Introduction

This is one in a series of money-saving tips. For more information, please visit my home page.

Cruises

My wife and I enjoy cruising. It's a great way to take a vacation because you get to see a bunch of cities but you don't have to keep packing and unpacking. And, it's all-inclusive. You get your transportation between cities, meals, lodging and entertainment. There's a lot of competition for customers so there are bargains to be had.


We have traveled on several cruise lines but have recently locked in on Princess as our favorite (the one from "The Love Boat" TV series). Most of the ships are very new and they have itineraries that include ports all over the planet. So far we've been on several Caribbean cruises and one Northern European cruise with a Mediterranean cruise coming up next.


cruise ship We've tried a couple of internet travel agencies that specialize in cruises as well as getting quotes from Princess itself. The one that has been the cheapest for us is cruise.com. Somehow they are able to come up with better prices than Princess. There are lots of cruise choices, especially in the Caribbean. So check out the airfares to find the best deal before booking a cruise. Most Princess cruises to the Caribbean depart from Fort Lauderdale.


Seven day Caribbean cruises are probably the most plentiful. But, if you want to visit some deep Caribbean ports like Aruba or Barbados, you'll either have to sail from Puerto Rico, which tends to make the airfare quite a bit higher, or, if you have the time, there are 10 and 14 day cruises that will take you there from Fort Lauderdale.


A good price is $100 per day per passenger, or less, for Caribbean cruises in an inside cabin. But to that you have to add airfare and onboard drinks (you have to pay extra for soda and hard drinks) and tips for your waiter, bus boy and cabin steward.


If you go on a Princess cruise and decide during the cruise that you really want to go on another they make you a deal that is a no-brainer. If you put down a $100 deposit per passenger for a future cruise, not only is it the down payment on that subsequent cruise but they will also give you an additional onboard credit as well. It's like money for nothing as you can use it to help pay for that bar tab.


You have four years to take that future cruise. But you can always request your money back before then if you want. As I said, it's a no-brainer. The amount of the onboard credit varies based on whether you book an inside or outside cabin and on the length of the cruise. Ours, for our 12 day Mediterranean cruise in an outside cabin, was $100 per person.


Here's an important point. If you book a cruise, do not opt for an immediate assignment of a cabin. Just book the desired category of cabin (inside, outside, outside with balcony, etc.). If you let Princess assign the cabin number at their convenience you leave the door open for getting a no-cost upgrade. This has worked for us a couple of times but isn't guaranteed.

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