On the verge of becoming an art, buying a cruise vacation seems to get more complicated all the time. A decade ago, buying Caribbean cruise vacations was more about finding a ship and sailing date that fit our travel schedule.  After all, cruise lines were all about the same anyway, right?  But the cruise lines of today have done a good job differentiating themselves from one another, making that decision more difficult.  Add in a variety of pricing options, more ships to choose from plus an increasing diversity in itineraries and choosing a cruise nearly requires using a travel agent, something that was much more optional in the past.  Still, buying on our own or preparing to meet with a travel professional to get that done, knowing where to find the deals and what is available at buying time can be very cost effective.  Let’s take a look at current promotions being offered by major cruise lines and make note of where we find this information in the future.

Carnival Cruise Lines has been the low-cost leader for years.  A Carnival cruise with no discounts can easily come in at a cost of less than $100 per person, per day.  We start with the FunShip line, still the most popular cruise line in the world.

Military Sale–Book now and get exclusive Military Savings! From now through May 31st, get exclusive Military rates and up to $50 onboard credit per stateroom. That’s not all – active or retired military members can also extend these savings to two additional staterooms, enabling them bring their family and friends along!

Kids Sail Free Extended Until May 4th
It’s time to take the whole gang on vacation! Book now through May 4th and kiddos cruise for FREE on select sailings between May 26th, 2014 and August 24th, 2014. That’s not all – only $50 is required to reserve your cruise vacation.

This Could Be You
This Could Be You promotion could have your feet in the sand sooner than you think. With these savings from Carnival it’s easier than ever, so plan a Carnival Cruise today. Book between now and May 18th and receive great savings off select sailings with only $50 required to reserve your cruise vacation.

Senior Specials
Book now and get exclusive Senior Savings!  For 55 years of age or older looking to cruise, book today and save big on your next cruise vacation through August 2014.

Single Occupancy Offer
Carnival has removed the 200% single occupancy supplement on a number of sailings. With this change, single occupancy bookings made under any available rate code will be charged 100% of the cruise fare when booking an interior and oceanview stateroom.

Pack & Go Offer
Need more fun in your life, and need it now? Well, pack your bags, grab family and friends, and get on board a “Fun Ship” cruise. In fact, savings add up to as much as 55% off regular pricing.

Early Saver Fares
Arguably one of the best pricing programs in the cruise industry, Carnival’s Early Saver fares have built-in price protection:  If the price goes down after buying, the new price is applied.   That’s not automatic; you’ll have to fill out an easy online form to get it, but there is no better way to feel confident we have the best pricing, at the time of sale and down the road.

Past Guest Offers
Very Important Fun Person values can often the best available, granting reduced pricing and the maximum in-category upgrade possible.  An inside cabin in the lowest category can be upgraded to the highest category (or any category in-between) at a reduced rate.  Casino players; be sure the ship knows you are a member of their Ocean Players Club which occasionally sends out cruise pricing at a deep discount and throw in some cash to get you playing right away.

Resident Rates
Once a bit mysterious as to who got this deal and why, Carnival’s newly-relaunched website has a map to click on, revealing which states have a discount available at any given time. Not all states qualify and discounts vary by ship and sailing date, but this is a good one to check

All those options and that’s just one cruise line with the current offers they have available right now.

Oh, This Is A Series?
Be sure you have subscribed to our blog for instant notification every a new article is published.  Usually once a day, we cover ships, cruise lines, destinations and now, cruise pricing.  We’ll take it one line at a time, noting outstanding values and limited time offers each week.