10 ways to cut the cost of cruising

By MARY FALLON MILLER

© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 16, 2001

Room, with a view The balcony is the latest necessary luxury in cruises. The pricey extra is surging in popularity, but what you get can vary wildly. 10 ways to cut the cost of cruising Though cruises, especially those through the Caribbean, are relatively inexpensive per day, there are ways to save money on the fare. Here are some top tips: Finding the truth in cruise brochures Cruise line brochures are intended to seduce potential passengers with enticing buzzwords and photos. Sure some of it rings true, but before you get too excited, here are translations for some of the most popular brochure expressions: 'Mariner' cruise sets high-water mark Pampering and amenities aboard the first all-suite, all-balcony luxury liner made it a smart choice for a journey marking a milestone.

Though cruises, especially those through the Caribbean, are relatively inexpensive per day, there are ways to save money on the fare. Here are some top tips:

Alumni/past passenger: This is the cruise industry's answer to frequent flier miles. Most major cruise lines reward repeat passengers with membership in "alumni" clubs. Benefits include special fare discounts, coupons and other incentives to sail again.

Some examples of these benefits:

Crystal Cruises' Exclusive Crystal Society Savings & Benefits offers a 5 percent savings for reservations made for your next cruise while you are onboard a cruise. There are also onboard parties and activities, plus an exclusive photo session with the captain.

Members get priority check-in at the pier, and after 10 cruises, a bottle of wine and fresh flowers in the cabin.

Disney Cruise Line's Castaway Club includes special offers on future sailings, the Disney Insider newsletter featuring updates on the line and on Walt Disney World Resort happenings, and a members-only, toll-free reservation and information line.

P&O Cruises' P.O.S.H. Club offers holiday and party cruises at special rates, some free shore excursions and shipboard discounts for shopping, hairdressing and photo processing. There is even an Avis rental car discount.

Shoulder season discounts: Cruise rates often drop just before and after premium season and holiday periods. The best times for these "shoulder" or seasonal savings are:

Caribbean -- September to Christmas, first and second week in January, April to June.

Alaska: May and September.

Bermuda: May and September.

Europe: April, May, September, October.

E-mail sales alerts: Register at participating cruise line Web sites for these sales messages. This gives you the jump on discounted fares, and there may be bonuses. For instance, Windjammer's CyberSailor Internet Club offers 10-day advance notice of available cabins for each of their ships -- and up to a 50 percent discount on these last-minute bookings.

Introductory cruises: These are most often offered for a ship's inaugural sailing season or for new itineraries. With scores of new ships being launched in the next five years, and as current ships move to new ports, you can save as much as 30 percent with introductory pricing specials.

For example, Carnival Cruise Line's new Carnival Pride sets sail from Port Canaveral in January on year-round, alternating, seven-day eastern and western Caribbean cruises. It will include two ports rarely visited on cruise itineraries, Belize City, Belize, and Progreso/Merida, Mexico. The fare, even during the popular winter season, begins at $699 per person, based on double occupancy.

And Celebrity Cruises' 2002 season in Europe will include such ports of call as Cobh (Cork), Ireland, Geiranger and Hellesylt, Norway, and Tenerife, Canary Islands. Celebrity's newest ship, Constellation, offers seven- to 11-night sailings in the eastern and western Mediterranean from Rome and Barcelona, from $1,099 per person, double occupancy.

Online cruise auctions: The explosion of travel auction sites illustrates a shift in pricing power, from cruise line to retailer and consumer. Bargain shoppers with flexible schedules can take advantage of clearance sale prices as online auctions sell last-minute vacancies or low-occupancy sailings.

A reminder: Auction prices do not automatically equal the best deal. Avoid getting carried away in the frenzy of a spirited auction.

Carefully review a site's rules and policies. Many sites work within a bidding period of one to 14 days, and they maintain a minimum bid or reserve. If the unspecified minimum is not reached, the cruise is withdrawn from sale.

Some tips for auction action:

Understand what the basis is of the discounted price: The retail brochure rate has as much basis in reality as the sticker price on a new car.

Know what is included in the item. Does this include air fare and transfers to the departure port? Land transportation from your home to cruise port? Port charges? Ticket processing or delivery charges?

Know from whom you are buying -- deal only with affiliates of clearly identified cruise lines -- and compare local travel agents' prices for the same package.

If you have questions or concerns, contact the American Society of Travel Agents at www.astanet.com; click on the word "Travelers" in the black bar at the top of the screen for a list of ASTA members.

Secure your transaction by using a credit card, but only trade on secure sites.

Pier-head jump/standby: Named for sailors who jumped aboard their ships at the last minute as they pulled away from the piers. Last-minute deals on undersold sailings can be found as far out as six to eight weeks before departure. If you are flexible with your vacation schedule and don't mind a limited choice of stateroom style and location, the savings here are significant.

Pre- and post-cruise stayovers: Consider adding extra days to your cruise vacation. Many cruise lines reserve blocks of rooms in port city hotels, so passengers can stay for less. Most such stayovers include transportation from airport to hotel to cruise port. Ask if the deal includes escorted tours, local attraction coupons or tickets, meals or rental cars.

For example, the Crystal Harmony's 2002 spring Asia series of 15- and 16-day cruises includes a complimentary three-night land package, with tours, in Beijing. "Perfect Harmony" package rates are up to 43 percent off published fares. The 15- and 16-day itineraries with the three-night Beijing program, including hotel accommodations, meals and tours, start at $3,795 and $3,995 per person, double occupancy, respectively.

Repositioning cruise: As seasons change, ships follow the sun from one region to another. For example, ships that winter in Florida in order to sail the Caribbean may traverse the Panama Canal to spend the summer in Alaska. Such "repositioning" cruises also occur when new ships and new itineraries are introduced.

Repositioning cruises naturally offer more days at sea, often seven to 10 nights or longer. Offseason rates plus offbeat itineraries including transatlantic crossings make repositioning cruises a bargain.

Here's an example: Princess' Golden Princess will feature two transatlantic crossings: a 14-day Fort Lauderdale-to-Barcelona cruise in May and a 15-day Istanbul-to-New York sailing in August. "Loveboat Saver" rates start at $2,440 per person, double occupancy, cruise only.

Tie-ins: Keep your eyes open for cosponsored cruise discounts. You may find a deal on your next supermarket trip, or your credit card company may include special discounts on cruises when booked on that card.

Other promotions have been offered in specially packaged videotapes sold by Fox Video, inside Nestles' packages of chocolate morsels, with the launch of a new Elizabeth Arden perfume. Even Tic Tac mints cosponsored discounts aboard the Windjammer fleet.

Tour conductor: Leadership has its rewards, and many folks know that if they can organize a group of a certain number, they can come along for free. This holds true for most cruise lines, which usually allow one free passage for a "tour conductor" for every eight staterooms booked. (That means 16 passengers sold.) Some lines offer the free fare for every 10 paying passengers.

The best way to rally your paying troops is to get enthusiastic about the cruise, to invite your friends, neighbors and business associates to a reception or "cruise night" with snacks, cruise videos and brochures. Ask your travel agent for supplies and support.

Mary Fallon Miller is author of the books Cruise Chooser: Buyer's Guide to Cruise Bargains, Discounts & Deals and How to Get the Best for Less. The paperbacks are $18.95 each and can be ordered by calling (727) 822-5029 or toll-free 1-800-929-7447, or by sending a check or money order to Ticket to Adventure Inc., P.O. Box 41005, St. Petersburg, FL 33743-1005. The books are available at bookstores and online at www.amazon.com, www.bn.com and www.cruisechooser.com.

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