Travel Tuesdays: 5 Tips When Planning A Cruise

Photo Credit:  Carnival.com

Sharee and I love cruising. This week we are cruising from the Charleston, SC port to Nassau, Bahamas; Half Moon Cay, Bahamas; and The Grand Turks. This will be our longest cruise at 7 nights. Below are tips we did or will do to to save money.

1. Know how much you can afford and the time you have to cruise away.  If your budget will be tight, try eating out less during the week for the next 6-9 months. Use those days to prepare meals at home and bring left over food for lunch.  In that time, you can save upward of $50-$75 a month which can pay for a 3, 5, 7 or 9 day cruise.  You should also factor in the cost of getting to the port destination which can be made via automobile or by air.

2. Talk to a travel agent.  If you are a past cruiser you can get an upgrade in cabin level and excellent travel deals during specific seasons.

3. Look for cruise deals online.  Sign up for cruise deals or visit the cruiseline website directly.  Many have deals listed, but you must act within a certain limit of time before it is SOLD out or expires.  Popular cruise lines include Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian.


4. Pay reduced or sometimes half off prices for Spa services when docked at a Port.  A friend who cruises often said I could get a nice facial or massage for about half the price when docked at a port for 10-12 hours. They want the business on the ship rather than you spending money at the port.

5. Finally, eat & drink as much as you can on the cruise ship when docked at a Port. You are allowed to exit and re-enter the ship as often as you want while docked at a port.  The only exception is if the location you are docked at is a long distance from the city center.  This is not a problem in the Bahamas, but European ports are often far from the city center.

What tips do you have when cruising?

Rhonda W. & Sharee W.