Looking to go on a cruise without spending too much money? The good news is that cruising on a budget is very doable. I’m sharing my cruise tips to help you get the best cruise deals and save money while cruising. These practical tips are perfect for those of you who want to make the most of your cruise experience without spending too much money. I’m also sharing my cruiser budget tracker as a free printable below.
How to Cruise on a Budget
1. Book the Cheapest Room on an Old Ship
A simple yet effective way to save money on a cruise is to book the cheapest room on the oldest ship. Typically, the inside cabin is the most affordable option, and the oldest ships are the cheapest.
Cruise lines charge a premium for the newest ships, even for the same itinerary. By choosing the oldest ship’s cheapest room, I am able to take more cruises throughout the year. I personally prefer cruising on older ships, and you can read about why I enjoy cruising on older ships in my article.
2. Look for Last Minute Deals on Repositioning Cruises
If you’re looking to go on a cruise on a budget, booking last minute deals is the way to go. Last minute deals on repositioning cruises usually offer the best cruise deals.
Repositioning cruises is when a ship moves from one region to another, such as moving from Europe and ending up in Florida. These cruises typically have plenty of sea days and are often longer than usual. They take place during the shoulder off-peak season, but if you keep an eye out, you can find some incredible last-minute deals.
You can even get deals for as low as $50 per person per night on these repositioning cruises. For more information on how to get the best last-minute deals, check out my article.
3. Go During Off Peak
Another way to save money is by cruising during the off-season. During the summer and Holidays, cruising is at its peak, which means that prices are higher.
However, if you choose to go during the fall and winter months, such as September, you may be able to find some great deals on cruise fares.
Or if you’re willing to take the risk of traveling during hurricane season, you can get some cheap deals on Caribbean cruises. If you cruise during hurricane season, check out my anti-seasickness advice.
Another benefit of going on a cruise during the off-season is that the ship and ports will be less crowded.
4. Keep an Eye Out for Sales and Promotions
I never book a cruise at full price, and I always search for deals on cruises. Cruise lines are always having sales and promotions such as free gratuity, free Wi-Fi, free beverage packages, free 3rd and 4th person, or even kids sail free.
Their biggest sales are during the Wave season, which is from January to March, as well as on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Over the years, I have saved a lot of money by looking for deals. If you want to know more, check out my article on when is the best time to book a cruise to get the best deal.
5. Check for Cheaper Shore Excursions
Cruise shore excursions are expensive. To save money, you need to shop around for cheaper shore excursions.
You can do this by booking directly with independent tour operators such as Viator to save money on shore excursions. The cruise line shore excursion is usually more expensive because they charge a premium for the guarantee that the ship won’t leave without you.
However, in my experience, independent operators often offer the same tour at a lower price, and since they do the same tour with cruise passengers every week, getting left behind is never an issue.
I always compare the prices of the cruise shore excursions with those offered by Viator. I have saved a lot of money by booking cheaper shore excursions.
Suburbs 101 participates in affiliate programs including the Amazon Associates Program and may earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
6. Depart from a Port You Can Drive To
Choosing a port that is close to your home is a great way to save money on your cruise. You can save a lot by not having to pay for airfare. Your transportation costs will be greatly reduced to just car parking fees or perhaps just the price of an Uber or taxi.
For example, I live near New York so when I go on a Caribbean cruise, I always depart from one of the New York cruise ports instead of flying to Florida.
7. Bring Your Own Wine
Every penny counts if you are on a budget. One great way to save money on a cruise is by bringing your own wine. This is a money-saving cruise hack that many cruisers are not aware of.
For example, Royal Caribbean permits each guest to bring one sealed 750 ml bottle of wine or champagne, while Disney Cruise Line allows two unopened bottles of wine or champagne. You can only bring wine on embarkation day and not from the port. Check with your cruise line to see what’s allowed.
It’s worth noting that if you bring your bottle of wine to the main dining room, you will have to pay corkage. To avoid this, I suggest getting wine glasses from the bar and borrowing a corkscrew from your cabin steward.
You can enjoy your wine in your stateroom. I always pour myself a glass of wine and take it with me to the lobby so I can enjoy it with live music.
8. Get Free Champagne
Alcoholic beverages can be quite expensive on a cruise. However, there are ways to save money on drinks while on a cruise.
Many first-time cruisers don’t realize that they can get free drinks on a cruise. It’s actually quite easy to get free champagne. All you have to do is attend cruise art auctions, where they typically serve free champagne to guests. The best part is that there is no obligation to buy anything from the art auction.
In addition to art auctions, there are other ways to get complimentary drinks. Simply check the daily planner to see if there are any gift shop events offering free liquor samples to attract customers to their store. Keep in mind that you’re more likely to find free champagne and free tasting events on sea days rather than port days.
For more tips on how to get free champagne and drinks on a cruise, be sure to check out my article on 10 ways to get free champagne and drinks.
9. Bring Essentials from Home
Buying toiletries and other essentials is expensive on a cruise. To avoid paying exorbitant cruise ship prices, I always make sure to pack toiletries and OTC medicines, so I don’t have to buy them on the ship. I have a toiletry bag packing list that I print to help with my packing, check it out.
Also, bringing a refillable water bottle to the cruise is another smart way to save money. You can easily refill it at the buffet, and it comes in handy to have it with you on shore excursions and in your stateroom.
By using a refillable water bottle, you avoid buying expensive bottled water on the ship and save yourself the hassle of repeatedly going back to the buffet for water.
In my opinion, an insulated water bottle without a straw is a great choice because you don’t have to deal with washing straws in your cabin.
10. Use the Cruise Ship Laundromat
If you’re going on a long cruise or traveling with kids, it’s likely that you will end up having to do some laundry. One way to save money while on your cruise is to use the coin-operated laundromat on the ship instead of the laundry service, which can be quite expensive.
Before I go on a cruise, I always check to see if the cruise ship I’m going on has a laundromat. It is usually cheap and some cruise lines like Princess Cruise will even let you wash your clothes for free (you just need to pay for detergent).
If the ship you’re on doesn’t have a laundromat, you can still do some light washing in your cabin. I always bring these travel laundry packets just in case.
11. Take Advantage of Shareholder Benefits
Another way I save money on cruising is to take advantage of shareholder benefits. Many cruise lines offer onboard credit to shareholders, which can range from $50 to $1000.
The amount of credit you receive depends on the duration of your cruise. You will also need to own a minimum number of shares to get the shareholder benefit.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to get free money from cruise lines. Check out my article on how to take advantage of cruise shareholder benefit.
Get Your Free Cruise Budget Tracker
Sign up once and you will get access to ALL exclusive content on this website. After unlocking the printable, just save the printable image and then print it. I hope you like it!
Check out my cruise packing lists with free printables for your upcoming Caribbean cruise, Alaska cruise, Mexico cruise, Mediterranean Cruise, British Isle Cruise and Bermuda cruise.
9 Rookie Mistakes That Are Major Time Wasters on a Cruise
10 Walkable Cruise Ports You’ll Fall in Love With
10 Important Things to Do Before You Go on Your Cruise
10 Worst Cabins on a Cruise- You’ll Regret Booking