If you have a couple of weeks to spend and do not mind spending most of the time on the open ocean, repositioning cruises may be for you. Generally scheduled for the later months of the year (October and November), these cruises are the means by which cruise operators move their vessels from European to Caribbean waters.
Since these are the same high-glamor ships that the cruise lines use for other routes, they offer the same amenities. The price is much lower, since the long at-sea schedule is unpopular and hard for tour operators to sell. Passengers on a repositioning cruise spend roughly a full week crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
In the late 1990s, cruise ship companies were in a "space race" of sorts to build the biggest liners. When the Sept. 11 attacks occurred, they triggered a massive downturn in travel, and these massive ships were left nearly bereft of passengers. The volume of cruise-going passengers has not yet recovered.
This capacity lag is great news for would-be budget cruisers. Cruise bookers have one goal -- 100 percent capacity. Those troublesome empty rooms always cost the cruise lines money, so it is a good rule of thumb that swiftly approaching departure dates bring steep discounts on unsold cabins. Look for itineraries within a few weeks of departure, and watch the fares closely. When they drop, pounce. The rooms will hit the "pricing sweet spot" and disappear quickly.
If you are an adventurous sort who does not care to dress for dinner or pour over a long list of on-board activities, a freighter cruise is a great way to enjoy economical seafaring from the deck of a cargo ship. It is possible to spend weeks (in some cases, months) exploring the world's oceans and learning about the daily operation of the massive cargo vessels that move entire economies from shore to shore. These ships go where traditional liners never do, so passenger spend onshore time in crowd-free ports of call.
Budget travelers, rejoice: freighter cruises often cost less per day than even discounted rates on "normal" cruise lines. The lack of planned activities can be daunting, but the ships generally offer basic amenities, such as a fitness room, movie library, reading room and swimming pool, that help pass the time surprisingly well. Passengers must arrange and fund their own shore excursions as well.
