Ever had this experience? It’s your last night of an amazing cruise and you get your final invoice. You look at how much has been charged to your credit card for all the little “extras” and, well let’s just say the vacation is over! It’s an all too common occurrence and like it or not, the cruise lines are quite happy about it. The fares are kept as low as possible to get you on the ship, and then it is expected that you will help create additional ‘revenue streams’, with on-board spending, shore excursions and travel protection etc.
So, how can you combat this business model? Well, the first thing to do is understand how to avoid or reduce paying for costly amenities, when you are on the ship. So, here are ten products or amenities that cruise lines make a bundle off of.
Wifi
Wifi has become a necessity for a lot of people no matter where they are, or what they are doing. Packages on ships are very expensive. $20 US per day per device is not unheard of. For a family of four, including the mandatory gratuities, that could add up to $1000 CAD for a 7-day cruise. To avoid this, use wifi when you can in port at local restaurants or shops. Switch your phones to airplane mode when you get on the ship as well to avoid any potential ‘surprise’ roaming charges. Port-intensive itineraries provide more opportunities to use wif. Reminder: switch your phones to airplane mode for the duration of your cruise to avoid international roaming charges.
Excursions through cruise lines.
At every port of call, your cruise line will offer excursions. Without question, excursions can really enhance the overall cruise experience, but can also add a significant cost to your vacation. Oftentimes you can save quite a bit of money by booking your excursions through third party providers. If for instance you want to snorkel in Cozumel you can book the same excursion directly with the tour operator. They can be the same operators that the cruise lines use, but you save the mark up by booking directly. Use local tour operators. Hop-on hop-off busses are awesome. Check excursion sights because they might be very close to ship and you can get yourself there instead of being escorted. Look for resort day passes. Eg a hotel’s beach club day pass.
Spa treatments.
There’s nothing more relaxing than a massage. It’s a fantastic way to reduce stress and just enjoy some relaxing pampering. But why are people having to do it on a cruise? Isn’t relaxation and pampering the whole point of a cruise in the first place? What do you need a massage for? Seriously, spa treatments onboard a cruise ship are very expensive! One way to try and reduce the cost is by booking your spa treatments on port days; where you can often get reduced rates. One has to also be careful of gratuities on top of the quoted prices. One last strategy is to tell the staff up front that you are not interested in buying any products, because they will up sell. Unless of course for you, money is not a concern.
Don’t pay for photographs.
Every cruise ship has an army of photographers trying to take your picture, and then, sell you ’packages’. It starts the moment you get on the ship and can be a bit annoying. They know all the best spots to take photos of you and your other guests. Packages can be very pricey, depending on how many photos, and what size you select. However, there is a free option; and that is, of course, take your own photos. Typically, the ‘army’ of photographers won’t be in the trenches on port days, because most people are off of the ship. This however can create some great opportunities for you! First of all, when you’re moving around the ship, pay attention to the spots where they are trying to capture your soul, and then go back there when the ship is quiet.
Bottled water.
Cruise lines are starting to become a little more responsible with green initiatives. For example, Norwegian Cruise Lines announced just last month the elimination of single-use plastic bottles across their entire fleet. In 2018, they eliminated plastic straws. So, the new paper cartons are great for the environment, but how about for your wallet? Well a 12-litre package will cost $29.95 US. What’s the alternative? Well, here is something most people don’t realize. The tap water aboard every cruise ship for all the major cruise lines is 100% safe to drink! So, take your own water bottles and fill them up in your cabin, or anywhere you find a fountain for free! Even better, buy collapsible bottles and save room in your suitcase. Add a little zing to your water and take sachets of flavour crystals, like lemonade.
Single passenger supplement.
Solo travelling is gain popularity in leaps and bounds and the cruise lines are starting to adapt. New ships are being built with cabins designed for single guests. However, these are still a small minority of all of the cabins on-board and sell out very quickly! The cruise lines still base their fares on double-occupancy and so even if you are alone, you pay the “single supplement”, which is often 100%, meaning your pay for two people regardless. The good news is that cruises often have sales where they will reduce the single supplement to 75%, 50% or even 25% extra. Look for single supplement sales, and you can save yourself a lot of money as a solo traveller. One good thing though. Even if you are paying 100% of the fare, you only pay the taxes and port fees once. A small silver lining in an otherwise very expensive cloud!
Stay away from on-board shopping. Cruise lines are very good at creating the environment which motivates you to spend your money. There are ‘promenades’ or If u see something u really want wait until end of cruise because there are often sales.
Stay away from on board medical centre if non-critical.
Avoid the art auctions. You won’t get a good value.
Beverages. Make sure not to pay for coffees, teas, juices and ice cream. All will be available on deck or in dining rooms for free.
