Cruising offers a great vacation value, but costs can quickly escalate. To maximize your budget, here are 25 proven ways to save money on your next ocean cruise:
Booking Strategies
- Book Early: Secure the lowest initial rates, get your choice of cabin, and often receive special perks like onboard credit or free drink packages.
- Monitor Prices After Booking: If the price drops before the final payment date, contact the cruise line or your travel agent to receive the lower fare or an equivalent onboard credit.
- Book Last Minute: If you have complete schedule and cabin flexibility (60–90 days out), you can sometimes snag rock-bottom prices on unsold inventory. Not as much as in the past but still worth checking.
- Travel During Shoulder Seasons: Cruise in less popular months (e.g., May or late September for Alaska/Europe, or early December/September for the Caribbean) to find somewhat lower rates.
- Choose Older Ships: Newer ships charge a premium; older ships often offer similar itineraries and experiences at drastically reduced fares. If you don’t care about the latest top deck attraction, this one is for you.
- Use a Travel Agent: Agents often have access to exclusive group rates, block pricing, and special onboard credit deals that are not advertised publicly. You may have to prod them to research reductions in price which cuts their commission. Those in it for the long run however have no problem with this or do it themselves.
- Sail Repositioning Cruises: Book one-way voyages when ships move between seasonal deployment areas (e.g., Caribbean to Mediterranean) for lower per-night costs and more sea days.
- Opt for an Inside Cabin: Choose an interior stateroom, the cheapest cabin category, if you don’t plan to spend much time in your room.
- Book a Guaranteed Cabin: Accept the cruise line choosing your specific cabin location within a category for a lower price. You may not know your cabin number until the day of embarkation so patience is needed here.
- Use Shareholder Benefits: If you own 100 or more shares of a publicly traded cruise line (e.g., Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian), you qualify for onboard credit.
- Book Onboard: Reserve your next cruise while still on the ship to receive lucrative discounts, lower deposits, and extra onboard credit.
Onboard & Dining Hacks
- Skip the Drink Package: Carefully calculate if you drink enough daily to justify the high cost; often, buying à la carte or taking advantage of free options (coffee, tea, basic juices) is cheaper.
- Stick to Free Dining: Avoid specialty restaurants, which charge an extra fee, and enjoy the variety and quality of the main dining room and buffet.
- Attend Happy Hours/Specials: Check the daily program for discounted “drink of the day” promotions or specific bar happy hours.
- Use Cash for Spending: Set up your onboard account with cash instead of a credit card to set a firm budget and avoid post-vacation bill shock.
- Bring Your Own Wine/Soda: Most cruise lines allow guests to bring a limited amount of wine (sometimes with a corkage fee) and non-alcoholic beverages onboard.
- Eat on the Ship on Port Days: Meals are included in your fare; eating lunch back on the ship instead of buying food ashore saves money.
Port & Excursion Savings
- Do Not Book Shore Excursions Independently: Researching and booking local tours directly with third-party operators in port for significant savings is risky. If your tour comes back late, the ship will leave you behind. It will be up to you to get back home after being stranded. It happens.
- Explore Ports on Your Own: Stick to areas near the port, which are often walkable or easily accessible by cheap local transport, to avoid paying for any excursion.
- Drive to the Port: If you live within a reasonable driving distance, drive and pay for port parking rather than paying for flights and airport transfers.
Packing & Other Tips
- Pack All Essentials: Bring your own medications, toiletries, sunscreen, and power adapters, as these items are heavily marked up in onboard shops.
- Monitor Onboard Account Daily: Check your charges each day, usually on your stateroom television, to catch any errors and ensure you stay within your budget.
- Use Spa/Retail Discounts: Book spa services and shop onboard on port days, when many venues offer discounts to attract the few people who remain on the ship.
- Skip Professional Photos: Avoid the pricey ship photographers and take your own photos, especially since most are now available digitally.
- Leverage Loyalty Status: Repeatedly sailing with one line will build loyalty points that yield free perks, discounts, or even free cruises. We did this with our kids years ago, going from one cruise line to another after reaching each line’s top tier.