A Once in a Lifetime European Cruise Experience by John Steele

I think it's true to say that almost everyone would like to go on a cruise at least once in their lives. Not that long ago, perhaps fewer than 20 years ago, cruise vacations were the domain of the very rich and were not usually available to the normal working man or woman.

These days however, cruise prices have come down amazingly in cost, but unfortunately this doesn't mean that a European cruise is cheap, they still cost quite a lot, however if you do some of searching around and research there are some great cruise discounts and deals available that can bring a cruise into the price range of most peoples holiday budgets. Knowing where to look is the first step in getting a good European cruise deal, that and budgeting correctly.

A good place to start is by opening up your internet browser and doing some simple research with a search engine, there are plenty of companies online that will offer you discounted cruise deals, but as a caveat, you should always be dubious of buying European cruises online and make sure that you deal with reputable firms or perhaps firms that you have had personally recommended to you not just from an internet posting.

By using this simple technique you can quickly put together a short list of all the best deals available.

The main rule of thumb for acquiring a good value cheap cruise is being flexible; the second rule is being flexible. Of course the third rule is; you guessed it, being flexible. To get the best European cruise deal you will need to compromise on some of the things you want. If you can do this then you will always get a good deal.

If you are flexible, this may include travelling a bit further to meet your cruise ship or last minute bookings will save you some money. Also the cabin you are allocated may not be in the best position, perhaps it won't have a balcony view, by being on an inner corridor.

This will almost certainly reduce the cost of the cruise deal at the same time. On this point, watch out for last minute upgrades, sometimes cruise lines will offer an upgrade to a more agreeable accommodation a few weeks before the ship sails, so you might be able to get yourself a deal this way.

If you choose an off-peak cruise you are much more likely to get a better cruise deal than otherwise.

Make sure though that you will get good value from the places you visit at those times of the year, no doubt it will be still a fantastic cruise and the destinations may not be quite as busy or hot at these time, which you may well prefer.

All in all there a many different ways to get a better deal on a European cruise, just try to be flexible.