Posts tagged Cruises

This year may be the best time in ages to take a well deserved vacation because the travel industry is having financial difficulties in these tough economic times.   You now can find incredibly cheap airfares and last minute flights, exclusive hotels and cheap hotels, family resorts and all inclusive resorts, as well as discount cruises and last minute cruises on the web, or at your local travel agency.   It stands to reason that if any airplane, hotel, resort, or cruise ship is not fully booked, that represents a significant loss of income that can not be recouped, so this is your time to grab the best possible travel deals in years.

When you search for holiday air flights on the internet you should first look at sites that have ticket price listings for multiple airlines.   That way you can compare airfare prices side by side.   If you search for air consolidators you’ll find that they have secured blocks of discount airline fares from a number of airlines.   One of the well-known major discount airlines you should also look up is Southwest Airlines which is not usually included in the air consolidator or multiple commercial airline websites.  

If you are planning air travel to Europe there are a number of European airlines that offer incredibly low fares, some as low as $60 U. S. , when you fly between countries within Europe.   Ryanair is the top low cost airline in Europe.   It also flies to and from the United States.

Choice hotels, luxury resorts, including all inclusive resorts are now offering amazing bargains as they try to maintain full occupancy.   On the internet you can search the words, hotels, or hotel finder to locate multiple discount hotel rates.   The same also applies to resorts.   If you want to take your pet on vacation with you, just search pet friendly hotels.  

Another great source for reasonable accommodations are vacation rentals.   These can include home owners who own recreational property such as holiday homes, cottages, or condos and now need to rent them because of the slow economy.   There are also beach vacation rentals available at substantial discounts.  

Luxury cruises at really great discounts abound.   One of the major advantages that Americans have is that the cruise lines are increasing their presence by adding a few more ports and increasing some sailings on both the East and West coasts of the United States.   Cruise tours are generally comprised of both a cruise and land tour.   You can opt for taking the cruise first to a destination port and then continue with the land portion of the tour.   Or, vice versa.   You can take the land excursion first and then board your ship for the luxury cruise.    If this is your first cruise, or you’re not really sure what you want in a cruise, it may be advantageous to deal with a travel agency that specializes in cheap cruises like a cruise consolidator, by searching that phrase, or by booking with a local travel agency that has extensive experience in booking cruises.

Cruises are more complicated then booking cheap flights or cheap hotel rooms because there are numerous options which can be confusing to many first time cruisers.   Some items to consider are the choice of state rooms (inside, ocean view, and balcony), deck location of the state rooms, and dinner sitting options except on ships that have anytime dining, etc.   Keep in mind that it doesn’t matter if you opt for the least expensive accommodation, you are always entitled to use all the standard amenities on the cruise ship.   All quoted prices are usually based on double occupancy.   Always make sure that you are aware of the total cost of your cruise including all government fees and port charges.

When you book any vacation travel deals or holiday travel packages, it’s always best to pay with a credit card.   That way you will have a record of all your trip transactions just in case a dispute arises with a bill, or a travel supplier runs into financial difficulty.   It’s highly unlikely the latter would happen, but if it does you’ll have a better chance of being reimbursed or rebooked.