Travel Forum / Travel Types / Cruises / July 2009

Its not easy to describe in a write-up the difference in proximity of
encounters, their nature, etc ... and of course, these differences
aren't for everyone, either.

Unfortunately, the fewer passengers on such small ship tours means
that costs such as fuel have a smaller amortization base, so the
result is a more expensive trip.  YMMV of if its worth it to you.

If it is of interest, then one might want to be aware that
CruiseWest's round-the-world small ship excursion is available at
quite a steep discount if you book & pay in full within the next
(IIRC) two weeks.    The simple rundown of their incentives for this
particular trip includes:

- Early Booking Discount (varies; roughly 10-12%)
- 10% Quyana Club Discount (any prior cruise customer...normally 5%)
- Early Payment Discount (varies; roughly 20-25%)
- 2% Cash Payment Discount
- 5% Multiple Segments Booking Discount

Ignoring add-ons such as airfare, figure in the ballpark of a 30%-50%
discount range if you can (& are willing to) maximize your
leveraging.  YMMV, but pre-paying a year in advance for a 20% discount
is better than the returns from the  Stock Market right now.

-hh