For a lot of people, cruises are the best kind of vacation. But oftentimes a vacation on a big boat is put on hold due to the hefty price tag.
Deepi Mehta has three decades of travel planning and she says cruising doesn’t have to break your bank.
“I think I’ve sold it as low as $399,” said Mehta.
If you stay in the Houston area or in any areas nearby, consider sailing out of Galveston on Carnival or Royal Caribbean ships. This cuts out airfare and hotel cost.
Also, plan short, 3-day trips away from holidays. It’s not a good idea to plan a cruise during spring break or the summer.
Mehta suggest that you ignore last minute deals and book more than a year in advance. Not only is it cheaper but down payments are low and cruise lines sometimes throw in perks.
“Sometimes we have as low a deposit as $25,” said Mehta. “You will get ship board credit. You may get free gratuities. Some of the cruise lines will give you upgrades from inside cabin to a suite or something like that.”
Group travel saves even more if you’re willing to share and divide costs. There’s a magic number that gets cruise lines’ attention.
“If you have eight cabins, you might get one person free.”
One last thing, Mehta recommends you get refundable deposits so you can score better sales even after you book.
See traveling is easy and could be fairly inexpensive, it just takes planning.