If you take a cruise and don’t spend any extra money, well, you’re not going to have a great time. While some rookie cruisers might envision the ship as being all-inclusive, any veteran cruiser will tell you that there are a number of things not included on your cruise.
And while technically you don’t have to spend money once on the ship (we’ve gone entire cruises without spending a dime), it would mean no alcohol, no gambling, no excursions, and more.
Instead, we think you should definitely plan to spend on the ship but be a smart consumer. That’s because there are some things that just aren’t worth the money. Save here, and you’ll have a better trip and more cash to spend on things that are a much better value.
Toiletries & Medicines From the Ship’s Store
When it comes to all those little things you use on a daily basis on a cruise from deodorant to toothpaste, aloe to ibuprofen, the one suggestion we have is to pack the whole medicine cabinet.
Yes, all of these sorts of items are available on the ship. Cruise ships have shops onboard with fully-stocked everything you might need on your cruise. There are just two problems.
First, the ships can keep odd hours. So if you need something like a Tylenol in the evening or first thing in the morning, you may not be able to get it.
More importantly, however, the prices the cruise lines charge can be wild. A recent cruise had Tylenol for $12.50 for a bottle that would cost less than $5 on land. We’ve seen a bottle of DayQuil for $17.00.
If you do need something, it’s best to wait until port to find cheaper prices. Better yet, just bring anything you need from home.
Cruise Line Port Transfers
If you’re flying into the port city for your cruise, then you have to figure out how to get from the airport to the cruise port.
Cruise lines are happy to help. They offer transfers that will pick you up at the airport and bring you right to the ship. At the end of the cruise, they provide a ride back to the airport.
They are convenient, no doubt. However, they are typically much more expensive than taking an Uber or Lyft or just getting a cab. We find that they generally charge as much per person as it costs for an entire car with Lyft.
So if you are traveling solo, then a cruise transfer with the cruise line is fine. But if traveling with more than one person, cruise transfers are going to be a more expensive option.
Drink Packages (Instead, Buy Before the Cruise)
Pretty much every cruise line charges for alcohol on the ship, and the prices aren’t cheap. If you plan to drink a lot, then you can buy a drink package. This lets you pay one set daily price and just head to the bar and get what you want when you’re thirsty.
Now, you should always do the math on drink packages to make sure you’re going to get your money’s worth. In general you need to drink every day of the cruise and figure about 5-7 cocktails per day.
But beyond that, you should never buy drink packages once on the ship. That’s when it’s most expensive. There’s always a discount for purchasing early and often it can be significant. We’ve seen 10-20% off the package versus the onboard price and even buy one, get one 50% off.
Spa Services When at Sea
Similar to how you shouldn’t wait until on the ship to buy a drink package, you should also avoid the spa unless you buy at certain times.
First, you can often find discounts for booking ahead of time, similar to the drink package. But there’s another way to save.
Many lines offer discounts if you book the spa service for a day when the ship is in port. On these days, most people are out and about off the ship, so the spa slows down. As an incentive to get people to book, you can often find cheaper massages and other services on these days.
One more tip? Look to see if you can book either early in the day or late in the day and still get the discount. That way you can get your massage but still have time to go out and explore port.
Second-Tier Internet
These days internet connectivity is nearly a requirement for most. And over the years cruise lines have been able to put in systems that offer wi-fi to thousands of passengers while hundreds of miles from land.
Of course, cruise lines want to make money so they charge a high fee for access. It’s not unusual to pay $20-$30 per day. That’s just standard.
Some lines (not all) offer different tiers of service. You can pay more than get the fastest speeds and streaming included or go with a lower-tier of service and get a discount.
We’d suggest never paying for the slower tier if you do decide to buy access. Even the fastest speeds are slower than you’re used to seeing at home. The slower tiers can be frustratingly slow to use. Add to that the fact you normally can’t stream or listen to music and they just aren’t worth the money in our opinion.
Paying Up for Perks
When you are loyal to a cruise line for years, you earn enough points to rise up the ranks of loyalty status. That comes with perks from special boarding times and lounges, dedicated Guest Services lines, priority tendering, and more.
Or you can just pay for it.
Cruise lines offer programs that allow you to pay and get most of the perks normally reserved for the most loyal passengers. We’re talking about programs like Carnival’s Faster to the Fun or Royal Caribbean’s The Key.
We’d suggest just holding onto your money. Don’t get us wrong, the perks are nice to have if they are included, but we think they are hardly worth paying extra for.
Take priority check-in, which is normally one of the big selling points. It’s nice, but we actually prefer to arrive later to port when the crowds have died down.
Fancy Cabins on Short Trips
There are some very fancy rooms on cruise ships. Imagine having your own jacuzzi or a cabin that features multiple bedrooms or even your own piano.
Nice? Absolutely. But we’d suggest that unless you’re sailing a longer trip (6+ days), then buying one of these is a waste of money.
Consider a short cruise of just a few days. You’ll often have multiple port days where you’re off the ship meaning you don’t take advantage of the room. And then even when on the ship, you’re most likely to be out and about exploring and enjoying yourself.
It’s not until longer trips that you have enough downtime to be able to get your money’s worth out of fancier cabins.