An Affordable Luxury Cruise – an Oxymoron? By Jackie Johnson At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Have you checked the prices of four- and five-star hotels lately? Wasn’t it just the other day that $150 - $250 a night would get you a fabulous room in any international hotel in Paris, London or New York?

Well, the times they are a-changin’. It’s rare to find a place for $200 that isn’t a dump or that isn’t a 45-minute commute to the city center. Yet when you look at the increase in prices for a luxury cruise, today’s rates are only marginally different from those of five or even ten years ago.

For many of us we still carry the perception that a luxury cruise is an impossible dream. But if you look into cruises that specialize in opulence, there are now more opportunities than ever to enjoy several that are much more affordable and that offer superb value for money.

In fact, now is the perfect time to indulge your self. Global financial crises, sub-prime mortgage fiascos, bail-outs for Wall Street and the auto industry all spell only one thing for top-end travel products: discounts, discounts, and more discounts. The luxury cruise lines cannot fill their staterooms and suites as easily as before and that means prices are being slashed.

For example, the Yachts of Seabourn, voted the word’s best small luxury cruise line in 2008 by Condé Nast Magazine, is, for a limited time, discounting select Mediterranean cruises by 60%. A 7-night cruise on the Seabourn Spirit which normally starts at $7,100 can be had for an incredible $2,840 per person. Do the math; this equates to $810 per couple per diem. Now where can you find a 5-star luxury hotel suite – that’s right, a suite – for this price? But that’s not all. Included in the price are three exquisite meals a day that are nothing short of culinary extravaganzas. And did I also mention cruising the French and Italian Riviera and other exotic ports of call, all included in this price? This is value for money like you’ve never seen before. It’s putting vacation options that previously would have been unaffordable well within the reach of many.

Seabourn is by no means the only luxury cruise line that’s deep-discounting its sailings. Silversea, Seadream, Orion, and Regent Seven Seas are all small ship luxury cruise lines that are also slashing their prices. But do your homework; a luxury cruise is just like any other vacation in the sense that it pays to shop around. Determine your vacation budget and research your options just as you would anything else. This is one time when doing a little legwork pays dividends that can lead to substantial savings on your next cruise.

One of the best places to begin your research is online. But don’t make the Internet your final stop. Find a travel agent (not a travel agency) who knows the various luxury cruise lines first-hand. These folks know the subtle differences, nuances, and eccentricities between each of the ships – which has the larger suites, which have been most recently refurbished, which lines’ shore excursions are the best value for money, and so on. So, act now if you want the best deal on a luxury cruise. The price is indeed right. For more information visit http://www.uncommoncruises.com.

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