Don't Waste Money On a Cruise

Okay, this is probably my last cruise post for a while, but since I want you to have the best cruise experience you can, without spending all your money, we’re going to talk about a bunch of ways that you can waste money on a ship, when there are plenty of ways to just not and stay within your budget. 

Photo by Adam Gonzales on Unsplash

Everyone thinks that everything onboard is included when they cruise, but that’s simply not true…for almost any ship. There are a few all-inclusive ships that are smaller, river cruises, but they are also much more expensive.

Specialty dining

Most ships have quite a few dining options and often the only ones of those that are included in your paid price are the buffet, the main dining room, and one or two quick service restaurants/delis. So, unless you’re prepared to pay pretty high fine dining prices to eat somewhere else on the ship, set your expectations. I like to research all the places to dine and decide if there’s somewhere I’m dying to eat and splurge on for one meal. 

Drinks packages

If you’re a big drinker on vacation, this might be for you, but if you are like me and only have a drink per day or even less, don’t bother. And also don’t force yourself to “get your money’s worth”, because you’re just going to feel bad in every way possible. You can purchase one-off alcoholic beverages throughout your cruise, but a drinks package can run you for $65 on up per person…per day. That’s a crazy add-on in the long run. Instead, put that money for one day towards a mixology or tasting class, so you learn something and get drinks included.

There are non-alcoholic drink packages, like for sodas, which aren’t normally included either, and they are much more affordable, but also not a must if you just aren’t a big soda person. I think we tried a bit to get as much out of our money as possible, and ended up drinking more than we would normally, but it was much cheaper than the alcoholic package.

You can often get free drinks several different ways on a cruise, including going to the Captain’s Party, the sail-away celebration, or sometimes the random activities like art auctions have free drinks. They won’t be the best drinks you’ve ever had, but they will be free. 

Booking excursions through your cruiseline

I’m just going to say it. Often cruiselines mark up the real cost of excursions quite a bit. You could end up paying 2-3 times the amount of the actual excursion just for the convenience of it. Do some research and find reputable companies that run excursions outside of your ship and book them on your own in advance. They will ask for your cruise info, so you can make sure they will get you back well in time to get back on the ship. You will probably end up with a more personalized and smaller tour group this way, too.

Thinking your cabin will have standard toiletries

Ship cabins are quite small and their bathrooms even more so. If you think you’ll be provided with things like shampoo and conditioner, think again. Even if you are, they are almost always subpar and buying them onboard will cost you a small fortune. Just suck it up and pack your own. To save space and avoid the possibility of spillage, go for solid shampoo and conditioner bars, and don’t forget OTC meds (i.e. aspirin, antacids, allergy pills) and first aid items, sunscreen, and aloe. Yes, it’s annoying to bring them, but it’s more annoying to pay for them at an insane mark-up.

For more suggestions on what you should bring onboard, here’s a post on a great cruise wardrobe, convenient extras to bring, and how to pack everything.

Going to the spa onboard

Yes, spa treatments are a luxury, even on land, but would you pay nearly $200 for a massage at home? Probably not, so hit up a spa while in a port city and help the local economy or, if you’re super into one of those seaweed wraps or whatever fancy thing the ship spa has to offer, book a treatment on a day the ship is in port. The prices are cheaper when they don’t have a captive audience. The same goes for the ship’s salon, when treatments go “on sale” on port days.

Tipping twice

Tipping is awesome and you should definitely do it, and you should absolutely tip people extra for going above and beyond, but don’t double tip if you can avoid it. A lot of cruises add on gratuity to drinks and spa treatments automatically, so check your receipt before adding more on the tip line. They are hoping you won’t notice it and spend even more. But again, tipping more on purpose for amazing service is always a lovely bonus for crew.

Keeping your phone on roaming

Those roaming charges for being out of the country can be exorbitant. Unless you’ve paid for a WiFi package, which I highly recommend if you are someone who likes to keep in touch with the fam or posts a lot on your socials or streams a lot, keep your phone in airplane mode as much as possible. This will save you a lot of heartache once you get back home. 

Not using the ship’s app

A lot of cruise ships have apps that can give you up-to-date schedules and info about all the going’s on during your trip. Sometimes they also have games you can play throughout the ship via the app, which you can’t play any other way. Now, you could just rely on the daily paper schedule they give you at the start of each day, but do you really want to carry another thing with you? What about when things change and you don’t have notification? Also, if you haven’t memorized the ship’s layout, the app can help you get around, too. Feel like a pro and always know where you’re going when throughout your trip.

Dawdling and missing the boat

One thing you definitely do not want to do is miss your ship at a port of call. Leave yourself plenty of time to get back before cut-off. We made sure to give ourselves an hour or two before we needed to be back and we spent that time wandering around the small touristy port area or returning early, so we skipped the long lines trying to get back on the ship. The ship will absolutely leave without you if you are late and that means you will have to spend money to catch up to it at the next port of call, no exceptions. Manage your time wisely and put an alarm on your phone if you have to.

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Using just any old card for your onboard spending

There’s no way around it. You’re going to spend money onboard, whether you like it or not. Make sure you get something out of it and use a card that gets you travel points, miles, or cash bonuses. Choose the card that has the best deals and attach that to your account on the ship. If you change your mind about what card to use, you can always switch it before the end of your cruise.

There you have it. Plenty of ways to not throw away money on your cruise and most are so easy to do. Make a plan, be strategic, and make time to both relax and enjoy the things onboard that interest you. 

Have you ever been on a cruise? Where did you go?

Want to read more tips for traveling worldwide on a budget? Check out my blog at Shereen Travels Cheap or find me on Facebook or Twitter. You’ll also find product and website suggestions, packing tips, current deals and a whole lot more to help you travel better for less!