What tips do smart cruisers know but rarely share? From how to save tons during your cruise to picking the right room to even an embarrassing item that you simply have to pack, there’s a lot you can learn from those that have sailed many times before.
And while these tips rarely get discussed for one reason or another, they are all things I think every passenger needs to know so I’m sharing them all right now.
Be Thankful for Mega-Ships (Even If You Hate Sailing Them)
I’m going to start with the cruise ship itself, specifically something smart cruisers realize and are thankful for, even if many like to complain about it.
I’m talking of course about the rise of mega-ships that pack on more people, more things to do, and are more expensive. Yes, these ships sail full, but there are a lot of people that don’t like the new massive ships with all the waterslides and roller coasters and kids. They prefer how cruising used to be on quieter, calmer, and smaller ships.
But in reality they should be thankful for those huge ships, especially if they like quieter cruises. Let me explain. These new mega ships advertise and are built for families. So they actually act as a magnet for those sorts of passengers. If a family with kids has a choice between a ship with a roller coaster or a waterpark versus one without, they are going to pick the one with those amenities.
What this does is free up those older and smaller ships from having as many families onboard. So if you’re the type that doesn’t like sailing with kids and a lot of activity, those new mega-ships actually keep your cruise more chilled out.
An Embarrassing Item You Want to Pack
This is one that many people don’t share because, well, it’s a little bit of an embarrassing topic. Butt let’s cover it and yes, pun intended.
The toilet paper in your cabin bathroom leaves a lot to be desired. It’s the one-ply stuff that is practically see-through. In other words, it doesn’t feel that great to use and doesn’t leave you feeling clean.
That’s why smart cruisers know that packing some wet wipes is a must. These are thicker and offer a better clean and feeling than only using the toilet paper.
One important thing — even if you pack wipes that say they are flushable, do NOT flush them. Place them in the trash can in the bathroom. Flushing anything but toilet paper can cause issues in the ship’s waste systems.
How to Save a Ton on Internet Access
Let’s talk about a tip that can save you a ton of money on internet access, but it seems to not get mentioned much.
Those of you who don’t connect while on a cruise, I envy you. Unfortunately, many of us have to stay connected and the ship’s wi-fi is always expensive. You can expect to spend $20 per day at a minimum with many prices going higher than that. And that’s just for one device. Want to connect more? Then prepare to pay even more money.
But smart cruisers know there is a loophole. While these plans may only allow one device unless you purchase more access, the rule is usually one device at a time. So you can jump from your phone to your laptop to your tablet. Or you can switch from person to person if you want.
So Mom could connect to check her email, Dad can then login later to check his, and then the kid can hop on to stream a movie. Now MSC is the only line I know that only allows one device the entire trip and no switching. The others allow you to change devices as long as only one is connected at a time.
Loyalty? It’s Not Worth It For Most
Now this is one that I think is a bit controversial, so I would love it if you comment on which side of the fence you come down on.
But are you loyal to a particular cruise line? I’m not saying that you have a favorite line you love to sail. We all have that. I’m talking about you’d be willing to try other cruise lines, but the loyalty programs keep you sticking with one over another.
Smart cruisers know that’s not how it should work. I will set aside a few exceptions if you’re in one of the top tiers of a particular program. In that case, you can get some nice perks. The vast majority of us — me included — aren’t going to get much.
That’s because the upper tiers where you start to get some actually decent perks start around 80 nights sailed with a single line. If you sail one week a year, it would take you more than a decade to reach that level. Otherwise, you might get something like 10% off the onboard shops, but nothing to really write home about.
And then you get things like Carnival is doing where they are completely revamping the loyalty program, where it’s just another reason not to stay loyal to one line over another.
What to Know About Refund Rules
When you buy a cruise fare, you’re actually agreeing to a contract with the cruise line. There’s a hundred pages of stuff you agree to that nobody ever reads, but one thing you should pay attention to is the cancellation policy.
It will vary, but as you get closer to the sail date, the penalty for cancelling goes higher. Within 30 days of sailing, it’s usually a 100% penalty.
So if you paid $2,000 for your cruise, you’re out $2,000, right? That’s not the case. It’s not always clear, but that 100% penalty applies only to the cruise fare.
Taxes and fees? Those are automatically refunded. If you prepaid gratuities you’ll get those back as well. And if you bought any packages or excursions before getting on the ship, you’ll get that money back too.
Yes, getting the cruise fare penalty hurts, but if you cancel it’s actually less of a penalty than many people think. But because no one wants to talk about canceling their trip, this one doesn’t get covered that often.
How to Eat Steakhouse Fare for Cheap
These days you can get steak any night included in the dining room, but honestly, it’s a pretty crummy cut of meat. If you want a good steak, you’ve got to head to the ship’s steakhouse.
But that means ponying up more cash. The ship’s steakhouse is usually the most expensive place to eat, and you can expect to spend a minimum of $50 per person. But if you’re smart, you can get the same quality for much cheaper.
Cruise lines now put steaks and lobster and other entrees from the steakhouse on the main dining room menu. There’s an upcharge, but it’s about half the cost of what it is to eat a meal in the steakhouse. Meanwhile, you don’t have to deal with reservations or getting dressed up to eat in the steakhouse.
For smart cruisers, it’s a smart way to get a great meal for way less.
Staying On The Ship Can Be A Smart Move
For me, I’m always eager to get off the ship and go ashore whether it’s the first time I’m visiting a port or I’ve been there a million times. But I’m not so sure if that’s the right move. I’ve noticed that lots of experienced cruise passengers elect to stay on the ship or they just wait until later to go out to port.
First, if you stay on the ship then there are some big benefits. Specifically you have a cruise ship made for thousands with only a few hundred onboard. So it can feel like you have the place to yourself. If you’ve wanted to lounge by the pool without thousands of other people, you can do that. If you want to just enjoy lunch without having to fight the massive crowds, you can do that too. It’s just a much more relaxed atmosphere onboard.
Even more than just staying on the ship all day, you can also just wait and head down later. If the ship is in port from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., by about 1 or 2 in the afternoon people start to head back to the ship. There’s still plenty of time to leave later in the day, go ashore and explore without the craziness that comes with having tens of thousands in port.
Specialty Restaurants Are A Must. But Eat There The First Night
I think by now it’s pretty well known that despite having to pay more to eat there, it’s a good idea to book a specialty restaurant at least once or twice during a typical 7-day cruise. At least, that’s what I always suggest. Otherwise, it’s too easy to get burned out eating the buffet and the main dining room food night after night.
What smart cruisers know is the trick to visit the first night of the cruise. You’ll often find that reservations book up early but it seems to be that the most popular times are in the middle of the cruise. It makes sense. The first night on the ship, everything is new so trying out a specialty restaurant and paying more instead of going to the dining room isn’t on most people’s minds.
I’ve found the crowds are much smaller the first night, making it easier to get a table. Sometimes if you visit later in the cruise, they can be full. So I’ve learned to eat early in the trip and save the dining room or buffet for later since it will always be available.
Use The 5-10-15 Rule For Selecting a Room
Never heard of the 5-10-15 rule? Many people haven’t, but it helps you with cabin selection.
The first number, five, is for the deciding factor on getting a balcony. A balcony cabin is always nice, but if you’re wondering when it’s worth the money, use the five day trip length as the cut off. Anything shorter than that and you’ll be out around the ship and in port for so much of your cruise that a balcony is great, but not a must have. Trips longer than that and you definitely want a balcony cabin as there is more downtime and it’s just a long time to go without natural light or fresh air in your room. And if your trip is exactly five days, you can go either way, but I’d lean more toward the balcony cabin.
The 10-15 go together and explain where on the ship to book. A modern ship will have a main interior area that’s typically a few decks in the middle of the ship, like decks six through eight. Then there is the pool area that’s at the top of the ship. I’ve learned that being in between these areas — normally around decks 10 through 15 — are ideal as they give you easy access to both without having to go far.
The only drawback to this location is that when you arrive back to the ship from a port of call, you will have to wait for an elevator to go back up to your room and it will be crowded. The rest of the time, it’s ideal.
When You Get Onboard, Take Care Of Your “Homework”
No one wants to hear about something they need to do on vacation that’s not fun. However, this is something I always do and I think it helps me get the trip started off right.
Some people don’t realize it but you have homework to do before you cruise. There’s a muster drill where you have to watch safety videos and then check in at your muster station. It’s mandatory and only takes a minute, but you can go do it at anytime before the ship leaves.
My suggestion, and what I normally do, is to knock this out first thing. Hell, you can even do it with a drink in your hand if you want.
I also think it’s smart to take some time and unpack your suitcase as soon as you can. That way, you don’t have these things hanging over you as you get your vacation started. There’s no muster drill to interrupt having a good time and if you go out and have a late night that first day, you come back to a room where all your stuff is unpacked already. That’s way nicer than having to dig through a full suitcase when you’re tired and want to go to bed.
Flip Price Changes Around to Save Money (Royal Caribbean Only)
This last smart move is specifically for those Royal Caribbean fans out there. If you’ve sailed the line, then you likely know that it uses something called “dynamic pricing.” That’s just a fancy way of saying that you can see different prices for items on board like drink packages or wi-fi or admission to the waterpark on CocoCay, depending on your specific trip.
But even then, the price you pay can vary as the cruise line runs sales and simply seems to change prices here and there.
One tip is that the things you buy before the cruise are refundable. So what you can do is purchase a package or item through your account and lock in the price. If you go back later and see that it’s dropped, then you can refund the item and then repurchase it, saving yourself the difference. It is a bit of a pain dealing with multiple transactions, but it’s a way to make sure you get the lowest price and the cruise line gets less of your money.
