Cruise Deals For 2011

2011 is looking set to become a fantastic year for picking up some great cruise deals.

If you are looking to find cruise deals for 2011, let me first take you through why I think you will be able to find amazing discounts and then I will show you the best way to make sure you get the biggest discount possible.

While everyone was expecting 2010 to ring an end to the global financial crisis, with the American and Greece bank bailouts and now talk of one in Ireland as well – the global economy is still feeling hard hit, and that is coming through in the way that individuals in each country are spending their money.

It seems that everyone is tightening their belts and this looks like it is going to continue through 2011 as well. With the majority of the [global] population to busy focusing on finding ways to make sure their bills are paid, holidays (including cruises) are sure to be quite low on the list of priorities.

Why 2011 Is The Year Of The Cheap Cruise?

Now while is sad for them, it means good things for you. Because the truth is that the cruise ships have just as many seats to sell as they did before, but if not as many people have the ability to travel on this ships – then obviously prices are going to fall (that is just how economics works).

And this is why I believe that there will be some fantastic cruise deals for 2011!

How To Get The Best Cruise Deal

Now that we know that the cruise lines may be struggling, the main question that follows is:

How do I make sure that I get the best possible deal on my next cruise?

Now this can be quite a challenge, because the cruise companies want to make sure that they get the highest price possible for each seat.

So this means that we have to be willing to be flexible and if you are desperate for the best deal, you may need to make some compromises on things like options and choice.

Here are my tips to get the best deal:

• Keep An Eye Out For Cruise Deals

  Some times you don’t have to wait for the late cruise deals to grab yourself a bargain. Because the cruise lines want to make sure that they sell as many seats on each cruise as possible. If a boat is not filling up quick enough they may have a special promotion 6 months before the ship is set to depart. The key is to keep an eye out on the travel websites and with your local travel agents and if a fantastic offer comes up (whether it is early or late), to grab it then. This way you have the best opportunity to have some form of selection when it comes to cabins and activities.

• Be Flexible With Your Departure Dates

  To ensure the best cruise deal it is important that you do not have your heart set on one specific cruise departure. Because to make sure that you get the best deal – especially if you are leaving it as late as possible to ensure the best deal, then you may miss out on one or two cruises before you get the price that you are happy with.

  This isn’t a huge drama, because the same cruise is available about 6 or more (usually more) times a year – so there will be plenty of cruise deals for 2011!

• Get Ready To Compromise

  The more you are willing to give up, the better the chances of you snagging a bargain! Internal rooms are usually the last to sell out, so if you don’t mind one of those you will most likely get a better deal. Also, usually when you look at booking a late cruise, you may have to for-go some things like spas and other activities that could possibly already be booked out.

• Wait – And Then Negotiate

  If you consider yourself a keen negotiator, then maybe you are up for a bit of challenge.

  Since all cruise seats have an expiry date (their departure), once the ship leaves the harbour, any bed that is not filled when it leaves – is money left on the table by the cruise companies.

  They know that, and now you do too. Which means that the closer that it gets to departure, the more desperate they are to sell tickets. This is ideal for you (if you are willing to miss out on a couple of cruises that might sell out), because when it comes to the month before the cruise – that is your time to jump in and start negotiating with the cruise lines themselves (they will have more bargaining power than the travel agents).

So that is why I expect there to be some amazing cruise deals for 2011, and a few tips on how you can make sure that you get the best deal – I hope that it saves you a lot of money on your next cruise.