Planning a cruise? Look for serious discounting this spring

Planning a cruise? Look for serious discounting this spring
By Christopher Elliott - Tribune Media Services
Published 12:00 am PST Sunday, January 27, 2008
Story appeared in TRAVEL section, Page M

http://www.sacbee.com/travel/story/660520.html

Thinking of taking a cruise? Then you picked the right time - and
you're reading the right story.

Wave season - the time of year when most cruises are booked - is just
ahead. It runs from now to about mid-March, and because everyone's out
there buying a floating vacation, there are lots of deals to be had.

But the 2008 wave season promises to be a little different from past
ones. Coming off a year in which the industry trade group Cruise Lines
International Association expected to welcome a record 12.62 million
cruise passengers, an increase of about a half-million guests over
2006, there's trouble on the horizon.

The biggest, as far as passengers are concerned, is a pesky (and
probably illegal) fuel surcharge on cruises. It's no secret that fuel
prices have risen, but the cruise industry appears to have taken the
Gordon Gekko approach to paying its energy bills. Many have
retroactively charged customers who already paid for their cruises in
full, offering a piece of the action to travel agents who helped them
collect.

Forget for a moment that some cruise lines already hedged their fuel
costs, which means they aren't really paying more for energy. And
forget that those same cruise lines agreed in 1997 not to charge any
fees in addition to the advertised initial ticket price except those
actually passed on by the company to a government agency.

Apparently, greed is good.

At a time like this, you have to be smarter about your cruise
purchase. First, find a competent travel agent. Professional travel
consultants sell nearly 9 out of 10 cruises, and there are many agents
out there who know their stuff. I always check to make sure they're
members of the American Society of Travel Agents or the CLIA - signs
that they're on the up-and-up.

Next, you should know that there could be deals, and lots of them.

The major cruise lines were expected to add 12 new ships totaling
22,039 beds, and if demand doesn't keep up with supply, you could see
some serious discounting as the tide comes in this wave season. So
shop hard.

And beyond that? I asked a few good agents and veteran cruisers for
their money-saving secrets. Here they are.

* Buy as early as you can. We've already passed the absolute best time
- the sailings before Christmas and New Year's, which rarely are at
capacity. Remember that for next year. But there likely are still
bargains afloat this year.

* Skip the air-inclusive cruise. "Cruise air is usually the worst
possible deal," says Amber Blecker, an agent for CruiseResource.com.
"You get bad itineraries, multiple connections and higher prices."

And, she adds, don't think for a moment the cruise line will wait if
your plane is late. "That's an old wives' tale," she says.

* Find a preferred agent. There are travel agents, and then there are
travel agents.

"Find one that specializes in booking with your desired cruise line,"
says Charles McCool, a consultant who specializes in finding travel
deals. "Only a select few have preferred status. These agents and
agencies offer better discounts and amenities, and the cruises cost
between 10 percent and 20 percent less than cruises bought from other
agents."

* Think small, think shoulder-season. Crystal Griffith, a nurse from
Baker, Fla., scored a deep discount on her Alaska cruise by choosing a
September itinerary and picking a windowless inside cabin.

"We rarely spent much time in the cabin, and use it mainly for
sleeping," she says. "It saved us lots of money."

* Become a shareholder. "If you buy 100 shares of Carnival or Royal
Caribbean stock, you'll get between $50 and $200 of free cabin credit
on every cruise," says George Smart, a consultant in Research Triangle
Park, N.C.

Carnival and Royal Caribbean own most of the cruise lines out there,
so this is a pretty decent deal. Carnival Corp. recently traded in the
neighborhood of $38; Royal Caribbean a few dollars lower.

* Ask about discounts. One of the most popular is the military
discount. Some cruise lines insist on either active-duty status or
evidence of a long career, but not all.

"Carnival Cruise line will sell their military rate to anyone who has
served for two years," says Liz Lamagese, a Tampa, Fla.-based travel
agent. "As long as you have your separation papers to fax them, you
can get very low rates on most of their cruises."

* Private tours can save you big money. That's what Jerry Rothstein, a
New York investment consultant, discovered on a recent cruise to the
Greek islands.

"We quickly figured out that for six people, we'd be better off having
a private arrangement for shore excursions," he says. Now he regularly
runs Internet searches to find less-costly tours for groups that are
"more intimate" and cost less than those offered by the cruise line.

* Become a frequent cruiser. Evelyn Fine, a market researcher based in
Daytona Beach, Fla., has found that loyalty pays. Cruise lines offer
her everything from discounts to special on-board perks like VIP
receptions and priority dinner reservations.

"Becoming a loyal customer is worth it," she says.

* For a free upgrade, tell them you're a VIP. Actually, get your
travel agent to tell them you're a VIP, says Royce Jones, a Jackson,
Miss., furniture manufacturers representative.

"My agent tells the cruise line I'm one of her best customers, and
that if I like the trip, I'll return again in the future," he says.
"And then she asks for an upgrade. It works most of the time."

* Don't get on the bus. "One of the best ways to save money on a
cruise is to not take the provided transportation that meets you at
the dock," says Michael Berger, an information systems consultant in
Chilliwack, British Columbia. "They usually cost more or end up taking
you to their uncle's store to get a discount."

Instead, he recommends walking a block or two away from the dock and
finding a local transportation option. It's cheaper, and you're less
likely to fall for a tourist trap.

* Get a soda sticker. If you like bubbly drinks, buy the soda sticker
for the cruise if your cruise line sells one. On Princess, for
example, $29.50 gives you unlimited soda - something Tom Kinsella, a
Woodbridge, Va., software manager, discovered on his last cruise.

"And bring your own soda mug. Ours is 64 ounces, and they'll fill it
any time you need it filled. That way, you're not stuck with their
small glasses."

* Or try these two booze tricks.

Tip No. 1: Bring your own wine and pay a corkage fee at dinner. "It's
still cheaper than the roughly $30 low-end wines offered by the cruise
line," says Kirsten Taylor, an information technology manager in
Feeding Hills, Mass.

Tip No. 2: If you prefer hard liquor, try emptying a water bottle and
replacing it with your favorite vodka or gin. "No one will notice,"
says David Tuder, a banker from New York.

* Buy your next cruise ... on your cruise. "The cruise line will offer
special deals available only onboard, with much-lower base prices than
you'd find off the ship," says Kevin Harris, a hotel owner from Fort
Lauderdale, Fla. "And when you book with the onboard person, you
usually receive higher onboard credits to spend anywhere on the ship."

This wave season, you don't have to be swamped with higher cruise
prices and unexpected surcharges.

Just take a few tips from people who are in the know, and you'll save
a few bucks and have a better cruise.

"Ablang" wrote in message
...
Thinking of taking a cruise? Then you picked the right time - and
you're reading the right story.

Plaguized from CNN.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/trave...5/cruise.tips/

Tio Pedro wrote:

"Ablang" wrote in message
...
Thinking of taking a cruise? Then you picked the right time - and
you're reading the right story.

Plaguized from CNN.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/trave...5/cruise.tips/

Actually, it's a syndicated columnist, the article showed up in
lots of places, including the Sacramento Bee, where he posted
(plagiarized, if you prefer) it from. And Ablang reposts
copyrighted articles in several newsgroups, that seems to be all
he posts.

The article itself is interesting but I have to wonder about
some of the advice in it. The advice about cruise line airfare
seems a bit suspect, since there are cases where it can be
cheaper. And while they may not hold the ship for a late pane,
I'd imagine they do if there are a lot of people from the cruise
on that flight. Also, they ARE responsible for getting you to
the next port.

I also have to wonder about the guy who got quoted saying how he
smuggles liquor onboard. I hope he did not use his real name. If
he did, I wonder whether his luggage won't get an extra careful
checking next time he cruises.

I also doubt that story about the TA telling the cruise line
that the person is a VIP and their getting preferred treatment.
Any TA's out there want to comment on it?

Bill