Hotwire Cruise Savings Indicator: Top Five Destinations to Book Now

SAN FRANCISCO, March 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As the 2012 wave season starts to wind down, Hotwire.com®, a leading discount travel site, today released the second installment of their Cruise Savings Indicator, which features the top five cruise destinations where travelers can save the most. This guide aims to help cruisers score some of the best deals during wave season, which runs from December through March and is the most popular booking time of the year.  Cruise lines are all competing to fill cabins far ahead of embarkations later in the year, so finding the best bargains amongst the clutter can sometimes be tricky.

"There has been a lot of attention focused on the cruise industry recently, but the bottom line is that right now is one of the best times to find exceptional deals on cruise bookings," said Clem Bason, president of the Hotwire Group. "We've found some incredible savings on sailings into destinations around the Americas and beyond, from the Caribbean to Hawaii, and we encourage travelers to consider booking now to save big on cruises throughout 2012."

Below are the top five cruise destinations from Hotwire.com for the end of wave season.

1.       Caribbean

• Folks interested in cruising to the Caribbean can get access to world-class amenities and services from of one of the industry's most luxurious cruise lines, but at 20 percent lower prices than other destinations.  Holland America's current average price per night for Interior cabins in the Caribbean is $101, a 21 percent savings from their average price for all destinations.   Meanwhile, Celebrity's current average price per night is $98, which is 20 percent lower than their average price for all destinations.  Additionally, Celebrity and Holland America's average per night in the Caribbean is lower than the overall regional average for Interior cabins, so they're just a great bargain to begin with.
• Example deal available on Hotwire.com:
  • 4/14/2012 7-night sailing on Celebrity Eclipse from Miami: $599 for Interior cabin or $86 per night

2. Hawaii

• If you think a luxurious Hawaiian escape is unattainable, think again. Right now, Celebrity is offering some exceptional rates to this island paradise. At an average price of $83 per night for Interior cabins, their Hawaiian sailings are running 28 percent lower than the overall regional average (for all sailings to Hawaii) and 33 percent lower versus Celebrity's average nightly price for all destinations.
• Example deal available on Hotwire.com:
  • 10/22/2012 11-night sailing on Celebrity Millennium from Ensenada (Mexico): $949 for Interior cabin or $86 per night

3. Transatlantic

• Travelers wanting to simply experience everything that a cruise has to offer without having any specific destination in mind should consider transatlantic cruises, which travel between Europe and America. Azamara's transatlantic cruises are currently offering deals that average $133 per night for an Interior cabin, a savings of almost 50 percent when compared to the average $248 per night for the typical Azamara cruise. The transatlantic fares for Celebrity ($62 per night for an Interior cabin), Princess ($69 per night for an Interior cabin) and Royal Caribbean ($52 per night for an Interior cabin) are also well below the overall averages for those respective cruise lines.
• Example deal available on Hotwire.com: 
  • 12/2/2012 16-night sailing on Azamara Quest from Malaga (Spain) to Rio de Janeiro (Brazil): $1799 for Interior cabin or $112 per night

4. Mexico

• Forget Orlando.  Disney enthusiasts should look to experience the wonderful world of Disney on the open seas and in a much more exotic locale – Mexico. Mickey's favorite ship is currently offering some big savings on sailings south of the border. At an average of $127 per night for an Interior cabin, Disney may seem like a more expensive choice, but it's actually a 32 percent discount versus their average price per night on all destinations.
• Example deal available on Hotwire.com:
  • 9/16/2012 7-night sailing on Disney Wonder from Los Angeles: $770 for Interior cabin or $110 per night

5. Panama Canal

• The Panama Canal is the most beautiful way to get from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and for travelers wanting to sail two oceans in one trip, Royal Caribbean is the cruise line to book. They are currently offering cruises to the Panama Canal for $83 per night for an Interior cabin, a 35 percent savings when compared to their average price per night for all destinations.  
• Example deal available on Hotwire.com:
  • 10/5/2012 14-night sailing on Vision of the Seas from Fort Lauderdale to San Diego $1149 for Interior cabin or $82 per night

To see all of the latest and most discounted cruise deals, follow @HotwireCruise on Twitter.

*The information listed above is based on an analysis of Interior cabin pricing available on Sabre for sailings departing from 3/1/2012 to 12/31/2012 as of February 15th, 2012.  Price per night per person assumes double occupancy and is based on an average of all sailings from 3/1/2012 to 12/31/2012. All example deals found on 3/2/2012.

About Hotwire

Hotwire.com is a leading discount travel site with low rates on airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, cruises and vacation packages.  Launched in 2000, Hotwire negotiates deep discounts from its travel suppliers to help travelers book unsold airline seats, hotel rooms and rental cars.  Hotwire is an award-winning website and operating company of Expedia, Inc. CST# 2053390-50.  NST: 20003-0209.  For more information, visit http://www.hotwire.com. Hotwire sites operates in 8 countries worldwide: www.hotwire.com, www.hotwire.com/uk, www.hotwire.com/ie, www.hotwire.com/au, www.hotwire.com/nz, www.hotwire.com/se, www.hotwire.com/no and www.hotwire.com/dk.   In addition to Hotwire, The Hotwire Group of websites includes: www.hotwire.com, www.travel-ticker.com, www.carrentals.com.  

Hotwire, Hotwire.com and the Hotwire logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Hotwire, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2012 Hotwire, Inc.  All rights reserved. CST# 2053390-40.

Contact:
Andrew Reynolds
Atomic PR
(323) 648-5425
[email protected]

SOURCE Hotwire.com