Metafares' Deal Hunting Blog

Taking a cruise is definitely one of the most relaxing ways to spend your vacation. You don’t have to drive or rush anywhere, just enjoy the journey through emerald waters and picturesque coastlines. With a little luck, you can always find some last minute cruise for a modest amount – which, in most cases, implies an inside cabin. But why not going to the next level and booking a balcony or even suite? This way, you can enjoy the view and the cool breeze for as much as you want, without feeling trapped between 4 walls.
And thanks to cruises.com’s ongoing Balcony & Suite Blowout, balconies and suites are now available at incredible rates. A balcony on 3-night Bahamas cruise with Carnival Sensations can cost as little as $329 (you can also get some free on-board credit). For only $729, you get to enjoy the Eastern Caribbean sea from your balcony, plus 160$ worth of on-board cash (valid for the 8-night Carnival Miracle journey departing for NYC).

The mount of June announces to be really hot, in not in terms of high temperatures, then at least in terms of last minute cruise deals. Cruisecritic.com comes with its own selection of decently priced cruises, which includes destinations like Alaska, Northern Mediterranean or the Baltic countries.
A cruise through such superb northern cities like Oslo, Copenhagen, Tallinn and Stockholm can cost you as little as $206 (which means that you’ll spend four unforgeable nights aboard the Vision of the Seas at an incredible 52$ a night rate). In case you feel the call of the wilderness and have a little over $399 on your credit card, you can just book an inside cabin aboard Ryndam and enjoy the mysterious Alaska for 7 days in a row. If you could use some free OBC (on board credit), then all you have to do is visit the site’s deal section and take a closer look to Norwegian Cruise Line’s 7-day Bermuda cruise, now available from $499 up.

Yes, you heard me right: Holland America is offering some pretty good discounts for its early fall cruises. During the months of September and October, you have the chance to admire the ever surprising foliage along Canada’s coastline or catch the first snowfall in Alaska. Some of these amazing cruises can last for as long as 2 weeks and come will all kinds of gratuities, like 150$ worth of on board credit or discounted shore excursions.
As for the price of such epic journeys, there is something for every pocket. The 7-night cruises to the Caribbean start around $499 for an inside cabin and can cost as much as $6499 (this would be the cost of a suite during the 14-day Caribbean holiday voyage). As for Canada and Alaska, here you can start with $599 or pay some extra 200$ to upgrade you cabin for an ocean view or even balcony.  Booking all these cruises through cruises.com will help you save as much as 50% of the brochure price.

It’s hard to imagine a better way to spend the summer than going for a week long cruise through Alaska’s picturesque gulfs. A cruise along Alaska’s shores can reveal this distant state in all its glory by showing you the best of its ports, glaciers, rugged cliffs and river mouths. But if you are considering such and investment, then it might be of great help if you managed to check some of your options and existent rates before starting to ride the waves.
By taking a look at cruisecheap.com’s selection of Alaska cruises, you will easily notice that the price of a 7-day journey from Seattle to Alaska and back starts somewhere around $399 (this would be the Norwegian Star voyage, departing tomorrow from Seattle). If you want to see more of Alaska (many of the above-mentioned cruises are departing from the state of Washington, which means that they spend a couple of days on sea) then you can choose the Coral Princess cruise departing from Vancouver, which is now available for only $599 (per person per inside cabin). To see more destinations, just go on line at cruisecheap.com.

ATTENTION! These cruise deals were posted in 2010, and are no longer available, but in the below table you can find loads of freshly picked cruise deal to the top cruise destinations of the world: Caribbean, Europe, Alaska and more. (more…)

Even when it comes to cruises, going freestyle is the best way for an adventurous nature to enjoy the journey and make sure one gets exactly what one wants (and, most important, when he/she wants it). Norwegian Cruise Line’s decision to introduce freestyle cruises on many of their ships has proven to be a successful recipe. So, in case you are up for an epic cruise this summer, NCL awaits you with some irresistible deals.
For those who choose to travel aboard the Norvegian Epic between June 24 and August 28, NCL is offering up to $100 on board credit, which can be used for all kinds of activities, from shore excursions to spa treatments. Whether you prefer the Eastern of the Western side of the Caribbean, the price of a 7-night sail through the most turquoise waters and gorgeous islands starts at only $659 (for an inside cabin). Other great offers include special rates when adding a 3rd person on your reservation, partial reimbursement of your booking fee or cheaper shore excursions. Just hurry up to check Norwegian’s epic savings before the 3rd of May when the offer expires.

For the lovely month of May, cruisecritic.com announces some hard to ignore cruise deals. Initial rates for Caribbean cruises start at only $369 (this particular offer is valid for the 5-night journey to the Bahamas aboard Carnival Destiny, departing the port of Miami on May 10, 2010). Most of these Caribbean cruises have prices ranging between $450 and $550 – this is, of course, the price of an inside cabin, calculated per person – and take about 7 days to complete.
Another great trip for this last month of spring would be to explore Alaska’s spectacular shores.  Norwegian Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises and Holland America are all offering decently priced Alaska cruises; for its 7-night cruise to America’s ‘Last Frontier’, Holland America charges around $549 and offers free on  board credit. To check any other destination, cruise line or departure date, just take a look at cruise critic’s deals page.

Have you started making any plans for Memorial Weekend? Or maybe even the 4th of July? Well, what about I give you a suggestion: you can go on line at cruisecheap.com and book a cruise for as little as $299.  The site lists a delicious selection of cruise deals, most of them within the Caribbean, whose embankment days are very close to the Memorial Weekend or the Independence Day weekend.
Some of the cheapest cruises available involve Bahamas and come from Norwegian Cruise Lines – the price of an inside cabin aboard the Norwegian Sky (departing Miami on July 2nd ) starts at only $299. More pricey journeys involve the Mediterranean ($1,599 for an inside cabin on a 12 night journey) or Canada and New England coast ($1,095 for a 5 days sail). Since it is safe to assume that this holiday cruise will actually be a family cruise, it might be a good idea to check these amazing holiday cruise offers as fast as possible: Disney Wonder cruise (one of the best family friendly cruise ships) to the Bahamas is almost sold out.

Just as any respectable cruise line launches a new ship once in two or three years, so must the passionate cruiser try on a new vessel from time to time. Among the great advantages of these new ships are: cutting-edge technologies, innovative designs and the obvious truth that they are meant raise the standards. However the best advantage is that they are also available for affordable rates. A ship’s maiden voyage might be reserved to those few privileged guests, but this doesn’t mean that you can’t get a brand-new cabin for little money. Cruises.com comes with an interesting selection of new cruise ship deals.
An ocean view cabin aboard the Carnival Dream cruise ship that will take you through the exotic Western Caribbean starts at only $599. If you’re traveling with kids, you might want to check the 3-night Bahamas cruise from Disney Cruises, whose, this time, Disney Dream, is offering interior cabins from $559 per person. Form more info on these amazing deals, just take a look at cruises.com’s new ship deals.

Cruising is the kind of activity that will never let you idle once you got a taste of it. Every year, you will try to embark for a new voyage, that is longer and more adventurous. After trying some popular destinations as the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, maybe it’s time to go on with something more exotic, like, let’s say, New Zealand or Australia.

Although you won’t find the same unbelievably cheap  rates in this part of the Pacific, the sight of New Zealand’s picturesque coastline or the opportunity to dive into the shallow waters of the Great Barrier Reef are worth of every penny. The price of a 7-night cruise alongside Australia’s and New Zealand’s coasts aboard the Rhapsody of the Seas starts at only $759. You could also choose the 12-night South Pacific cruise departing from Sydney, with starting prices of $1245 per person (for an inside cabin).  For more details, take a look at cruisecheap.com’s hot deals.