Think of the word “cruise.” The odds are that the next words that came into your head after thinking “cruise” were either “the Caribbean” or “the Bahamas” – the cruise industry has practically all of North America convinced that the Caribbean or the Bahamas are the only worthwhile places to visit on a cruise. However, don’t let these two destinations overshadow all the other awesome destinations out there. Canada is one such destination that people tend to forget about. Canada, although probably not the place to go if you want to hit the beaches, is a breathtakingly beautiful country. Some of the ports of call on a Canadian cruise may include Halifax, St. John, Quebec City, Charlottetown and Sydney.
Finding a cheap cruise to Canada isn’t so hard, as long as you start early enough. Give yourself a good amount of time to looking for a cruise since cruise prices are constantly fluctuating. Saving money on the cruise fare means that you’ll have more money to spend on things like food, drinks, shore excursions and possibly even some more land traveling after the cruise finishes.
One thing you can do to find a cheap cruise is to contact some travel agents. Tell them you’re looking to take a cruise and that you want a good price. Being flexible about your travel dates and not being attached to a particular cruise line may help you secure a better deal. In an attempt to sweeten the deal, some travel agents may offer a cabin upgrade or gift.
While your travel agents are on the lookout for cheap cruises, you can do your own part by researching travel providers online. This will help you get an idea of how much cruises charge so if your travel agents come back to you with their deals , you can determine if they’re truly offering good prices or not. Some good websites to check out include Expedia, Cruise Brothers and Kayak.
One website to take particular note of is Cruise Compete. On this site, you post your preferred itinerary and cruise line. Travel agents will review your itinerary and submit proposals. If you see a proposal you like, you can accept it; there is no requirement to purchase a cruise package just because it was proposed to you.
Another thing you should consider is a repositioning trip or a shoulder trip. A repositioning trip is a one-way cruise that occurs when a cruise ship switches its route from one part of the world to another. For example, a cruise ship that spent the winter in the Caribbean may sail up to Canada for the summer, and you can hop on board for the trip from the Caribbean to Canada for a lower price. A shoulder trip is a cruise that takes place either at the beginning or the end of the peak seasons for cruises. Shoulder trips are typically cheaper because the weather may not be the greatest during that time of year.
Please visit www.completeinsurance.ca for more information about travel in Canada.
