Sailing on cruise ships is a good way to tour the globe especially if you’re looking to make the most of your travel time. However, it can also get too expensive when you go unprepared. This can be discouraging for people who want to save money.
Apart from the high cost of many cruise tickets, you can easily incur a lot of expenses while on board. This is why most travelers are always looking for ways to save money while still enjoying their journey.
If you’re looking for the best cruise hacks to save money and reduce hassle, then you’ve come to the right place.
It doesn’t matter whether this is your first cruise or just one of many; there’s a lot of useful hacks here that you can take to your next trip and save money.
From finding a good budget cruise to getting cheap WiFi, we’ve come up with some cool cruising hacks that will enable you to save money and have a better experience on the sea.
Getting a Cheap Cruise
Like any other mode of transport, cruise prices are not stable. They tend to fluctuate with time depending on several variables.
So it’s really difficult to tell when to get the cheapest price. However, there is still a way to work around this and save money.
The best chance you have at getting a low cruise price is probably to make your bookings very early. If possible, book two years ahead of the actual time you plan to cruise.
Don’t worry, you can always switch your bookings if the prices come down later (you can do this until one month before travel). You will definitely save money this way!
Consider Last Minute Offers
Last minute cruises can also be a good deal, but it also means you are willing to go with any itinerary or ship and do agree to a non-refundable policy.
It is also a good idea to book through travel agents as they can help you get the best deals available to save money.
Eat Bread During or After Meals
There’s usually a lot of good dishes on cruises so it’s very common for passengers to go on a binge and come out with some extra pounds. Of course, nobody likes this.
But when you think about it, there’s no fun in starving yourself of some good food for such a long period just because you are watching your waistline.
It is still possible not to miss out from all the eating without ending up with some extra pounds as well as save money.
A good idea is to take bread only after you’ve taken the main meal or you can eat both together. This way, you won’t end up filling yourself with excess carbs that you don’t need before actually eating the main food.
Take Your Weight
It is also a good idea to check your weight when you first get on a ship.
Try to do this as often as you can while on the ship. This will help you know when you are becoming heavier. At least, that would be an indicator that you’re eating carelessly.
Another helpful tip is to use the stairs often. You can burn a lot of calories this way every day without even using the gym.
Pack a Cruise Power Strip
It is common to travel with so many gadgets when going on a vacation. This may include cameras to capture rare moments, phones to keep in touch, as well as laptops and tablets to surf the net and do other cool stuff.
Unfortunately, the staterooms found in many cruise ships or cabins usually have one or two power outlets for charging this type of devices. This can be a pain for passengers who have a lot of things to charge.
To save yourself the frustration, you can pack a power strip specially designed for cruises. Such adapters do not have a surge protector and usually comes cordless.
Ordinary power adapters are not usually allowed on cabins. Perhaps, you will save money by opting for the cruise power adapters because they tend to cost less.
Purchase WiFi Before You go Onboard
If you want to cut down your WiFi costs and save money, then you should start by purchasing a package before you board the ship. You are most likely to find good discounts; usually between 10 to 20 percent.
Sometimes you may even find free promotions that come with free packages (although this is usually limited to 2-4 hours of browse time). Purchasing any one of these plans will really help you save money.
Get More Wi-Fi Speed with Targeted Hours
Experience shows that off-peak hours are usually the best times to get high WiFi speed since there are usually fewer people bugging the net during those hours.
This could be in the early hours of the morning or it could be late at night.
It could also be during special events such as big shows or any other time when other passengers are most likely to be engaged with other things. This tip can help you save money and time as well.
You can ask the desk manager in charge of the internet for help.
Choose your cruise line app over a walkie-talkie
Walkie-talkies are useful when traveling with so many people. However, they are outdated.
There are more convenient ways to stay in touch with your partner on a cruise while you still save money. A good example is the cruise line app.
Although you have to pay a little fee to use the app, it won’t be as much as what you have to spend on an old piece of technology like the walkie-talkie. So save money by using your app.
Go for a guaranteed stateroom
The easiest way to save money by getting the lowest price on any type of cabin you are cruising is to book a guaranteed stateroom.
This way, you can rest assured of getting at least a stateroom or something better.
However, this also means that you don’t have any control over the location of the cabin. In other words, there’s a good chance you could find yourself near somewhere you don’t like. For instance, a nightclub.
Though this seldom happens, so it should be a good gamble. If you are successful (which is most likely to happen), you will save money (REALLY GOOD MONEY).
Shop on the Last Day
It may happen that you want to do some shopping while on board. If this is the case, then it might be a good idea to carry all your shopping to the last day of your cruise.
There’s a good chance you will save money by spending far lesser on the same items as you would on other cruise days. Big sales are very common on cruises with almost all of them usually being slated for the last day.
About the Author
For over 7 years, Thomas Glare has been on a great adventure, touring the planet. He has traveled to over 50 countries through various transport means. And he still looking forward to exploring more places. He also hopes to share his discoveries, as well as useful tips, would be beneficial to travelers.
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