How to Plan Your First Cruise Without Spending a Fortune

Cruising is a great vacation for people of all age groups. If you a taking a cruise for the first time, these tips will help you enjoy the experience. Once you have taken a cruise, you will probably want to take many more cruises in the future.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. 

   CALL A TRAVEL AGENT. When booking a cruise for the first time, go to a local travel agent or call a travel agent from the cruise line or travel site rather than booking yourself online. You will have alot of questions to ask and the travel agent will be able to help you. Choose a reputable agent or website such as Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity, Cruise.com, etc. Be sure to shop around for the best price, but make sure that the price includes port charges, taxes, insurance, booking fees, etc. The price may look cheaper on a certain site but may not include everything. Ask the travel agent for the total cost with all charges included. Always check this price with the price the cruise company will give you if you book directly with them.

2. 

   GET TRAVEL INSURANCE. Be sure to include travel insurance when booking a cruise. It is worth the extra money. If you should become ill and are unable to take the cruise, you and everyone in your party will be reimbursed. Without this insurance, you could loose a lot of money.

3. 

   MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A PASSPORT IF ONE IS REQUIRED. Most cruises will visit foreign ports and you will need a passport. It takes several months to get one, so apply as early as possible and choose expedited processing if needed.

4. 

   CHOOSE AN INSIDE CABIN. Inside cabins are the cheapest and are often identical in size to outside cabins. In addition, most cabins are the same size regardless of what level they are on. The higher the cabin, the higher the price. Ironically, the lower the cabin and the closest to the middle of the ship, the less you feel the motion so I always choose this type of cabin which is also the cheapest.

5. 

   CHOOSE YOUR DINNER SEATING. At the time you book the cruise, choose your preferred seating for dinner if the cruise has set dinner times. If you want early seating and do not choose it, it could be difficult to change your seating time later. If you do not want a set dinner time, consider a cruise line like Norwegian which has freestyle cruising. With this option, you can eat any time you want.

6. 

   BE PREPARED FOR ROCKY SEAS. Take along medication for sea sickness like Dramamine or Bomine. You can also get a prescription for a patch or wear sea bands. Sometimes, the water can get rough and you want to be prepared. Natural remedies include eating green apples, taking ginger tea or candied ginger or sipping some soda.

7. 

   PACK LIGHTLY. Check with the cruise line on how much luggage is allowed. Find out if there are any formal nights on the cruise and pack one set of dress up attire. Check the cruise ship recommendations for acceptable dress for dinner and plan accordingly. Other than dinner time, dress is casual. You might want to bring an empty tote bag to pack souvenirs that you buy and to keep your purchases in one place for an easy Customs check.

8. 

   BUY A SODA CARD. If you like to drink sodas, consider purchasing a soda card when you board the ship. For one set fee, you can order unlimited sodas. Otherwise, you will have to pay for each soda or drink water or ice tea which are the only beverages normally offered for free. Also, note that most cruise lines will not let you bring any sodas on board.

9. 

   HAVE A CASINO BUDGET. Set a budget to spend in the casino. It is easy to loose track of how much money you are spending in the casino when you go there every night and it can add up.

10. 

    CHOOSE FREE ACTIVITIES. Many activities on the ship charge an extra fee and this can really add up. Instead of playing bingo or going to the spa every day, attend the free trivia and other games and free lectures or demonstrations. Go swimming, compete in contests, work out at the gym and go to the shows at night. You can get a free art print by attending the art auction and you don't have to buy anything.

11. 

    SELECT DINING INCLUDED IN THE PRICE. Take advantage of the dining included with the cruise. The specialty restaurants will charge extra and you can still get a wide selection of food at the regular dining rooms. If you don't like your entree, you can order another one. You can also order food which is not on the menu and they will try to accommodate you. Also, remember that room service is available at all times for no extra fee.

12. 

    YOU DON'T NEED TO BOOK SHORE EXCURSIONS. Shore excursions can be extremely costly. When you arrive at a port, there are normally taxis, buses or ferries within walking distance that will take you to beaches or shopping. You can also purchase tours on the islands which may be cheaper than the cruise boat excursions. Just be sure to keep track of time when on your own and plan to arrive back at the ship in plenty of time before they are scheduled to leave for the next port.

13. 

    BE SURE TO BRING SOME SPENDING MONEY. You will most likely want to purchase a few extras like pictures or souvenirs so be prepared. The islands usually have good deals on T Shirts or local crafts but beware of some of the overpriced merchandise which is offered in the stores.

14. REMEMBER, YOU DO HAVE TO TIP. You will need to tip your cabin steward and waiters so be prepared. Some cruise lines add the tip to your onboard bill while others just give you tip envelopes.

Tips & Warnings

• Check cruisecritic.com to read reviews on cruises before selecting your cruise.
• Make sure to pack a carry on bag with medications and a change of clothes, since it could take awhile for your luggage to be delivered to your cabin.

[cheapcindy]

on 3/18/2009 Thanks for the cruise tips, I hope to use these someday!