Discount Cruise Resources: Money Saving Travel Tips

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Author: Matt Dimler

The time is ripe for tourism and adventure, and, with a little tutelage, you can explore the great seas at discount prices, leaving you more money for the finer thingsâ€"like Coronas at sunset on a distant beach, or a new cell phone to replace the one you’re going to drop off the side of the boat as you try to photograph the bluest waters you’ve seen in all your life.

Follow these tips and the world is yours twice for the price of one domestic vacation.

Inclusivity

Try to find a cruise package that has as much included as you can possibly afford. If meals are included, although you may want to sample cuisine from every port you dock in, eating on the ship prior to docking will save you loads in cash, leaving you extra money to spend on excursions or shopping at those same ports.

The flip side of that, however, is that booking too many unlimited amenities you will never use is like throwing money away before you even get on the boat. When booking your cruise, try to include only the amenities you will take full advantage of as part of the package. If you plan on docking on three islands with mind-blowing golf courses, don’t book unlimited passes for the golf simulatorâ€"just wait until you dock.

Eat Local

If your heart and stomach are set on eating in town at one of the exotic ports your cruise ship docks at, try eating at the places locals eat.

This may be can be a harrowing or fun bit of adventure, depending on what you make of it. You may end up eating barbecued chicken feet, but you may also end up enjoying them as a low calorie snack.

The advantage of eating local is that it can be as little as a third of the price of resort restaurants aimed at serving tourists and is a great way to experience another culture in its natural setting and hear a foreign language being spoken.

If you need to, find out in advance what language the locals speak and buy a phrasebook to take with you. If you don’t know what to order and can get past your fear of eating the unmentionable parts of animals, pointing is always an interesting way to try something new. When the waitress approaches you, point to something on the menu and shrug your shoulders.

Don’t forget, a lot of these places speak English in addition to their native language, so this probably won’t happen. However, travel is a whole lot more interesting when it does.

Bring Cash

For such situations, it is wise to bring cash. Keeping cash on hand will give you access to restaurants, activities, and shopping that don’t accept credit or debit cards. 99.9 percent of the places you will get and want to go to will take your card, but it’s never a bad idea to be prepared.

In addition, pay in cash whenever possible on the boatâ€"especially when drinking. While it will diminish your physical cash supply on the boat, you will walk away from the trip with far more money.

Cash gives you a tangible indicator of your spending. Drinking up a bar tab is very easy and very tempting. Starting your trip off with a good cash-purchasing habit will probably save about $100 and from a huge headache.

Research, Research, Research

The internet is an amazing thing. To really get the most buck out of your dollar, think thrifty from the moment you begin planning your trip.

Inquire with at least three different Cruiselines and travel agents. Be sure to talk to a real person and discuss the specifics of your trip. Know what competitors are charging for a comparable vacation and don’t be afraid to discuss that with them.

Map out where your ship will be docking and have a list of four or five activities for each stop so that you have some flexibility and you can get to where you’re going in a timely fashionâ€"time is money. If possible, make arrangements ahead of time, but be aware that advance reservations may save you time and money, but may cost you in the end should a problem arise or you change your mind.

Lastly, if you are cruising for a specific destination or set of destinations, find out what time of year is their busiest and try to go on the off season.

Come prepared

Make sure you pack anything you might need on the cruise so you don’t have to buy it on the ship or at portâ€"there are no dollar stores in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

For example, you can find a $1 of acetaminophen pretty readily in the states, but an equivalent bottle of the same medication could cost you 5-7 dollars out at sea.

Similarly, something as simple as forgetting a bathing suit is going to cost you $30, $50, maybe more. That’s practically a whole meal.

Matt Dimler is a freelance writer who writes about vacationing and discount cruises.