Low Cost Cruises Deals 2012

Low Cost Cruises Deals

Who do you know who does not like a sale? Everyone loves to save money. From the poor among us those who need a sale, to the wealthy among us, those who don't need a sale at all. Imagine saving money and cruising at the same time. Low cost cruise deals are around for the real cruise deal hunters. No sale is a real sale unless your saving 30% or more. Most cruise line sallow there sales representatives a cross the board discount to offer prospective cruisers of 10 to20 percent off of the room rate without having to get special permission. If you ask for a discount and let the sales rep. know that you need a discount in order to complete the transaction, chances are you will receive the nominal 10-20% discount. So, that sale isn't really a sale at all. It’s an up-charge put on the room, for an anticipated future down-charge at the same rate. You can look for cruise deals the two old fashion ways; Call a dozen or so travel agents and ask them to find you the lowest available cruise rate, or give them your budget to spend your money for you. However, you must keep in mind, that their sales commission is based on what you spend, spend low, their commission is low, spend high their commission is high. Also you must keep in mind, that if their company is being paid 10% commission by the cruise line and you spend one thousand dollars, they have to split that with their boss, probably, 70% to the office and 30% to the agent. Now, this agent is getting a whopping thirty dollars before taxes, to spend numerous hours on the computer looking for a sale for you. Alto this agent has to make repeated phone calls back and forth to you, so how hard is he/she really looking for a sale for you. Then if you find a sale and tell your agent about it, nine times out of ten he is going to tell you there are no more rooms available or they will tell you that you had to leave a deposit for the room at a prior date so you are not eligible for the sale. One major rule of thumb to be remembered is nine times out often if you give them what you have in your budget they will push the envelope and make you spend just a little more than your budget, for commission sake that is. The next antiquated way you can search for a low cost cruise deal is to go online and do the research yourself. This technique will take countless hours of your valuable time. It will also give you a migraine online and google low cost cruises deals, you will get over a hundred hits and you can visit all the websites and search all the deals, that aren't really deals at all.

What I am recommending for you to do, is cut out all the cat and mouse chasing and go straight to the horses mouth. That's right, call the cruise line that you want to travel with, ask to speak to a sales person and tell the sales person up front that you want not the lowest deal, but the best possible lowest deal, the last minute we want to fill this ship deal. To get the lowest available rates, and not just the general $100 dollar discount, one must be flexible. Everyone has sold something at some time in their life, haven't they? Weather it was at a retail store, your used car or a yard sale. This sales experience, can help a lot, if you let the agent know up front, “look I am apart-time salesman/woman myself, I am already familiar with the various cruise packages, ports, embarkments, and what the vacation spots have to offer so cut to the chase and lets just talk numbers, what is the lowest price I can get on this cruise for, your last minute deal.” After you get the lowest price you can always ask them a thousand questions on what the cruise is actually offering you. If the price they quote isn't low enough, ask them if the ship is full, and how many vacant rooms there are left on the ship. You may ask them when is a better time to call back prior to the ship sailing to get a lower rate. You must set aside your funds in advance and have flexible vacation days that you can take at a moments notice. Looking for last minute deals you can save up to 80% off of the normal cruise rate.

Another way to save is to plan several months in advance. If you plan a cruise ten plus months in advance and leave a deposit with the cruise line you can save up to 70% off of the normal booking rate. Plan in January to cruise in November for the Holidays. Plan to sail in the off season months for a low cost cruise. You can also plan a group cruise for your co-workers or family and friends. Don’t worry you don't have to socialize with them on the cruise just get eight people to agree to cruise at the same time and get your room free. Most sales agents will help you coordinate the group rate. That is very easy to do. That's book eight rooms two people to a room and get your room free. Some cruise ships may want you to book ten rooms, it depends on the cruise line. However, you can give your guests an insentive, tell them if they take book a room for themselves and find someone to book another room they will get a free bottle of champion on the cruise or a $25.00 cruise gift certificate, give them an insentive so you can save money. In closing, a Sail is not a Sale unless you Sail on a Sale. Bon Voyage and Great Sails to you.