Wave season is busy promotional period that goes from December or January to March.  This is a great time to book not only for price, but to book for availability. This can be a great time to put down a deposit on your summer vacation, securing the space you need in the cabins you want months ahead of time.  Get the Best Cruise Vacation Tips Here.

What is a guarantee cabin?

You face two big questions if you take the risk of booking a cruise cabin guarantee.  Do you really save enough money to make the not knowing worth it? And most importantly, what are the chances you’ll wind up with an upgrade?  You are guaranteed a cabin in the category you’ve chosen, and there is always the possibility of an upgrade. The real risk is giving up the chance to pick your own cabin location,  mid ship, high deck, low deck, etc. You might end up with the oddball cabin no one wants because it’s a strange shape, under a noisy deck or a long trek from the elevator.  If you really don’t care where the room is, and price is all that matters, then booking a guaranteed room will work for you.  Get the Best Cruise Vacation Tips Here.

How do you save money on a cruise?

  1. Never pay the cruise brochure rate.  The glossy brochures with “sample” pricing looks great but unless it’s a very special  high-demand trip, do not pay the cruise brochure rates.
  2. Be flexible.  If you are willing to travel at the last minute and have the flexibility to wait, you could find the best rock-bottom fares.
  3. Book early.  Cruise lines are luring “advance planners,” those who book a cruise and pay a deposit six to 18 months in advance, by offering great fares and throwing in upgrades and value adds such free or reduced airfare, free specialty dining, beverage packages, shore excursions, prepaid gratuities, and cabin upgrades.
  4. Look for sales.  The cruise industry is full sales; some lines offer short-term promos. Wave Season (January through March) offers an outpouring of sales. The internet has some of the best mediums for finding all about cruises, beach travel, beach travel destinations, best cruise deals, best priced cruises, cruise vacation, How to book a cruise, last minute cruisesdeals, ranging from last minute to two years out.  Note that most of the online cruise site offer VERY similar, if not the same bargains.  Scouring every cruise site will generally not get you a better deal, just maybe fill your inbox up with promotional emails.  I like Avoya travel, and have used them to book cruises before.
  5. Cruise close to home.  Cruise ships depart from cities all along the U.S. coastline. You can cruise from just about anywhere in Florida year-round, as well as New York, Boston, Baltimore, Seattle, San Francisco, New Orleans and Galveston.
  6. Book on board.  If you book your next cruise while on board your current one, you can take advantage of reduced deposits, fare discounts and possibly free on board credit. Deposits are usually refundable, and you can choose or change itinerary later.

Don’t fly in the same day you set sail!

Get your vacation started at least one day before your cruise by booking a hotel room near the ship,  This way you won’t have to worry about flight delays, or traffic delays getting to port.  Enjoy your morning at the hotel, feel rested and relaxed, and ready to head to the cruise port.  Get the Best Cruise Vacation Tips Here.

Know your dining options.

In addition to table size, there are usually two basic dinner choices that you will be presented during the booking process on most of the mainstream lines: One of two set dining times in the main dining room—usually around 6 and 8 p.m.—or an open seating option, whereby you can have dinner in the main dining room any time from about 5:30 to 9 p.m. Once you lock in your choice for a set dining time or the open plan, it is not always possible to switch it after embarkation, so consider this before you book.  Get the Best Cruise Vacation Tips Here.

all about cruises, beach travel, beach travel destinations, best cruise deals, best priced cruises, cruise vacation, How to book a cruise, last minute cruisesThe open seating option might seem to be the easiest pick, allowing the greatest flexibility. But at prime time (around 7 p.m. for most cruises) there may be a wait for a table, especially for parties larger than four. You will be seated in a different location nightly and, unless you request a private table which are not always available, and you’ll be dining with different guests nightly. If you opt for the traditional set meal times you’ll be assigned the same table and waiters each evening and break bread with the same fellow cruisers nightly.

Know what’s included.

Cruises used to be a fairly inclusive product, but cruise lines have figured out that one way to increase overall revenue is to lower the upfront price of a cabin, and then charge for extras we used to take for granted. The the list of inclusions varies with each cruise line. Most charge for sodas, but Disney Cruise Line doesn’t. Celebrity charges for pay-per-view movies on your TV, but Holland America has an extensive DVD library on each ship, delivered to your room. All of them include meals at the main dining room and grazing at the buffet, but they charge for specialty dining. And don’t forget to check airfares before booking your cruise. A great deal on a Mediterranean cruise during peak season isn’t that hard to find, but Europe’s summer airfares may give you heart palpitations.  Get the Best Cruise Vacation Tips Here.