Spending money is a necessary part of going on vacation, but if you are cruising, there is a lot already included in your cruise fare, so how can you avoid spending money unnecessarily?
Cruising can be considered an all-inclusive vacation. Once you have your cruise booked and paid for, you don’t HAVE to make another purchase while on your cruise. The cruise line will provide transportation to and from ports of call, you will have a room stay in and plenty of included food and drink. Everything you NEED is provided, but that may not be all you WANT for you vacation.
Saving money while onboard ship.
Cruise lines want you to spend as much money as possible while onboard their ships. They aren’t making all their money on cruise fares alone. In fact, the average cruiser will spend the cost of their cruise over again on extras while onboard the ship. But if you don’t want to be in that camp, there are ways to avoid spending extra on your cruise.
The first step in avoiding spending money is to stick with included foods and drinks. There will be plenty of good food to choose from without spending extra on specialty dining. And I know for me, much of the food found in the MDR is better than anything I can get at a restaurant back home in my small town! There will also be buffets and often included quick eat restaurants to choose from if you don’t want a fancy sit-down meal. While you won’t be treated to wine and cocktails, almost every cruise line has tap water, tea, lemonade and even fruit juice and milk in the morning all included in their base fare. Coffee is also available, just don’t expect specialty coffees. The less you treat yourself to a cocktail from the bar, wine with dinner or that mocha frappe for breakfast, the more money you will save. You can also check through the ship’s daily schedule for free wine tastings, cocktail classes, or even glasses of champagne given away at events put on by places like the art gallery and high-end stores. These offerings vary, ship-by-ship and line-by-line.
Another major part of not spending extra money on your cruise is to stay away from all those extras the cruise lines entice you with on a daily basis! Do you really need to spend money at the spa? Go relax by the pool instead. Why spend money on special fitness classes when the gym is free to use for everyone? There is plenty to do on a ship that is already included in your fare without spending extra on arcade games, roller coasters, go-karts and more. While many can’t keep themselves from testing the fates, if you want to make sure you save money, stay out of that casino! The odds are not in your favor anyway…the house always wins!
The shops are another big lure for many cruisers. Whether it is logo-branded merch or high-end jewelry and bags, there is plenty out there to temp cruisers. If you want to come home with something that shows your love of the ship or line, many ships will have a day where they sell shirts at a discount rate, so watch out and wait for those deals.
Another big expense is ship wifi. Unless you just have to have it for work, skip the wifi and save yourself some money. If all you need is to check in every once in awhile, maybe look into getting an international plan for your phone that can be used while in port. For my carrier, it is $10 to use my phone for the day, and I will have the same data package I normally have, which is unlimited. This will allow me to upload a video if I need to, check social media, make a few posts, and of course, be able to use my phone to get around while at port if necessary.
Saving money onboard the ship is fairly easy with all your needs met, but how do you save money while at port? That’s up next, but before we get to that If you enjoy this video, and maybe even learn something, consider subscribing with the notification bell on so you don’t miss any future posts. Be sure to hit that like button as well. It only takes a second and doing so helps cruisers like you find us.
Saving money while at port
I would never tell a person to not go all out while at port, especially one you’ve never visited before, but if you are looking to save money, there are definitely ways to enjoy a port without spending a lot on excursions.
When it comes to food while at port, the best way to save money is to save your eating for the ship. You have already paid for the food served onboard the ship, so a good way to save you some money is to eat a good breakfast before heading out and then come back for a late lunch.
If you are booking an excursion, many will include food and drinks as part of the cost, which can also save you money. It may just be a snack or a sack lunch, but that just means you are saving room for a big meal in the MDR later!
For most port stops there is no reason you have to book an excursion as there will be plenty going on near the terminal, especially in Caribbean ports. There will be a lot of shops for window shopping or even picking up an inexpensive souvenir. I like to collect magnets from each place I visit. They aren’t too expensive, and serve as a reminder of where all I have been. If you want to go further than the terminal area, in the Caribbean you can often either walk, or take a short taxi ride to the beach for some relaxing or snorkeling. In European ports there are walking tours, hop-on-hop-off busses, or you can just wonder around on your own. You never know what you might find that you never expected.
If you do plan on taking an excursion to somewhere farther away from port, there are some great sites where you can book local tours for cheaper than you can book the same excursion through the cruise line.
Let me know in the comments what you do to save money while cruising. Do you save in one area so you can splurge elsewhere?
Cruising From The Ozarks 