Doom and gloom but we still need our jollies…

Well its all doom and gloom at the moment , you only have to watch the news to hear the latest reports on everything increasing food bills, energy bills , petrol prices to name but a few . Honestly sometimes its enough to make you think is it worth getting out of bed. Well never fear I am hear to give you a few ideas on how to spend those pennies wisely and still manage to buy the most important purchase of the year – your holiday. We brits may be happy to give it up some things but when it comes to our fortnight in the sun we will not be swayed. I always have people calling up to check for a bargain and we do our best to get you the deals of the century but follow my tips below and you can get the cruise of your dreams.

*Don’t be frightened to use the web. We have the best website in the UK and if there is ever a bargain you will always find it on there along with some fantastic reviews and pictures to help you along with making your decision.

*How about keeping it local and cruising round the British Isles, usually get some really good prices on these sailings and it cuts out the added expense of flights and transfers.

*Be flexible and be prepared to think outside the box. If you can no longer afford the holidays of the past then don’t completely rule out a cruise holiday as there is still so much choice out there that you can still find a lovely holiday but maybe look at the less informal cruises that are more economical. Thomson cruises for instance are fantastic value for money and many of you may be surprised to hear that they rate in the top ten for a lot of things such as service, food, entertainment etc on a reviews site.

*Think about packaging, rather then buying the flights from the cruise line let us package it up for you independently using cheap flights and transfers this could save you pounds against the cruise line deal.

*Maybe look at travelling in off peak season the prices are always going to be better if you can steer clear of the school holidays. Book a Caribbean cruise in January or February or look at doing your Alaskan cruise in May or September.

*If you have always prebooked your own excursions why not be adventurous and travel out on your own. Grab a local map and get a bus or tube pass and you can investigate all the major cities attractions at a fraction of the cruise line prices. You can even come back and have your lunch on the ship and they way you can save on spending lots especially in the big cities where you will find the prices more top end.

* Visit boots before you go and stock up on your sea sickness tables and first aid kit as the ship doctor will cost you an arm and a leg if you need to visit them onboard.

*Keep an eye on your onboard account , you can always go to the pursers desk and check your account at anytime this gives you an idea of what’s being charged to y0ur account so you cam budget accordingly.

*Bring your own wine but make sure you check this before as each cruise line varies and most of them will charge you a corkage fee if you want to drink it at dinner, but a crafty glass in the cabin will save you some money.

*Quite an obvious one but steer clear of the casino as we all know how that can end after one two many glasses of wine and we think that the big win is in sight.

So hopefully this has made you see that the cruise holiday of your dreams is still within reach and you don’t have to live on beans on toast for the next six months to pay for it.