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Though many of us dream of someday taking a cruise, sometimes our wallets don’t stretch that wide. Luckily, MSNBC has brought us 13 tips to save money on your next cruise.

1. Now’s the time to buy: We’re about to hit the cruising high season, so the best deals are available right now.
2. Buy your own airfare: Though the all-inclusive deal may be tempting, you may get a better itinerary, fewer connections, and a smaller price tag if you book your own flight.
3. Use a preferred agent: A travel agent who specializes in your preferred cruise line will be the best-connected, bringing up to a 20 percent discount.
4. Use logic: Booking an inner cabin (no window) on the shoulder season will be your least expensive option. And keep in mind, you only spend nights in your room, so you don’t really need that window, do you?
5. Buy some shares: Share holders get cabin discounts, so if you buy 100 shares of Carnival or Royal Caribbean, you’ll end up saving a bit.
6. Don’t be shy: Ask for a discount. Military, AAA, student, senior, you name it. If you think you might qualify, it never hurts to ask.
7. Private tours are great for groups: When traveling with a group (6+), a private tour on shore will probably cost you less than the generic individual tour.
8. Cruise often: Frequent cruise travelers are often offered perks like room upgrades, priority dinner reservations, etc.
9. Call yourself a VIP: Have your travel agent play you up, calling you a VIP. If the cruise line knows you’re a good customer, they’re likely to give you an upgrade.
10. DIY: Instead of hopping on the bus that meets passengers at the docks, opt for your own transportation. It’s less crowded, less confusing, and often costs less.
11. Buy a soda sticker: If you’re going to drink a lot of soda, buy the unlimited drink sticker and save a bundle.
12. Bring your own booze: Bring your own wine to dinner and pay the uncorking fee - you’ll get better quality wine at a better price. If you like the hard stuff, fill up a water bottle and take it with you.
13. Plan for your next cruise while you’re on this one: When you’re onboard, the cruise will offer special deals that you can’t get elsewhere. If you want to cruise again, take advantage now.

Who wouldn’t dream of a trip on one of the Cunard ships: the Queen Mary 2, the Queen Elizabeth 2 or the Queen Victoria. When I’m old and rich, I’m definitely going to sign up for a three-month, round-the-world stint on whichever ship passes my nearest port.

This week the Cunard ships have made the headlines for both good and bad reasons. Apparently, last week a fight broke out on board the Queen Mary 2. Two passengers were “disembarked”, in official Cunard lingo - in other words, they were forced to leave the ship at the next port, which happened to be the British Virgin Islands. Unfortunately one of them was the father of a nine-year-old girl who continued the cruise with her grandparents.

But the PR people have been clever enough to keep the positive Cunard headline higher in the news: next week, all three Cunard ships are due to meet up for the first time, on the Queen Victoria’s maiden voyage. Head down to New York Harbor on January 13 and you should see all three anchored in the waters off Lower Manhattan. Fireworks will commemorate the event and New York cruise companies and hotels are offering special packages for those who want a good view.

For more than 60 years, Holland America Cruise Lines has been sailing to Alaska and wowing vacationers with the unparalleled beauty of the last frontier. The cruise line has gone to great lengths to ensure that the whole vacation experience embodies the splendor of Alaska: The five-star ships feature panoramic wraparound teak decks, and private verandas. The ships carry fewer passengers than similar cruise lines so there is less noise and foot traffic. (more…)

Taking a Nile cruise is a great way to see the wonders of Egypt without packing and unpacking and enduring hot, dusty bus trips. Many companies sail between Aswan and Luxor, but arguably the best of these is Sonesta. The same people that own hotels around the world operate five luxury ships of varying size that ply the Nile.

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Silversea Cruises began in the early 1990s as the Lefebvre family decided to take their Sitmar Cruises to a new level and create a luxury cruise line. The ships in the Silversea line offer travelers a pampered vacation and exotic ports of call.

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New Zealand has the reputation of being one of the most beautiful places on earth: comprised of two main islands, North Island and South Island, the country is nicknamed God’s Own Country and Paradise of the Pacific.

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A cruise around the Greek islands is the kind of holiday sitting near the top of many dream vacation lists. But a Greek island cruise isn’t as costly or as complicated as you might think, and there are hundreds of tour companies with thousands of itineraries to choose from, so your ultimate Greek island experience is definitely out there. You just have to look.

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Art and culture await you in the Mediterranean. You can indulge in the wonderful cuisine, architecture and beauty of Greece, Italy, France and Spain. From the coastline to the countryside, you will enjoy the essence of the Mediterranean.

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