Cruise Europe affordably

By Steve Faber

updated 1:01 p.m. ET Oct. 16, 2008

Maybe you've never been on a cruise before, or maybe you're a platinum level repeater with multiple cruise lines, on a first-name basis with half the taxi drivers in the Caribbean. In either case, it's a good bet that on one level or another you've considered choosing to cruise Europe sometime in the future.

If that's the case, the future could be now. With more and more ships committed year-round to the Mediterranean, the entry of the mass-market lines and flourishing of European budget operators, now's the time to dust off those European cruising plans; it is possible to say the words "Europe" and "affordable" in the same sentence.

There are a slew of reasons besides affordability for the overseas trend, and now is a great time to go with the tide. If you've yet to "go Continental" in your cruise vacation planning, one or more of these may resonate with you:

Get to the roots of everything. Okay, not everything in American life had its origin in Europe, but, arguably, a major portion of Western culture and history derives from the Continent. And there's no substitute for being there and seeing it up close and in person. Whether it's standing on the floor of the Colosseum in Rome or atop the Acropolis in Athens, seeing the actual Mona Lisa framed on a wall rather than printed in a book, or walking the halls of Versailles, there is an eerie sense of being transported back in time and history that needs to be experienced firsthand.

You can't get it here. Well, again a bit of hyperbole. You can get pasta in Pittsburgh or pizza in Poughkeepsie, but eating Italian in Italy is in a whole different league. The same goes for French, Spanish, Greek — all the regional cuisines of Europe. Whether or not it's in part psychological, the local food just seems to taste different and, to most palates, better. Likewise, much of the European merchandise we buy in the States is available in greater quantity, variety, and sometimes even of better quality for a lower price on the other side of the Atlantic. For example, I have a personal passion for Italian driving shoes, and I can find a far greater variety of my favorite brands in Southern Italy, amazingly enough at about half the stateside price.

You've chosen the best way to go. It's a cornerstone of the oft-quoted list of the advantages of cruising over land-based vacations; you only have to pack or unpack your bags once, and your hotel room travels with you. It's true, and valid anywhere there are both hotels and cruise ports. However, it's truer for Europe, where, especially for first-timers, it's typical to visit a number of different countries to get a comparative overview, perhaps to return at a later date to explore a favorite destination in greater detail. Travel by ship is perfect for this type of touring. By contrast, land-based leisure travelers flying to island destinations are more likely to kick back in a single resort.

Okay, so those are the reasons to go. On the flip side, the reasons most often stated by those who haven't opted to go European are long, uncomfortable flights and pricey airline tickets; being in non

English-speaking, unfamiliar environments; and the substantially higher cost of European travel over a trip of the same length within the Americas.

We can't make the planes go faster (and can't promise cheaper airfares), but Europe is becoming increasingly U.S.-friendly, and my impression is that every year it seems that there are more and more English-speakers, even in France. And as far as the cost goes, there are a number of ways to economize on European travel and get maximum bang for your euro:

1. Timing is (almost) everything
Sail the off-season. Prices are significantly higher at every stage during peak summer months, not only because of the bump in tourist traffic from America, but because those are the months most Europeans vacation, and the majority of them stay on the Continent for their holidays. That means more crowds — while at the same time more businesses, such as restaurants, are shuttered up, funneling even more traffic into those that remain open. And that means higher prices, longer lines and reduced service.

Now, cruise lines are increasingly feeding the trend for greater American interest in Europe by extending their seasons — in fact, MSC, NCL and Costa all offer year-round Mediterranean cruises. Although you may be spending less time ashore in shorts and a T-shirt, traveling between late fall and early spring yields big savings on cruise fares. Those looking for maximum off-season savings should look to cruise lines with a strong marketing presence in Europe itself. Those companies maintain a year-round presence over there, since many of their budget-conscious customers can save big with rock-bottom, bargain-barrel rates on cruise fares.

For those hardy souls who would consider a mid-winter European odyssey, savings can be immense: as high as 60 percent over mid-summer rates.

Book far in advance ... or at the last minute. Long-range planners not only get maximum early-bird discounting but are also generally high on the list for upgrades should one become available. Furthermore, early booking for an off-season trip allows use of more tools from your travelers' toolbox. If you have mileage, for instance, on an airline that has trans-Atlantic service, you stand a much better chance of finding "free" seats in advance.

By contrast, there's always the possibility of picking up "remnant" space for cruises that are about to sail less than full. Web sites like lastminutetravel.com and, of course, Cruise Critic are worth a look; nearly all of the larger cruise-only and cruise-specialty agencies periodically have last-minute deals, so it's worthwhile checking before plunking down your deposit. However, it is in my experience rare that last-minute savings exceed what you can get through a diligent cruise agent booking far in advance and willing to discount.

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The reason? Most cost-conscious cruisers go for the lowest-priced category of the type of cabin they're looking for (most affordable inside, ocean-view, balcony, etc.). Since these are the first staterooms to book up (along, incongruously, with the priciest), they are often not available even when a ship is only half-booked. It's been my experience that the lowest-level outside cabin, discounted for booking early, sells for less than a higher-level cabin of the same type sold at the last minute. Another caveat is that last-minute cruising in Europe may be available at a bargain, but last-minute trans-Atlantic air seldom is.

Watch the exchange rate. When the dollar is strong (meaning you can get more euros, pounds, etc. per dollar), the buck goes a longer way when purchasing goodies abroad. These fluctuations can range as high as 15 to 20 percent in a single year. Added to that savings is the fact that purchases can be made tax-free and sometimes duty-free, and this can amount to a substantial discount. A good Web site to track world currencies is oanda.com. This site has an option to print out a chart of the exchange rate in the form of a handy wallet-size card.

The cruise lines are quick to tout periods of weakness in the dollar vs. the euro as the best times to cruise Europe, since you buy the cruise in dollars, while those booking overseas hotels pay in the more costly euro. However, this logic makes sense only for those who plan to have most meals aboard ship and don't plan on doing much shopping abroad. For those for whom off-ship dining and shopping are priorities, times when the dollar is stronger against the euro are more advantageous.

There's one caveat, however: make sure you cruise with a line that charges onboard expenses in the American dollar (Europe- and U.K.-based companies may consider euros and pounds, respectively, as their onboard currency of record).

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