Seattle cruise industry slows in recession’s wake
Seattle’s cruise industry is muddling through the recession, with passenger volume down from 2008′s peak. Read more on
Tom Cruise: Arsenal youngsters inspired by Cesc
Arsenal Barcelona Arsenal prospect Tom Cruise says the club’s young players all look up to club captain Cesc Fabregas. Fabregas appears to be staying at Emirates this season, despite the pressure of Barcelona . Cruise told arsenal .com : “He’s a real inspiration to all of the younger players at Arsenal . “Everyone looks up to him because he’s one of the best players in the world. He’s always … Read more on
Cruise into the Past & Archeological Tour reschedules
Due to last Friday’s (June 23) weather, the Cruise into the Past & Archeological Tour was rescheduled to this Friday, July 30. Captiva Cruises and the Mound House Cultural Resources Center will be offering a special trip -a cruise to the historic mound house on Estero Bay. Read more on
With the warmer months approaching, cruising will be one of the more popular summer vacations on people’s minds however, if it’s a cheap cruise you’re looking for, then you may struggle to find one.
The summer period, especially the holiday time is prime time as far as cruise companies are concerned. This is the time of the year they have little trouble in filling their cabins.
This doesn’t mean you cannot cruise cheap. Let’s take a look at two solid options which will help you land that bargain vacation on the high seas.
Travel Agents
Many people seem to overlook travel agents and one reason for this may be because they are such an obvious choice. They should be the first port of call simply because of their connection to the cruise companies. Connection as in receiving an order of tickets to fill that is.
Filling cabins is what it’s all about with cruise lines and their number one aim is to make sure there isn’t a vacant cabin left when the ship departs port. The travel agents job is to fill these cabins and they have the ability to be negotiable on the price of tickets.
A good tactic is to come up with a list of travel agents and then speak with each one individually over the phone. You are simply asking about the cruise you’re interested in, what’s the cost and what sort of a deal they can do.
Some may be hard to get on with and others will be very accommodating. This is simply shopping around for the best price and don’t be surprised if you can get your cost down anything up to 10% of the original quote.
It’s a great way to come up with a cheap cruise deal. How many travel agents should you contact? That’s entirely up to you but try to speak with at least five. Obviously time will be a factor but in the end, even if you are looking at saving $100 of your trip, it’s an extra $100 you can spend on your holiday.
Online Cruise Sites
This is a must alternative simply because of the power and competitiveness of the internet. Cruise companies proliferate the online scene all competing for your business but they also have the ability to locate and get you on a cheap cruise holiday.
Join some of the site’s who offer newsletters and correspondence with their visitors. This way, you can be kept up-to-date with what’s coming up and one of the advantages of these mailing lists are you’ll usually be the first to hear about the super deals.
Want to know how to score some great ? You’ll want to read this informative guide! Plus, read the latest news and reviews on how to score a great cruise bargain.
Stewart Chiron, The Cruise Guy®, shares the best cruise deals and tips for NBC Washington DC’s viewers. Highlighted 1st year ’round departures from Baltimore aboard Carnival Pride.
One of the most often asked questions from travelers about Costa Rica besides “How much does it rain in the rainy season?” is: “Do we really need a rental car?”. The answer depends very much on you, but by describing a bit more the conditions I can make the decision easier for you!
Driving in Costa Rica is not as difficult as it seems in some frightening reports. Nevertheless it is true that the Costa Ricans that are known for a laid-back and calm attitude seem to get into a hurry as soon as they sit behind the wheel of a vehicle. They are not alone on the planet with this particularity, the only difference is that in many other places the people seem to be always in a hurry.
The roads in Costa Rica are famous for their potholes and some destinations can only be reached on a gravel road. If you plan only to visit San Jose and Jaco you may be fine with a sedan, but it is highly recommendable to . In the rainy season you will even have to cross some rivers. Even some of the main attractions for tourists in Costa Rica are only accessible with an all-terrain vehicle. The road to Monteverde is not paved and there are no plans for doing so. The local community wants to protect this unique place and does not want that to make their place accessible for huge tourist buses.
The big advantage of is, that you are independent and can make a stop whenever you want. Fruits and crafts are sold along the roads, this is always a good opportunity to have some small talk with the locals.
You better get up early in Costa Rica, because the sun goes down around 6 pm. Driving at night in Costa Rica can be dangerous and is not recommendable. Most of the roads don’t have lights and road marking mostly exists on the main roads.
The alternative to renting a car is to travel with the extensive bus system. This is a good way to see the country and meet the Ticos. There are buses going almost everywhere in Costa Rica, connections between outlying areas are limited. The capital San Jose is the major transportation hub of Costa Rica, sometimes it is necessary to return and switch the bus here. Before you buy a ticket for the bus ask precisely if this bus really goes to the destination where you plan to go. There are several towns in Costa Rica which share the same name! You can assure going to the right Playa Hermosa by mentioning the Province where you plan to travel. There is a Playa Hermosa in Guanacaste and a Playa Hermosa in Puntarenas. There are several other examples like Naranjo and San Isidro.
Traveling by bus is certainly cheaper than renting a car, but is most often slower. There are several hundred bus companies operating in Costa Rica and unfortunately they don’t always work together. This can result in an unplanned overnight stay at a place where you missed your connecting bus.
So the decision is still up to you, but it should be easier for you take it now
The heady combination of the Internet and the world economic downturn has led to an interesting shift in the travel market – the overt promotion of cheap holidays over the promotion of luxury. Marketing experts in most sectors have been stressing the virtues of good value no-frills services since belts started tightening in the face of the credit crunch, with deals to beat the recession, and the holiday sector is no exception.
Of course, there has always been a large section of UK holidaymakers canny enough to sniff out a bargain. However, with the advent of independent holiday companies advertising on the web, alongside the proliferation of price comparison websites that literally hunt down the best cheap holidays matching the customer’s personal preferences, this has snowballed to become one of the most important areas – if not the most important – of the entire holiday sector.
One reason that the Internet is such a great facilitator for cheap holidays is the ease with which it can sift a massive number of variables – from the many different requirements of an individual holidaymaker to the infinitely greater number of special deals, offers, car hire options, flights and hotels that are out there. Once it has done this, the right website will also helpfully give you a rundown of the choices on offer, grading them by price, availability or travel options.
As a result, people have become far more confident when it comes to striking out on their own and booking their own flights, accommodation and vehicle hire. Furthermore, because some of the best cheap holidays are to countries or resorts that are a little off the beaten track, entire new regions have become popular destinations of choice, such as Croatia and the Dalmatian Coast.
The global economic downturn has accelerated this process. While causing massive problems for many players in the holiday sector – particularly prestige operators and travel agents – it has made even more of a virtue of cheap holidays booked directly over the Internet.
As people look to preserve their precious holiday time while still saving money, cheap car hire companies, price comparison sites, and small hotels have all come into their own, so much so that today, even the most established holiday operators are taking to advertising the thrifty benefits of their packages and deals. Budget airlines have also been able to take advantage, as air passengers and business travellers look more and more to the no-frills options to save money. are here to stay, and can be seen as part of an ongoing process since the first package deals to Spain and Greece appeared in the 1960s.
Kim has 4 years experience in the travel industry. She enjoys writing articles on various destinations and related topics.
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