Despite all the negative news about cruises, it reminds me of something quite positive.

Cruise lines are very good about giving passengers a refund when the price goes down. Think of it like buying a TV or DVD player; Best Buy and Circuit City give you the difference if the price of an item you bought drops after you swipe your Visa.

The same is true on the water, and it’s incredibly simple to do.

Let’s say you booked a 10-day Transatlantic cruise for $799 per passenger. Then, a friend says they want to go along. They find the same itinerary, on the same ship, in the same style room, at the same time for $599.

It happens. But, don’t get mad, even it up.
Call the cruise line and ask to “re-price” your itinerary. In this case, assuming there are two people in the cabin, you get $400. This is not $400 cruise dollars or a voucher, this is a $400 credit to your credit card.

So, how do you know when the price drops? Research.

Make it a habit. Go to a cruise website or another travel provider and search for the price of your itinerary a couple times a week. It may not change at all, but if it does it’s your windfall.

Don’t give up.

In late 2001 we took a Royal Caribbean cruise. We’d purchased it over the summer for $499 each. After the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, cruise demand fell off, and it dropped to $399. We were overjoyed to get $200 back between the two of us.

Then, much to my surprise, I was checking it again about two weeks before we sailed. The price sank (I know, poor choice of words) again. This time the price was $279. I almost felt guilty calling again. Almost.

Royal Caribbean credited another $240.

Sure, I spend an hour or so doing the research, but we saved a total of $440 by placing just two phone calls. That refund paid for equivalent of our airline tickets and the gratuities onboard.

Time is valuable, and that’s exactly how I like to spend it: saving money.