This is the question that I get asked the most is how do I find such great deals?
A LOT OF RESEARCH!
The first thing you want to figure out is "about" when you want to go. Be flexible. Also know that any holiday time is going to be more expensive. Try to avoid those times!
September is going to be your cheapest month. It is high hurricane season. I have gone the last 3 Septembers and have had beautiful weather. It is a bit of a risk. If there is a hurricane they will most likely go to different ports. It is very unlikely that your cruise will be canceled. But keep in mind there are still risks.
My favorite site for when i am starting out is www.cruise.com
You can search by where you want to go--when--length--cruise line. I recomend putting in as few parameters as possible so you can see what is out there. You can narrow down your search.
Once you have figured out what itinerary will work for you, go directly to that cruise website. Sometimes cruise.com has the best price, sometimes the cruise line will have the best price. You will also want to check out travel sites for that particular cruise. Such as Travelocity, Orbitz, Expedia. See which one is going to offer the best deal. Once I booked a 4 day cruise for $169 per person through travelocity because they were offering a $50 cash back if you booked with a Master Card. It doesn't matter who you book through but what you get out of it. So look around.
Now keep in mind, this is probably NOT the lowest price you will pay. Infact, I have always paid a lower price on every cruise than I originally booked it for (with the exception of the first Disney cruise). How you ask--Read on......
You are ready to book your cruise. I always like to call directly to do this process rather than do it online. You will be asked to put a deposit down. It is usually $250 for a 7 day and $150 for a 3-4 day. ONLY PAY THE DEPOSIT! Even if you have all the money saved. You will need to make your payment in full usually 45-60 before you set sale. That is when you want to pay the balance and here is why.
If you cruise goes down in price, all you need to do is call whoever you booked with and they will adjust your price to the lower price. You just need to make sure your type of room is still available. Once you make your final payment, they will no longer adjust it. I check the prices every couple of days to see if they have changed. Each cruise line does it a little different--some will change it over the phone, and some will have you do it online. Every cruise, except Disney, has gone down in price from about $50-120 per person!
Now if you have made your final payment and the price goes down within that 45-60 days out, simply call the cruise line and see if they will upgrade you. This happened once to me and they upgraded me to a higher floor. This just means not as many stairs to walk up and down! (And yes, you do need to take the stairs everywhere if you are going to eat what they serve you at dinner!)
September is going to be your cheapest month. It is high hurricane season. I have gone the last 3 Septembers and have had beautiful weather. It is a bit of a risk. If there is a hurricane they will most likely go to different ports. It is very unlikely that your cruise will be canceled. But keep in mind there are still risks.
My favorite site for when i am starting out is www.cruise.com
You can search by where you want to go--when--length--cruise line. I recomend putting in as few parameters as possible so you can see what is out there. You can narrow down your search.
Once you have figured out what itinerary will work for you, go directly to that cruise website. Sometimes cruise.com has the best price, sometimes the cruise line will have the best price. You will also want to check out travel sites for that particular cruise. Such as Travelocity, Orbitz, Expedia. See which one is going to offer the best deal. Once I booked a 4 day cruise for $169 per person through travelocity because they were offering a $50 cash back if you booked with a Master Card. It doesn't matter who you book through but what you get out of it. So look around.
Now keep in mind, this is probably NOT the lowest price you will pay. Infact, I have always paid a lower price on every cruise than I originally booked it for (with the exception of the first Disney cruise). How you ask--Read on......
You are ready to book your cruise. I always like to call directly to do this process rather than do it online. You will be asked to put a deposit down. It is usually $250 for a 7 day and $150 for a 3-4 day. ONLY PAY THE DEPOSIT! Even if you have all the money saved. You will need to make your payment in full usually 45-60 before you set sale. That is when you want to pay the balance and here is why.
If you cruise goes down in price, all you need to do is call whoever you booked with and they will adjust your price to the lower price. You just need to make sure your type of room is still available. Once you make your final payment, they will no longer adjust it. I check the prices every couple of days to see if they have changed. Each cruise line does it a little different--some will change it over the phone, and some will have you do it online. Every cruise, except Disney, has gone down in price from about $50-120 per person!
Now if you have made your final payment and the price goes down within that 45-60 days out, simply call the cruise line and see if they will upgrade you. This happened once to me and they upgraded me to a higher floor. This just means not as many stairs to walk up and down! (And yes, you do need to take the stairs everywhere if you are going to eat what they serve you at dinner!)
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