I’ve finally retired! Time for more cruising!

After a lot of years working at a State job, I’ve finally retired. I’m keeping busy, but we’re trying to find ways to do more cruising on less money. Cruising is already a cost effective way to travel, since food, entertainment, and lodging is included.

So, how are we going to do that?

Honestly, I’m not sure how we will manage that on a limited income. We do have savings and Social Security, and I have a small pension, but we have to be careful. So, I’m shopping wisely.

First off, we’re looking at shorter last minute cruises on the Vacations To Go website. You can go to the website and click on the 90-Day Ticker to find last minute cruise deals. You can sort them by date, price, or however you want to. You can also use the advanced option to find cruises that leave later. We can leave from a number of US ports, so it shouldn’t be hard to find some good deals.

I also look for great deals on the Cruise line Loyalty sites, so read your emails. We got really good deals on our next cruises by doing that. Prices will fluctuate often, so if you see a good deal, snag it! If prices go down later, you can call the cruise line and normally they will meet the price. However, be aware that if a deposit is higher on the new deal, you’ll have to pay the new deposit amount. Also, if you had some good deals on the original deal, such as on board credit, and the new deal doesn’t have it, you will lose it.

Casino deals?

We’ve never really gambled in the Casinos on the ships because of the smoking. I’m sensitive to smoke so it’s hard for me to even walk through the Casino. But I’ve seen people who get great rates by using the Casino. Just be sure to join the Players Club and insert your card into the machine before you start gambling.

I am curious about this way to get better deals on cruises, so we’re going to do a little experimentation to see if we get any offers later. Can’t hurt to try I guess. I’ll just hold my breath. Some ships are starting to get separate non-smoking Casino rooms, so hopefully that will be the case on the ships we cruise.