PREPARATION

I'm not a rich guy and even though I work for one of the largest online travel agencies in the world, the common misconception is that we go on these trips for free. Well, that is simply not the case. We have to pay for all our personal trips and though you hear we get discounts, the majority of the discounts are off the RACK rates or the highest available retail rates so in most cases, the internet sale rates that any consumer can get online tends to be cheaper. I had to save up for more than 2 years for this trip and like any major investment; I wanted to make sure my entire trip is as flawless and as enjoyable as possible.

Given that, let me tell you that I began my research 14 months prior to the cruise and ended up paying my deposit ($250 per person) 11 months prior to departure to guarantee me the cabin that I wanted. Good thing I did because the ship did sell out two months prior to sailing. For airfare, I saved up enough reward miles to cover both my wife and I to go for "free" (not really since you pay airport taxes and fees which came up about $100 to $150 per person). Read more