As tempting as it is to sit back, relax and enjoy a constantly changing beautiful view of the deep blue sea along with the stars at night, it could be just as enticing to wander through the interior of the ship knowing there are endless amounts of services. Even aboard a cruise ships, there are several ways to practice value travel.
Cruise services will tempt you to use your cruise “credit” card, because you’re on vacation and you deserve it.
Who needs to keep track of spending now? “I’ll worry about it at the end of the trip.”
I want to protect you from a last day filled with regret and long lines at the guest services counter after reading your bill statement.
Unplanned surprises, or plans made in advance, have had the promise to become highlights on many of our trips.
Here are seven ways to make cruises more affordable.
Do Not Book Excursions Through the Cruise Line
One of the best travel hacking tips to reduce your itinerary cost is to avoid booking directly through cruise lines. Do not book your excursions through the cruise line just because it feels good to have an agency or service to unload the “stress” off of your shoulders.
In my eyes, there is limited upside with booking excursions through the cruise line. They will charge you much more than it would cost for you to explore on your own.
All they do is save you the time and effort of planning. As you gain more experience in trip research, you will become more effective and efficient. It will become second nature to be in control of your experiences.
It is also good to eliminate the regret over how your itinerary turned out to be because you left it up to someone else to take charge.
However, if you don’t want to plan your day and you can afford to overspend for your adventures, then let the cruise line pick the tour company and/or the itinerary.
I feel the day tours booked through the cruise are rather generic. I much prefer to customize my day to be one I, and all others involved will rave about!
Ready to try it?
Before the cruise, have a discussion with people you know who have visited these locations before and ask about guides they may have used. Also ask them about sites and activities they enjoyed most.
Borrow travel books from your local library that focus on your ports of call, look up pricing,  and call the contact number of the desired excursion listed to ask the questions ahead of time before your financial commitment.
Remember that at most ports as you disembark the ship, there will be guides, taxis and transportation rentals waiting for hire at significant savings.
Essential Items To Pack
Before you set sail to your destination, there are several essential items to pack for your cruise. Packing for a cruise is unlike any other excursion, and there are several essentials to keep in mind. First, pack duct tape. It may seem silly, but when cruise ships hit choppy waters, duct tape can help you seal drawers to secure all your cabin items. Next, you should pack a multi-charger or a power trip. A number of cruise ship cabins have very limited outlets and access to power. Packing an extender guarantees you have enough outlets to power and charge your various devices. At the same time, you may want to pack things like ginger or other remedies to ease potential seasickness. Some vacationers have even recommended taking rubber shoes to make it easy maneuvering atop of moving, and potentially slippery surfaces. To help you best prepare, check out our guide on the best travel packing hacks and tips.
Stick to Water and the other Free Drinks!
There are several ways to reduce your itinerary cost while receiving the same luxury experience. Other advice to keep your money from disappearing is to drink water… it’s free (so is iced tea, fruit juice, lemonade, tea and coffee from all the dining areas)!
Water is the healthiest and most hydrating drink, which will serve you well while you are busy exploring, exercising, dancing, sunbathing and walking the endless halls and stairs of the ship!
The drink packages offered by the cruise lines are too expensive and you immediately feel obligated to drink massive quantities of soda and alcohol to make the drink package feel like a good purchase.
They are making a fortune and you are just dehydrating your body of necessary fluids. If you want the occasional drink, pay for it. It will surely be less expensive doing that than being tied to a package!
Unplug if you Can…Phone Use on Cruises Gets Expensive
Unless you are on-call for work back home, need to keep in touch with babysitters, dog sitters, relatives in case of emergency, which would make it understandable to need your phone handy, life gets pure when you unplug from the Internet and social media.
I have found amazing experiences in my life occur when I could not use Wi-Fi and cell phone reception. Â Instead, I had quality face-to-face communication with those whom I met on trips who also were not staring at their phones.
Therefore, I rarely spend money on the insanely expensive Wi-Fi packages offered. It is another area they make a lot of money on. They are counting on your addiction to stay plugged in.
If you would like a cruising experience where you are present at the moment, get the most out of interacting with those around you and take part in what your vacation has to offer, I urge you to leave your emails, “baggage,” and everyday home life behind for the duration of your trip. If you really need it for emergencies, get the smallest package offered. Possibly a 60 minute package for the entire voyage!
Is it really Necessary to Eat at a Specialty Restaurant when the Free
Dining Room and Buffets offer so Much Food Variety?
If you can resist the temptation, avoid eating at the specialty restaurants onboard unless there is a cuisine you cannot get in your local area. The cruise lines make a lot of money when you give up a meal that is included in the cost of your cruise. Then you have to incur an additional up-charge to dine in the specialty venues. It’s a win-win for them. Not at all for you.
If you want variety, there are plenty of options onboard between the buffet, room service, poolside cafes and the dining room(s). What more do you need than a meal that includes soup and salad, appetizers, entrée, dessert, coffee or tea, to put you in a food coma afterwards?
I enjoy the dining room experience because it is atypical from my local restaurants and I don’t have to worry about the bill. On a cruise, you can have whatever you wish to eat from the menu in unlimited quantities, especially if you treat your wait staff well.
Embrace the options included in the price of your cruise instead of paying loads more to eat elsewhere. Give your wallet a vacation too! Keep it in the safe in your cabin.
I find the menus to be more than diverse enough to give me culinary satisfaction throughout the trip.
The bonds I develop with the waiters or waitresses over the duration of my cruise vacation is something I cherish. I am friends with many of my previous waiters and waitresses and keep in touch with them to this day. To help you save even more money, check out our guide on how to travel the world for free.
Eating in the dining room is beneficial to those with a food allergy.
You order a day in advance so that the kitchen for special needs will prepare your meals to your specifications safely. You will not need to keep explaining your dietary needs and necessities to new staff at different eating venues, and you can relax and enjoy yourself while receiving the royal treatment.
Ahh, sounds just like what a vacation should feel like!
If you Live Close to a Cruise Port, use that to Your Advantage and BOOK
AT THE LAST MINUTE
If you live can get to a cruise port with no need to get on a plane, you will open the door to having a good chance to find the best cruise deal within 90 days before a cruise.
Why?
The cruise lines always try to fill every cabin, and will lower the cost just before embarkation if that is what it takes to sell you getting onboard.
Remember, they are not just trying to fill the cabin. They also want to want you to buy the drink package, the Wi-Fi package, and eat at the specialty restaurants!
Why did I say 90 days before? When people make a cruise reservation in advance, the cruise line wants FINAL payment 90 days before leaving for your cruise vacation. If you don’t pay up, the cabin opens because of cancellation. They need to scramble to sell it at that point.
Cancel the Pre-Paid Tips the Cruise Line Imposes
Some last thoughts on cruising have to do with showing appreciation for the staff members onboard.
They may have:
-made me smile,
-answered my questions with kindness,
-accommodated my food allergy,
-chatted on a personal level,
-helped me maximize my workouts onboard,
-or delivered that extra shampoo bottle.
I prefer to control how much and to whom I give my tips and cancel those automatic, pre-paid tips the cruise line imposes.
My point is not to stiff anyone! I want to tip “my people,” those I got to interact with on my cruise stay.
Many passengers are not aware that this is an option.
You can go right to the service desk and request to cancel the automatic, pre-paid tips.
I don’t advocate doing this to get out of tipping the staff.  I encourage you to be generous with everyone who made your trip special.
Tips should be given for service received, and those who were outstanding should be compensated accordingly.
The service desk can provide you with tip envelopes and you can provide your tips on the final day or two of your cruise.
Know When To Book
When trying to save money on cruise travel, it is important to know exactly when to book. Cruise rates vary widely based on booking season. Cruises to the Caribbean, for example, are most affordable in September through November. At this early fall time-frame, temperatures are more moderate in worldwide cruise destinations. Sometimes, you will even find these cruises at reasonable rates during the beginning of December. Alaska cruises, on the other hand, are generally most affordable before Memorial Day, as well as after Labor Day. If you are interested in taking a Mediterranean cruise, try booking in April, September, and October. This way, you can save money whether you are visiting Hawaii, the Artic, or French Polynesian Tahiti.
Shopping in Modification
The cruise is hoping you spend a lot of your free time walking around the ship shopping for souvenirs for OTHER people on YOUR cruise vacation. Are you sure people really need souvenirs from your trip?
Don’t get me wrong purchases for yourself to remind you of your wonderful trip is a great idea. But others who were not there may not need that “required” gift.
Use that money on ports of call for food and souvenirs for yourself and whoever is onboard with you!
Remember, the goal of cruise line management is for you to spend, spend, spend all day and night long!
I am not Saying you should not Let Loose and Have Fun – Actually, You will go on More Cruise Vacations if you Cut in Certain Areas!
You do not lose the quality of your experience by cutting in these areas:
-Being in charge of your port-of-call Plans, drink more water and cut out the drink package.
-Eat in the Dining Room which serves you unlimited food, a great variety, and fantastic service from your waiter staff.
-Do not get a Wi-Fi package unless you need to be in communication with someone who is not with you on the ship for emergencies. Try to leave your hectic life at home for a little while!
– If you can get ANY cruise port by driving,  you will save hundreds of dollars by booking within 90 days before disembarkation.
-Tip the people who you want to tip, the amount you want to tip!
-If you are going to shop, be selective with it. Just because the cruise lines’ management wants you to spend, spend, spend and buy souvenirs for others not on the ship with you, doesn’t mean you owe them anything!
FINALLY… If you stick to some or all of these strategies, you will save enough money to afford two of these cruises and have the same fantastic experience!
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1 comment
Thank you so much. The timing on this blog was perfect because i am in the process of planning a cruise for next year. I am trying to keep the costs down because i also want to plan other trips for next year and I need my dollars to stretch. You will be saving me a fortune. Great information, especially about the drink packages.