If you’re embarking on a cruise vacation, especially for the first time, follow these tips to save money, stay safe, and have fun:
- Use a travel agency
- Take advantage of credit card perks
- Tell the cruise what you’re celebrating
- Get the drink package
- Bring a reusable water bottle
- Book the spa on port days
- Bring your medications
- Take your phone with you on the balcony
- Take the stairs
- Tip the crew in cash
Cruise tip #1: Book your cruise through a travel agent or use Cruise Compete to find an agency
The benefit of using a travel agent is to have an advocate on your side, who often has access to exclusive discounts or offers. They remain your main point of contact before and during your cruise and can help address any questions or issues that may arise. With Cruise Compete, you can select the cruise you’re interested in and receive offers from a variety of different cruise and travel agents to choose the best deal. I’ve booked cruises directly with cruise lines as well as used a travel agent and I have spent less money overall and gotten more perks by using a travel agent.
Cruise tip #2: If you have an American Express Platinum credit card, use that to book your cruise for extra perks
American Express Platinum credit card holders can benefit from the Cruise Privileges Program (CPP) when booking through Platinum Travel Service or simply informing your travel agent who is processing your booking. By using my AMEX Platinum card to purchase my cruise, I got $200 onboard credit and a dozen chocolate-covered strawberries delivered to my stateroom on embarkation day.
Cruise tip #3: Tell the cruise line what you’re celebrating
There’s always something to celebrate. Let your travel agent or the cruise line know if you’re celebrating a special occasion like a birthday, anniversary, honeymoon, or whatever. They will likely want to make the occasion a memorable one for you by offering discounts (at the shops, spa, etc.) or laying out flowers, treats, or towel animals to celebrate.
Cruise tip #4: If you’re a drinker, get the drink package
If you like to enjoy a beverage with every meal, it’s more cost-effective to buy the drink package rather than ordering a la carte–unless you’re still using old-school cruise hacks like sneaking in rumrunner flasks in your suitcase. Many cruise lines now offer multiple types of drink packages whether you want cocktails, mocktails, sodas only, coffee/tea only, etc. There is an actual number for the limit of drinks on “unlimited” drink packages, but I have yet to reach that limit myself (and I did not hold back).
Cruise tip #5: Bring a reusable water bottle to stay hydrated
There is free drinking water in the dining areas and bars but you’ll wish you had your own water bottle inside your stateroom or at the gym/spa. Ferrying small cups of water back and forth between the dining room and your stateroom is not ideal. And for some reason, the cruise staff won’t let you take a pitcher of water to your stateroom (I tried). I lost my water bottle at the spa just a few days into my two-week cruise and that was the only thing I lost that never turned up at the lost and found.
Cruise tip #6: Book spa treatments on port days for extra discounts
Sea days are the busiest days for the spa because everybody wants to be pampered when there’s nothing else to do. On port days, most cruisers go out and about on excursions so the spa offers special discounts to incentivize those staying on the ship to spend more money. Sometimes they will also offer deep discounts near the end of a cruise.
Cruise tip #7: Don’t forget to bring your prescriptions and over-the-counter medications
You don’t want to be stuck at sea for many days without critical prescription medications. Having a ton of over-the-counter medications isn’t crucial but can really come in handy as it can be quite expensive to purchase them on the ship or to visit the medical center. Helpful OTC medications to bring include motion sickness pills, painkillers like Advil or Tylenol, cold/flu medicines, allergy medication, inhalers, and vitamins like vitamin C and zinc.
Cruise tip #8: Have your phone on you when going out on the balcony
I can’t believe this even has to be mentioned, but yes, you can get trapped on the stateroom balconies. Whether it’s an accident or on purpose, the situation starts to get desperate if you are stuck out there without a phone or any way to communicate distress, especially out in rough seas. See my survival guide in case this ever happens to you. If I did not have my phone on me, the situation could have been catastrophically worse.
Cruise tip #9: Forget about the elevators and just take the stairs
Unless you need the elevator for accessibility, just take the stairs. It’s a lot shorter and easier than you think. So much time can be wasted waiting for the elevators that could be better spent enjoying yourself.
Cruise tip #10: Tip your favorite crew in cash
Of course, there is the option to write in an additional tip on your signed receipt after each meal, drink or purchase, but those tips are often collected into a large pool and later split amongst the crew. And depending on the cruise line, that money may not all go to the crew’s pockets. Slipping them cash guarantees that they get to keep the entirety of the tip that was intended for them. And given their low wages, tips can go a long way for the crew.
*I am not affiliated with any of the recommendations in this post. These are just my honest opinions based on personal experience.
