Condé Nast Traveler - December 2003 High-End Cruises at Discount Prices Heidi Sarna The most luxurious ships have finally resorted to cutting fares. Some deals are better than others—here's how to make the most of the bargain season There's never been a better time to take a luxury cruise. For years, high-end lines such as Crystal, Cunard, Radisson Seven Seas, Seabourn, SeaDream Yacht Club, Silversea, and Windstar—fleets with smaller ships, larger cabins, and better food and service than the mass-market lines—did very little discounting. When they did, early-booking incentives never exceeded 25 percent off published rates. These days it's a different story; prices are being slashed by as much as 60 percent, and occasionally more. Even considering that brochure rates are notoriously inflated, the bottom line is that cruises which sold for $500 per person per day five years ago are now available for half that. 'I opened my agency sixteen years ago, and today I'm selling cruises that are the same price or less,' says Mary Jean Tully, owner of Toronto-based Cruise Professionals. 'The value for the dollar is great right now.' Prices are being driven down not only by a soft economy and unstable world politics but also by growing supply. Two new high-end ships were launched in 2003, the 1,080-passenger Crystal Serenity and the 700-passenger Seven Seas Voyager, and a third, the 2,620-passenger Queen Mary 2, which will make transatlantic crossings between New York and Southampton, England, debuts in January. Dean Gianoukos, a leisure analyst at JPMorgan, says that barring any new wars and assuming the economy picks up, he expects prices to rebound by 2005. In the meantime, lines are wheeling and dealing to fill their ships. 'I'd book now,' he says. For the most part, a bargain on an upscale cruise is immune to the pitfalls that come with the $75-a-day-and-less rates offered by mainstream lines, which usually get you a small inside cabin without windows on a lower deck. On high-end ships, there are very few crummy cabins. With the exception of inside cabins on the 940-passenger Crystal Harmony, the 1,791-passenger QE2, and the new QM2, all standard staterooms on upscale ships have windows or private balconies; the vast majority also have minibars, bathtubs, walk-in closets, and sitting areas. A key factor differentiating one high-end bargain from another is the itinerary: Some deals are oddball sailings with lots of days at sea. For example, the Crystal Harmony departs New Orleans on January 5, bound for Oahu and Honolulu on a 19-night cruise with a 7-day stretch at sea. Rates start at about $200 a day. If you're an old salt who doesn't mind all that sailing time, it's a steal. Another thing that separates a good deal from a great one is what's covered in the cruise rate. Some upscale lines include all drinks and tips. On those that don't, plan on spending another $100-plus per day if you like cocktails before and after dinner and a bottle of Bordeaux with your osso buco. Silversea Cruises includes just about everything in its $250-a-day rate for a 7-night Caribbean sailing in April on the 388-passenger Silver Whisper. The cruise starts in Antigua, then visits Martinique, Bequia, Grenada, Isla Margarita in Venezuela, and Trinidad before docking in Barbados. Radisson Seven Seas throws in wine with dinner and all tips, and every one of its staterooms has a balcony. The line is offering a 10-night Mexican Riviera cruise (calling at Mazatlán, Cabo San Lucas, and Acapulco) out of Los Angeles on the 700-passenger Seven Seas Mariner for $290 per day. Industry analysts see the best values these days in the Caribbean, where competition is intense. Many deals are offered during slow periods, including the weeks around Christmas and Thanksgiving and the months of May, September, and October. For example, SeaDream Yacht Club is offering a 7-night cruise out of St. Thomas on December 7 for $285 a day; the 110-passenger cruising yacht SeaDream I calls on St. Kitts, St. Barts, Anguilla, Tortola, Virgin Gorda, and Jost Van Dyke. You get an outside cabin, though it's on a lower deck, where the ship's movements may be felt more intensely. The 208-passenger Seabourn Pride is offering similar 7-night Caribbean sailings out of Barbados in December at the same rate, for a cabin in the forward section of the lowest cabin deck (extreme forward or aft cabins may also be prone to more movement). Both lines include all beverages and tips, as well as water sports from their fold-down marinas. It's also worth noting that high-end lines are offering more short sailings and flexible itineraries these days. Radisson Seven Seas has a slew of four- to seven-night Caribbean cruises, including a six-nighter out of Fort Lauderdale in mid-December on the Seven Seas Voyager and a four-nighter out of San Juan on the Radisson Diamond, both starting at $250 a day. The line's president and CEO, Mark Conroy, says, 'A seven-night cruise on a luxury ship for less then two thousand dollars per guest is a real bargain.' EXTRA EXPENSES There are certain extras that even the most inclusive upscale ships don't give you as part of the deal. On just about any cruise, you'll pay $100 or more for each trip to the ship's spa for a massage, a facial, or an exotic (and questionable) cellulite-reducing ritual. Of course, gift shop purchases will cost you (try $100,000 for a diamond ring on Silversea's ships), and you're on your own in the casino and when touring a port. You'll have to spring for airfare to and from the port of embarkation (though occasionally it's thrown in as part of a special promotion), as you will for bus or car transfers between the airport and the ship (unless you've purchased your airfare through the cruise line, in which case it's included). In addition to these expenses common to all ships, mass-market lines such as Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Norwegian, Holland America, and Celebrity squeeze guests for everything from a can of Coke (about $1.50) or a bottle of water ($2) to a cup of espresso ($1.50) and a glass of wine ($5-$10)—it's the best way for them to make up the revenue they're losing by often cutting rates to less than $100 a day. Passengers are enticed with silver-plated necklaces displayed in public corridors and portraits taken by roving photographers; on the Carnival Legend, you can even relax—at a cost of one dollar for every two minutes—in a vibrating leather recliner. Luxury ships have a less commercial vibe. Here's exactly what the high-end lines include in their rates. Most of these amenities cost extra on mass-market ships. BOOKING STRATEGIES How to make sure your deal's a deal Buying a cruise entails ironing out a lot of details, from choosing an itinerary (upscale ships are globe-trotters; mass-market lines focus mostly on the Caribbean, the Bahamas, and Alaska) to arranging international flights and hotel stays before or after the cruise. And with such a costly investment, you'll want to be sure all your questions are answered before you sign on the dotted line. Use a travel agent who specializes in high-end cruises An agent who knows ships intimately can save your trip. Roland Largay, co-owner of Connecticut-based Largay Travel, emphasizes that an experienced agent can warn you about cabins that have obstructed views or are located near noisy public areas. If you need to buy travel insurance, make special dietary requests, or ask for a refund because your cruise has gone down in price, a knowledgeable agent is critical. Agents affiliated with networks such as Virtuoso, American Express, Giants, or Leisure Travel Group often get their clients additional discounts, upgrades, and onboard perks such as VIP cocktail parties. With the exception of Windstar, all of the deluxe cruise lines will recommend specialist agencies in your area, either via their Web sites or through their reservations departments. Another good source is Wendy Perrin's 'Cabin Cruising' (July 2003). There's no upside to booking a cruise on the Internet—in fact, no high-end cruise line allows you to book on its Web site, and the major agency sites like Expedia and Travelocity sell very few of the upscale lines. Even when you can make an online purchase, prices are rarely lower, and if you run into problems, you'll be alone with your mouse or an anonymous sales rep who's probably never set foot on a ship. Do your homework Cruise line Web sites are, however, a good source for port descriptions, as well as deck plans, cabin details, and virtual tours. Some of the online cruise agencies have other handy features: Cruise411.com, for example, allows you to compare the itineraries of four ships in a chart format. Online agencies and cruise line sites will also e-mail promotions. Book early The lines encourage you to book at least six months in advance, but if a cruise isn't selling, rates will fall. There's a price for waiting, though. 'You can find something inexpensive at the last minute—if you don't care where you sleep and where you go,' says Raymond Peter Kane of New York-based Pisa Brothers Travel Service. Since most upscale lines, if asked, will refund the difference when the price of your cruise drops after you've made your reservation, there's not much to lose by booking early.   Back         Top of Page

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