Most cruise tips, the lines don’t care if you know about them or not. But there are certain ones that — while not illegal or against the rules — the cruise lines would definitely prefer that not everyone followed them. These 11 tips are all things passengers should know, but you probably won’t hear from the cruise lines themselves…
You Aren’t Limited to Just a Single Item on the Menu
I’ll begin with one tip that’s maybe one you’ve heard before, but you likely never realized the cruise line can’t be a fan of it.
Food is a huge deal on a cruise ship, and I’m not talking about for the passengers. Cruise lines spend a fortune on feeding everyone onboard. For example, in 2025, Carnival Corporation spent $1.5 billion dollars on food for everyone on its ships.
The lower that figure, the more money goes to the bottom line for the cruise lines. That’s why you see lots of techniques to limit food waste, such as relatively small portions when served in the dining room or charging for room service.
But many don’t realize that when you’re in the dining room, you can order multiples. You aren’t limited to one appetizer, an entree, and a dessert, although that’s what most people think. If you want to try multiple items, it’s no big deal, including multiple entrees. Now some lines have started to charge if you go too crazy, but if you’re still hungry, you can get more to eat, just ask.
Take advantage, as I wouldn’t be surprised if this goes away in the future as cruise lines continue to look for ways to be more profitable.
Those Big Sales Are Kind of Bogus
Everyone loves getting a deal, and the cruise lines know this. So if you sign up for any of the email mailing lists, then get ready for a steady stream of blasts telling you about the latest and greatest sale that you just absolutely, positively, can’t miss.
Or can you?
One tip to know is that while the cruise line might hype up a sale, it’s almost always nothing special. Cruise lines run sales constantly. As soon as one ends, another takes its place and it usually offers the same sort of pricing. Sort of like how “buy one get one free” is the same as 50% off.
And that’s if the sale even ends. Cruise lines love to put warnings like “ends soon” on their sales, sometimes complete with timers on the website. But then when the counter hits zero, lo and behold the sale is extended.
Buy a cruise because you found a good price… not because there is a sale.
How to See Crime Reports on Cruise Ships
I’m going to get a bit serious here with a tip that you’ll want to know for safety, but it’s definitely not anything cruise lines want to talk about.
To make it clear, cruising is safe. But with millions of people on the ships each year, crime does happen. You can stay informed with quarterly reports put out by the U.S. government for ships sailing from here.
It’s not every crime, but covers nine major alleged crimes including homicide, theft of more than $10,000 and sexual assaults.
In total the past four quarterly reports show about 175 alleged crimes. Most categories have barely any reports… until you get to the two sexual assault categories. These two make up more than three-quarters of the reported crimes. So it does happen, albeit in relatively small numbers given the number of people on cruise ships. Just be aware and use common sense onboard.
Wet Wipes Are a Must (Just Don’t Flush)
Why would a cruise line care about what you wipe your butt with? Because it can potentially have a major impact on the ship.
The toilet paper on the ship is thin, rough, one-ply paper that you can literally see through. Let’s just say it’s not pleasant and doesn’t leave you feeling clean.
I always bring wet wipes when I cruise and consider them a necessity. So what’s the issue?
Too many people — on land and potentially at sea — flush them when they are used. Cruise lines have to hate that people potentially flush these on the ship. Even if they say they are flushable, don’t do it. They can foul up the waste system even back home, much less on a ship. Instead, you want to put them in the garbage.
Loyalty Programs Are Nearly Worthless for Many Passengers
I’ve sailed practically every cruise line and many of them time and time again. But you know what I’ve never let impact my decision on which cruise line to sail? The loyalty program.
Cruise lines love to promote loyalty program. After all, they help to keep people locked into their cruise line instead of trying other ones.
But the truth about them is that unless you’re cruising multiple times year after year, loyalty programs don’t really matter that much. You might get a few perks, but nothing worth planning your entire trip around. On Royal Caribbean you have to earn 80 points — nearly three months at sea for most people — before you get a free drink at the bar.
And Carnival? Well, they’ve just revamped their entire plan where loyalty for most people is just a function of how much you spend and it will regularly reset, even if you’ve sailed with the line for years.
So yeah, focusing on loyalty programs is largely a waste unless you sail a ton.
How Much You Have to Gamble For a “Free” Cruise
If you want a free cruise, you generally have two options. First, sail about 700 nights with a cruise line to earn one through the loyalty program. Or you can earn one through your gambling.
All the cruise lines have casino programs where you earn points for your play and then can get perks extended based on your play. But despite the cruise lines wanting you to come onboard and try your luck, just don’t expect it to be a great deal. You’re likely going to be better off just buying the cruise outright.
Earlier this year I analyzed Royal Caribbean’s program. You earn different amounts based on the game you play, but if you played slots, for example, and the house edge is 8%, then I calculated you’d need to play about $125,000 through the machine, for an expected net loss of $10,000 before you get enough points to earn a balcony cabin.
To me, that seems a bit pricey for a balcony room.
Why Cruise Lines Love Private Destinations
If you pointed out the biggest change in cruising in the past decade, for me it would have to be the rise of private destinations and islands.
These have always been around, but what’s out there now is completely different than even 10 years ago. They used to be sleepy little beach spots and some still are. But today many are essentially beach amusement parks.
While cruise lines tout them as destinations, there are some reasons behind their rise that aren’t covered in marketing. The biggest is that cruise line private destinations can be a huge moneymaker. They are essentially an extension of the ship with everything from jet ski rides to waterparks to cabanas that all generate revenue.
They are also located close to major ports like Miami, drastically reducing the fuel cost for the cruise. Finally, these spots help cruise lines avoid issues of overcrowding in independent ports, which can lead to restrictions and annoy locals. Spots like Key West have voted for restrictions on cruise line stops. Private islands don’t have that worry.
Your Ship Just Hosted Nudists?!
I don’t want to ruin your relaxing around the ship, but there is a chance that your cruise ship recently had a very different crowd onboard that most people may find a little… weird.
It’s not widely known, but cruise lines have another niche beyond the traditional selling of cruises to individual passengers.
They also charter our ships to third parties. These groups pay to have the ship and crew for a week, and put on their own niche cruise. There are music cruises, which are popular, but there are also some that are a bit more daring. These include nude cruises and lifestyle cruises.
So the ship sails a regular cruise, then a nude or lifestyle cruise, and then back to a regular cruise again. Of course, it’s cleaned and prepped for the next trip, just like always but it’s weird to think that you could be on a ship that was just filled with thousands of nudists.
The Reason For Pre-Cruise Discounts
Here’s a news flash — cruising is a business. So there isn’t much that’s done that doesn’t consider the bottom line. That includes discounts.
It’s widely known that if you book something like the drink package or wi-fi ahead of the cruise, it likely has a discount. In fact, if you know you want to buy a package, it’s smart to go ahead and do it.
But have you ever wondered why a cruise line would discount a package? It revolves around a concept called a “fresh wallet.” If you get on the ship, and then book a $1,000 drink package for the cruise, then you’re likely not going to be as open to spending the rest of the trip.
If, however, you book an $800 drink package three months before you cruise, then by the time you’re onboard, you have a “fresh wallet” and will be open to spending more overall on your vacation. So no, the discount is not out of the goodness of their heart.
Transfers to the Port Aren’t a Good Deal For Most
Before you can take your cruise, you have to get to the port first. And the cruise lines are more than happy to book you a transfer. The only issue is that it’s convenient but not a great deal.
First, these transfers are great really only if you want to go directly from the airport to the cruise port or vice versa. If you need to make any other stops, you’re out of luck. As well, you have to hang out until the bus is ready to go. For trips from the port, that’s not long. But for trips from the airport, it can be a while as you wait on other planes to land.
But the big issue to me is the cost. Generally the prices cost the same as an Uber or Lyft… on a per person basis. So a ride to the port might be $25 per person, but Uber can get you there for the same amount and up to four people can ride. If you’re solo, there’s no real difference in cost, but if you’re more than one, then something other than the cruise line transfer is a better deal.
See Your Ship’s Latest Health Reports
In general, cruise ships are clean. Very clean. There are crew cleaning the ship literally around the clock.
What many people don’t realize — and the cruise lines don’t exactly promote — is that the government conducts health inspections on ships. Most of the time ships score phenomenally, including lots of scores of 98, 99, or 100.
But every once in a while, there is an outlier and a cruise ship fails.
No matter what they score, you can see all the details of what was found in the reports that are posted online. And it’s some juicy reading, including things like “mold-like growth soiled the bottom of the soda cabinet.”
