Cruise Deals

If you're looking to get away this summer on a Royal Caribbean cruise, there may be a cruise on sale for you.

The "Bring a Friend" offer allows curent Crown & Anchor Society members to bring guests new to Royal Caribbean with them on a cruise and receive $25 onboard credit per stateroom, up to five rooms per sailing.  You must book by July 31.

Royal Caribbean has placed select ships on sale as well, most notably Voyager of the Seas' Adriatic Sea sailings where the 7-night itineraries in July and August 2011 can get you  $2,000 of ChoiceAir credit for a Suite stateroom, $500 for a Balcony stateroom, $400 for an Ocean View stateroom, and $300 for an Interior stateroom.

In addition, there are deals on four, five and seven night sailings in the Western Caribbean on Jewel of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas.  These ships sail out of Tampa, New Orleans and Galveston and prices start at $896 per quad-occupancy stateroom from November 2011 through April 2012.

Seven night cruises to Alaska on the Radiance of the Seas are also available at $649 per guest from August 5 through September 9, 2011.

Royal Caribbean launched a new promotion today for its cruises to the western Caribbean, departing between July 16, 2011 and May 27, 2012. Guests who make reservations on Wednesday (06/22), will receive $100 onboard credit per stateroom on all cruises aboard Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas of seven nights, and $50 for itineraries of five or six nights on sailings between November 12, 2011, and April 19, 2012 on the Liberty of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas or Navigator of the Seas.

The offer applies only to new bookings, and cabins must belong to the categories or suites with a balcony outside. The credit can be used to pay expenses of board and spa treatments, shopping in stores or in the casino.

Royal Caribbean is kicking off it's much hyped "WOW Sale" today, which is offering savings for Royal Caribbean cruises in 2011.  During the sale, passengers can get up to $200 per cabin in onboard credits.  In addition, you will only have to pay half the normal amount for a deposit to book a cruise.

"Our WOW sale is truly our best consumer offer," Royal Caribbean senior vice president for sales Vicki Freed tells USA TODAY, noting the promotion is good on voyages through 2012. The sale "offers the most flexibility of dates and ships."

Onboard credit amounts vary depending the length of your cruise...

• 3-5 night cruises: $50 per cabin
• 6-9 night cruises: $100 per cabin
• 9 nights or more: $200 per cabin.

Special offer can not be combined with any other offer or promotion, including Crown & Anchor, Shareholder Benefit, Future and Next Cruise offers.  This deal is only valid September 29 & 30, 2010.

It's no secret that Royal Caribbean has been moving many of its ships to Europe in search of higher revenue but Fox Business reports that when companies like Royal Caribbean made their plans for the 2010 cruising season, they did so back in 2008 when they expected a higher demand and stronger Euro than is current here.  While that news isn't great for Royal Caribbean, it is good news for consumers looking for a cruise deal in Europe.

Here are some tips for those looking for a good deal on a European cruise vacation this year

• Avoid cruise itineraries designed for Europeans. They prefer sunny resort destinations like the Canary Islands  (the European version of our Caribbean cruises) over port calls at the culturally significant places that draw Americans.
• If you are going to fly all the way to Europe, you'll want see more – so longer cruises are better.
• Avoid the traditional European vacation season of mid-July through August. You will still find plenty of shopping and tourist services, but with lower prices and shorter lines.
• Airfare from the U.S. usually drops in autumn. 
• Two cruise lines most Americans probably want to avoid (except for bargain hunters) are Costa and MSC Cruises. Both offer beautiful, modern cruise ships, but they market to non-English speaking passengers. Everything on board is presented in five languages -- Italian, French, Spanish and German and then English last. These ships are often bargain-priced, but the novelty wears off quickly. Most Americans prefer ships designed for our own tastes, especially when it comes to food, entertainment and shore tours.

Royal Caribbean has launched a special July 4th sale on last minute cruises as well as cruises throughout the year. The sale runs July 2nd through July 6th on select sailings. New bookings only.  Some great rates to be had if you can act quickly!

Interestingly enough, there are two Oasis of the Seas sailings on sale as well.