5 fall cruises under $79 per night (yes, some during hurricane season)

CruiseCritic.com recently listed a number of cruises, on various ships, being offered this fall for less than $79 per night. A handful on the list depart from Los Angeles.

While the website’s list links to deals by third-party providers, I looked at the cheapest dates available on some of these (as well as one other cruise) via the cruise-liners’ websites or telephone reservations desks, and I found similar or less expensive prices. If you research the offers out there, you might find slightly lower sale rates, or other incentives such as shipboard credit, through third-party providers.

Of course, Hurricane Jimena (now a tropical storm) was a severe reminder that, yes, it’s hurricane season in the Pacific. As Cruise Critic points out, some of the discounted sailings take place at this potentially iffy time, so you’ll want to be flexible in case the cruise line alters its dates due to weather. Through CruiseCritic.com, you can keep up to date on cruise-related hurricane news.

$51 >> Seven-night Mexican Riviera cruise on Royal Caribbean
On the Mariner of the Seas, this cruise calls into Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta in Mexico before returning to Los Angeles. Via the Royal Caribbean website, I’m seeing departures on Sept. 13 and Sept. 20 offering interior staterooms as low as $299, pre-tax, but this rate level was available over the phone only, according to the website. So I called reservations, and the total, including taxes and fees, came to $356 per person (based on double occupancy) for either of those dates. That’s about $51 per night. This rate was available at time of research, though it may not be there for long.

Later dates are higher, with the October sailings, for instance, starting at $379 per person, pre-tax.

$56 >> Seven-night Mexican Riviera cruise on Norwegian Cruise Line
On competitor NCL, I’m seeing a similar cruise, calling into the same port cities. This one’s first September sailing is Sept. 26 — this departure and the October sailing come with a starting price tag of $329 per person, pre-tax, which comes to $393 per person after taxes and fees. That’s $56 per night.

$66 >> Seven-night Mexico cruise on Carnival
Departing and arriving in Long Beach, the Carnival Splendor calls into Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas. The Sept. 20 departure is available for $409 per person, pre-tax. That’s about $465 after taxes and fees, or $66 per person.

$66 >> Seven-night Mexican Riviera cruise on Princess Cruises
The Sapphire Princess’ journey through the Mexican Riviera is just $399 per person, pre-tax, for the Dec. 5 departure from L.A. That’s about $461 after taxes and fees, or $66 per night. Its port locations in Mexico are identical to those of the Carnival cruise, just above.

$78 >> 13-Night Panama Canal cruise on Norwegian Cruise Line
This one’s a slight divergence from the aforementioned CruiseCritic list, which listed a 14-night Panama Canal cruise; I’m not seeing any lower-priced inside staterooms available for that one.

But the 13-night cruise departing Los Angeles on Nov. 23, and ending in Miami, is a great deal. Interior staterooms start at $749 per person, pre-tax. That’s $1,019 per person, including taxes, or $78 per night. Ports of call in Mexico are Cabo San Lucas, Acapulco, Huatulco and Puntarenas. It also stops into Cartagena, Colombia, before heading to Miami. Of course, if you live in L.A., you have to find your way back after journey’s end.

— Susan Derby, Special to the Los Angeles Times

Photo: Sapphire Princess takes to the seas. Credit: Princess Cruises

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This entry was posted on Friday, September 4, 2009 at 11:01 am by Susan Derby and is filed under Acapulco, Cabo San Lucas, California, Deals, Fall, Florida, Los Angeles, Los Cabos, Mexico, Puerto Vallarta, Tours & Cruises. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.