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A Cheap Cruise Is A Good Deal These Days
By Dale Miller | March 5, 2010
The cruise industry, by nature, isn’t as affected by the economy as other travel sectors, as Lauren Volcheff, the marketing director at www.lastminutetravel.com tells us. While the basic cabin, entertainment and dining costs offer surprisingly cheap travel, “add-ons are the clincher,” she says. Travelers will often book a cabin upgrade, purchase alcohol onboard the ship, opt for off-shore travel excursions booked through the ship, or they may even book flight tickets through their cruise operator as well. It’s no surprise that cruises are one of the most widely touted discounted travel deals in 2010.
Exactly how cheap is a cruise deal? Consider that Carnival recently featured a three-day return vacation from San Diego to Ensenada, Mexico only $99! Less than $100 gave you all your accommodations, travel, entertainment and food aboard the ship! These kinds of ships have jogging tracks, ping pong, water slides a spa, mini golf, nightclubs, live shows and a plethora of restaurants and shops. Guests paid a $50 administration fee and there was an additional charge for alcoholic drinks and spa sessions.
One might wonder, “How can a ship afford to operate, while offering such a cheap deal?” The answer is that 25% of their revenue comes from onboard expenses. Despite most packages being deemed “all-inclusive,” vacationers find it easy to spend money aboard the ship. “You get most food, entertainment, soft drinks and coffee,” explains one Carnival Corp spokesperson. “You pay for alcohol, merchandise, for the spa, for pictures. All of these things are optional, but it’s hard not to spend money on a cruise because you are a captive audience.” On a ship like Royal Caribbean’s Voyager, you’ll come across golf simulators, internet cafes and ice skating lessons, which all come for a small additional fee. It’s still possible to find cheap travel if you can exercise some restraint, but many veteran cruisers confess to spending double what they paid for their initial cruise fare, in the end.
Your cheap travel is best done with an open mind. Begin looking at the prices of different destinations to compare. There are high seasons and low seasons for each country, which will also greatly affect your price. In some cases, the “off season” sees lower traffic because it’s colder or rainier; but in other cases, the weather is too warm for the average traveler, even though it might be perfect to you. You might want to also consider airline deals and see which cruises leave the cheapest departure port. Miami and Fort Lauderdale are usually cheap ports to fly into. From there, a Mexican cruise, a Bahamas cruise, a Caribbean cruise or a Virgin Islands cruise is possible.
When many folks think “cheap travel,” they check out sites like www.orbitz.com or www.expedia.com for reasonably priced airfare or they pay a visit to www.hotels.com and www.bedandbreakfast.com for reasonably priced hotels. This year, all-inclusive vacations have become a favorite of many since they supply more bang for the buck, which means more amenities, more fine dining, more destinations and more luxury for as little as $50 per day! Much like airlines and hotel chains, there are a number of cruise operators, and that equates to more competition and cut rate prices for consumers.
One of the reasons for the significantly greater cost in airline travel these days is the airline surcharges that are added to the cost of your ticket. Unfortunately for those who are looking for inexpensive travel options, there’s nothing at all that can be done about these charges, and costs will have to be cut in other areas instead.
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