Hi. I’m new to cruising and on a budget. Where can I buy a cheap 14/18/21+ days cruise to the Far East.
I have spent a lot of time searching through numerous cruise/holiday websites and prices tend to be just a little out of my range.
Would any of you ‘experienced’ cruisers have any tips for me, bearing in mind I am a SINGLE traveller, so would need a single ‘very basic’ cabin (usually deerer I know!).
Ideally a Fly/Cruise from anywhere in the UK would be best BUT:
• Is it possible to fly to Far East and buy a last minute ticket from the ship at the Starting PORT on the day. Do they sometimes have unfilled cabins that they might discount/sell just before departure?
Do any specific websites have Very Last Minute ‘Cancellation’ cruise deals or adverts from people who can’t go on the cruise at the last minute and wish to sell their tickets?
Any help or other suggestions to save a little cash on a cruise would be much appreciated.
Thank you for any replies!
Other people have given you good answers. As a single cruiser, you would be paying double the stated rate, more or less, because cabins are booked on a double-occupancy basis.
Re the "last-minute" idea: I would guess that most people who have invested the amount of money in a Far East cruise would also have taken out trip insurance so that they could cancel the trip and still get a refund. Don’t know how it is in other countries, but in the US it is not possible to show up at the dock and get on a cruise. The cruise line must submit its manifest several days before sailing in order that security can review it.
And, whatever price you’re seeing for the cruise is pretty close to what you’re going to pay. Cruise fares don’t vary that much from one agency to another, as the cruise lines [at least sailing from the US] control how much of a discount agencies can offer. You may just have to save up a bit longer for that "dream" cruise.
Dude 14+ day cruises are REALLY expensive.
Is it possible to fly to Far East and buy a last minute ticket from the ship at the Starting PORT on the day. Do they sometimes have unfilled cabins that they might discount/sell just before departure?
it depends on the cruise line.
References :
I’ve booked a cruise last minute (16 days) and there were only 3 cabins available. don’t think just because you book last minute you’ll get great deals, heck last minute the only cabins that’ll be available will probably be suites or balcony rooms and not the cheap indoor single person cabins you’re looking for
http://www.selectsailings.com call the number.. they should be able to help you. or you can look on the website, but it might be easier (and free) to have someone find one for you.
References :
UK reply
Go to vacationstogo.com. who offer BIG discounts. We’ve used them several times and they are very fast and reliable.
Don’t worry it is a US website, you will be billed in USD but check the conversion before you buy against cruises sold in the UK – will be a lot cheaper, but remember you have to arrange your own flights.
Frankly don’t know if you can buy "at the ship" on the day. Wouldn’t want to fly to Hong kong to find they say no! They might not even offer you a good rate becasue the know that if you have turned up wanting to buy NOW you will pay whatever they quote you! So you could end up paying (high) brochure price.
As you are new to cruising why not try a cruise from – say Southampton – to see if you like cruising!
References :
20+ cruises from Arctic to Antarctic and everywhere in between!
there are quite a few sites that you can search that will likely give you the best prices available. check out the website BookMe and you will be able to compare prices on all the reputable travel sites in just a couple minutes. it’s very convenient and will save you a bunch of time and money. Also, make sure you buy them online… otherwise they charge much higher fees for phone orders. good luck.
References :
www,BookMe,com
Other people have given you good answers. As a single cruiser, you would be paying double the stated rate, more or less, because cabins are booked on a double-occupancy basis.
Re the "last-minute" idea: I would guess that most people who have invested the amount of money in a Far East cruise would also have taken out trip insurance so that they could cancel the trip and still get a refund. Don’t know how it is in other countries, but in the US it is not possible to show up at the dock and get on a cruise. The cruise line must submit its manifest several days before sailing in order that security can review it.
And, whatever price you’re seeing for the cruise is pretty close to what you’re going to pay. Cruise fares don’t vary that much from one agency to another, as the cruise lines [at least sailing from the US] control how much of a discount agencies can offer. You may just have to save up a bit longer for that "dream" cruise.
References :