Going on a vacation as a family may be fun but the costs can be depressing. Just imagining paying for 6 plane tickets and then meals for six for the duration of the vacation is enough to send anyone in the loony bin. With the rising costs of commodities, only the crazy or the super rich can afford a family vacation, let alone a family sailing vacation. After all, taking a cruise is much more expensive than flying in.
But to people who are resourceful and wise, finding the perfect family sailing vacation package that is affordable is a piece of cake. If you know where to look and how to look, that vacation in the Bahamas and in the Caribbean will not just be a dream away. Here are some tips that will help you in your bargain hunting.
1. Go online
The internet is a great resource for bargains. One of those being sold over the internet are travel packages. Look into airline websites and cruise ship websites and see what their latest offerings are. Here you will find great bargains, all inclusive packages that sometimes do not cost as much.
Another place to try is the ebay auction houses where you can find great bargains. It may not be common but sometimes there are people who have planned their vacations but suddenly cannot make it. The tickets and accommodations may not be as many as you want but the discount that you will get can save you a lot of money.
2. Go in groups
Take advantage of the fact that you are part of a group. People who buy in bulk will of course be offered cheaper prices than those buying one or two tickets. Some cruise ships even offer buy 5 free 1 tickets or boarding. There are also a lot of packages that are already made for groups. This is to encourage people to sign up with the cruise ship or with the airlines. After all, it is easier to fill up the ship and the airline with groups of people rather than with one or two tickets sold.
3. Book early
If you can plan your family sailing vacation early, do so. This is because it is cheaper if you buy your tickets and accommodations early. You will not only get discounts but may even get great packages especially when you sign up on an off peak season. Even if you reserved your vacation on a peak season, if you did it really early, you will get great discounts for it.
4. Do it off peak
Prices are more expensive during peak season because the demand for tickets and accommodations are also high. This is the time when people often take holidays and vacations like during Christmas, New Year, Summer, Spring and during Easter.
If you take a family vacation during off peak season, you can save as much as 50 percent, not only on the tickets and hotel costs but also on the meals and even the souvenir items. And because there is not much people around, you can enjoy your vacation more. Just think about it, having the hotel pool or the cruise ship all to your family.
A family sailing vacation is not expensive if you know how to find one.