Cruise Europe affordably

With regard to converting currency, how and where you swap dollars for euros and vice versa can make a big difference, and a little homework can go a long way. Time was that the best exchange rates available came from charging food, lodging and merchandise abroad on your credit card. The banks wised up to this however, and many credit card companies impose a surcharge for overseas purchases, so check with your credit card's customer service department. ATM's are now commonplace nearly everywhere in Europe, and usually offer a favorable exchange rate.

But additional fees and surcharges may be tacked on by your bank, so again it makes sense to take the time to ask. And while you're there, check on the bank's in-house exchange rates. Chances are that they will be better than those found in local storefront exchanges (cambios) abroad, and almost certainly better than the rates you'll find in airports. Lastly, since every time you convert from one currency to another you give up a bit of value, when you return home, don't do it! Take those unspent Euros, put them in an envelope and stick them in a drawer for safekeeping. Even if you don't plan on returning to Europe anytime soon, your other travel plans outside the U.S. — to the Caribbean or Canada, for example — may give you the option to pay in euros, which can minimize the conversion loss.

Here's the "almost": Being able to sail the off-season or pick up remnant space is fine if you don't have scheduling restrictions, but what about people whose travel must take place during high season? If you are a teacher or parents traveling with school-age children, for example, you may be limited to the peak times (in Europe, roughly June through mid-August). The answer is to look for affordability in the budget cruise area — and you may not need to scale your budget down to the easyCruise level (see "Shop the Bargain Basement" below).

There are a number of European budget operators to consider that really market to families. These include German-based AIDA, and U.K.-based Ocean Village and Island Cruises, each of which offer seven-night summer Mediterranean sailings at significantly less than $1,000 per person, double occupancy.

2. The repo man is your friend
Repositioning, that is. For cruise lines that move their ships seasonally — from Europe or Alaska to the Caribbean and vice versa — those long ocean crossings are costly but necessary. Of course, you can book those cruises just like any sailing, but amazingly enough few people do. The reason is threefold.

First, the sailings tend to be longer then the most popular seven night variety. Then there are those long strings of sea days between port calls. Last, these voyages take place at the very edges of tourist-friendly weather. What comes as a surprise for many is that repositioning cruises often include a number of conventional port calls. In the repositioning example, above, there are five.

3. Shop the bargain basement
The golden age of the trans-Atlantic steamers was hardly golden for immigrants struggling to make it to America from the old country. Ships in those days were either two- or three-class vessels, with first and tourist being the opposite ends of the spectrum for leisure travelers. There often was one class for poor immigrants traveling in steerage, situated at the very bottom of the ship, usually below the waterline (accommodations which would now not be permitted). It was called steerage because these poverty-stricken souls literally were human ballast, whose weight helped to keep the keel deep and stable.

Nowadays, steerage is but a tale to be told to great-grandchildren around the Lido Deck on extended family cruise vacations. However, there still are incredible bargains to be held for those to whom luxury and pampering are unimportant. U.K.-based easyCruise offers the most dramatic deals; that line caters to young (or young at heart), patient and tolerant folks whose core desire is to get off there ship and enjoy the travelers' treats Europe has to offer —everything else is merely transportation.

The bottom line? Cost of meals notwithstanding, a cruise fare of $40 per day for a couple leaves even the least expensive shoreside hotels in the dust. For a handle on how much, exactly, you'll be giving up for these savings, check out our easyCruise reviews.

4. The more the merrier
If there is one truth in cruising its that it's a game driven by numbers. The more passengers band together, the more clout, perks and negotiating leverage they have as a group. The reasons are obvious: With ships growing in number and size almost daily, the cruise lines' biggest dread is using pricey diesel fuel to transport empty cabins. It's little wonder how eager they are to kowtow to people who can fill a bunch at one pop. Sometimes group members know each other, or have something in common; sometimes it's just an amalgamation of convenience. As far as the cruise lines are concerned, it matters not as long as the berths are filled — and in return, lines offer groups a number of concessions, including discounts, priority access to alternative dining and shore excursions, and other amenities. And, given the prices and lengths of European cruises, even a little discount goes a long way. So, how to find and join a group? Here are some examples.

Affinity groups: Do you have to like all your fellow group members? Hardly. You don't even have to know them. In this context, the word "affinity" means filling a group with people who have something in common. Maybe it's a group of people who all are regulars of Cruise Critic ... there are plenty of group sailings for members. But if your affinity is having reached the ripe old age of 55, check out group deals with AARP. Other affinity groups include AAA, AA, trade associations and, for gays and lesbians, Atlantis.

Cruises with lifestyle themes — from quilting to jazz — are another kind of affinity trip and are increasingly popular.

Slide show   European escapes There’s endless adventure around every corner — food, wine, shopping, art and more. more photos

Groups of Convenience: Sometimes the only affinity factor that group members have in common is the desire to save a buck. In the highly competitive world of cruise travel, where the lowest fare is the primary factor, savvy travel agents look for every edge. Since the cruise lines like big numbers they offer incentives for large group bookings. Typically, the formula is one-for-15, meaning for every 15 cabins sold, the cruise line provides one free. These free accommodations were originally intended for the group leaders, but nowadays they are more often used for pricing leverage. High volume cruise agents can book a block of 16 or more cabins for a particular sailing on the assumption that they will be able to sell all the cabins in the block. They then can amortize the free cabin equally among the whole group, reducing fares for all who buy into the block.

Do note, however, that cruise line policies on free cabins do vary.

Building blocks: There are many ways to find cruise agents with block bookings to fill — checking with Cruise Critic's recommended agents is a pretty good way to start — but if you can't find one already set up for the date and ship you want, consider forming your own group. Put out feelers to friends, family, co-workers, or congregants in your church or synagogue. You'll have to handle the organization, paperwork and perhaps bird-dogging collection, but the savings make the effort worthwhile. Even if your enterprise results in a block of only eight cabins, you still get one of the two berths for free, effectively halving the fare for you and your traveling companion — on top of any other discounts you can negotiate. Block bookings are complicated and best accomplished utilizing the services of a cruise agent.

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