Is it possible to not spent a lot on cruises?

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Due September 17th with baby #1

You can definately go for that price and cheaper. Carnival is the way to go. They are value priced, fun, and very nice. All your food (except for the reservations only supper club) is free. Including 24 hour room service, luxury dining, and buffet style dining and poolside grill, water, juice, tea, & coffee. If you are not planning on drinking alcohol or soda then everything is included except the Spa, casino, excursions, specialty coffee drinks, and any onboard purchases. All your karaokee, shows, events, poolside games, music, clubs, and lounges are free of charge. It is possible to take excursions for around $30 or you CAN do your own thing. Just make sure you make it back to the boat on time. We went on a 7 day and did our own thing in Cozumel & Jamaica. I can offer some suggestions of things to do on your own if you would like. Last year I went on a 5 day cruise for $300 per person and in January we are going on a 7 day for $550 per person. (this cruise is now $250 more per person, but we have the rates locked in...you can take advantage of this rate by booking this cruise with me)You can definately find great deals and I know where to find them. I am a Certified Carnival Cruise Specialist and would love to help you plan your next cruise and offer suggestions for great excursions to do on your own or ones that are super cheap. I WILL find you the BEST deal. Give me a call today and we will get started. Ask me how to cruise for free!

Dollar B

this site has some good tips http://allcruiselines.info

ctelly22

Yes it is possible. I went on a cruise last month, and I spent less than $100 onboard, not including tips. At the ports I paid for island tours which cost $20-35 per person and did a little shopping. I would say pay for taxis or island tours at the ports not through cruise ships. Also the best way to control your spending is by setting a budget. Decide how much you plan to spend each day and only carry that amount. If you plan on buying souvenirs make a list of people you plan to buy for and what you would like to get them and stick to it so you don't have extras. Also remember to bargain, nothing is set in stone, negotiating prices can often save you money.

MomSezNo

Alcohol, the casino, and photographs can run your bill up in a hurry, so if you avoid those things, you don't need to spend a lot "extra" on your cruise.

If you want to save money in the ports, you need to do some research. Some ports are easy/safe to do on your own and some are not. You also would need to be very careful about time - if you go on your own and are late getting back to the ship, they will leave without you. For lots of detailed info about this, go to CruiseCritic.com, click on "Boards", then "Ports of Call". Even if you go out on your own, you'll have some expense because you'll need a bus or cab, etc to get to your destination.

Some lines allow you to bring a couple of bottle of wine on board, and you can avoid the "corking" fee in the dining room by pouring the wine in your room and then taking your glass to the DR with you. Others "sneak" alcohol on board - do that at your own risk.

Don't know how old you are, but the cruise lines all have age restrictions, so you'd need to check that.

miko

I went on a 7 Cruise last year and one of my roomates went pretty much broke. Personally, I have the personality type where I need some cash to have a good time. My room mate could not go on any exscersions,buy drinks,gamble, buy souvenirs,pics etc....I think she was miserable but, she tried to act like she wasnt. I took about 700 and still came home with money (I dont drink) I think 600 between both of you will be fine as long as you dont,drink or gamble.

A.T.

I just reserved a cruise with carnival cruise lines, through a travel agent. She was very upfront with me and told me that there are some hidden fees. One of which is a gratuity charge. She told me that they will charge your room $10-$20 a day per person for gratuity, Automatically!! You can lower the charge, or ask that it be taken off for the day if you are not going to be dinning on the ship. She said many of the other staff request tips also, like your housekeepers.
Of all the people I spoke with, they advised me to take at least an extra $400. They said it was worth it to Downsize your room accommodations and have extra cash on hand.
good luck!

jake

Tipping does suck because the pretty much force you to. But you do get great service. To make sure you don't have to worry about tipping, most cruise lines allow you to pre-pay for tips when you book you cruise. That way you can go ahead and take out that price, instead of having to guess about it when you're actually on the ship.

I think you can do it! Just enjoy the sights and swim in the pool and pig out on all the free food! Bring your own camera so you don't feel the need to buy the hundreds of pictures they take of you.

randall_nd

Yes, it's very possible. That's what older people do. They just enjoy the ship and walk off at ports of call. There is plenty of fun things to do that don't cost extra.
You might want to check out cruisecritic.com. Joing is free and it's a wealth of information.

Glacierkid loves you

i would visit with your local travel agent and explain your situation.
you could prolly go on a week long cruise if you stayed in an interior state room, (you only sleep and change in your room) that way you could have a little bit more spending money.
the shore excursions can cost a bit. however there are schore excursions of varying prices. but you pick what ones you want to do after you havebooked your cruise.

Tom

Doable, but harder than it used to be.

Not included in the base fare and hard to avoid: taxes, fuel surcharges, tips, air fare, checked bags on the plane, transfers to the port, port parking if you drive, airport parking if you fly. Expensive and getting worse by the day.

Somewhat avoidable: alcohol, photographs, spa, casino, bingo, sodas and soda cards, designer coffee, gift shops, premium dining, ship excursions, laundry.

We recently found $1 beers in Ocho Rios, Philipsburg St. Maarten, and Key West. Many of the beaches are free except for getting there. Don't overlook local public transportation. For example, very reliable and inexpensive bus service is available in Grand Cayman and Key West. Also, many of the ferries and tours can be booked independently a lot cheaper than the cruise lines will do it. Cappacino and expresso are complementary in the dining room on some lines (HAL and CCL for sure). Free mixed drinks or champagne at the Captain's reception on most lines. As mentioned by others, many lines will let you take a bottle of wine or so on board.

Check out the "ports of call" boards on Cruise Critic for more information.

Time travler

Sure you can do it. I have seen people in a group that only paid for the tips(on Princess cruises they automatically take off the daily tips for you and charge it to your room) and that was it. So there entire bill was like $70 per person.

Nadia

It depends whether or not you go on the excursions.
Drinks are the things that top up your tab as most dont accept cash, they prefer settlement by credit card at the end of the cruise.
Also tips need to be considered - it is customart to leave on average $5 each person for Bar staff, dining staff, cabin cleaners, I cant remember what else, and that is each day tyo bbe paid at theend of the cruise. So for 2 people on a 2 week cruise you will pay in tips approximately $420 (Â£210) At the end of the day, this is only a suggestion, people are at liberty to leave what they feel. Some ships give out envelopes for each category and you put their tips inside. I dont like this idea as its the same as saying put such and such amount in or we will know who is giving and how much......

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