|
Promos! Deals! Biggest Sale! Offers! Are cruise lines confusing you? Which one is best? Is it really a sale? Let me break it down for you.
Holland America: Not known for frequent or gimmicky deals, always watch for great fare reductions or fabulous upgrade offers. HAL often offers exclusive fares to past passengers.
Carnival: Carnival typically (not always) offers the lowest fares in the Caribbean however they also typically have the most rules on their fare codes - no name changes, non-refundable deposits etc. An example of this is Early Saver which is usually the best fare.
Celebrity: Celebrity’s Big, Better, Best promo is a good offer where booking at a fair price gets you 1 to 3 perks. Just be careful that you don’t pay more to get something for “free” that you do not really care about. Always ask for the lowest fare and compare to the free perks fare. I recently had a Resident fare come out much cheaper for a client who does not drink or use internet on a cruise and preferred to book private shore excursions.
Norwegian: Free at Sea seems like the promo that never ends, just changes up time to time. Again, always watch for price increases when there is an increase from 1 to 2 free perks and check all fares if the perks offered are not important to you. The beverage package is an amazing value for anyone who plans to party onboard. Be aware NCL’s Free Beverage perk comes with a $100 bar gratuities charge up front. So if you only drink one glass a wine a day, the beverage package is not the best value for you.
Royal Caribbean: Royal Caribbean’s regular promo is the BOGO = Buy One, Get One 50% off Sale. However, fares are often adjusted for this promo so it may not actually be much lower than normal fares. Again, do the research. Royal Caribbean sometimes has some great onboard credits included in fares.
Princess: Princess does not offer as many eye catching “free perk” offers but when they do, expect it to be truly free. Typically a sale is always a sale with Princess. Princess also offers some exclusive fares to past passengers that offer big savings.
So the takeaway: Do not get caught up in the marketing message and fail to check all available fares. This is just one way you win by using a certified cruise specialist who can sift through the marketing and find you the best fare with no additional cost to you.
888-332-8202 | 727-290-4998 | ksaltarelli@cruiseplanners.com | www.saltybreezecruiseplanners.com
|
