First Time Cruisers, How to Save money??

[cruzrs1sttime]

:confused:So I've been reading over these How to save money... I wont be spending much time in the spa (too expensive for sure), but where is it best to cut the dollars? I will be paying for a good chunk by myself excluding the excursions or the alcohol. I want a balcony since I've never been on a ship before, is that worth the extra bucks?? Any guidelines worth giving me please do... I know how to spend a lot of money but I want to cut where I can... I'm every interested.... GUIDE ME!!! THX

[paul929207]

Many people cruise in a cabin without a balcony and they have a wonderful time. So, no, a balcony is not necessary. On the other hand, I love a balcony and get it every time.

 

One way to save money is to drink the ship water. Do not buy bottle water or soda. The ship water is purer then most bottles you can buy. We bring a couple of empties and refill them as needed.

[cb at sea]

For us, aside from alcohol, there's very little that we spend extra money on...we get a guidebook prior to the cruise, so we don't have to purchase excursions...we know where to go in port, and how to get there! Much cheaper!

We seldom use the specialty restaurants...the food that's include in your fare is fine and filling.

We don't buy the "packages" designed to make you feel "special"...we ARE special..don't need to spend money on that!

We don't do the spa! We don't rent cabanas....buy photos or souveniers.

You CAN do a cruise without breaking the bank!

[hazeleyez3]

We don't spend a lot of money on our cruise, and we cruise in balconies.

 

 

Drinks: Bring little packets like Crystal Light to mix with water (tap, not bottled). If you are a huge soda drinker look into buying a soda card.

 

Mini-Fridge: Make sure you stay away from eating/drinking anything they put in there. It is an extra cost. So is the bottled water you may find on your vanity.

 

Food: Stick to the buffets and free restaurants. The food is good, and you will have a variety of items. I don't see a reason to pay $25/person (or whatever the cost may be) for a specialty restaurant when you have plenty of choices in the restaurants already included. Half the time I have trouble deciding between items in the dining room anyways.

 

Gym: Just use the equipment, walk the deck, use the stairs, play basketball, etc. Don't get a trainer or take a class that costs extra.

 

Shops onboard: Avoid them.

 

Pictures: These can get costly so you may want to skip them. Bring your camera, find a nice place for a background (not one of their backgrounds) and ask someone to take a picture.

 

 

Internet: If you can go w/o it than skip it. If its a must pay close attn to how long you are on there. If you know you'll be using it a lot take a look at one of the Internet plans they offer.

 

Room Service: Go to the lido deck or the cafes that are free and get a snack there. Otherwise, make sure you have $1 to tip them with.

 

 

You can typically look at your current balance on your tv so look at that every day or so.

 

Trust me, it can be done - my husband and I have gone on several cruises...eaten well, were never thirsty, exercised, participated in activities, and watched shows. Many times the only charges we have on our ending balance are the tips.

[suezyq50]

We have had a balcony twice. DH loves it. I can do without. I don't go to the spa on the ship. I do like to go locally a day or two before we cruise.

[p3sgirl]

For us we always get an inside room because we are only in there to literally shower, get changed and sleep. There's way too much to do on the ship to stay cooped up in your room. So with that in mind, we save money.

 

We treat ourselves to one or two alcoholic drinks a day and take full advantage of the free champagne and fruity drinks they serve at the captains welcome and art auction.

 

We skip the wine and soda packages.

 

If you enjoy the spa, wait until you get on board to book it. I know some people find that risky because it can get booked up but they often offer specials while on board. I got a great deal last year on a facial and massage. I plan to wait again until I get on board. If I get a spot great, if not, oh well.

 

I personally rarely book excursions through the ship. I know that there are safety concerns for some people but I think I have pretty good judgement about shopping for excursions online. We've gotten some great prices on parasailing and jet ski tours with a little searching on popular and reputable tour companies.

 

On the same note, don't overpack your cruise with excursions. Sometimes it's nice to just take a cab to the beach and chill with a good book. Or walk around on the island.

 

Skip bingo. It's a rip off.

 

don't use the phone, internet, or fax.

 

Check your tab daily so that there are no surprises at the end of your trip.

 

Enjoy your time.

[harryfat1]

In theory, you can get off the ship without spending one extra dime other than your standard fare. Some cruise lines will add the gratuities at the end of the cruise, so that could be your one and only expense on the ship board account when you disembark.

 

To achieve this, you basically just eat and drink whatever the ship provides for you as part of your cruise fare and just enjoy the included activities/entertainment on the ship. Don’t buy anything/don’t join any ship sponsored tours.

 

That’s the theoretical minimal amount of money spend, but in reality on your first cruise, you will likely buy a little of something here/drink something there/do something special and whatever. Hardest part will be able to say no to all the temptations as “you are on vacation and time to let loose”. Try to set a budget like $10 or $15/day on what you are willing to spend so that at the end of the cruise, you won’t be shocked by the final cruise bill.

 

As for balconies – is it nice to have, but is it necessary for you to enjoy your cruise? No.

 

If budget is an issue, I would pass on that on your initial cruise and book that later on in your future cruises instead.

[misty57]

Something to keep in mind if not for your first cruise but for future cruises if you like your first one:D, is a cruise line credit card. We sail almost exclusively RCI and usually have enough points to give us a nice OBC. If we don't use it all then the balance is credited back to our card! We usually leave with a negative amount on our cruise account! We don't try to avoid spending that credit, but find after several cruises that we have no desire to buy photos or anything else onboard except for a few visits to the Ben and Jerry's or Johnny Rockets. We went to one specialty restaurant one time and it was fine but not something I feel compelled to do. Most of our excursions are booked with non ship vendors and have been much more reasonable. I feel comfortable doing that in ports that I have visited before, but if I was going to go on a transatlantic I would probably do ship excursions to be on the safer side.

 

If you want to purchase things on the ship I would suggest avoiding the gold by the inch and clothing items. If you want logo items such as t shirts, wait until the last day and they usually have them "on sale".

Another thing to avoid is the shopping lecture on board. It is a big waste of your vacation time that may be better spent enjoying other activities. Do not buy the shopping coupon book either.

Good luck!

[kassimer1]

Many people cruise in a cabin without a balcony and they have a wonderful time. So, no, a balcony is not necessary. On the other hand, I love a balcony and get it every time.

 

One way to save money is to drink the ship water. Do not buy bottle water or soda. The ship water is purer then most bottles you can buy. We bring a couple of empties and refill them as needed.

we actually bought water bottles with filters built in them for like 7$ and that way we know the water is good with oout having to buy the water package and it filters 300 bottles worth so you can use next time too.

 

also I go online and get free samples sent to me for laundry detergent and toiletries.

 

Another way to save is to check your on board account daily. or else it will add up and you will get a big surprise on the last day. the last cruise i went on i used a card that was a debit mastercard and only put on 400$ to spend so once it reached 400$ i would not be able to charge more unless i moved money over from savings. If you dont have one of these kind of cards then buy a visa gift card and put on only the money you want to spend. the card costs 5$ but it is better than getting a 1000$ charge surprise. We are actually going to get the visa card and put some money on it to link to our son's sail pass so he can charge with out the chance of him going charge crazy.

[Roz]

I don't know if this applies to everyone, but I've been checking airfare to various Florida departure ports. What I've found is that taking a cruise from Ft. Lauderdale or Miami in January or February, is going to cost me about $100 more in airfare as opposed to sailing out of Tampa, JAX, or Pt. Canaveral. It's something to take into consideration.

 

Roz

 

P.S. Meant to put this in a separate thread, darn it!

[drblue]

:confused:So I've been reading over these How to save money... I wont be spending much time in the spa (too expensive for sure), but where is it best to cut the dollars? I will be paying for a good chunk by myself excluding the excursions or the alcohol. I want a balcony since I've never been on a ship before, is that worth the extra bucks?? Any guidelines worth giving me please do... I know how to spend a lot of money but I want to cut where I can... I'm every interested.... GUIDE ME!!! THX

Hello first time crusier,

I am glad you are getting a lot of suggestions. They area all helpful, and I am sure you will find some of them that apply directly to your vacation style. I have a few more:

1. FRIDGE. Ask the room attendant to empty it all out onthe first day. That way, you will never use any of their oversize products.

2. LAUNDRY. Just take some detergent with you and do some laundry everyday (t-shirts, underwear,etc.) right in your room.

3. DRINKS. Buy some drinks while on land. I know they check upon returning to the ship, but they have NEVER asked me to throw away bottles of water or sodas - liquor is a different story.

4. FRUIT DRINKS. They are always watered down, and they are NOT FREE, even when they seem to be on the first day when they are offered by smiling waiters.

5. FOOD. Bring some snacks to the room for those times when you might need a little something to tie you over or you return late from an excursion. Also, you can just make a sandwich at breakfasst and take it with you for excursions.

6. INTERNET. If you really must use it, wait until you land, and ask for an internet cafe. They are usually much cheaper. We often also stumble onto a public library and use the

internet there.

 

Enjoy your first cruise.

[Gadgetmonster]

Excellent ideas... will use some of these on my 4th cruise. The older I get the easier it is to see the value in saving money. Thanks for the ideas.

[cruzeluver]

Also, you can just make a sandwich at breakfasst and take it with you for excursions.

 

Only pre-packaged food is allowed to be brought off the ship (think granola bars, those mini boxes of cereal etc.), no meat, dairy or produce.

[origionaljerseygirl]

only pre-packaged food is allowed to be brought off the ship (think granola bars, those mini boxes of cereal etc.), no meat, dairy or produce.

 

 

very true!!!

[naysmitj]

We get a balcony on Carnival and bring wine aboard at each stop. Alcohol is taken and stored for you when returning to the ship from ports, but wine and beer can be brought aboard. We then sit on the balcony before supper and have a couple of glasses of wine while watching the sun set.

[2infrequently]

For your first cruise, I would avoid the very front of the ship. In rough water, it will go up and down more than the rest of the ship. Other than that, I would go for whichever cabin type looks like it is a deal.

 

We've done inside, outside, balcony and the smallest suite. Our next cruise is balcony and the one after that is inside.

 

Balcony is nice because you have private space outside, but most of the ships have relatively decent public space outside, where you can seek out the relatively quiet or the never quiet based on what you are looking for. The bartenders gome by more often in the public spaces :D

 

Inside is nice because, when you decide the only way you're going to stay up for the midnight buffet is to take a nap, it's pretty dark in your inside stateroom.

 

I do not see an advantage that outside cabins have over inside, but that's just me. All of the cabins will by much smaller than a hotel room, unless you're spending thousands on a suite. You're probably going to sleep, shower, and change in this room and spend almost all of your time out of it, so don't spend a lot more to get some type of "better" room.

 

We've never been on a ship-sponsored excursion. We used to buy guidebooks, but now we check them out of the library since they're usually out of date before we would use them a second time. The internet is also a good resource for planning shore stuff.

 

Several people talked about internet service on-board, but nobody has mentioned cell phones. When you are at sea (not in port) your cellular provider will be the ship. You probably want your cell phones turned off is that is the case. If you thought normal roaming charges were bad, you'll find out how wrong that was. If you want to use your cell phones in ports of call, then contact your cell provider and find out what the rates are before you go on the cruise.

 

What everyone else said is good:

1. watch your account balance
   
2. don't buy anything unless you've been looking for it and KNOW that it's a great price
   
3. stay away fron bingo, shops, casino, and drink of the day in the souvineer glass
   
4. limit (and count) your non-free drinks
   

Take advantage of the "free" stuff. You paid for the show so go to it. You paid for the MDR food so eat it. There is plenty of stuff to do all day every day and they will leave a list in your cabin.

 

If you enjoy spa stuff and can tell what is and isn't a good price, plan to blow off one of the ports and do spa stuff while the ship is in port. Watch for a sale or ask for a deal. Be willing to not do the spa if it's not a good price.

[MrsPete]

I agree with the vast majority of what's been said, but I'll add a few new things:

 

Your biggest savings can be had on the day you book your cruise. First, if possible, choose a port to which you can drive. Not only will this save you an airline ticket, you'll have no restrictions on luggage. Of course, this means you'll have to park your car. Choose a pre-cruise hotel that allows you to park for free. Choose a less-expensive room; you'll still have access to all the ship's amenities. Cruise in off-season; the price difference is huge.

 

Once you're booked, keep checking your price. If it goes down, call in for a price match. You can do this up until your final payment date (60 days out?). After that, it becomes a bit muddy, but the prices are usually cheaper well in advance anyway.

 

Be sure to bring along the small things you're likely to need: Sunscreen, disposable cameras, batteries for sure. Double-check your toiletries to be sure you have what you need. Bandaids, asprin, and other over-the-counter medicines -- I don't bring full-sized packages; rather, I put a few of each pill into one bottle to save space. Water shoes, I think, are something that people often buy at a premium price on the islands. Rule of thumb: What costs $5 at your local Walmart will run more like $15 on the ship.

 

Bring along a couple canned sodas (in a ziplock bag). Not only are they relatively expensive onboard, they're not conveniently available where I want them: At the buffet during breakfast! I sometimes want a Diet Coke with my breakfast. I pretty much don't want one the rest of the day.

 

Bring a couple EMPTY disposable water bottles (fill with ship's water) and take them ashore. If you don't do this, though, don't skimp on water ashore. You don't want to become dehydrated. I'm thinking about last summer in San Juan when I bought COLD bottled water at $2/bottle and thought it was the best money I spent on the whole cruise!

 

Search out private excursions. Not only are they less expensive, you'll be in a smaller group and will have more control over your day. I would choose private excursions even if they were more expensive!

 

If you're a returning cruiser, read your coupon book early in the cruise. Most people will take advantage at least of the buy-one-get-one-free drink coupons.

 

Don't over-spend on clothes for the cruise. Other people won't be all that interested in what you're wearing! The exception: I think it's worthwhile to spend what it takes to have a really great swimsuit that fits well and makes you feel good. Of course, I'm also stingy enough to think that this suit doesn't have to be replaced for every vacation.

 

If you really want a manicure/pedicure for the cruise, have it done the day before you leave home. Not only will it not cut into your cruise time, you'll pay about half what you would pay on the ship. You can take your own nail polish (or buy a bottle of theirs) so that you can do touch-ups if necessary.

 

As for the balcony, no, it's not necessary for a great cruise . . . but it sure is a nice luxury! When we share a room with our kids (which isn't bad at all), we have to have one -- four people in a room, the balcony is the cheapest way to get more floor space, and it gives dad a place to hide while the kids are dressing.

 

Don't assume that you can't have a balcony. I booked our recent cruise more than a year in advance; with a party of six, what I could afford was two connecting oceanviews, and the first two people in each room were something like $1200 (it was summer -- I didn't take my own advice about cruising off-season). As time went on, I watched prices, had one price drop, which brought us down to about $1000/person . . . but then a wonderful day arrived . . . balconies dropped to $799/person. I dropped those connecting oceanviews like a hot potato and switched over to three E1 balconies. By the time we sailed, the price had gone up again . . . and people in the oceanview rooms were paying more than we were paying for our balconies. It pays to watch. Oh, and we had the cabin steward open up the dividers between the three rooms so we had one loooong balcony, which allowed us to come and go through the glass doors without going out to the hallway.

[breninbv]

Thanks for all the good tips, one question, when you watch the prices, do you watch the cruise line itself or do you watch the company you booked through for price drops?

Thanks for the info:confused:

[Trevoli]

Where is your first cruise (I'm too lazy to look it up)?

[RMurp007]

Bring zip lock bags and take extra bread, buns cheese etc. from the buffet. Pack sandwiches for your time off ship. They never check even though they say you can't bring it off the ship. The empty water bottle trick is good too. We always put our liquor/wine from home in water bottles in our checked luggage. Then we bring extra orange juice from breakfast to our room to use as mix for before dinner drinks. Research the ports before you go so you don't have to take ship excursions. We also do not take ship transportation in the ports, we usually walk. Our last cruise cost us the tips only.

[Roz]

Most countries have restrictions about bring meat, cheese, milk, and produce off the ship. You may bring packaged items like crackers or cereals.

 

Roz

[zoncom]

I think the two largest factors in savings are time of year and cabin class. Right now prices are at all time lows, unbeliveaby low.The time between now and second week of Dec. plus first week or so in Jan. are low season priced. Today I saw NCL Pearl 7N for $297. Celebrity for 7N $500! less crowds everywhere and beautiful weather in Carib. starting Nov. Also less Hurricane risk. Would rather do two insides vs. one balcony cruise.

[Neiner]

My advice.... Take tampons! :eek:

 

Before our last cruise with our 3 teenage daughters I asked over and over, 'Are you going to need tampons while we're gone?' 'Nooooooo Mom (insert eye-roll here)'

 

Well let me tell you, $10 for a box of 20 is no deal!

 

If you do get caught short, do what I did. Get quarters from the casino. All the public restrooms have the machines where they only cost a quarter. 1/2 the price of the onboard shop.

[ZeusLA]

Another thing to avoid is the shopping lecture on board. It is a big waste of your vacation time that may be better spent enjoying other activities. Do not buy the shopping coupon book either.

Good luck!

 

There may be cases where this is not true. My last cruise (Mariner OTS out of LA), a special offer was if you bought the coupon book for $25 - all drinks were 2 for 1 for the entire cruise (you got a sticker on your card). I probably only used 1 or 2 coupons, but the deal on drinks paid for the book several times over.

 

Do these specials happen on other lines (I am on Celebrity this November). Has anyone else seen & done this type of special?

 

Kevin

[CanWeGoYet?]

I took my first cruise with celebrity (not 1st cruise in general, just on that line) and didn't get a coupon book. But there were lots of paper fliers offering specials - I did take advantage of a few spa specials. Standard mini combo deals of 3 choices for $99.

 

To breninbv - I used a convenient travel company online website to track price drops. Even though I always book on my own and not through an online discounter or travel agent I found these sorts of website showed more price drops more consistently than the cruise line's itself. Don't know why.

 

If you booked through a travel agent or company instead of the cruise line directly, you can check with them. But not all agents or companies pass on the price drops. Some of them charge a fee for doing changes like processing a price drop, is my understanding.