Bahamas Winter Cruise Travel Discounts Flourish
Bargain Cruise to Nowhere for $99 and Up on Norwegian Gem
Dec 11, 2008 Grace Lichtenstein
Cruise Lines are trying to out-discount one another these days, offering amazing prices for 1 to 4 days aboard their ships. Travelers over 55 must be willing to accept interior staterooms and many of the deals have additional charges—such as flying to a port like Miami or Fort Lauderdale.
Nevertheless, anyone who needs a brief getaway would be wise to check the major cruise lines, including Carnival Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Norwegian Cruise Line. Note that prices may not include taxes. It almost always costs extra to take shore excursions.
Why such bargains? The worldwide financial crisis, of course. Also, some cruise lines have suspended the fuel supplement they tacked onto the price of their vacations as cost of oil has tumbled.
It is not always easy to find the cheapest prices. In some cases, as with Disney Cruises, you must first take a more expensive cruise in order to qualify for a $99 second cruise. Or, you may have to book through a discount cruise web site.
Nevertheless, a quick search reveals that these types of value cruises were a vailable last year for January and February:2009 and similar deal may be available for 2010.
- 1-day cruises from New York on Norwegian Cruise Lines starting at $99.
- 2-day cruises to the Bahamas from Ft. Lauderale on Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas starting at $99.
- 3-night cruises to Nassau in the Bahamas on Carnival’s Imagination starting at $139.
- 4-night cruises to the Western Caribbean from Tampa on Carnival’s Inspiration starting at $169.
Bargain Prices May Vanish
Be forewarned: Many of the best prices turned out to be non-existent or sold out when a would-be guest clicks through to actual booking pages. Also it pays to take a virtual tour of the ship you will be on, via the cruise line website, and to see what others have to say about it on such forums as CruiseCritic.com
Some veteran bargain hunters swear by specific travel booking sites such as CruisesOnly.com, cruisedirect.com, ecruises.com and Travelzoo.com.
For Novices - Cruise to Nowhere
Those who are “cruise virgins” might be smart to start out by taking a “cruise to nowhere.” These are one or two-day adventures that do not dock at any port. Often these cruises are aimed at gamblers, who can take advantage of the ship’s casino.
“If you've never been on a cruise before, consider it a sampler, giving you a tiny taste of what to expect on a cruise without committing to several days at sea. If you live near the departure point it can add up to a very romantic -- and affordable -- night away from home, since cruises to nowhere are often offered at bargain basement prices, says CruiseCritic.com, which adds,” when offered by luxury lines, this short cruise is a great chance to experience upscale -- without breaking the piggy bank.”
How about an Elvis Presley or Jimmy Buffett tribute cruise in 2010? Visit this site.
Norwegian Gem
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Interior Stateroom
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