How to save money on a cruise!?

My husband and I want to book a cruise late 2015, but we are on a budget! Ive only ever sailed once- and it was with family so I didn't have to book anything. Were can we find good deals on cruises? whens the best time to book?

Right now we are looking at carnival cruises since they seem to be the cheapest. Wanting to leave out of new Orleans since its closest to our home.

Any tips for cost saving would be appreciated! :D

It's against CC rules to even mention travel agents or booking agencies. Going in the off season (when schools are in session) is the least expensive time. IMO, you should also look at Galveston & Houston as a departure port.

Welcome to Cruise Critic! :)

Having a travel agent would be so helpful to you and could at least tell which cruise lines/ship sail out of New Orleans.

LuLu

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got in trouble with cc once for even suggesting that somebody email me direct so I could tell them who we book with. I find this rule very odd but have to go along with it. Can only suggest that you shop around. our local travel agents quote full brochure prices. have never paid that. they have cruise travel fairs locally at least a couple times a year. we attend to see what is new..but even promotions are higher than what we can book elsewhere. so shop around.

one suggestion is a re-positioning cruise..these can be great deals...we did one from LA to Vancouver that was a week long and really cheap.

big saving on excursions. profit center for ships. they arrange with local tour operators and add a %. makes life easy but you can do the same or similar tours on your own in most cases.

other suggestion is to watch you onship expenses. really easy to run up a bar tab etc when your room key is your credit card.

good hunting

Here's a whole board for cruising on a budget.:)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=71

Sail off season, when kids are in school and avoid any and all holidays, even the Monday ones.

We find cruising late October thru mid February to usually have lowest prices. An odd itin will raise the price.

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Since you asked about saving money on a cruise the one thing I CANNOT recommend is taking food off the ship for lunch. It is against the law in many countries. Some ports in Mexico have started to use very lovable Goldens to smell food. You never want the cute dog sitting next to you. ;) Other countries/ports will physically search thru your bags.

Using your sail and sign card only for getting in to your cabin and on and off the ship will help keep costs down. Researching DIY days while at port is another suggestion. The ports of call board here on cc will help you with that once you choose your cruise.

Know what your budget is and shop around until you find something that fits.

We find it fast and easy to book directly through the cruise line websites.

Here's a whole board for cruising on a budget.:)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=71

 

Sail off season, when kids are in school and avoid any and all holidays, even the Monday ones.

We find cruising late October thru mid February to usually have lowest prices. An odd itin will raise the price.

 

***

Since you asked about saving money on a cruise the one thing I CANNOT recommend is taking food off the ship for lunch. It is against the law in many countries. Some ports in Mexico have started to use very lovable Goldens to smell food. You never want the cute dog sitting next to you. ;) Other countries/ports will physically search thru your bags.

Good suggestions here. Also asking your co-workers, friends, family members for a name of a local travel agency that knows a lot about cruises (some agencies really don't know and they could tell you the wrong info; the online agencies that you see ads for may also not be a good source of info for someone who hasn't booked cruises before).

I would ignore the suggestion in one post about repo cruises as that won't take you back to your original port, which is what you seem to be interested in.

And since you don't live within a few hours of any port, I would strongly suggest you get to New Orleans, or whatever port you're sailing from, at least a day ahead of the cruise. Even if you're flying to NO, there's always the chance of changed, delayed, cancelled flights. If you're driving, you'll absolutely need the padded time. You'll appreciate staying a night at a hotel near your port when you get up refreshed the next day (I've known people who are so stressed out or tired when they board, the first day of the cruise is wasted).

If you don't want to book tours/excursions, you can research each port on line as well as read guide books. Plan some sights or find a beach to spend your time in port. But absolutely make sure you bring a reliable watch (with timer) and take with you the ship's newsletter for that day, check your watch against the ship's time before leaving the ship. Keep track of time so you get back on board at least an half hour before the time listed in the newsletter (so if it says to be back on board by 4:30 and that sailaway will be at 5...be back by 4). The ship won't necessarily wait for you if you're not back by the posted time.

And as Sadie says, don't try to save money on food in port by packing your lunch and taking food off the ship. Many ports have stringent laws against bringing in foreign food, and often you can get fined. Some ports will allow you to have unopened factory-sealed items such as Power Bars. Fruit is a major no-no.

Other ways to save money is to drink the free beverages: water, tea, coffee, breakfast juice, etc. Don't use the casino.

The one thing not to scrimp on is the auto-tips for the crew. We always keep on our tips, and sometimes tip extra. If you feel you're not getting good service, go to the front desk and tell them. But don't use it as an excuse to remove the tips.

we always book in off season out of houston, galveston or bayport. we dont think the cost of a balcony adds anything as we are not room dwellers. my wife is on the carribean princess right now and was upgraded to a balcony for free but i talked to her a couple of days ago and she was underwhelmed. we never buy the junk sold in most of the port shops. if you want to get someone a souvenier make a stop at target or pier one before you leave and you can get the same stuff for a fraction of the cost. they'll never know. finally, if you want to save a ton of money, don't drink alcohol on the ship. ever. i was at lunch this very afternoon with some folks that just got back from the four night cruise on the triumph and one of the ladys spent $700.00 on she and her husband and all of the folks they bought drinks for while drunk. never, ever do that.

Go to the website of every cruise line that interests you and sign up for their email/snail mail notifications of specials. Don't let anyone persuade you that you just have to have a balcony, the cruise will be terrible if you don't. Cabins are for showering and sleeping. You can save a bunch by booking an inside cabin. Sure, balconies are nice, but if booking an inside gets you on the ship, that's what's important. EM

If you are driving to your port, check out websites for hotels that let you park your car there while on your cruise. You usually pay almost nothing extra for it, you get free transfers to the cruise terminal and back (usually). The cost of the hotel stay is almost always similar to the cost of parking your car at the cruise terminal.

Best of all, you are refreshed, not tired the day of your cruise.

Good suggestions here, I will add to the list.

Inside cabin, guarantee if available.

DIY excursions, or just think of the ship as your floating resort and use port days to read and relax, eat leisurely meals, exercise in the uncrowded gym

Don't drink, shop, or gamble

We enjoy taking more cruises using the above instead of a more "luxurious" cruise with all the spendy extras.

I am glad to see that, so far, no one has recommended some of the money-saving methods favored by some CC posters: remove auto-tips, smuggle liquor on board, sneak ship's food ashore for lunch on port days.

I am glad to see that, so far, no one has recommended some of the money-saving methods favored by some CC posters: remove auto-tips, smuggle liquor on board, sneak ship's food ashore for lunch on port days.

Nope no recommendations like that were given but someone gave them the idea!:D

You can probably save more money by managing your spending during the cruise than on the cost of the cruise itself.

Limit drinks you purchase. Just a couple each day will really add up over a cruise.

Study your ports to find things you can do for free or inexpensively. Generally. excursions offered by your ship are expensive.

Avoid the casino.

Don't buy photos.

My husband and I want to book a cruise late 2015, but we are on a budget! Ive only ever sailed once- and it was with family so I didn't have to book anything. Were can we find good deals on cruises? whens the best time to book?

 

Right now we are looking at carnival cruises since they seem to be the cheapest. Wanting to leave out of new Orleans since its closest to our home.

 

Any tips for cost saving would be appreciated! :D

After you've chosen your cruise and are aboard ship:

Do not purchase any of the photos taken by ship's photographers.

Do not purchase sodas, bottled water, or alcoholic beverages. Ship water is fine to drink and is free.

Do not eat in specialty restaurants. Food in main dining rooms and buffet is free and fine.

Do not buy excursions, especially from ship.

Do not buy spa services. The gym is free.

Most activities and most entertainment on the ship will be free.

The only shipboard expense then will just be the daily gratuities charged to your shipboard account.

These are all great ideas!! thank you very much! :)

Do your research. Know what you want then find the best deal for what you want. If you can drive to port then do it. Read the Port of Call Boards for less expensive ways to see the islands. Look at taking a taxi to the beach, a self-walk tour, independant tour companies. On-board limit your purchases of drinks, photos, trinkets, etc...how much you spend on-board really depends on you. You can take a whole cruise and only pay for gratuities if you really wanted to. A cruise can be a really inexpensive vacation or an expensive one depending on your own choices.

If you do plan on indulging in adult beverages - check out the beverage packages available on your cruise line to see if they make sense for you.

It is one of the most discussed things on this site, and there are numerous threads dedicated to the pros and cons of purchasing the packages.

they may look expensive but they can be economical depending on your imbibing plans.:)

Cruising is still one of the best values for your money - cruises today are less expensive than my first cruise over 25 years ago...but the add-ons can add up quickly.

I usually look for the cruise I want to take on line, then when I find the best deal, I will call my TA, and tell her what I have found, and ask if she can beat it. She will tell me if she can or not... if she can't, I book on line.

If you don't care about location on the ship, guaranteed cabins are the least expensive.

There are beverages you can drink on the ship that are free. Water, tea, coffee (lido buffet not specialty), lemonade, and sometimes fruit punch. You can find the dispensers at the lido buffet area.

You are also allowed to bring 2 bottles of wine per cabin on board with you at embarkation. Do not take the bottle to dinner, or they will charge you to open it. So pack a cork screw in your checked luggage. They will confiscate it from your carry on. :(

You don't have to do excursions if you don't want to. You can get off the boat and walk around the port city on your own. you may want to take a cab or bus to the beach. you don't need to rent chairs or umbrellas. Just take your towel, but remember to bring it back or you will get charged for it.

You will want to take some small bills with you for tipping cab drivers, the dock workers who take your luggage, extra tips at the end for excellent service from cabin steward or wait staff.

You don't have to spend a lot of money to have a great time. We have cruise both spending money, and not. You will have a great time no matter what. :)