All aboard for a good deal
The cruise experts give Mercedes Maguire tips on how to sail and save
Raise that colourful cocktail and don your passenger lanyard – cruising is back. But with demand to hit the high seas at an all-time peak thanks to postponed bookings and a backlog of demand postlockdown, is it possible to get a good deal on a cruise? Yes, you can, say the experts, so we asked them to tell us how.
No flying
With flights notoriously expensive due to high demand and a shortage of supply, you can save by cruising from your home port in Australia or finding offers that include free flights, says Cruise Traveller product manager Samantha Patton. “Cruise Traveller has a Fly Free tab on our website where we offer all the packages that include free flights as part of the deal.”
Looking for inclusions
When it comes to booking a cruise, the lowest price is not necessarily the best, says Patton. “The starting price doesn’t tell you what you’re getting for your money, she says. “Many small-ship cruise lines offer all-inclusive fares where excursions, beverages and speciality dining are included. These can cost you a lot of money if bought separately.”
Michael Middleton of MyCruises says it pays to look for deals that offer inclusions. He says Norwegian Cruise Line, for instance, has the “Free at Sea” offer, which includes bonuses such as specialty dining, shore excursion credits and on-board beverages; Princess has the “Plus” offer, which allows you to lock in beverages and on-board Wi-Fi for a set day rate, and Holland America offers “Have it all”, providing passengers specialty dining, beverages, shore excursions and on-board Wi-Fi for a set day rate.
Package deals
It pays to bundle together different aspects of your cruise holiday such as flights, accommodation, tours and transfers through an agent who has access to rates not open to the public, says Ashkan Ghasemi of Dreamlines, which packages together holidays for CruiseAway and Cruise 1st. “For a cruise-only booking, you can find up to 15 per cent discounts in a sale,” he says. “But if it’s an exclusive package deal you can expect up to – and even more than – 50 per cent (discount) versus packaging a cruise holiday yourself.
Foreign currency
It’s a good idea to pre-purchase any on-board items that may be in a foreign currency, says Middleton. “This locks in the Australian dollar charge at the time of purchase and avoids any currency fluctuations, for example with gratuities where they not already included.”
Think last minute
While most experts will tell you to book a cruise early to get the best choice of itinerary and cabin, great savings can be found by booking last minute on local routes. “There is more inventory available for local or New Zealand sailings before end of November,” says Andrew Zhang, CEO of Travel the World Group. “P&O, Royal Caribbean, Holland America Line and Princess all have special deals on sale (for departures this year).”