Receiving discounts on cruises.

     All cruise ships offer discounts at different times and they change the prices throughout the year. Also, competition is becoming a big pricing factor to ensure the ships are filled near capacity. Keep an eye open for discount coupons and offers. Discounts may be found in newspapers, magazines, and the Entertainment Book®. Travel during the off-season in the spring and the fall, not during the summer months when the rates are the highest.

     Reserve a cabin inside the ship instead of an outside cabin with a window view because the price is significantly cheaper (upwards to a 50% discount). The window view may typically consist of one or two small portals that don't let you see much anyway. Also, the inside cabins do not experience the ship’s rocking motion as much as the outside cabins.

     Book a cruise early for a cabin in the lower decks at a cheaper rate. Chances are you will be upgraded at no charge. The reason is because as the cruise date approaches and the ship is not full, the cruise lines may upgrade the paying customers into the more expensive cabins at no charge to open up more cheaper lower level cabins to entice new customers.

     Big discounts, up to 75%, can be found when companies are repositioning their ships from one part of the world to another due to the changes in seasons. You may be able to take a repositioning cruise to the Mediterranean or the Far East. The big price reduction is because cruise lines want to reduce the cost of repositioning an empty ship. Contact your travel agent, the cruise lines, or the Internet for more details and information.


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