Jessie Purton won the frugal travelers’ lottery. A bit of luck, quick thinking, and lots of flexibility landed her an amazing deal: a four-night Carnival cruise to Mexico and two nights in a Miami hotel for just $275.

Purton, 30, found the cruise online in January, shortly after the Costa Concordia — owned by Carnival — ran aground off the coast of Italy. She and six friends booked the deal on a BlackBerry — they weren’t at home at the time.