Trifter

They say you haven’t lived until you have cruised. So what’s your excuse? I know, cruising can be quite expensive but here are 5 sure-bet ways to get on a cruise that you can afford.

1. Watch for repositioning cruises where a cruise line will offer substantial savings just to reposition its ships. For example, cruise lines are gearing up for Europe voyages starting in May so they are offering transatlantic cruises for as little as $34 per night or for Alaska cruises, you can sail to Vancouver from Los Angeles for as little as $173 per person.
2. Forfeit a view by taking an interior cabin. If you are looking for the cheapest fare then stop looking for a cabin with a view. You won’t be spending much time in a cabin anyways so save some money and look for interior or inside cabins. If none is available, then look for oceanview cabins that have an obstructed view.
3. Watch the news and look for unpopular cruises. On November 27, 2007, the MS Explorer cruise ship was evacuated and hours later, sunk off Antarctica. In December, Princess cruises slashed their 17-day South American Explorer cruise prices and offered February 2008 passengers an incredible offer, $999 including airfare to Buenos Aires.
4. If you don’t mind being a little adventurous or asking for directions in a foreign place then save some money sailing from an unknown or hard-to-get-to port. Choose a cruise that leaves from Savona, Italy rather than from Rome, Italy and save yourself up to $1,000.
5. Wait for last minute cruise deals where cruise lines drastically reduce fares to fill the ship up. Here you can get free upgrades, free champagne and free onboard credits or a whole suite with balcony for the price of an interior cabin.

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