FINDING THE DEALS

Cruising has become my favorite subject of late and why not? The deals that are being offered up continue as long as you book early, and I emphasize book early. Cruises, when you figure the cost per day are still a cheaper alternative in many cases than flying or driving and paying for a hotel room. So lets review what you'll need to do to find a great vacation at a cheap
price.

As I've already stated, book early. Not only will you be rewarded with
cheaper tickets, but many cruise lines offer incentives such as onboard ship credits of anywhere from $50 to $200. That might not sound like much, but if you book a cruise where you pay for your own drinks or shore excursions that money comes in handy.

Do as much homework as you can before you pickup the phone and call a travel agent. Review newspapers, especially the Sunday edition and go online and hunt for those bargains. Every cruise carrier has a website and other travel providers such as Frommers, American Express, Travelocity and Expedia all offer cruises packages. Do a search on the word "cruise" You'll be amazed to find out how many online travel agents are out there looking for your business.

And speaking of travel agents, once you decide on a particular region of the world, find a good travel agent. Travel agents often get better deals than
those you'll find advertised in the newspapers or online. The commissions
paid by the cruises lines to the travel agents are such that they will work
hard for your business. As in any business there are good and bad travel
agents, so find someone you can trust. Make sure they are members of the
American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) or the United States Tour Operators
Association. (USTOA)

Its difficult for journalist to be flexible, but if at all possible try and
give as much leeway in vacation planning as possible. This will help your
travel agent in securing the best possible deal.

Here are a few other helpful suggestions. If you have traveled on a
particular cruise line in the past, check and see if they have any specials
for repeat customers. Also have your travel agent check with luxury cruise
lines to see if there are any bargains or specials available. These lines
donut always advertise price, but they have specials and sales just like
everyone else. Remember and empty room is revenue they'll never be able to
recover.