pig-save-money.jpgIn a New York Times article about cutting back during the economic downturn, one well-to-do woman said she’d probably stop getting her sheets dry cleaned.  Well, sure, I guess that’s one way.  My ideas of cutting back are a bit more down to earth: take mass transit instead of taxis, cook more and eat out less, etc.

So many of us consider vacations still a priority and a cruise is the best buy there is.  But for those of us who want to keep vacation costs in check, here are ten tips for cutting cruise costs.

1. A terrific travel agent is critical to getting the best deals. He or she can steer you to another, in many cases, better ship and show you a discount you didn’t even know about. Travel agents know when bargains become available before the public. The best way to find a terrific agent is to ask for referrals, as you would a doctor, lawyer or anyone in a service business.

2. Whenever a great deal on a cruise pops up, pounce! Sometimes only a few staterooms are available and these will go in a nanosecond.

3. Run “cruise travel agent” in Google and you’ll pull up hundreds of travel agencies. Sign up for weekly bargain newsletters from a bunch of them.  Most run cruise discounts for limited time periods (“three days only!”) and you’ll have to act fast to get the best cabins at a great price.

4. Know what a bargain is and is not. For example, cabin upgrades rarely are: today, cabins are standard in size and amenities and cruise lines will only upgrade you in the category you’re already booked in.   For example, if you’ve already booked a standard outside cabin you’ll be upgraded to an identical outside cabin a few decks higher on the ship.   Free gratuities and/or onboard credit will save money.

5.  Seek out cruising areas where cruise fares are typically lower.  These include the Caribbean, Mexico and Alaska, or Europe in the spring and fall.   However, the rule of thumb is ships are generally full during school vacation periods when families take vacations, especially during the summer, so fares will be higher during the holidays, Easter/spring break, and the summer.

6. Cut down, or eliminate, the cruise line’s shore excursions, which are over-priced. You can arrange the same excursions on your by visiting the port’s web site. For example, in Hawaii, one cruise line offered a one-day Budget car rental for $70. By going directly to Budget, I got the same deal for $30.

7. Repositioning cruises are the very best deals of all.  Ships moving from one cruising area to another, such as the Caribbean/Mexico  to Alaska or between Europe and Florida during the spring and fall, can be terrific deals.

8. I know it’s fun to buy new clothes for a cruise, but do you really need anything? If the answer is “yes”, then buy it on Ebay or head for your local discount store.

9.  Cruise lines frequently offer great deals on future cruises when you buy them aboard ship.   One reader told ShipCritic he booked a future cruise with only a $100 deposit.

10. Before departing, decide which on-board expenses are unnecessary. Today cruise lines get the bulk of their revenue from on-board purchases so they push the spa, art auctions and other revenue generating areas. Do you really need more T-shirts? I’ve eliminated massages since they’re never as good as what I’ll get in New York and cruise ship spas charge 40% more.

Do you have any tips to add?