Customers will enjoy more choices than ever before when it comes to cruise ships – 2010 was an especially remarkable year for ship launches, but 2011 will feature its fair share of new vessels as well, with Disney Dream®, Carnival Magic®, and Celebrity Silhouette® all scheduled to debut by year’s end. And there will be choices to make when it comes to cruising the Caribbean and Europe, too, where industry trends and the global economy are already impacting inventory in both destinations (more sailings in one region, and less in the other).
More than anything else, however, a new year means new deals. And customers that book this year’s cruise vacation now will choose from the widest possible selection of offers and reap the greatest savings. No two years are ever entirely alike, of course, but there’s at least one thing that remains constant – and that’s the overall value of a cruise vacation. In recent times, we’ve watched as the cruise lines have lowered prices to levels we’d never seen before. Those unprecedented fares, in combination with the special and exclusive offers that are always available from CruisesOnly, offered customers terrific opportunities to set sail on a budget. And while reduced rates and valuable bonus offers (generous amounts of free onboard credit, kids-sail-free deals, and free/reduced airfare being but three examples) remain available in the New Year, the biggest bargains will disappear quickly. The time to get a great deal is now, while prices are still low and bonus offers plentiful. Reserve your 2011 cruise today and you’ll get the biggest bang for your buck by locking in that sailing at an early-bird discount.
I also want our readers to be aware of an industry-wide shift that’s already making waves in both the Caribbean and Europe. Simply put, there will be fewer ships in the Caribbean this year. All of the major cruise lines will be sending a greater number of vessels to Europe instead. Royal Caribbean International, for example, will deploy a record ten ships (up from eight last year) via ports of call throughout Spain, Italy, and England. Some of this shift is a result of Europe’s growing popularity as a cruise destination, and some of it has to do with changes in the strength of the Euro versus the American dollar. I think it’s fair to say that the Caribbean remains cruising’s “signature destination,” and I don’t think that’s likely to change any time soon, but you’ll want to keep this trend in mind if you’re planning on visiting the islands in 2011.
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