Dozens of cruises...how do you do it?! :-)

[silentbob007]

I guess cruising a lot is all about priorities, looking for deals, and being flexible. I'm a grad student, yet I took 6 cruises last year (ok ... and that was by far the most I've ever taken or probably will take in one year). Most of them were waiting for great deals, my time off, and airfares to conincide. I generally only book cruises if I can get a special rate (residency, sale, senior if I'm with my parents) and the airfare is around $200 or less. I don't spend more than a few dollars on drinks and souvenirs, and I don't go on excursions unless I've never been to a place before. I always arrange all of my own travel, use Priceline for hotels, and generally try to find the cheapest way to do everything (my friends call me "the travel agent"). Oh ... I never skimp on the important things, such as tipping, etc.

[maureencruiser]

Hello, I'm sorry, I may have missed where you are from, maybe you are close to the port of departure, so, that is why you chose Alaska, but, I think for most of us, cruises to the Caribbean are more affordable than Alaska. There are so many flights to FL, I can fly a company called Allegiant Air for $29.00 each way from Roanoke to Orlando or Tampa! There are so many Bahamas and Caribbean cruises that you can often get a week long cruise on an older ship (by older, I mean 8 years or so), for around 400-500 per person. The 3 and 4 nighters to the Bahamas are around 200 per person. And of couse, people who live in FL, can just drive to the port. Guess where I plan on retiring to?...Maureen

[CPT Trips]

Time: Be retired

 

Economizers:

 

1. Book last minute

2. Get on the web agencies' spam lists

3. Learn about cruise compete (all one word preceded by www and ending in dot com)

4. Take longer duration repo cruises

5. Learn that a balcony, window or porthole are not necessities

6. Research you destination to learn what tours are available independently (probably half the ships price for the same cruise)

7. Join the roll call - you will meet people with whom you can set up a group tour/charter, rent a car together or share a taxi to save

8. Smuggle booze :) just teasin' . . . well sort of

9. Only cruise when you can get affordable airfare to port

10. Cruise off season and avoid the "family travel" times