now is a
great time to
cr uise
The New Values
Cruises have long offered excellent value. Many packages
include everything from airport transfers to meals. But this year,
cruise companies are going a few steps further. Many lines are
offering discounts of 20 or more, particularly if you book a few
months in advance. Some are throwing in free or deeply discounted
airfares. A few are offering passengers free shore excursions,
pre-paid gratuities and inexpensive upgrades. Most have done away
with daily fuel surcharges. And a number of lines are cutting prices
on all cruises to certain destinations.
Holland America Line’s Vacation Stimulus Plan, for example,
allows passengers to upgrade from an inside stateroom to an
outside cabin for as little as $50 per person, and from an outside
stateroom to a veranda stateroom for as little as $100 per person.
A number of lines are also rewarding passengers with valuable
shipboard credits, which they can spend on services such as shore
excursions and spa treatments. Royal Caribbean International,
Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises recently offered credits
of up to $200 per cabin. Meanwhile, high-end Silversea Cruises
tempted passengers to book a Mediterranean cruise by offering an
astounding $1,000 credit per stateroom.
Meanwhile, ultra-luxurious, all-inclusive Regent Seven Seas
Cruises is tempting travelers with up to two-for-one savings, free
air and unlimited free shore excursions on select 2009 sailings to
destinations as diverse as Alaska, Mexico, Europe and Asia. Regent’s
superb amenities include Le Cordon Bleu -inspired cuisine,
®
complimentary 24-hour room service, wireless Internet access
