How I saved an extra $300 off Holland America

I love getting free trips but sometimes I pay for parts of them. When I do I try to get the best deal possible. My friend Mary and I have wanted to return on a Holland America cruise since our amazing cruise last December. We also have to be budget-conscious. We like to cruise a lot! I had been eyeing a 4-day cruise out of Ft Lauderdale. We kept watching and the price dropped to $880 for the cruise for an obstructed ocean view. Since we don’t spend much time in the room this was perfect for us. A little light to help my claustrophobia and I am good! Mary also scored an additional $100 onboard credit when booking the cruise for us.

What cinched this deal for us was my American Express offer for $300 off a $750 purchase with Holland America. These offers show up on my American Express statement page under Amex Offers. All I had to do was add the offer to my card with a click of a button. We charged the cruise to my American Express card and within a week I had a $300 credit added to my statement. We were able to get our cruise for $290 each plus we have a $100 onboard credit to share.

There are all kinds of Amex Offers. It’s one of those I check regularly since they are frequently updated. Each of my 4 cards has its own set of offers. I have also been able to use my offers to help my parents out. They have an upcoming Carnival cruise and I paid for a portion of their cruise with my Amex so they could get $150 off. I have done this for them twice in the past year. It adds up!

To complete my deal on my cruise, I will use my southwest points to fly to and from Ft Lauderdale on points. My direct flight from Nashville was 10,549 points.

Since my friend Mary lives in Ft Lauderdale, I will stay at her house the night before the cruise. Although there are tons of good Hyatt’s in the Ft. Lauderdale area I could book free on points.