Tips for Getting Best Cruise Deals

You can compound your cruise savings by booking last minute deals during off-season times when rates are lower to begin with or cruising to destinations that you find intriguing but have unusual departure dates. A few general guidelines for finding great last minute cruise deals are:

ØStart watching about two months before your vacation, and check back often – special discounts are snapped up quickly. ØBe flexible – if you can shift your travel dates by a few days one way or other you may be able to save even more. ØBe adventurous – if you see a fabulous deal on an exotic cruise to someplace you’ve never thought of but that sounds intriguing – go for it! This is time to use savings to invest in broadening your horizons. ØOnline is best and quickest way to stay informed – Internet constantly updates information on cruise deals as cruise lines post available openings. ØKnow what you’re looking for – there are so many kinds of cruises now available with different themes that it can be confusing. If you and your husband are going, don’t bother looking at singles cruises – savings isn’t worth being surrounded by singles. But a cruise geared toward honeymooners might put a bit of spark back in your marriage, especially if you’re looking for an anniversary getaway!

Theme Cruises are New Trend in Packaged Cruise Deals

You can find some great savings on theme cruises, a new trend for people with special interests or hobbies. Because these cruises cater to very specific tastes, price of open spots can drop more quickly when they are discounted because they realize chances of filling spots may not be as high as for a general cruise.

So if you’re interested in a last minute cruise and also happen to be a food and wine connoisseur, you may be able to find a drastically discounted price on a Wine Tasting or Chef’s Taste of Cultures cruise, combining two interests and saving money at same time.

There are also cruises that correspond with times of year, such as foliage cruises or whale watching cruises that may offer special savings if they have cancellations since these are only offered during small windows in time. If you happen to hit one of these, you can expect some really amazing discounts on unique, once-in-a-lifetime cruise opportunities.

Trade Up to a Cruise for a Lifetime of Memories

So when that staid vacation is planned and you’ve already blocked out your vacation days at office, don’t be afraid to periodically check out last minute cruise deals that can be found at rock bottom prices if you book just a few weeks in advance. Throw caution to winds and pass on lakeside fishing trip in favor of an unforgettable cruise to Bahamas – with last minute bargains and fabulous all-inclusive packages you can turn that ho-hum trip into truly memorable one!

A three-day vacation with girls can be all about you – spas, saunas, drinks on deck while reading a great paperback. Nights of relaxing and chatting or seeing a great show; or maybe playing slots in casino. It’s three days of just girls, and when you go home you’ll be refreshed, relaxed and full of great memories!

You can get a great discount on three day cruises that will bring in weekend at a lower cost than driving to those outlets, renting a hotel room and buying all of your meals in restaurants – and food will be better, too. No driving around looking for nearest movie theater, no looking for something to do – it’s all right there on board ship.

Singles Cruises are usually booked as groups of singles onboard cruise ships that may have other groups as well, but because singles group organizer is buying a block of rooms to keep singles all together you can get a great discount on this kind of vacation. If you’re looking to meet and mingle with other singles, these cruise packages offer activities, dining and dancing with other singles onboard.

These have become increasingly popular and are also a great way to enjoy great vacation destinations – why not go snorkeling off Nassau or shopping in Bahamas and meet some great eligible singles, too? Today’s single professionals don’t want to wait until they find someone special to enjoy finer things in life, and a singles cruise means they can enjoy an amazing vacation and find someone special at same time!

Cruise Packages to Fit Your Vacation Schedule

Cruise packages come in several different sizes to fit your budget and your time constraints. You can even start with a day cruise if you’d like to try out your “sea legs” and see what cruises are all about. But be warned – once you’ve tried a day cruise, you’ll be ready to book next step up, and you’ll be looking at four day, seven day or longer cruises!

If you’re looking for a great getaway for a long weekend, check into three- and four-day cruise packages that are available; you can find savings of up to 50% on these if you book in advance and are flexible on which port you leave from.

For a longer vacation, there are cruise packages of a variety of lengths, with most common lengths being seven day, eleven day, and then two and three week cruises. For seriously intense vacations, you can even book a discount cruise that’s a month or two months long (travel around world on a cruise ship, anyone?). The fabulous thing about a really long cruise is that discount is often substantial – an empty cabin is expensive for a cruise ship, so they’ll offer it a significant discount rather than have it sit empty for two months, so be sure to check out all possibilities – you may be surprised by what you can afford!

Lori Wilkerson is a full-time freelance writer who loves her job because it gives her the opportunity to learn more about the world every day. Right now, she knows a lot about last minute discount cruise deals. Lori once led a Conga line to the tune, "Hot, Hot, Hot," throughout an entire cruise ship sailing to Nassau. More Cruise articles at can be found at Discount Cruise