Cruises... Too Many Discounts?

Some say not enough.

When it comes to the number of discounts offered by a cruise line, travel agents have tons of ways to help you save.

by Raye & Marty Trencher

Cruise Traveler Magazine

As the summer grows hotter,  so do the cruise deals. The competition among cruise lines competing for your business is sizzling hot.

With so many berths to fill, it's no wonder you can find discounts for being in the military, residing a specific state, over the age of 55 or just a kid under 12 who sails for free.

There's even savings for Teachers, EMTs, Firefighters,  Police Officers & Active Military personnel.
 

And some cruise lines go even further, offering 2-for 1 cruise fares, FREE roundtrip airfare, FREE unlimited shore excursions and FREE pre or post cruise hotel package. They even throw in the gratuities.

The savings for a couple could be from as little as $500 for a main stream cruise line like Carnival,  up to $8000 for a luxury cruise experience with Crystal Cruise line.

A check of Carnival's web site reveals that you could save hundred's on a cruise for just residing in a specific state.

Providing your city of residence or the city with the most proximity to your city of residence, allows them to apply these additional savings to your cruise price.

Cruise Tip: Any traveler who qualifies for a special resident rate will be required to show a government-issued form of identification (passport, or birth certificate and driver's license) at the pier to validate state of residency prior to boarding the cruise ship. If can't prove your from the state you registered for, you will be charged the full rate for the cabin and will have to pay the difference at the pier or you will be denied boarding. That'll cost you a bundle, so don't forget the required identification.

Finding a resident rate at their web site isn't the most intuitive process. As a matter of fact, they don't even mention it on their home page. You will need to use their cruise search program and choose the "Special Rates" filter to display the Resident Rates for your home state. Which states are on their list?  Use the pull down menu below to find out.

State of Residency OTHER STATE Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming PROVINCES Alberta British Columbia Manitoba New Brunswick Newfoundland Northwest Territories Nova Scotia Nunavut Ontario Prince Edward Island Quebec Saskatchewan Yukon

Carnival is not the only cruise line to offer these discounts. Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises and others have similar offers.

• Start your search for a low-cost cruise by researching Resident Rates.   offered by a number of cruise lines. Or click on this link: Exclusive Resident Specials! Enjoy Reduced Rates on Select Sailings Where you live could entitle you to exclusive savings.

• Find out which cruises lines offer special rates and programs where Kids Sail FREE! Find out when, where and how!

• Find Savings for Teachers, EMTs, Firefighters, Police Officers

  and Active Military.

When it comes to the cruise lines offering discounts, there's no such thing as too many deals.

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