How to Get A Deal on A Discount Cruise

by  Dana McMahan | Aug 16, 2016
Carnival Vista
Carnival Vista / Kristen Boatright

Have you ever felt like you needed a vacation after your vacation? Between figuring out where to go and what to do, budgeting for everything from transport to rooms and meals to sightseeing, and weeding through endless reviews to pick the best options for it all, planning a trip is downright exhausting. And that's before you even leave home! It kind of defeats the whole point of taking a break from work, doesn't it? We all have enough stress in our lives without our R&R adding to it.

Luckily, there's a much easier way to plan your next getaway. Think one-stop shop — with a discount cruise. A place to lay your head at night? Check. Plenty of — but not too many — restaurants to choose from? Check. Entertainment for everyone in your family, whether they're looking to lounge by the pool, dance the night away, or learn something new? Check, check, and check. And speaking of check, everything on a cruise is packaged nicely and neatly into a single bill.

Like a tapas dinner, a cruise offers bite-sized tastes of multiple enticing locales (and allows you to test the waters and see if you might want to return for a longer trip). Unpack once, and most days you'll wake to a new port and new adventures.

For those among us who, shall we say, make decisions on the later side, no worries. With the exception of the most wildly popular excursions, most port activities can be chosen right up until the last minute. And in a vast improvement over the not-so-distant past, cruise lines are offering apps that will let even the ultimate procrastinator — or anyone just too busy to preplan — browse through excursion options from their phones and simply pick and click when they're ready.

On board, elect to chill poolside or join any number of fun and games activities — or hang out on your balcony if that's your jam. At dinner, there's no stress about menu pricing; try anything you like. Dress to the nines, or dine barefoot by the pool. The joy of cruising is that you get to choose your own adventure.

Opt for a vacation at sea, and suddenly your only two major to-do items are to pick the best ship for you and decide where to go. If you're new to cruising, that may seem overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. Think of our Navigatr as a matchmaker for your dream vacation.

In less than five minutes, answer a few questions to find your ultimate cruise. Tell the Navigatr who's going, how much you can spend, your onboard style (party? romantic? decadent?), where your aesthetic falls between traditional and amusement park pop, whether you're looking for a cruise itinerary that's more beachy or bucket list, how you'd best love to spend free time on board, poolside preference, and nighttime wish list. Then wait for it: Up comes a list of your perfect cruises.

Experienced cruisers can skip right to shopping for cruises; just plug in when and where you'd like to go, pick a ship, and compare prices on your top picks for a discount cruise. In no time, you'll be sailing away from all of those vacation worries.

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