The Orange County Register asked me for ways to save money on cruises. Here’s what I wrote.
Your cabin: The obvious way to save serious money is by booking an inside cabin, which typically costs hundreds – if not thousands – of dollars less than one with a balcony.
I have friends who don’t drink alcohol and always book inside cabins. They brag that they are visiting the same ports, eating the same food and sharing the ship’s public areas with those who paid much more. Absolutely true, and yet cruise lines see the highest demand for balcony cabins – so much so that the architects and engineers are working overtime to cram more moderately priced balconies onto new ships. To most people a private opening to the sea is integral to the cruise experience, so they will save in other ways.
Timing: One of the biggest myths about cruising is that you always get a better deal if you wait until the last minute. But it depends on whether the cruise lines are filling ships easily or are desperate to fill a bunch of empty cabins. And that’s hard to predict – for the cruise line and for you.
While you can score some killer deals on “distressed inventory” at the last minute, there is no guarantee it will be there. Last-minute tactics make sense only when 1) you don’t care whether you go or not and 2) you can drive to the port. If you have to fly, last-minute airfare costs can easily offset whatever cruise saving is available.
We find that booking early is usually most cost-effective. Cruise lines have early-booking bonuses. The cheapest cabins in each category – balcony, inside, ocean-view, suite – sell first. If something better comes along, you can often adjust your booking to include it. Or cancel and rebook, as deposits are usually fully refundable until final payment.
Traveling at times of lower demand can also save money. European river cruises are cheaper in March and November, when the weather is iffy. Every region has its high and low season.
Travel retailers have a certain number of date-specific groups each year based on their volume. When you book into one of these groups, you will get lower pricing and/or more amenities (such as onboard credit) than if you booked directly from the cruise line. For example, one customer who was booked into a group recently paid $150 per person less and received $25 per person more onboard credit for a Greek isles cruise. Travel agents will usually ask you how flexible your dates are to try to get you this advantage.
The Flowrider gives you a surf-like experience while on the ship.
Ships: Older ships tend to be cheaper than the newer ones. So if you can do without the latest bells and whistles, you can often do the same itinerary for less. This is especially true in the Caribbean, where a cruise on one of Royal Caribbean’s older ships can be considerably less expensive than on the huge and hugely popular Oasis of the Seas.
Find a travel partner: Cruise pricing can be brutal on solo travelers, who are (often) charged the price of a cabin for two. There are some exceptions, but singles with travel partners are better off because they have broader choice.
Communications: Ship-to-shore communication has long been balky and expensive. This is changing as Carnival and Royal Caribbean are investing millions in improving their Internet service and pledging to make the price reasonable. Still, it’s not a bad idea to conserve Internet time you pay for by the minute and take advantage of the free Wi-Fi hotspots that are usually steps from the cruise dock in a Starbucks or bar.
Phone service is another issue, as international roaming charges can put a serious dent in the college fund. Always check with your service provider to learn if it makes sense to buy a short-term plan or wing it. And make sure your phone is not roaming all the time when out of the U.S. (You can use airplane mode.) We usually buy a ship Internet package and communicate with family and work colleagues by email and Facebook. We forgo mobile phone plans as we would only make voice phone calls in emergencies.
Portofino
Shore experiences: Some travelers insist they can always spot a savvy, honest and affable cab driver who will provide a better tour than any organized shore excursion, while others believe their time in port is too short to take chances. Avoiding organized shore excursions is definitely a way to save money. However, a devoted Catholic would surely want to book in advance for her time in Rome, a skip-the-line tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with possible papal audience. On the other hand, picturesque Portofino lends itself to simply rambling about freely.
A good rule of thumb is to plan ahead and allot funds for the ports that matter most to you and economize on those of lower priority.
Drink: If you don’t have a beverage package included through a special offer, you can take up the cruise lines’ offer to bring a bottle of wine aboard. If you open the bottle in your cabin, you avoid corkage fees. Otherwise, you’re paying retail for a glass of wine. Sodas also come with an extra charge (except on upscale Disney and other high-end cruise lines). If you or your kids drink lots of soda, soda packages can be a good value. I prefer to mix the iced tea and lemonade, which are typically included, and drink Arnold Palmers. Probably healthier, too. Many mainstream cruise lines also charge for bottled water, even though the tap water has gone through an onboard desalination and purification system.
Loyalty programs: These are quite robust, and lines offer powerful incentives to entice you to book your next cruise while enjoying your current one. Some programs are even reciprocal within a cruise company’s family of brands (i.e., Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara). Over time, these have very valuable benefits. But it takes multiple cruises and thousands in spending for them to get beyond an invitation to the captain’s cocktail party and $50 onboard credit.
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