Cruises can be a great vacation experience, but they’re not always easy on the bank accounts.
Fancy a break at sea but worried about losing your funds?
From the sweet spot for cheap deals to the benefits of using travel agents and from guzzler drinks package deals to cut-price shore excursion companies, researchers at Which? has revealed her smartest tips for saving money on your next cruise trip.
DO NOT BOOK TOO EARLY
Cruises go on sale between 18 and 24 months before departure, but which ones? warns customers: ‘Don’t assume that early risers enjoy the biggest savings!’
The company’s researchers checked the prices of 10 voyages with Fred Olsen and P&O Cruises and found that seven of them were cheaper within 12 weeks of departure compared to the early booking price.
A 14-night Mediterranean trip cost £400 less per person when booked just six weeks in advance, the researchers noted.
Which? The advice is: “Don’t rush to book, unless you have your heart set on a specific cabin that is likely to sell out.”
Fancy a break at sea but worried about losing your funds? Read smart advice from Which? to save money
‘Instead, compare rates between different months and keep an eye out for promotions.
‘Set up a price alert on cruisewatch.com either cruiseline.com to receive an email when the price drops.
“Cruise lines typically advertise the price of an inside stateroom, but other stateroom types may be cheaper on different sailing dates.”
USE AN AGENT
“Travel agencies can often offer a better variety of discounts or deals than would be offered if they went directly to the cruise lines” – which ones? explains. “Some get special deals or share their commission with you, so they can pass that discount on to the customer.”
For example, which one? says he found a balcony room on Celebrity’s six-night cruise to the Bahamas, Mexico and Cayman for £622 per person in vivavoyages.espointing out that the same room would have cost £660 per person if they had gone directly to Celebrity, saving £193 per couple.
Which? He also recommends getting quotes from more than one cruise agent before booking.
“There is often some wiggle room if you are willing to haggle,” they add. “Even if agents can’t beat the cruise line’s rate, they can sometimes offer incentives like onboard credit, prepaid gratuities, or excursions.”
If you travel alone, which one? recommends looking for cruises that don’t charge a single supplement using a US travel agency. vacationtogo.com.
And, if you pay for your cruise in dollars or euros instead of pounds, and the exchange rate is favorable at the time of booking, which one? says it’s best to pay in full right away if you want to save even more money.
BUY YOUR OWN FLIGHTS
Which? says booking a flight separately could be significantly cheaper than letting the cruise company organize it
“Cruise line deals that include flights give you peace of mind in the event of flight delays or cancellations (in which case the ship will wait for you)”, which ones? says. ‘Sometimes they also offer great rates as they buy seats in bulk.
“But in some cases, buying your own flights can be much cheaper.”
When which? Researchers looked at how much they could save by booking their own flights, Princess’ cheapest flight quote for a cruise starting in Rome and ending in Barcelona was £235 per person.
Money experts then found the same flights for £153 per person, which would save a couple £164.
But which one? warns those who book their own flights to make sure they know their rights as consumers.
The consumer advocate adds: ‘If your flight is delayed or cancelled, you may not be able to get a cruise refund (unless your travel insurance covers it). And if you decide to reach the boat, it will be on your own.
LOOK FOR PROMOTIONS, EVEN AFTER YOU BOOK
Which? recommends tourists keep an eye on the price of their cruise even after booking, adding that they can ask whoever they booked the cheapest price if it drops.
TO Which? Travel The reader explains that he had great success using this handy tip after booking a voyage with Norwegian Cruise Line, and was upgraded from an inside cabin to one with a balcony at no additional cost.
He adds: “They were running a promotion: a free upgrade to a cabin with a balcony if you booked a cabin with an ocean view.”
“So I asked if I could upgrade to a room with an ocean view and pay the difference, and they upgraded me to a cabin with a balcony for free.”
SAVE ON DRINKS ON BOARD
Which? recommends keeping an eye out for drink package promotions once you’ve booked your vacation, as they are “often heavily discounted or offered free in cruise sales”
Cruising and drinking can be very bad for your wallet, especially if you’re traveling with one of the big US-based cruise lines that also charge a service charge, says Which?, noting that Princess charges around £11 for a glass of wine on board. boats.
And, according to consumer experts, P&O Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Disney are the only companies that allow guests to bring their own drinks, and only in limited quantities.
For this reason, it is often tempting to purchase the pre-departure all-inclusive beverage packages offered by most cruise lines.
But which one? Added up how much you’d need to consume with P&O Cruises, Cunard, Princess, Celebrity and Fred Olsen to get your money’s worth, and discovered that it rarely makes sense to pay full price for a drinks package.
For example, researchers found that Celebrity’s drinks package costs $107 (£85) per person per day after adding the 20 per cent service charge, which would mean passengers would have to save 13 beers (around £ 7 each) or 10 glasses. of wine (£9 each) every day for a package to save money.
Instead, which one? recommends keeping an eye out for drink package promotions, as they are “often heavily discounted or offered free in cruise sales.”
He adds: “If you’ve already purchased a package and find a better deal, check to see if you can cancel for free and take advantage of the lower price; many cruise lines allow you to cancel up to two or three days before sailing.” .’
SAVE ON SHORE EXCURSIONS
When searching for tours in Rome, Italy, pictured above, which ones? Booking with Shore Excursions Group was found to be less than half the price of the Norwegian Cruise Line trip.
“Most cruise lines sell excursions at exorbitant prices and you will save money if you do them alone or book with a third party,” which one? says.
Which? He looked at the shore excursions offered by Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) on its six-day Mediterranean cruise and found similar options for much less.
At the time of checking, it claims that NCL’s Rome & Leisure tour in Italy cost £143 per person, while the equivalent tour from Shore Excursions Group was less than half the price: $89 per person (£71).
What’s more, Which? notes, companies such as Shore Excursions Group promise to get you back to your ship in plenty of time and will take you to the next port of call if there is an unavoidable delay.
Another option for a reduced price excursion is to ask cruise passengers and locals in cruisecritic.esThe forum of.
Or you can book your sightseeing tour alone, if you want to save even more money.
Which? adds: ‘In Athens, Greece, the metro will take you from Piraeus to the city center in 30 minutes, costs €2.40 (£2) for a return ticket, and there is a free bus service at the terminal of cruises.
“Be sure to check how far the port is from the city or attraction, and the logistics and cost of transportation options.”
CONSIDER GOING ALL INCLUSIVE
“Some brands lure you in with a low starting price, but expensive add-ons soon pile up once you’re on board, from premium drinks and restaurants to Wi-Fi and service charges,” says Which?. “All-inclusive cruises may cost more upfront, but could save you money in the long run.”
The consumer company’s research found that P&O Cruises passengers on a seven-night cruise can expect to shell out around £400 extra a week for a drinks package, a couple of special dinners and Wi-Fi, on top of what They already paid. .
Meanwhile, the consumer group discovered that tourists at Cunard have to pay for daily service and tips – around $16 per person (£13) per day and a whopping 15 per cent on top of each drink they order.
Which? says Noble Caledonia, Saga and Viking, which include everything from Wi-Fi to excursions in the core fare, were among the highest-rated ocean cruise lines in its survey, receiving four out of five stars for value for money.
Naomi Leach, deputy editor of Which? Travel said: ‘Cruises can be expensive, but with a bit of smart planning there are ways to keep costs down. Firstly, don’t be tempted to book too early: although cruises can be booked 12 to 18 months in advance, when we carried out spot checks we found that seven out of ten cruises we looked at were cheaper when booked within of 12 months. departure weeks.
‘Using an agent can also help you get a better price than booking yourself, as they can often negotiate better deals, so compare prices and don’t be afraid to haggle. Even if agents can’t offer a better rate, they can sometimes offer free extras like onboard credit, prepaid gratuities, or excursions. It might also be worth considering whether to book the flights yourself rather than as part of the cruise package, as this can sometimes work out cheaper.’