Cruising is my favorite way to travel, because next to camping, it is the least expensive way! When you cruise, you see a new country or several cities in the United States on a travelling resort. You unpack once and sleep in the same place each night. Your food, lodging and entertainment is included in the same price and you never wonder if you will be able to find a vacancy. Often the 3rd and 4th persons in a room get a significant discount ($100 off) so taking children with you can be affordable too. The downside is rooms only hold 4, so for a family like ours, we have to bring help if we want all our children to come.
So how frugal is a super frugal cruise? We are taking a 6 day, 5 night cruise to the Caribbean for $250 for the first and second persons in the room and $150 for the 3rd and 4th persons in the room. So essentially the adults were $250 each and the children were $150. This includes all our food, lodging and entertainment on the trip. Gas to the port, one night stay in a hotel and gratuities will be extra. We could have purchased the trip for $229 and $129 per person, but I thought about it for 2 days and the price went up!
My dad is the king of finding super frugal cruises! He taught me 5 basic rules to taking a frugal cruise:
1. Drive to the port. Depending on how far away you live, driving usually is the same price as 1 airline ticket. So if you have 2 in the car, the travel is half price. We look for cruises that port in New Orleans or Galveston, TX since they are each about 14 hours away to drive–doable in one day. This time we are packing 7 people in our car, so we are saving a bundle on airfare.
2. Don’t drink alcohol. You can have plenty of fun without alcohol. Non-alcoholic drinks (like water and soda) are usually complementary on a cruise, but alcohol costs extra–a LOT extra. Did you know that gram for gram alcohol has nearly as many calories as pure fat? Instead of your wine cooler, imagine a glass of chicken fat. Gross huh? And when alcohol is involved someone usually ends up looking like a fool.
3. Don’t gamble. The ships are full of casinos, but they also have movie theaters, dance floors, rock climbing walls, roller skating rinks, ice cream machines, hot tubs, pools, water slides, ice skating rinks, mini-golf, aerobics classes, live production shows, dancing lessons, napkin folding classes, crafts, sports contests, basketball, indoor gym equipment, a library, art gallery, pool table, ping pong, a walking trail etc. Everything except the casino is 100% complementary entertainment.
4. Book inside passage. This basically means that your room won’t have a balcony or windows. If you want to see the ocean, there are plenty of observation decks that you don’t need to pay extra for. And inside rooms come with all the same free entertainment, luxurious food, and room steward services as other more expensive rooms. We have always cruised inside passage and always had a fantastic time.
5. Book your cruise at the right time. Prices on cruise ships fluctuate outrageously. One day the ticket may be $750 and in a couple of weeks the price may fall to $250! So watch and wait. Don’t have your heart set on a certain cruise line, or departure date. Be a little flexible and you’ll find a great deal. Our favorite place to look for the deals is www.Vacationstogo.com (no affiliation.) You have to be ready to buy immediately when you find your deal, because the price won’t stay that low for more than 1 day. So start looking when you have your cash all saved up.
6. And here’s another great money saving tip from my Uncle: Bruce wrote: “Another good tip is to stay the night before at a motel that will allow you free parking while you’re on the curise. It adds the cost of a taxi ride, but it’s still cheaper than the port parking.”
Other costs to keep in mind: If you are leaving the country you will need a current passport. These can cost around $100 a person so be sure to figure that in to the price of your vacation. Children can usually travel with their parents with just an original copy of their birth certificate, so be sure to ask about that ahead of time. You will be responsible for tips on your cruise which are about $10 per person per day. You normally pay tips to your room steward, head waiter and assistant waiter. These tips are in addition to your cruise price.
Excursions: These are trips that you can take at port when you go on land. You can book these ahead with your cruise line. It is a lot more expensive to take these trips this way. Often you can find the same excursion at point of purchase for less money. The benefit of booking through the cruise is that you are guaranteed to make it back to your ship on time. (If your ship leaves without you, you are in an expensive mess! You’ll either have to find your own way home or pay to get yourself to the next port to board the ship there. The ship leaves when it says it will. It won’t wait for you unless a ship sponsored excursion reports in late.) Also, if you are travelling to South America, your safety is more sure on a ship sponsored excursion. Also, popular excursions can fill up. If you book early through the cruise, you are guaranteed a place. I plan to walk around and enjoy the city this time, without booking an excursion. But I have done it both ways in the past (booked through the cruise, or waited and booked when I got off the ship.)
Restaurants: If you are in port during meal times, you have the option to go back on the ship to eat. This food is part of your ticket price and doesn’t cost extra. You can also choose to eat on land in a restaurant to save the walk back to the ship and maximize your time in port. You’ll want to bring extra cash (or international credit/debit card) for this. Most places that host American ports also take American currency. Also, there are lots of places to eat on a cruise ship. Most of them are free, but some of them cost extra. Find out ahead of time where you can eat for free (the food is fantastic there! and will be available on the ship somewhere 24 hours a day.)
Most cruises have a formal dining room which is optional but complementary. This is a 5 star dining experience where the waitor puts your napkin in your lap for you and brushes the crumbs off the table in between courses. One or two nights on your cruise (depending on how long your stay is) will be formal nights–black tie apparel. It’s a fun time to dress to the nines and get your picture taken. (Purchasing photos costs extra-$20-$30 a sheet, but having them taken is free.) Other nights, formal dining is church attire–no jeans or shorts. If you need or want to purchase formal wear be sure to plan this into your trip cost. We have a blast shopping at thrift stores for our special occasion dresses, and our men usually wear a black suit that they already own.
I love formal dining, because I get to know several members of the staff very well. They are usually international, speak in several languages, and have lovely stories to tell. On the last formal night, the staff will put on a singing show that is a blast. I usually cry after the last formal dining experience, becuase I know I will never see these dear friends again, but I wouldn’t miss it for the world.
So that’s all I can think of about cruising. Anyone have something to add? P.S. I look longlingly at the spa, but do those types of things at home. I have a sister-in-law who is a massage therapist and a great friend who is a spa technichian, so I’d rather support them at affordable prices, than pay through the nose on a cruise ship.
P.P.S Most people spend enough too much on their groceries to buy a cruise ticket every month!
Angela: Heidi, Tell us about yourself.
