7 tips for the best cruise deal

By Anita Dunham-Potter

Travel columnist

updated 2:26 p.m. ET Jan. 13, 2006

Winter cruises are no longer the indulgence of the rich and privileged few. In fact, cruises are the fastest-growing sector of the travel industry. According to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which represents 19 major cruise lines, more than 10 million people worldwide took a cruise in 2005, and that number is expected to more than double in the next five years.

Purchasing a cruise was once as simple as going to your local travel agent and leafing through a couple of brochures. But with the growth of the industry has come an almost overwhelming array of itineraries, packages, purchasing options and prices. How do you navigate through all the information to find the best deals? The tips that follow will help you clinch the best possible cruise for your money.

1. Catch the wave
The January-through-March “wave period” is traditionally the cruise industry’s busiest booking period. During this time, cruise lines make about 35 percent of their annual sales. This is the time when they pull out all the stops, offering consumers many hot deals.

This year the deals may be a little cooler. Unlike the past five years, when a dozen or more new cruise ships were launched each year, only six new vessels are being launched in 2006. With the slowdown in growth, supply is a little tighter. Still, some cruise lines are making special offers to entice travelers. For example, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line was recently offering BlackBerries and RAZR phones as booking incentives on selected cruises.

2. Call the cruise line first
Talk with a cruise line representative about the particular cruises and stateroom categories that interest you. Ask for any specials and be sure to mention your age and state of residence, as well as whether you are traveling in a group or have sailed with the cruise line before; all of these circumstances could qualify you for additional discounts. Use the quote given by the cruise line as your starting price point.

3. Check the Sunday papers
Sunday newspapers often carry ads for big cruise bargains in their travel sections. Larger metropolitan-area papers and papers in or near cruise embarkation cities are especially good for finding deals. For example, to find discounts for Miami, Fort Lauderdale or Port Canaveral embarkations, you should check the newspapers in those cities. You can purchase a short-term subscription to these papers or research them at your local library. If you’re looking to cruise out of Galveston, check the Houston Chronicle and the Dallas Morning News, whose travel ads are online.

4. Check cruise booking Web sites
Large online cruise discount agencies like cruise.com, icruise.com, 1-800-cruises.com and cruise411.com offer some of the lowest cruise rates anywhere. Travel megasites like Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity often have excellent deals as well, particularly on last-minute cruises. Recent comparison-shopping found that prices with the large dedicated cruise sites tended to fall within a few dollars of each other. Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity all offered similar prices that were slightly higher.

While the abovementioned sites may be selling cruises cheaper, be sure to inquire about additional and hidden fees, particularly cancellation penalties, which can range anywhere from $35 to $75.

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