Cruise Vacations

In 2000, we took our first cruise vacation…. a little four-day trip to the Bahamas aboard Royal Caribbean’s Sovereign of the Seas—we were hooked. Since then, we have completed six other cruises, and have just booked cruise number eight for October 2016.  We have cruised on Royal Caribbean and Carnival, and our preferred cruise line is Royal Caribbean.  My husband and I have cruised alone, and have gone in a group as large as 59 people.  We have sailed in February, June, September, October and November, with most of our cruises being in the month of October.  We have had smooth sailing on all of our cruises except the return trip home from a cruise to Bermuda, when we hit some pretty rough seas.  Despite that rough sailing, we booked another one, and have pretty much covered most of the Caribbean Islands.  Cruises are a wonderful, inexpensive way to see other parts of the world.   Because we have done several cruises, I have learned a few things along the way to both save money and make things easier.  These are things I have learned based on my experience cruising with Royal Caribbean:

1.    Book your cruise directly from the cruise line and not a travel agent.  You will save hundreds of dollars, and booking directly from the cruise line will also entitle you to and/or increase any onboard credit you may receive due to any special promotions.

2.    Sign up to receive notices of any promotions your cruise line is offering.  Any time there is a sale, give them a call and ask them if you can get a better rate according to what is being offered as a promotion.  They will honor the sale price and adjust your rate accordingly.

3.    If you are going in a group and book at least eight staterooms, you will be entitled to a group discount which is the equivalent of one free fare per group.  We received this for the most recent cruise we booked and split the refund for the free room among all cruisers for a nice little onboard credit.  Traveling in a group also entitled us to an additional onboard credit of $50.00 per stateroom.

4.    If your cruise line has a rewards program, join it.  Royal Caribbean offers their Crown & Anchor program with different levels of membership.  Being a member of Crown & Anchor will get you discounts on several things aboard ship in addition to offering such things as early boarding, and a discount on your state room.

5.    If you love those fruity, frosty drinks, consider buying a beverage package.  We were able to take advantage of a buy one get one special on the beverage package for the cruise we recently booked which is going to be a huge money saver.  In addition, most cruise lines will allow you to bring two bottles of wine onboard with you.

6.    Take plenty of sunscreen with you.  I know it seems like a no-brainer but a can of sunscreen with cost you $15.00 in the ship’s general store.

7.    Pack light.  You will spend most of your time in casual clothes and swimwear.  You won’t need a ton of shoes either.

8.    Don’t feel as if you have to book shore excursions from the cruise line.  Be a little adventurous and go out on your own when in port, and get a taxi or bus from the locals.  You will save a lot of money by letting the locals get you to where you want to go, and will be boosting their economy at the same time.  I have felt safe in every single port we have ever been to with the exception of Jamaica.

9.    Take advantage of duty free shopping both onboard and in port, and if you want great deals on jewelry visit St. Thomas.

These are just a few things I can think of to make a cruise vacation more enjoyable and economical.

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