Cruise Shopping

Typically the “best rates” will be found during the re-positioning cruises as the season changes.  They take ships that were stationed in the Caribbean and move them to Europe in the spring and then reverse them in the late fall; some of the ships were in the Caribbean and they move them to Alaska in  mid-May and then reverse the move in mid-September.  Also, booking a cruise 8-10 months out will generally provide the best rates of the year, because several cruise lines are abandoning the policy of getting rid of unsold space 2-3 weeks before departure with deep discounting.  Instead they are holding the line until 30 days before sailing and not discounting any more until it sails....even if some cabins go unsold.  Off season in September and October in the Caribbean is also usually bargain months.

So, how do you go about selecting the best cruise for you and your family?  The first step is hooking up with a reputable travel agent, the more experience the better.  Have a good handle on what you want to spend and how long you want to get away.  That gives that experienced agent a good idea about which cruise line and ship to suggest.  Another clue for the agent is the size of the family that is being considered, and that will dictate how many rooms will be required.  Another consideration is whether you want to fly to the cruise embarkation city or will you be able to drive.  For many folks who live here in the Southwest, Galveston is an ideal port to drive to, especially if there a numerous people traveling.  Pricing is also dictated by the cabin category; inside, outside, balcony, or suite.

The experienced travel agents at The Travel Factory here in Abilene have over 100 years combined experience in arranging cruises and tours for many families over the years, and they would be more than excited to be able to help you manufacture the family cruise vacation of a lifetime.  They have already planned and are taking reservations for 4 group tours in 2016.  The first one is a British Isles tour from May 8-20 with visits to Ireland, Scotland, and Great Britain as well as an extra excursion planned for Paris or Normandy.

The annual Alaska cruise/tour is set up for July 4-16, 2016.  This is the 22^nd group that they have planned and it is selling very briskly.  Princess Cruise Line will recall our group inventory next week  so we encourage anyone interested to contact us immediately for the best price.

On September 11-18, our 11^th group with TownSquare Media and host Rudy Fernandez will enjoy the services of  Royal Caribbean Cruise Line on the Liberty of the Seas out of Galveston.  We have negotiated the very best group prices; we are anxious for all our friends to go along with us.

October 15-22 are the dates for our beautiful cruise in Hawaii on Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America.  This is absolutely the best way to see the Hawaiian Islands, so give us a call today for more information.

We can be reached at 698-1421 or 800-760-4040; better than a computer screen is a real live agent at 4150 Southwest Dr. or if you must; www.thetravelfactoryabilene.com gets to our web site.