Cheap Cruise Tickets, Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska

The common image of cruise ships normally consists of tanned sun bathers enjoying a tropical drink whilst relaxing on the deck of a luxury liner. Not all cruises involve extensive sun bathing and fruity beverages. For many, the idea of taking a cruise vacation is simply too expensive and complicated. But there are ways in which cheap cruise tickets can be obtained, it's just going to take an open mindset and compromise. By examining three popular cruise hotspots—Hawaii, Mexico and Alaska—we can analyze the trends for getting those seemingly unobtainable, cheap cruise tickets.

First and most importantly, if money is an issue, the timing of the vacation must take precedence over everything else or cheap cruise tickets will continue to elude potential travelers. Think of the best time to hop on a cruise liner? Now, remember that everyone else is thinking the exact same thing. The moral of the story is that like all other forms of entertainment and leisure, cruise liners have peak travel times and cheap cruise tickets are almost impossible to get within these peak periods. Within these peak travel periods, the cost of just about everything greatly increases—that means plane tickets, car rentals, hotels, the cruise tickets themselves, and everything imaginable in the port towns.

The strategies to landing cheap cruise tickets for a Hawaii cruise, a Mexico cruise and an Alaska cruise are, for the most part, the same. As stated earlier, for cheap cruise tickets, avoid the peak times. For an Alaska cruise, May and September are on the fringes of the cruise season and many cruise lines will often offer discounted rates to fill the ships. Whereas for a Mexico cruise, the peak times are November through March—especially around the holiday season and spring break. A Hawaii cruise can hardly boast a valid off-season for cheap cruise tickets, but around September and October the cruise industry takes a little dip after the crowded, peak summer months.

Another method in which cruise industries are able to heap extra costs on travelers is by the variety rooms they offer. If a traveler desperately needs—or wants—that balcony, then they will surely have to pay for it. Often, cruise companies will have many cheap cruise tickets available for the vacant interior rooms. The cruise companies believe that they can make up the cost by pushing lavish items and amenities on the more consumer-oriented passengers. If cheap cruise tickets are the main objective, go for the smaller, interior room (no window means less money) and spend the days lounging on the deck rather than sitting on a private balcony.

Don't fall for the gimmicks of the cruise operators. Alcoholic drinks will cost travelers way too much and the cruise operators make sure that everyone can simply charge it to a card and pay for it later. Additionally, the port excursions operated by the cruise liners are often very expensive and rather boring. Travelers more interested in sauntering through the port towns without an agenda don't need to pay the extra money for an organized tour. Lastly, don't bother using the phones or Internet services provided on the ship; the cruise operators inflate the prices. Simply wait for the next port of call and use a local Internet café. Although none of these involve finding cheap cruise tickets, they will cut down on the additional costs.

A cheap Hawaii cruise will most likely only happen if the traveler either buys the tickets way in advance (think at least 9 months) or waits to the absolute last minute. Because a Hawaii cruise has little to no off-season, finding a cheap Hawaiian cruise may take some serious Internet detective work. For a cheap Mexico cruise or Alaska cruise, follow these extreme guidelines—either book early or gamble for something to pop up at the last minute. But both a Mexico cruise and an Alaska cruise will offer cheap cruise tickets, it's simply a matter of getting your hands dirty and really searching the Internet.

Don't only look at the popular port destinations, sometimes operators will offer cheap cruise tickets at out of the way sites. Plus, the airfare to these port cities may be cheaper than somewhere like Miami or Los Angeles during peak travel periods.

If cruise enthusiasts look hard enough, they will eventually find those coveted cheap cruise tickets. Travelers should be flexible with their dates and avoid the extra costs hiding behind every door. Cheap cruise tickets do exist, even if the operators don't want potential customers to think so.


Sources:
How to find cheap cruises and discount cruise rates in internet. Ezilon. 24 Jan. 2006. 13 Mar. 2007. http://www.ezilon.com/information/article_15495.sh tml.
Very Cheap Cruises. Cruise Vacation Advisor.com. 13 Mar. 2007. http://www.cruise-vacation-advisor.com/very-cheap- cruises.html.
First Cruise Tips. 2004. 13 Mar. 2007. http://www.firstcruisetips.com/.