, and pannacotta in raspberry sauce? (and that's just for lunch). There's also a casual cafe that features buffets, as well as a number of bars and lounges. My favorite was the Observatory Lounge on Deck 11, great for sunset cocktails and munchies including my new favorite: Twiglets, a British pretzel-like snack that is something of an acquired taste. I acquired it so rapidly the bar ran out. I also liked the low-key onboard atmosphere: loudspeaker announcements were limited to a couple a day by the captain and one or two by the cruise director to let passengers know when we had been cleared to enter port. Entertainment was provided mainly by the Music of your Life at Sea crew, featuring Buddy Morrow and The Dorsey Seven (descendants of the Tommy Dorsey orchestra) and a variety of musicians and vocalists performing longtime standards. Cabins were comfortable with plenty of storage space, flat-screen TVs (BBC and a free movie channel) and little British touches like trays stocked with tea bags, cups, and water heaters. A nice feature is that the Balmoral has about 70 single cabins, so if you are traveling solo, ask about landing one of those. Because it sailed from Miami, this Fred. Olsen cruise drew a larger American clientele than typical for the line: about 170 out of 1,340 or so aboard -- nearly all the rest were British, though an occasional smattering of French, German, Spanish, and Swedish could be heard in the dining rooms. I found it a great way to get to know people from across the pond, and several English couples told me they enjoyed getting to know some of the "colonists." For formal night, I almost felt underdressed in my dark suit and tie; virtually all the British men onboard were decked out in tuxes or white dinner jackets, and a Scotsman or two were resplendent in kilts (watch out for that breeze on deck!). While most passengers were of an age to appreciate the brand of music being featured in the lounges and show rooms, there were enough younger people on board to make a nice mix. (Virtually no children, though: families tend to take Fred. Olsen cruises only during school holidays.) The cruise took us to an interesting variety of ports: Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos; Gustavia, St. Bart's; Phillipsburg, St. Maarten; and St. John's, Antigua. (I had to leave the ship in Antigua, but most of the rest of the lucky passengers got to continue to St. Kitts and Tortola before returning to Miami.) St. Maarten was a last-minute addition to the itinerary, since we weren't able to safely stop in Samana, Dominican Republic (due to high winds; it's a tender port). The Balmoral has four departures in all from Miami this spring; two have already left. Upcoming is an 11-night Caribbean cruise departing April 3 (with prices starting at $720); and a 17-night repositioning cruise to Rome departing April 14, with prices starting at $1,145. The ship won't be returning to Miami next season, but another ship in the Fred. Olsen fleet, the Braemar, which will be undergoing a lenthening and refurbishment, will begin sailings from there this fall. The Balmoral, meanwhile, will be cruising out of Europe. Like any cruise line, Fred. Olsen isn't right for everyone -- nor does it try to compete with American mega-ships. For instance, two of the big sporting activities aboard the Balmoral last week were carpet putting and carpet bowling, which don't exactly rank with waterslides and climbing walls on the action meter. And though there are a few gaming tables, there's no casino with whirring shot machines and flashy lights. You will find two decent-sized swimming pools, some hot tubs, a spa and gym, quite a lot of deck space (though often not enough unoccupied deck chairs, it seems -- the Brits love to linger in the noonday sun), a number of bars and restaurants, various music and show venues, a well-stocked library, and some lectures and quiz games thrown in for good measure. On my Balmoral cruise, service was generally helpful and friendly, despite a few housekeeping glitches -- though this was only the Balmoral's second cruise under the Fred. Olsen banner, so I didn't necessarily expect all the rough edges to be smoothed. One fellow American onboard requested ice the first night of the cruise -- and after that, it appeared in her cabin regularly every day. My guess is that ice (whether in cabins or cocktails) will become a regular feature on Fred. Olsen cruises leaving out of Miami, especially if their North American passenger base grows as they hope. Overall, I give the Fred. Olsen line high marks, and the shipboard ambiance and top-quality cuisine alone would draw me back in a moment. That's something many British passengers already know, and I'm glad to learn it, too. To check out all that Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has to offer, go to its website or call 800/843-0620 in the U.S. or 44 (0) 1473 746175 in the UK.
But one part of the crew you don't
have to tip is the bar Of course, if you receive
extra care and attention from --------------------------------------------------------------
And if you've missed previous issues of this
newsletter, =================================================
So be sure you want to take that
cruise before If you haven't had a chance yet to check out my
Smarter Cruising Blog, you can find it at http://SmarterCruising.blogspot.com. It's loaded with deals on big mainstream cruise lines, adventurous small ships, and scenic river cruisers, ranging from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean, the Black Sea to the Amazon. Please come for a visit! And keep checking back often -- I often post items that have a short window of opportunity, such as special sales and discounts that cruise lines offer for a short time only -- sometimes just one day! Meanwhile, if you're passionate about a subject or hobby and would like to combine it with your love of cruising, check out my new Theme Cruise Finder blog. You'll find lots of ideas for cruises on themes as wide-ranging as classical music to gardening, Elvis to gambling, murder mysteries to motorcycles! Go to the Theme Cruise Finder at www.theme-cruise.blogspot.com. --------------------------------------------------------------
Happy cruising,
Clark Norton The Smarter Cruiser
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