We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again, WE LOVE CRUISING! If you do it correctly, it can be one of the most economical ways to travel. It’s a great way to see lots of places with low stress. In this post we will be sharing 10 tips to save on your next cruise.
1. Look For Sales
Every cruise line regularly runs sales. Make sure you’re waiting for them! Sign up for their email lists or follow them on social media to be the first to know about their sales. We always like to wait for sales that let kids sail free and have buy one get one 50% or 60% off. Lots of times there are also bonuses like onboard spending credit or upgrades.
2. Book an Interior Stateroom
Interior staterooms are by far the cheapest rooms on cruise ships because they offer no view and are the smallest rooms. But, you probably aren’t going to spending that much time in your room anyway since there is always something going on on the boat. We also prefer interior staterooms because they are always dark which makes it easy to sleep any time of day. They are also the rooms that receive the least amount of movement which is great if you’re prone to seasickness.
3. Don’t Pay For Food!
Included with your passage is an endless amount of food. And it’s good food too! But the cruise lines try to sell you on booking dinner at their specialty restaurants or by purchasing their higher quality, speciality coffee at their coffee shops. Why would you pay for your meals or coffee when you already paid for them?
4. Skip the Drink Packages
You’ll be fine with water and the basic coffee and tea and no alcohol while you’re on your cruise. I promise. And if you’re not, you have plenty of opportunities to purchase your favorite kind of drinks when you get off the ship at your various ports for a fraction of the cost.
5. Pass on the Casino
Almost every ship has a casino on it with table games and machines galore. Pass by the casino and save your money!
6. Be Selective in Your Shopping
Cruise ships always have stores and shopping available while you’re cruising. They often run huge sales during some of your at sea days and it can be a madhouse. So if you are going to purchase something on your cruise, you probably want to consider doing it on one of the sale days, otherwise you should just save your money.
7. Disconnect
Put your phone in airplane mode while on the cruise ship and don’t purchase Internet from the cruise line! Roaming charges from your cell phone provider can be astronomical and so can the prices for unreliable at sea Internet.
What are some of your best tips for saving money on a cruise? We would love to hear them!
