As a college student, you may want to visit as many places as possible, and this is, of course, without the need to break a bank. Would you believe that you could make a voyage when on a budget? There is no secret that for most students, going on a cruise trip is usually associated with heavy costs; however, they are mistaken.
There are lots of cruise lines offering both expensive round-the-world voyages and cheap sea trips that are two-seven days long. You can live either in an interior room or you can settle into a multiple-floor suit. What option you choose depends on your preferences and your budget, though.
Truth be told, you can get a one-night sea trip for $50 or you can opt for a two-night one for $99. There are also four-day cruises that offer interior rooms for only $129 per person. What you will definitely like about these deals is that food and drinks are included!
If you are lucky enough, you can even book a balcony suit for just a few more bucks. However, this is not always about just luck. If you know the rules for getting the cheapest cruise deals, then you can find even better options that come even near for free. Professional writers from Pro-Papers are happy to help students not only with their academic writing assignments but also traveling and thus have come up with a few tips on how to get the best possible cruise deals.
- Never neglect to subscribe for newsletters
Believe it or not, but many cruise lines still send e-mails with hot offers to their potential clients. Leading lines such as Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and many others always inform their customers about up-to-date promos, last-minute proposals, and short sales through e-letters. Therefore, if you want to get the best deals, create a separate account to receive this sort of emails regularly.
- Check daily deal websites
By searching for discounts for cruises on daily deal sites such as Cruise Critic, you are very likely to buy a cruise to Antarctica, the Caribbean, and Galapagos at half-price. Check Rue La La too. Even though this platform is mostly about shoes and jewelry, a few lucrative cruise offers are occasionally on the list. Websites like LivingSocial, Travelzoo, and Groupon are also worth mentioning.
- Travel in the lower season
Students who have ever traveled somewhere by plane or bus know that the prices for trips can vary tremendously depending on the season, and cruise trips are far not an exception. Sailing on holidays will cost you much more than traveling in the low season. The highest prices for sailing packages are found during the summer months when families with children like cruising.
However, if you want to travel cheap, then the fall months are the perfect time for you to take a voyage. In this season, kids are back to school and their parents are back to work, and thus the demand for cruising decreases lowering the prices for sea trips. If you cannot be off college during this period, then consider traveling after New Year’s. However, take note that Spring Break is just around the corner and thus the rates will go up soon.
4. Book last-minute deals.
If being spontaneous is about you, then you can greatly benefit from your flexibility and book a cruise trip at the last minute. There are countless bargains, especially Caribbean deals, coming at discounted prices if you select a ship that leaves within 90 days.
Ships that cruise in shoulder seasons or that sell one-way routes offer great discounts in the long run. Of course, booking a cruise the last minute may turn into an expensive airplane ticket. Moreover, you will be offered very few cabins to choose from. However, if you are flexible and driving to a cruise port is not a problem for you, then getting a last-minute deal is a perfect way for you to travel cheap.
5. Use past guest discounts
Like loyal customers, frequent cruise guests can benefit from their loyalty. Traveling with one cruise line will allow you to earn initiatives like free spa treatments, complimentary snacks and cocktails, and even free cruises – these are what you would usually be supposed to pay for. As a past guest, you can also save much money by getting discounted offers throughout the year.
6. Use professional services
If you are too busy for reading newsletters, browsing daily deal websites, and searching for last-minute offers while in college, then contacting a travel agent sounds like a plan. Because professionals usually book many cruises at a time and cooperate directly with cruise lines, they can get the deals that others don’t.
Top agents are usually offered special discounts that normally are not available through daily deal websites; therefore, talking to a travel agent and asking for the cheapest cruise can help you save much. Even if this person will not give you a huge discount, he or she will probably offer you lots of perks that can amount to nearly $130 per person on a seven-day long voyage. Sounds great, doesn’t it?
Of course, no one has a crystal ball that can tell them what rule will work in a particular situation best. However, the above-mentioned tips can help you develop your own method that will work for you just fine so that you don’t drive yourself crazy every time you want to go on a sea voyage when you are on a tight budget.