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It is often mistakenly believed that cruises are only for the wealthy and the elite. The truth is that today, taking a cruise is more affordable than ever before. Whether choosing Pacific Northwest, Caribbean, or Hawaii cruise packages, you can be sure to get a great deal that can often be more inexpensive than taking a comparable vacation on land. The following are our top four tips for finding a great cruise value.

1. Shop travel clearinghouses: when you purchase a cruise package directly from a cruise company, you may not get the best value. Check travel clearinghouses, which buy cruises at a steep discount, which is passed on to you. These are the exact same cruises with the exact same amenities that are offered by the cruise lines themselves -- at a fraction of the price. The same seven day Hawaii cruise packages that will normally run 2000 dollars can be purchased for as low as $499 per person through a clearinghouse.

2. Look for repositioning cruises: a repositioning cruise is a special cruise offered when a ship has to be repositioned (that is, moved from one location to another -- for example, when switching from one itinerary to another). Since the cruise line must reposition its ship no matter what, a repositioning cruise can often be bought for a fraction of the price by the savvy traveler. As an added bonus, repositioning cruises often utilize an unusual itinerary that can bring you to ports of call you have never visited!

3. Be flexible: While individual customers may have their own preferences in cruise lines, there is little difference between mid-class cruises (between three and four stars) offered by different cruise lines. The itineraries, amenities and overall quality of most cruises is often very similar, so the prudent traveler will shop for the bargains across cruise lines rather than sticking to one line due to brand loyalty.

4. Select the longest possible cruise: many first-time cruise package purchasers mistakenly believe that less is more -- which a short, three or four day cruise has the lowest ticket price and is therefore a good value. Instead, it turns out that longer cruises are a substantially greater value. A fourteen or twenty one day cruise can often be purchased for the same price as a seven day cruise. This is especially true for Alaskan and Hawaii cruise packages.

If you're thinking of booking a cruise to Mexico, the Pacific Northwest, or the Hawaiian Islands, make sure you're familiar with these guidelines. They will help you choose the cruise that best suits your family and your vision of an ideal cruise vacation, as well as the one that fits your wallet. cheap Hawaii cruises are an entertaining vacation appropriate for couples, singles, families, and retirees.