When you really know what you’re doing, taking a cruise can be one of the most affordable vacations available. Your price generally includes cabin, all meals, entertainment, children’s programs, gym/sauna, jogging track and other amenities. However, there are some very important tips to follow to prevent your cruise vacation from turning into a huge money hole that you will regret a lot.
1) Do your homework or have your travel agent do your homework when comparing cruise lines and cruise packages. There is a wide variety of them. Make sure the quote includes port duties and taxes. Many travelers have burst their bubble when they realized that the price they were quoted was the basic cost before fares.
2) Do not forget to calculate the airfare. You are way ahead of the game if you don’t live too far from the cruise ports. But if not, try to schedule well in advance to get the most discounted airfare possible.
3) If you book months in advance, you can sometimes get good discounts on cruises. However, if your schedule is flexible, try to book in the last few weeks before a cruise. They are trying to fill their ship then and you can get deep discounts. Also, if you don’t mind a windowless cabin, book an inside cabin at a cheaper price.
4) Look for cruises where kids go free. As I was writing this article, I noticed several free kids offers. Majestic American, Norwegian Cruise Lines and Costa offered a free cruise for children 12 and under and Disney offered a free cruise for children 17 and under. There are no offers like this.
5) There are other possible discounts. If you are over 50 years old, you can get a 10% discount. If you book eight cabins with friends or family, you can get your cabin for free. Or you can request to be included in an unknown group. Of course, on board you won’t have to run all over the place with the group, but the group may have reserved a table for dinner at 9:00 pm and you would be registered at that table. So make sure you know details like this.
6) Some little-known tips: If you’re traveling on an older ship, the cruise may cost less. Also, if a cruise ship relocates to another location, you can get great discounts on that trip. Ask about this when you book. If you decide to buy cruise insurance, try to buy it from an insurance company, not the cruise line. It may be less expensive.
7) You can save money if you agree to explore a port of call without paying for shore excursions. Excursions can make a big dent in your wallet quickly. For better shore excursion rates, visit www.johnnyjet.com for various official tourism port websites. Set up your shore excursions directly through them. Also google coupon books like Great Alaskan Toursaver. This can save you a lot of dough.
8) To save money, you can avoid paying activities on board such as gambling, tastings, art auctions, etc. Bring a decent camera for memorable photos. Professional photos on board cost a fair amount. Buy the use of the Internet in a port if possible; on the ship they charge by the minute. If you’re on a budget, don’t get carried away with alcohol. A bar tab can get out of control very quickly. Even water and soft drinks are expensive, so if you want, bring your own water bottle or coffee cup and fill up at the self-service buffet.
9) In short, almost everything costs more on the ship. So bring plenty of toiletries, sundries, camera film, etc.
10) What is my last piece of advice? What did you expect? Cruise lines want to win customers for life, so they usually offer great rewards programs if you book your next cruise with them. So keep track of your past cruises and see what discounts or rewards are on offer.