Decide which cruise line you want to go with. The top cruise lines are Carnival and Royal Caribbean. You can visit the cruise line's website directly and choose the time of year you want to take the cruise. You will then be able to choose a cruise destination. A list of available cruises for that time will show up. Choose the one you want and then enter the number of adults and children. You will be able to see the price per person for the type of cabin you want. If you continue using the prompts, the website will give you the total price.
Visit your local AAA agent or use AAA's travel website (see resources) to search for family cruises. You will need your AAA account number. Your agent will be able to get you a family cruise rate that is less than just booking the cruise yourself through the cruise line's direct website. Your AAA agent can also help you book any extras, such as shore excursions, that you might be interested in.
Search several travel websites to find the one that has the best deal. The biggest travel websites are Expedia and Travelocity. If you don't want to fill in all of the boxes on the website in order to get a price quote, you can call them. Travelocity can be reached by dialing 1-877-815-5446. Expedia can be reached by dialing 1-888-249-3978.
Check with a few cruise consolidators before you make your final decision as to which source has the best price for your family. Cruise consolidators work by purchasing blocks of tickets at a highly discounted rate. Then they turn around and sell you tickets, which are still cheaper than you would pay the cruise line directly. Cruises Only and Worldwide Cruises are two consolidators worth checking out.
