A cruise ship expert has revealed his six savvy strategies to secure cut-price cruises amidst escalating costs.
Gary Bembridge, who runs the popular YouTube channel ‘Tips for Travellers’, suggests that although cruising prices are soaring at an alarming rate, savvy tactics can still snag you a deal. His first tip is to book when lines announce new routes.
This move, Gary claims, locks in the most competitive rates before dynamic pricing models inflate them. Next on his list is taking advantage of promotional offers.
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He explained: “While this might sound obvious, there’s some important things I’ve discovered you must focus on with promotions.
“First, I ensure I am ready to take advantage of promotions as I keep a list of all the places, cruise lines and ships I’m interested in. But I hold off booking until any of those go on offer.”
Additionally, Gary advises holidaymakers to book their subsequent cruise voyage whilst still sailing on their current one due to exclusive onboard discounts. Among his other cost-saving tips, he encourages joining group cruises which often yield hefty savings through bulk booking bargains.
He said: “Group packages are also a useful way to find late deals. If a specific sailing is not full, occasionally the cruise liners will offer group rates to clear a block of cabins to travel agents that create and sell packages bundled with flights, hotels and transfers.
(Image: Youtube/Tips for Travellers)
“These disguise the discounted cabin fares from us passengers as there is no direct comparison possible.” He also recommended using referrals to get discounts
Gary said: “This is an underused way to cut your fares. Many cruise liners will give a credit to be applied to current or future bookings if you refer a new traveller to them and they make a booking.
“The person who you refer will also usually get a credit.” Last but not least, Gary emphasised the importance of timing when booking a cruise.
Some companies offer last-minute deals directly on their websites, which can be advantageous for those willing to wait. He explained: “Many cruise liners use travel agents to clear unsold cabins rather than advertise the last-minute discounted fares on their sites.
“It could mean people who have booked spotting the lower prices on the cruise lines site and hassling them to reduce their higher fare to the lower one. By using these agents lines can reduce that risk.”
“One of the key things to do to make sure you’re not paying more than others is to do fare tracking.”
