Part 5: The "No-Bus" Travel Philosophy (And How We Get Paid) - First Time Cruise Shopping Tips

Welcome to the final installment of our Cruise Shopping Master Class! This post contains some Miscellaneous topics that were not covered elsewhere, and we didn't want to skip!

Rob and I have just completed our 40th cruise vacation together. Our very first voyage was our honeymoon all the way back in 1996, and we booked a tiny, cheap interior stateroom.

But guess what? Our ship pulled into the exact same ports of call at the exact same minute as the multi-thousand-dollar luxury Suites did. We ate the same food, watched the same high-end entertainment, and experienced the exact same ocean. The only difference was that we did what was affordable for us.

So you thought all cruises were beach vacations? This is an authentically constructed exact replica of a Neolithic Village Home the original village was occupied around 2,500 BC—the exact same time the massive sarsen stones were being raised at Stonehenge. The village was re-built on the Stonehenge Grounds outside of London England.

The Index Card Method

While everyone else on board was standing in massive, frustrated crowds waiting to board a packed, expensive tour bus for a corporate shore excursion, Rob and I walked right off the ship on our own.

Before we leave home, we do our research and map out exactly what cool local streetscapes or historic architectural layouts we want to see. We write the destinations down on simple index cards and band them together. When we hit a port, we walk past the crowds, find a friendly local cab driver, hand him the card. We pay a fraction of the cost for a private, authentic day.

Using the Index Cards:

• The names of places are written in their language, whatever that is, because simply put - it is the name of the place.

• Sometimes they will say that something is not feasible. That's okay.

• Let me tell you how important it is that you get back to your ship on time - if you don't the cab driver could lose his license and livlihood.

All you need to go it alone is a little bit of trust in humanity. You do not need the fake security of a massive ship excursion. Local people will take phenomenal care of you if you respect their culture and explore on your own.

An almost private excursion - off the coast of Kas Turkey - in the Mediterranean Sea

Repositioning Cruises: The Ultimate Insider Secret

If you love spending time enjoying the ship's amenities rather than rushing off at every single port, you need to look into repositioning cruises.

These itineraries happen when seasons change and cruise lines have to move ships from one global market to another—like moving from Seattle to the Caribbean after the Alaska summer season ends, or sailing from Florida to Europe in the early spring. You can ride along on these longer journeys for an absolute steal because there are multiple sea days and very few port stops.

Often times these Repositioning Cruises either begin or end in the United States. This assures you the lower price of domestic air on either the outbound or return flight. In order to price this type of air select the "Multi City" option at your favorite air search engine.

Pro Tip: Never never book through a large search engine website! They are third party sources for the airlines and if you book through them there is no accountability affiliated with your booking. Use the cross brand website to choose your flight and then go directly to the airline site to create your booking. Alternately: Send those dates and flight numbers on to me and I will book them through the cruise line.

The Honest Truth About How We Get Paid

This brings us to how we operate as your Cruise Vacation Coaches. Rob and I have personally sailed on 15 different cruise brands. We understand exactly what they are, what their flaws are, and who they appeal to.

Here is the full transparency part: The best kept secret is that the Cruise lines pay us a commission to help you. When you book direct you do not get a better price. The price is exactly the same but the corporation keeps the commission. They use the commission they save to pay those phone attendents that keep you waiting on hold all that time. When you book through an independent agency like Planning To Cruise, the cruise price is exactly the same. The only difference is that the commission portion stays in your local community or circle of friends. Another advantage is that the same person will help you every time, with no hold time at all. There is even a chance that you can get a cheaper price through Planning To Cruise. Our host agency and our professional consortium blocks a group of rooms on almost every ship and sail date. These rooms get special rates and added ammenities if you book early.

Unless you book a massive, top-tier Owner's Suite, the commission we earn really isn't much—it hovers around 8-10% of the cruise package value, after we share 20% with our host agency. Airlines pay us absolutely nothing, so if you want us to book your air, we have to charge a $25 per ticket fee.

Obviously, we don't get paid anything if you don't book. If you book and don’t sail, we don’t get paid either, unless you cancel at the last minute and the cruise line keeps your money. With the exception of Norwegian Cruises who pays commissions right after final payments are made, we also don’t get paid until after you successfully sail away.

A big problem we run into in this industry is that people communicate with us for weeks to make all of their informed choices. They use our valuable experience, and then get in a weird hurry and book direct through the cruise line website. To consume our time, resources, and 40 cruises of expertise and then not book with us is, at best, incredibly dishonest. This is exactly why some travel agencies charge "booking fees". They make sure you are invested in them before they do any work. We have not implemented a fee policy yet. We are fully committed to being honest with you, and we appreciate that exact same respect in return.

Finally - We take pride in our work. We always go the extra mile and print your boarding documents. We send them to you in the mail along with some promo gifts that we give our clients.

📝 Your Final Masterclass Homework: Calculate the price per day of a RePositioning Cruise

I think you may not believe it!

1. Head over to our main platform at PlanningToCruise.com I have compiled search results for all future RePositioning Cruises by popular contemporary (nice but not luxury) brands.

2. Scroll through them. If something catches your eye click the + mark to the left of the date. This will add the cruise to a list of cruises to compare. (You can have 5)

3. Also note the price of the room type you would want - and divide it by the quantity of nights to get the per day price. Make a note of this for comparison once you select your 5 cruises.

ProTip: Pricing will depend largely on how many ports of call are on the itinery. More stops will cost more. A price between $100 - $125 per person per day is a good price. Under $100 per person per day is a GREAT price. If you don't want to scroll through all of the really long cruises you can neck down your search by clicking on the "modify your search" phrase at the top right of the page. I suggest choosing 10 to 13 Nights to get rid of the long ones.

I assigned you repositioning cruise homework because very few people know about these very unique opportunities, and they are some of the BEST at sea. One time we flew to Santiago Chile, and sailed up the west coast of the Americas all the way to LosAngeles California. We stopped every day or so at a new very interesting place!

This brings us to the conclusion of the course.

If our wisdom has helped you map out your travel goals, the best way to say thank you is simple: Let us create the booking. If you are still not sure what you want to do, that's okay. At least you know about one of the most convient ways to travel, and how to get started. If you enjoyed the course or even if you have further questions drop us a quick email.

Email: BellesCruises@gmail.com .

Phone: 815-516-0300

If you are ready to get started email or Call us directly - we are looking forward

to helping you Blueprint your first (or 10th) Cruise Vacation!

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• Post Excerpt:"You don't need to be trapped on a crowded tour bus to safely see the world. Our 'Index Card' method lets you explore exotic ports privately for a fraction of the cost. Here is our 'No-Bus' travel philosophy, the truth about repositioning cruises, and a transparent look at how travel agents actually get paid..."

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