Budget Cruising: 20 Pro Tips To Save Money On A Cruise Ship

Here are bar menus by line to give you an idea of drink prices (scroll past the dining menus, especially if you’re hungry):

Carnival bar menus

Celebrity bar menus

Holland America bar menus

NCL bar menus

NCL Pride of America bar menus

Princess bar menus

Tip 9 For Saving Money On A Cruise Ship: Save on soda

I’m not a soda drinker (I prefer my calories shaped like cake and I swear every bubble I drink comes instantly back out of me in the form of a giant burp or fart, so I only drink soda when I want to have a whole row to myself at the movies).  But I know for some cruisers, being away from Diet Coke for a week would turn a dream vacation into the reason cited on their divorce filing (I wouldn’t recommend couples sharing a tiny cabin together for an extended period abruptly change up any of their coping habits).

Thankfully many cruise lines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Princess among others) allow cruisers to bring a limited number of sodas or other non-alcoholic beverages onboard with them in their carry-on luggage.  Double check your cruise line’s current policy in advance.

You should also price out the cost of a soda package or card to see if that might be more cost effective.  Alcohol packages usually also include most non-alcoholic beverages for free, so if you’re buying an alcohol package anyway, you won’t have to worry about paying more for soda. 

Tip 10 For Saving Money On A Cruise Ship: Book excursions or explore ports on your own

Newbie cruisers can be very nervous about booking excursions on their own.  And with good reason – they’ve probably seen viral videos of people running down the pier at port screaming and crying as their cruise ship pulls away without them.  However, booking an excursion on your own through a reputable company or just exploring the port on your own is generally safe and will often be less expensive and a much better experience (less crowded, you’ll see more, more personable, etc).

Private tour companies count on good reviews to stay in business.  They are committed to giving you a good experience and making sure they return you to the ship ON TIME and in one piece.  Most will even guarantee to get you back to the ship on time or will pay to get you to the next port (ask about this if you’re nervous).

I usually book my excursions through Viator, but it can also be helpful to ask for recommendations on cruise forums and boards.

You can also do some research in advance and just walk around the port area on your own or hire a taxi or ride share to take you around to places that aren’t within walking distance.  I’ve had an amazing time at so many ports without spending any money.  I’ll look for free museums, historical sights, hikes or beaches or other natural areas to explore, fun neighborhoods, even cemeteries (I love an interesting, beautiful cemetery!) Do some research on safety at each port and follow common sense safety precautions, but if you feel comfortable, I encourage you to avoid expensive and often crowded cruise ship excursions and go it on your own!

Tip 11 For Saving Money On A Cruise Ship: Pack wisely

It’s expensive to hit the gift shops onboard to replace essentials you accidentally left at home and for which you can’t wait until the next port to pick up for less.  Pay particular attention to personal hygiene items like toothpaste, floss, and a toothbrush, deodorant, razors, sunscreen, and feminine hygiene products.  And ALWAYS pack a variety of over-the-counter medications for pain, stomach and digestive issues, and seasickness.  Also make sure to pack chargers and other necessary accessories for your electronic devices (headphones, etc).  The times I’ve had to buy something at a cruise ship gift shop, it’s almost always been deodorant or headphones.  Learn from my mistakes!

Tip 12 For Saving Money On A Cruise Ship: Don’t buy souvenirs on the ship

I don’t understand the appeal of shopping in general, but really don’t understand the appeal of shopping on a cruise ship.  But many do and that’s cool with me.  I would, however, encourage you to buy your souvenirs at port as opposed to on the ship.  This is a cost saving strategy, but you’ll also often find better quality and more meaningful items at port AND you’ll be supporting local small businesses and vendors at the places you visit. 

Tip 13 For Saving Money On A Cruise Ship: Skip the ship spa

Most ships have hot tubs and saunas available for anyone to use with no extra charge.  Take advantage of those and skip expensive spa services.  Or consider getting a spa service (like a massage on the beach) at port.  They will likely be better and less expensive.

Tip 14 For Saving Money On A Cruise Ship: Ignore “sales” and upselling

There is always some sale going on onboard a cruise ship.  Walk on by!  Save that money for more cruises! 

Significant upselling also happens on cruises.  If you ignore my advice to skip the ship spa, you’ll invariably be subjected to some high-pressure upselling: “I have just the thing for these crater-sized wrinkles, Prof. Cruise!”

Tip 15 For Saving Money On A Cruise Ship: Plan in advance for internet and connectivity needs

Internet on cruise ships is expensive.  Here are some tips to save.

-Consider in advance how much connectivity you’ll need onboard.  Price out an internet plan vs paying by the minute.

-If you just want to check your e-mail a few times, you can probably do that at port for free.  I always look for a local library near port to check my e-mail and social media.  If you can’t find a library, a coffee shop will work too.  Cruise Facebook groups or cruising forums are great for asking about good spots for internet.  Asking crew is a good option too.  They often know the places in each port and use them themselves.

-Expense an internet plan to your employer.  If you’re expected to be in contact with work (even if it’s just checking e-mail), ask your employer if you can expense an internet plan.  Mr. Cruise does this every time we sail.

-Use a hot spot from your phone for internet on your computer or tablet.  Be careful though, only do this in areas where you’re 100% sure you won’t incur roaming or international phone charges.  We often do this while at port in Alaska or Hawaii.

-Purchase an internet plan in advance of your sailing.  Often a small discount will be offered if you purchase a plan prior to sailing. But note you won’t be able to use onboard credit if you purchase in advance (stay tuned for more on onboard credit).

-Internet service on a cruise ship can be spotty.  Anticipate that and have a contingency plan.  Also, if there are longs stretches for which you cannot use your internet plan due to connectivity issues, stop by and speak to someone at the internet café and request a refund for a portion of your charges.  I’ve had to do that a few times and have always received the requested refund or if the internet was super slow, I’ve had time added back to my plan.

Tip 16 For Saving Money On A Cruise Ship: Stay out of the casino

I know some people love to gamble on a cruise, especially if you don’t live within driving distance of a casino, and I’m not going to argue with that.  But if you’re looking to save money, stay out of the casino.  Refer back to my 2^nd tip and find something else to do (there are plenty of awesome options).

Tip 17 For Saving Money On A Cruise Ship: Avoid paying for movies in your stateroom

Most cruise lines offer a very limited lineup of television channels.   But they also offer pay-per-view movie options.  While some people can’t imagine wanting to watch TV or movies in their cabin on a cruise, there may be a reason you’d want or need to do that (for example, if you have children that go to bed early or if you like to watch something in the evening as you’re winding down or if your wife takes a million hours to get ready in the morning).  Plan ahead and download lots of shows and movies to your tablet or phone before you leave home (don’t do it too far in advance though as sometimes they expire after a certain number of days).    

Most lines also offer free movie viewing opportunities, either on an outside deck on a giant screen or in a theater.

Tip 18 For Saving Money On A Cruise Ship: Don’t buy cruise photos

While you might feel like a celebrity with the cruise ship photographers following you all over the ship trying to snap your photo, my advice is to practice your best “no thank you” and use it every single time a cruise ship photographer wants to take your picture.  Because if you don’t take any cruise photos, you won’t be tempted to buy any cruise photos.

It may be tempting to want some nice photos of your cruise, but it will be much cheaper if you just take them yourself.  You can even stage some nice formal night photos around the ship and print them out when you get home. 

You can also sometimes get much better photos at port (outside lighting is always better than inside lighting).  And if you really want some professional family photos taken, I’d strongly suggest hiring a reputable local photographer at one of your ports (do a little research in advance).  They can get some beautiful shots with local scenery in the background (or even your cruise ship in the background).  It’s often cheaper than sitting for a cruise ship photo shoot and you’ll be supporting a small business.  Plus it’s always super fun and interesting to get to know locals.

Of course sometimes there’s a cruise ship photo you just can’t turn down:

And for those I encourage you to use your non-refundable onboard credit. Which brings me to my next tip…

Tip 19 For Saving Money On A Cruise Ship: Understand refundable vs non-refundable onboard credit and use your onboard credit wisely

Onboard credit is credit you have attached to your account that you can use to purchase almost anything onboard.  There are two types, refundable and non-refundable.  Refundable credit means that if you carry a positive balance at the end of the cruise, that amount will be returned to you.  With nonrefundable onboard credit, you either use it or lose it.  If you receive onboard credit as a gift (in other words a friend or family member buys the credit) that will be refundable onboard credit.  However, most promotional onboard credit (provided by travel agencies and the like) will be non-refundable onboard credit.  If you are unsure of your credit, stop by Guest Services on the ship and ask.

Regardless of which kind of onboard credit you have, you’ll want a plan to use it wisely.  Use it to pay for your automatic gratuities first (if you didn’t prepay them) and for other essentials (for example if you must purchase an internet plan). 

Don’t waste your onboard credit on things that don’t add value.  Be intentional in how and when you spend it so you can maximize your cruise experience.  If you have refundable credit, consider saving some of it for your next cruise as opposed to wasting it on things you don’t really want or need.

But be sure to spend ALL your nonrefundable credit.  If you have a lot left toward the end of the cruise, you CAN spend it in the gift shops.  Sometimes if I have a ton of onboard credit, I actually end up spending it on things I need and can use back at home or on gifts for my family or friends.

While we’re on the topic of onboard credit, if you read my prior post: “How Do I Get The Best Deal On A Cruise?” you know that you can often receive promotional onboard credit if you book your cruise through a (local or online) travel agency as opposed to directly through the cruise line.  Having some free onboard credit available is a great way to save on onboard expenses!

Tip 20 For Saving Money On A Cruise Ship: Check your bill for mistakes

Always check your onboard spending account regularly for mistakes.  You can usually check it on the TV in your stateroom or on a phone app.  Once I ended up with over $700 in charges on the first day of my cruise because somehow my card ended up linked with someone else’s account.  Clearly this person was NOT following my money saving tips.  LOL.  A quick stop at the Guest Services desk resolved the issue.  I wondered later if the person was spending so much because none of it was getting charged to their account: “drinks for EVERYONE charged to Prof. Cruise!”

Bonus Tips

These final tips aren’t directly related to onboard spending, but they are two additional ways to save money on cruise expenses outside of your cruise fare.

Bonus Tip 1: Save on transportation costs

Getting to and from your home to a city with a cruise port and then getting to and from the airport or a hotel to the cruise terminal can add significant cost to a cruise.

Compare the cost to cruise from different cities.  Are there cities with a cruise port within driving distance from where you live that you may not have considered?  For example, when I lived it Pittsburgh it took me a long time to realize that I didn’t have to fly to Florida to cruise.  I could drive to Baltimore and save considerably on transportation costs.  Or you could just do what I did 5 years ago and move to a city with a cruise port.

Here’s a full list of departure ports by state:

• Alabama – Mobile
• Alaska – Juneau, Ketchikan, Nome, Seward, Sitka, Whittier
• California – Long Beach, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco
• Florida – Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Miami, Port Canaveral, Palm Beach, Tampa
• Hawaii – Honolulu
• Louisiana – New Orleans
• Maryland – Baltimore
• Massachusetts – Boston
• New Jersey – Bayonne
• New York – Brooklyn, Manhattan
• Oregon – Portland
• Puerto Rico – San Juan
• South Carolina – Charleston
• Texas – Galveston
• US Virgin Islands – St Thomas
• Virginia – Norfolk
• Washington – Seattle

In most cases I’d also avoid using cruise line transfers to get you to and from the port. Usually public transportation, a taxi, a shuttle, or a ride share will be cheaper and will often get you there faster (you don’t have to wait for a giant bus or van to load with other passengers).

Bonus Tip 2: Buy travel insurance, but not through the cruise line

A cruise is a significant purchase and you don’t want to risk losing your investment by not purchasing insurance.  Cruise lines will encourage you to purchase insurance through them, but it will cost more and may not cover everything you need.  Always shop around for insurance and compare plans and costs.  I recommend using this site, or one like it, to compare plans and get exactly what you want at a price you can afford.

Happy cruising MORE because you spend LESS! And with that…

Class Dismissed.

Homework (10 points): Be sure to go here for my tips on how to save money on your cruise fare, and here for all my budget cruising lectures.

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