Inexpensive Travel on a Cruise
If you're looking for an inexpensive travel getaway this year, forget a weekend road trip and instead consider a cruise! Prices are sometimes as low as $50/day for an inside cabin, which also includes all your meals and all your onboard entertainment too! While onboard the ship, you'll venture to several port stops, where you can visit exotic beaches, restaurants and shops if you so desire. These all-inclusive packages are especially enticing for families, who often choose the Carnival or Disney cruise lines. Cruises on Princess or Celebrity, on the other hand, cater more to couples without kids. As with flight aggregators and low-rate hotel sites, there are cheap ticket websites for cruise lines as well.
Just how cheap is a cruise deal? Consider that Carnival is currently offering a three-day cruise from San Diego, California to Ensenada, Mexico and back for just $99! Less than $100 will get you all your transportation, room, dining and entertainment onboard the ship! The Carnival Elation cruise ship has three deck water slides, jogging tracks, ping pong, mini golf, nightclubs, a spa, live shows and a plethora of restaurants and shops. Guests will have to pay a $50 government fee and will pay extra for alcoholic beverages and spa treatments once on the ship. This low price is also only available with the interior cabins. This inexpensive travel itinerary is available October 19, October 26 and November 23. While travelers may need to make a few concessions, Carnival's Elation ship still offers one of the best travel deals this fall.
Inexpensive travel may not always come in the ticket price -- but in the amenities and add-ons, some travel experts relate. "What I'm seeing as a trend is added-value package[s] over deeply discounted rates," says Emily Kaufman, who operates The Travel Mom website. "Hotels, resorts and cruise lines are giving you credit to be used on property or on board. You pay your room rate at a fairly normal rate, but you're getting credit back for things like spa treatments, dining or golf, so we're getting a lot more added value that way." Kaufman says families looking for travel deals during specific breaks, celebrations or inflexible dates need to book as far in advance as possible to get the best fares and deals. The best thing about booking a cruise early is that most discount cruise websites will change your fare to the reduced fare if prices drop before your cruise departs. However, you must check the website yourself and request the fare change. In some cases, you may pay $25 to adjust the fare, but it's worth it to save hundreds.
Inexpensive travel destinations for 2010 include The Caribbean, Mexico and the Mediterranean. "2010 will be a good year for deals -- on a par with 2009, especially in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean," says cruising analyst Peter Wild of G P Wild International. The Caribbean has seen a tremendous slump in tourism over the past year as the recession canceled many travel plans for cash-strapped Americans. Mexico has also been reeling from bad press related to the swine flu epidemic, which -- in reality -- has left Mexico no more dangerous to visit than anywhere in the U.S. The Mediterranean has been an area of increased competition, with more and more cruise operators offering travel deals throughout the Greek isles, Spain, France, Italy, Turkey and Monte Carlo.
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Travel Inexpensively During Dead Week
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Airline Surcharges, Taxes and Fees
Anyone who has purchased airline flight tickets online knows that some websites automatically include all airline surcharges, taxes and fees, while others do not. A seemingly cheap travel deal may end up costing another $100 in the end. On one hand, base fares need to remain competitively low to entice buyers.