How do you save once on board?

[CGYCruisingFamily]

I know for some, spending on board is no issue. But for others sticking to a budget is better.

 

I am wondering how members of this community save once on board. What are some of your tips for enjoying but not over indulging?

 

 

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[paul929207]

Except for the autotip, you have to sign for every other onboard expenditure. Set up a budget in advance. Check you account regularly during the cruise.

[Krissica]

We realized, especially after our first cruise, that many of the extra costs weren't necessities or even luxuries that were worth it to us.

For instance, we never purchase any photos - we have our own camera, no need to pay for photos.

We never buy souvenirs from the gift shop - if we feel the need to get souvenirs, we will do it off the ship.

We also make sure we are stocked on anything that we would need to buy from the store onboard - one time we had to pay $9 to replace deodorant that was left at home:eek:

We always bring our alotted amount of carry-on alcohol, and possibly some extras (I'm sure the Saints will flame me for that one).

[Dogs&Ponies]

STAY OUT OF THE SPA if you are on a budget!!! Oh yes - it is lovey to pamper yourself - but be prepared to spend LOTS of money if you go to the SPA. Not only are the treatments more expensive than at home (and not much better or different) they will try their very best to sell you additional creams, body oils, health pills etc. - none of which you need and are a GIANT pain to drag back home (most likely never to be opened).

 

Be careful with the alternative dining if you are on a tight budget. Check the menu before going in, sometimes it is worth the extra cost as opposed to what you would pay at home. But it is an extra cost.

 

Shore excursions can often be booked privately (see the different Roll Calls for your cruise) with others on your cruise. You will see more and pay less - you just have to be sure about getting back in time! Or just enjoy the port by walking around the town and trying local food for lunch instead of returning to the ship. A local restaurant is cheaper than a shore excursion and you can get to interact with the locals.

 

DO NOT BUY "stuff" in port or on the ship!!!! Obvious - but remember you have to drag it home and it eats into your budget. Also in port, hire a taxi to take you to the beach - just arrange for the taxi to come back an pick you up on time.

 

Know your limits and stick to them! There is plenty to do for free or low cost. Do your research before leaving for your cruise and you will be amazed at how much you can do on a limited budget and have fun!

[WaveRider1224]

That's easy !

Just avoid anything that's not included in the base cost of the cruise. In addition to the previously mentioned items, beware of the following notable culprits. Alcoholic beverages and gambling are the worst enemies of your wallet, followed by shore excursions and specialty (fee charged) dining venues.

[dancinman66]

Spa will break you pretty quick have spent a few thousand on one cruise alone. So yeah steer clear if possible or set a budget and pick carefully using their special days

 

 

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[cb at sea]

Willpower....

[paul929207]

You can spend a lot on specialty coffees, sodas, etc. Stick to what is included.

[Calgon1]

Agree with Krissica on the photos. You can rack up some big costs there.

 

Big difference between photographs, snapshots and selfies. When we first began cruising, we often came home with a half dozen, or more, ship's photographs. With costs going up to $25 per photo, that adds up very quickly.

 

We finally learned to not buy any photos until the last night of the cruise! Each evening, when the photos are posted, collect all yours and either have the staff put them in a folio with your cabin number on it, or place them all together in one corner of one of the boards.

 

On the last night, collect your stack and pick out the one or two that you really want. We limit ourselves to the Embarkation Photo (beginning of each cruise scrapbook), one Formal Night shot (yes, we still do the dress up thing) and maybe one port photo.

 

Some lines are now posting photos electronically, and you scroll through a computer file, selecting the one(s) you want. Your account is charged and they are delivered to your cabin. Again, Wait till the end of the cruise.

Edited July 18, 2014 by Calgon1
'cause I can't spell

[CruiseFanatic123]

I recently created a blog post about this. You can see it in my signature or here.

 

We recently went on a cruise (got back on Sunday!), and saved money by: bringing two bottles of wine on (Royal Caribbean lets you do that); checking the menus before we went somewhere; eating mainly in the included restaurants; and more.

[mjjden]

I know for some, spending on board is no issue. But for others sticking to a budget is better.

 

I am wondering how members of this community save once on board. What are some of your tips for enjoying but not over indulging?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

On the Nieuw Amsterdam, there are Happy Hours in certain bars. We like the Crow's Nest bar from 4-5 pm. I would order two drinks of choice and my husband would order 2 beers but ask for them unopened. The drinks were 2 for 1 or BOGO for a $1. We would drink the mixed drinks and take the beers with us for consumption at a later time.

 

I brought back smaller, 200 and 375 ml bottles of rum and tequila for souvenirs for friends and had no problems bringing them in my bag back on board. My bag went through the scanner and I picked it up on the other end and walked to my room.

[arctickitty]

My first cruise was on Princess. Some ways that we saved on Princess included:

 

-Bringing a laundry bag and several 'pods' of powdered laundry detergent. Halfway through our trip we ordered every vegetarian item on room service and did laundry. We wanted to try out room service anyway, and we were tired, so it worked out fine.

 

-We somehow got some onboard spending credit. Instead of spending out credit, we followed a tip learned from this board that while Princess says you can't use onboard credit for the auto-gratuity, you absolutely can. We checked out account halfway through, and because we hadn't spent anything, the auto-gratuity was $50 less.

 

-We brought the allowed one bottle of wine per person and opened it in the room. No one seemed to mind if it wandered out of the room with us, evening to a restaurant.

 

-We brought a small case of little Perrier cans with us and put them in our fridge because we like sparkling water. We would skip this next time as the free water on the lido deck, free lemon slices, and free tea would have kept us happy enough.

 

-We never ate any meals in port. We did, however, try out just about every brand of sparkling water we found. (This was a cruise to Mexico, so it was hot and we were thirsty...on a short term trip we didn't want to take chances with tap water either). While not visiting port restaurants is not good for the local economy, we did support in other ways, including paying for museum admission, and visiting several grocery stores (something we love doing everywhere we travel...YES you can bring back packaged foods from other countries...just follow the rules for what's allowed). From Mexico we brought tea samplers, lots of different hot sauces, chunky peppy sauces, tamarind candy, and an assortment of cookies. You buy groceries when you're at home, so buying groceries abroad is a cheap past time.

 

-We walk, walk, walked every where. A great, cheap, healthy way to see a local place. This works better in some ports than others.

 

-We look for maps, guidebooks and information in used bookstores well in advance of a trip. We research on websites like this one and many others. Part of the value of enjoying a trip is extending the experience through enjoying the preparation before and the reflection afterwards. We have also learned not to be cheap about guidebooks, and if we can't find a good one used, we will go ahead and buy a new one. We have found research materials to be a good investment. Likewise we extend our enjoyment buy getting books, cookbooks, movies, music, etc from our local library in advance.

 

-Part of our research was in figuring out absolutely everything that was included in the cruise price. We learned many things by reading reviews and message boards, and kept notes. Once on board, we explored first, and made a list of everything there was to do (excepting things we really really had no interest in). We then tried to do everything on our list at least once. This caused us to search out corners of the ship (it took us 3 days to find the lawn games area) and led us to try new things. This also helped a lot with the dining. My other half had cruised with Princess before and never eaten anywhere except for the buffet. That's what he thought we should do the whole week. It took me 2 days to drag him down to the dining room, but once he got there, he was hooked. We then set out to try every free dining option...Afternoon tea, Pub lunch, fancy pizzeria, dining room breakfast, dining room lunch, etc. We also went to one art auction to get the free champagne, but didn't enjoy it enough to do it again. Also had seen a tip that sometimes they serve 'cold soups' that are really cocktails served in a bowl...so I snagged a soup that was more like a bellini one night. For someone not willing to pay bar prices, it was a good way to try it out.

 

My upcoming cruise is on Norwegian so many of the above apply, but some don't. I'm planning:

 

-Norwegian has no self-serve laundry. Hello, travel-friendly clothing! I will be traveling with at least some easy to handwash, quick dry clothes to wash out in the sink, just like I would in a hostel.

 

-I've located local bus service information and downloaded maps for several of the ports, especially when we have a long stay and have time to spare. Riding local is part of the experience being in a new place anyway.

 

-I'm a third person in my parents' cabin. I only had to pay taxes/port fees (no charge for 3rd/4th person). A good deal for me!

 

-I plan on scouring the ship again, making a list of things to do

 

-I've signed all three of us up for the meet & mingle...its a free thing to do on a sea day

 

-I have pledged to go to the gym this time. It's free!

[misty57]

We almost always have plenty of OBC from our RCI Visa points and advanced booking. It allows us to splurge a little on dinners and DH likes to get a T shirt from each ship we sail. I will sometimes get a small gift for our little girls ( grandkids) on the ship. We almost always come away with a negative on our bill at the end of the cruise... sometime a few dollars owed but it takes the worry out of wondering what our bill will be at the end. I only have a few glasses of wine on board and use our loyalty tier coupons for that. We don't buy pictures and DH doesn't drink at all. We probably spend more off the ship in excursions and tips as well as eating off the ship. It usually isn't that good.. except in New England and Canada.

[srlafleur]

Stay out of the casino!

 

On a practical note, if you want to have a few drinks, you can save money by having the drink-of-the-day served in a regular glass vs. the default souvenir glass. Watch for B1G1 and other specials on drinks.

If available on your ship, and if you drink beer, there may be a "bulk" special like buy 5 for the price of 4. Ditto for a wine package, if you like to have wine at dinner. They will save a bottle for you from one night to the next, if you don't finish it.

As for photos, we avoid all except the formal nights, and occasionally indulge in the purchase one of the nicer ones, which aren't necessarily the fancy posed ones (those generally also cost more). One of our best shots was actually taken on a formal night while at dinner. We only buy the absolute best, and only once every few cruises.

Do your souvenir shopping on shore as soon as possible in your cruise, to avoid last minute panic buying.

 

It is very possible to spend next-to-nothing but the gratuity, if you drink neither soda nor alcohol, don't buy photos, don't gamble or go to the spa and only go to the beach or explore the port area (this depends greatly on your particular itinerary and the ports involved).

 

I recommend prioritizing what is important to you and spending your money on that.

Edited August 14, 2014 by srlafleur

[sjkistler]

Because I have to work a bit even when cruising, and I wanted to stay in touch with my family, I end up using wifi mintues. I've done the bit where I spend the time in port in search of free wifi and then haul around my laptop and any paperwork and set up shop in a local bistro. But, this means that I get less port time and I love the ports (and get nervous in some places walking around with my laptop).

 

On my 21 day last fall east/west med I used TEP wireless, which gives you a mini wifi hotspot that works in most ports. It took a bit of research to see where I would have coverage and where I wouldn't, but I would use it in most ports as we were coming in to port or more frequently as we were about to leave. I sound like a shill for them but I'm not, it just saved me hundreds of dollars over the course of the cruise. I wrote about it in detail here http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=43668875

 

Like another poster, we tend to check out local groceries both of fun souvenirs but also for treats. For instance, a Toblerone bar at the grocery in Monaco was 1/3 the cost of one on board (and the little grocery is right in the middle of town facing the port).

 

We've found a few ways to save on tours as well. For instance, in Katakolon, we found that the olympus tour from Niki Vlachou at 65 euro also had a less expensive option wherein you could take the guided tour bus to and from the town/site with Niki for 20 euro. She gave a wonderful narration and answered all questions to fill in a few things we wanted to know. We toured the ruins themselves on our own at our own pace then met back up with the bus group. In Palermo, we went on a street food tour found through online searches for the cost of a donation (15 euro recommended) plus food purchased (about 7 euro total). This was three hours of six of us walking through the city with two enthusiastic, erudite, foodie, locals and trying out an amazing array of street food. In three months of traveling (we tripped through other parts of europe before and after the cruise), this was the favorite single thing that we did.

 

Susan

[MrsPete]

Obviously we all know that the best way to save is NOT to spend, so a better question might be, "What extras can we skip without impacting the enjoyment of our cruise?" And the answer will vary from person to person, and leaving without paying anything (except tips -- again, obviously). It's easy to get the idea that you NEED to do "extra stuff" to make your cruise "extra special", but the reality is that a cruise is special in and of itself!

 

Here's what my husband and I would say about extra spending:

 

- We enjoy the food in the MDR and buffet, and we can easily skip the extra-charge restaurants without feeling we've skimped.

 

- We never use the spa -- too expensive. We'll both have haircuts, and I'll have a mani-pedi before we leave home. If you MUST have a massage, consider looking for a massage-on-the-beach at one of your island stops.

 

- We don't play Bingo. Too expensive, and not particularly exciting. Similarly, we don't attend the Art Auction. Well, we did go once, and we received a free print (high quality Xerox) and a glass of champagne. If it were raining, we might go again. We also don't care about the shopping talks -- I wouldn't go to them even if it were raining. We don't buy souvenirs; they just end up collecting dust until the next yard sale anyway.

 

- We do enjoy the casino, but we only play the nickel slots. We bring a couple rolls of nickels from home, and when they're gone, we're done.

 

- We take great care to pack everything we need -- including OTC medicines. Once I forgot razors, and I think a three-pack was something like $9 onboard. If you're flying and can't bring your toiletries, consider mailing yourself a package at your night-before hotel; if you make a quick drug store stop at the port, you're likely to forget something.

 

- We don't bother trying to communicate with people back home. It's only a week. They really can live without us. If you feel you MUST contact home, consider waiting 'til you're on the islands, where you'll be able to call without using the "at sea" rates.

 

- We do use the gym, but we don't take the for-a-fee exercise classes.

 

- We don't buy the drink packages. We do drink alcohol on the cruise, but our bill never reaches even the cost of the least expensive package. We sometimes buy the "drink of the day", which is cheaper -- and we've never brought home a souvenir glass to junk up our cabinets. As for soft drinks, we like the free offerings, and we bring along a couple sodas from home -- we bring cans, which are clearly Diet Dr. Pepper (or similar), and we never have any trouble. I don't bring my favorite local soft drink -- Cheerwine, a cherry cola -- for fear that the ship personnel will mistakenly think it's wine. We don't bother with bottled water -- the ship's water tastes good.

 

- For port days, we usually choose a private excursion /tour. We don't think this is a place to skimp. Why go to a wonderful island far from home . . . and then just sit on the beach? We could have that experience any weekend! We usually don't eat on shore; rather, we take pre-packaged snacks in case my husband's blood sugar drops, and we're back on the ship in time for a late lunch. We don't bother with bringing drinks ashore; cold drinks are cheap to buy.

 

- This is a long-shot, but once we'd taken a driving trip to the Western national parks, and we'd bought the America the Beautiful Pass (I think it was $60, but that was several years ago), which allowed free entrance for the whole family to all national parks for one year. We used it to see the forts in Puerto Rico for free. It could also have been used to enter St. John national park. Senior citizens, permanently disabled citizens, and park volunteers can get similar lifetime membership cards for free.

 

- We save up about $50 in one dollar bills in the months preceeding the cruise so that we're prepared to leave appropriate tips (bartenders, room service, tour guides ashore). No one wants to say, "Here's a five -- how 'bout $3 in change?" We once brought our tip money in gold Sacagawea coins, but we found that the onboard staff mistook them for quarters -- and they didn't look pleased. We didn't do that again.

 

- This isn't really an "onboard cost", but it plays into it: We don't buy lots of new clothes for the trip. If you're wearing something that doesn't stand out (either for good or bad reasons), people don't pay a whole lot of attention to you.

 

- We usually don't need to wash clothes during the trip, but for tees or light tops, we do a quick hand-wash in the sink using the ship's shampoo (which isn't particularly good for its intended purpose! This is much cheaper than the ship's laundry. Royal Caribbean does offer a "wash everything in this bag for $25" on Thursday, but it's only a mediocre deal.

 

- We do keep an eye on our ship account so that if any mistakes have been made, we won't be surprised. If you need to talk to Guest Services, wait 'til the wee hours of the morning to do so. They're open 24 hours a day, but they're often busy during "prime time".

 

The best plan is to spend consciously. Don't feel that you must buy everything that's offered in order to have a good time -- but don't aim to spend zero either. By informing yourself ahead of time, you're setting yourself up for success.

[OCruisers]

We don't even think about trying to save money on cruises any more than we do when we are at home. Just buy and do the things that are of important to us even when they are pricey and don't on those that aren't important to us.

LuLu

[sjkistler]

MrsPete, great ideas! And I fully agree - there is spending wisely and then there is missing out. I definitely prefer the former.

 

Regarding the ship board laundry, it is indeed expensive, but sometimes it is a must. My daughter and I toured europe and then 2/3 of the way through went on a 21 day east/west med cruise. Since we were on the road for almost 3 months, we brought only a carryon each (and a small one at that to meet the easyjet requirements). Two things helped us regarding laundry - 1. we did indeed have one bag of laundry washed on board, but we got every single piece of clothing we had except the clothes on our backs and our coats in that one bag by rolling everything when we put it in, and 2. we bought new undies and socks en route. We're 7 days away from the level bump on our latitudes (NCL incentives) membership and then we'll get a free bag of laundry with each cruise. Since we were on ships for about a month in total last year (21 + 7 + 2), being able to do laundry on board without worrying about the cost would be a godsend.

[AlwaysReadyToSail]

I generally try not to do anything that isn't free. I bring on my allowable wine (I've also done rum runners...it was fun the first few times I did it, but now it is more of a hassle than it's worth considering I'm not a big drinker..I always bring an empty one with me in case I run out mid way through the cruise). I look for happy hours, events like captains party/past guest party and drink specials when I do want a cocktail. I've never had my account be more than $75 at the end of my cruise. I don't do the shore excursions as I've found I can almost always do something on my own that is better and cheaper if I take the time to plan it out. When I can I'll use public transportation or share a taxi or tour with others.

 

I also try to travel with budget conscious companions....once I went with a couple that splurges....their bill was huge at the end. I was constantly having to tell them no thanks to joining them on their fee incurring activities.

 

 

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[EatSleepCruise]

Have a budget and stick to it.

 

One good way to save money onboard is to have prebooked things before your trip. Once you know how much you can allocate to the trip, you can consider how much you want to spend on things like the cabin, excursion, drinks, souveniors, etc.

 

 

What is frivilous spending to one person is another person's indulgence. Know what you can, and can not, live with.

 

We book excursions through private companies on some islands, but not all of them. There are plenty of ports you can do things on your own or explore for very little money.

 

Other times, you may want to see Mayan ruins or go zip lining in a rainforest, at night, so it is up to you to decide what is worth the investment.

 

We never pay for dining or specialty restaurants. We have always enjoyed the food and service in the MDR. If you do like specialty dining, some lines offer prebooking discounts or promotions for the first couple days of the cruise.

 

We do like to drink, lattes, soda, and alcohol, and have found that drink packages are a good deal, and they are prepaid so no sticker shock at the end of the trip. They are an even better deal when you get them for free when booking your cruise!

[dd2355]

Save by not spending. Go aboard with a budget. Keep up with it. You know how many days you're aboard, you know where you're going, you can plan this stuff out. It's a simple matter of personal discipline.

 

The shops depend on creating a sense of urgency at the same time you're in an information vacuum. Watches, jewelry, liquor, etc. are all pitched feverishly with a "if you don't get it today you'll miss out" theme. Know your pricing at home before boarding. Same for the ports of call; there's an even greater sense of urgency imbued with the fact that you're there for mere hours. I live in a place where liquor is fairly inexpensive; the savings buying on-ship weren't enough to justify hauling the stuff home. There was a Citizen brand watch I liked; ended up buying it for less at Macy's with a coupon a month later. Amazon carries Tortuga Rum Cake to satisfy that itch. :)

 

I'm not saying NOT to buy stuff aboard or in port, just go in with knowledge so you can discern the actual bargains from the others.

[MrsPete]

I'm not saying NOT to buy stuff aboard or in port, just go in with knowledge so you can discern the actual bargains from the others.

This is very good advice. The cruise line definitely promotes things in a "now or never" fever pitch. Another of their favorites is to bring out tee-shirts, etc. on the last day of the cruise and sell them as "clearance items".

 

Few things in port or on the ship are actually good values, and -- like the rum cakes you mentioned -- most can be purchased at home. Incidentally, the rum cakes are also available at Lowe's Foods.

[simplelife]

Save by not spending.

 

As my mother says, "I saved 100% today. I didn't buy anything."

[cruzilove]

We don't even think about trying to save money on cruises any more than we do when we are at home. Just buy and do the things that are of important to us even when they are pricey and don't on those that aren't important to us.

LuLu

 

I agree

[4CruisingSake]

For instance, we never purchase any photos - we have our own camera, no need to pay for photos.

 

I had not budgeted for photos either, but for those that have children, please bear in mind that they did not allow personal photos of your kids with the DreamWorks characters. So if that is something that you want, plan ahead.

 

Also, on the excursions, like Dolphin Encounters....can not take cameras back to where the encounter occurs, so will most likely end up having to purchase pictures there too.

 

For snorkeling, there are underwater photographers capturing pictures, so again, you may end up wanting those pics too, like I did.

 

All this to say, it would be wise to budget for pics even if you don't think you'll purchase any. If you don't buy them, great. But I'm the type that doesn't like surprises, so better to prepare for them just in case. Pic costs were about $25-35 each for one sheet.