1. Maximum flexibility = Maximum savings ? Most travelers have some flexibility in their travel dates, especially if planning ahead of time. Let your cruise specialist know that you can consider alternate departure dates that may have lower rates available. Keep in mind cruise lines will offer better prices and perks on sailings that are not nearing capacity. Tip: Shoulder or off peak sailings offer the deepest price cuts. For example, the departure right after the New Year cruise might be substantially lower. 2. Ask if ?guarantees? are available. This requires that you have a little gambling spirit. Many cruise lines will offer a rate on a particular cabin category instead of an actual stateroom number and in effect ?guarantee? that rate to you. Then the cruise line has the optio Mis Sold PPI n of assigning you a stateroom in either that category or better. Sometimes you win and end up in a cabin several grades higher and sometimes you end up in exactly the category you were guaranteed. Remember, there is both an upside and downside to this program. Tip: Completely understand the process before booking a guarantee. 3. Upgrade programs. Often, your cruise specialist may offer a cruise line upgrade program. This means that you book and pay for category ?X? and will be moved to a higher category ?Y?. Again, there is an element of risk here. The fact that a stateroom may be in a higher category does not always mean it will be a more desirable cabin. For example, you might be in a nice mid ship balcony stateroom on Deck C and get an upgrade to a balcony stateroom on Deck A.