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Homeport cruising is where the heart is for value-conscious travelers

Guide

Homeport Cruising 101

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Introduction
Cruising from the Northeast
Cruising from the Southeast with Florida
Cruising from the Gulf Coast
Cruising from California
Cruising from the Pacific Northwest with Alaska
Cruising from Hawaii
Our Favorite Homeport Cruises
Tips for Booking Homeport Cruises

Tips for Booking Homeport Cruises

Read on for our expert tips on booking homeport cruises.

* Getting the best price on a homeport cruise

* What the fare covers on a homeport cruise

* Picking your homeport cruise cabin wisely

* Tips for traveling alone on homeport cruises

Getting the best price on a homeport cruise
•   Buy early or late: Prices can fluctuate a lot between the sale date and the sail date (usually a 12- to 18-month span). The sweet spots for purchasing are early in the process, when prices are generally favorable and availability is high, and late, when prices decrease but availability may be limited.
•   Use a cruise-only agency to make the purchase. Online travel engines may be the easiest way to book most trips these days, but when it’s time to buy a cruise, make sure to also try a cruise agent. They can offer you unadvertised discounts, group rates, and personalized service in case anything should go wrong.
•   Check out newsletters with cruise-bargain listings published by the cruise lines themselves, travel agencies, and online resources like our Cruise Deals page (www.shermanstravel.com/deals/cruises).

What the fare covers on a homeport cruise
•   On mainstream cruise lines, the fare includes meals, room service, entertainment, and the run of the ship. Not covered are tips, alcoholic beverages, soda, special dining venues, and shore excursions. Most ships have alternative dining venues, and service charges can range from $5 on Crystal Cruises to $25 on most mass-market cruise lines. Leave room in your budget for shipboard expenses, because those extra costs—like paying for espresso with dinner, or a service charge for pizza delivery to your stateroom—can quickly add up.
•   Luxury lines like Silversea and Regent Seven Seas Cruises include gratuities and all beverages in their fares, in addition to meals and entertainment.
•   Airfare is never included in a cruise price unless it’s specifically advertised. Some cruise lines, especially river cruises, do include airfare, which will be very clear in the wording of the price quote.

Picking your homeport cruise cabin wisely
Almost all advertised cruise prices are for the cheapest (often inside) cabins, so you may need to do some digging for the other prices.

Inside These have no windows but offer the same room service and room stewards as other cabins. Families often book these for the kids (many include additional pull-down beds at a lower fare).

Oceanview Also called an “outside cabin,” these have nonopening windows. The windows in “obstructed view” rooms are partially blocked by lifeboats and sell for less.

Balcony or Veranda The most popular choice: A sliding-glass door opens to a private deck with a table, chairs, and a safety railing.

Junior Suites These are balcony cabins with more square footage, larger bathrooms, a separate seating area, and larger closets.

Suites These come in several configurations but usually include separate bedrooms, larger bathrooms, walk-in closets, and extra services like butler, concierge, and Internet access. Some even have dining rooms, butler’s pantries, hot tubs, and baby grand pianos.

Location, Location, Location The smoothest-sailing part of a ship is on the lower decks, midship. There is no advantage to being on a higher deck—in fact, one feels more motion. Still, some ships charge more for the same cabin design just because it is higher up. Take the lower deck and save the money.

Tips for traveling alone on homeport cruises
Cruising is geared toward couples, as the rate is for a cabin with double occupancy. A solo cruiser pays a “singles supplement,” usually a 50 percent markup of the per-person rate. Here are smart ways to go solo:

Get a roommate: Certain lines, like Holland America, will match you up with a cabinmate.

Try a singles cruise: VacationsToGo.com and SinglesCruise.com bring singles groups on major boats for special activities, parties, dining, and roommate matching.

Go high-end: Several luxury lines like Silversea, Regent, and Crystal offer lower singles’ supplements than most other lines (around 25 percent).

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