Cruise Travel Planning – How to Get the Best Deal for Your Next Cruise

When it comes to planning a vacation, everyone wants to have a great vacation experience. People also love to score a cheap vacation package in the process of this cruise travel planning. Of course, few people really want the actual experience that often results from booking a cheap vacation package. The cheapest cruise vacation you can possibly book is seldom the best cruise vacation for your unique travel preferences.
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Thankfully, there are steps you can take that will help ensure that you actually book the best cruise vacation that actually meets your travel needs, though possibly not the cheapest cruise vacation available. The key is cruise travel planning that utilizes some key strategies that help you score a rate that provides exceptional “bang for the buck” for your cruise vacation. In this blog, I will pass along some of the insider tricks for booking the best cruise vacation available at the cheapest fare possible.

​Cruise Travel Planning – Book Early

A few years ago, the best strategy for cruise travel planning was to hold off until a few weeks before your target travel date. For a period of a few years, available cruise inventory exceeded consumer demand and last-minute deals were everywhere. In those “good old days,” you could literally save hundreds of dollars if your plans were a bit flexible and you could monitor last-minute offers for the cheapest cruise packages of the season. Folks, the days when cruise travel planning involved holding off booking until close to sail date have long passed. In fact, to get the cheapest cruise vacation possible in today’s vacation market, you actually should plan to book as early as possible.

The demand for cruise travel is at an all-time high and continues to expand each year. To book the cheapest cruise vacation on your preferred cruise line and itinerary, the best strategy is now to book as soon as possible as the new fares are released. For many cruise itineraries, this can mean 18 months to two years in advance. This is especially true for popular sailings such as an Alaska cruise.
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These days, the cheapest cruise fare is often seen in the first few weeks after release. On some of the most popular ships and itineraries such as an Alaska cruise or longer Caribbean cruise sailings of 10 nights or more, bookings are usually very brisk and the cruise lines begin to raise those launch fares as the ship fills.  In these situations, we see fare hikes occurring every few weeks, with rates going higher and higher as space becomes ever more scarce.

​Cruise Travel Planning – Avoid Peak Season

For best value, your cruise planning strategy should avoid booking your cruise vacation at peak season when demand is at its highest.  For an Alaska cruise, the season runs mid-May through mid-September and peak demand is from mid-June through the end of July.  For the cheapest cruise vacation in Alaska, you should consider booking an early cruise in the first two weeks of May or later season after the first week of August. This tactic will help ensure you get one of the best possible fares for your Alaska cruise vacation.
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To get the cheapest cruise vacation for a Caribbean cruise, your cruise travel planning might target “shoulder season” when demand tends to be lower than some other times of the year. Demand for a Caribbean cruise tends to be at its highest beginning in the December holidays and running through mid-March or so, when people want to visit the Caribbean and get away from the cold temperatures in much of the USA. Summers can also generate higher fares when inventory in the Caribbean is lower as cruise lines pull many ships to sail in Alaska and the Mediterranean and demand is high for families looking to vacation while children are out of school for summer vacation.

​Cruise Travel Planning – Use a Travel Agent

To score the best fare in cruise travel planning, consider using a professional travel agent. Most travel agents are paid by commission from the cruise lines and don’t charge fees for cruise travel planning. A good travel agent has a good understanding of the cruise industry and the differences between the cruise lines.  They will save you hours of time and make sure you are booked on a cruise vacation that suits your travel preferences and budget. In addition, if you are looking for the cheapest cruise vacation, using a professional travel agent is the best strategy of all:  they frequently have access to exclusive fares that can save you literally hundreds of dollars on some sailings. Book your cruise vacation through a travel agent who can save you time, money and mistakes if you want the best result in cruise travel planning.

Cruise Travel Planning – Conclusion

There you have it, the best strategies for cruise travel planning. Contact the experienced, friendly professional travel agents at Dancing Moon Travel today. Let us take your cruise travel planning to the next step and make sure you get the cheapest cruise vacation that truly fits your lifestyle and budget.

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