7 Money Saving Cruise SECRETS I Wish I Knew Sooner
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- Опубликовано: 27 мар 2024
- Cruises are a good value vacation, but there are many ways average cruisers are spending more than they need to! These money saving cruise secrets will help new & avid cruisers spend less, & have a better cruise vacation!
Recently, I tried out some new ways to save money on.a cruise. These cruise tips, secrets & hacks cruise travellers get the best deal on cruises, shore excursions & cabins. If you're a first time cruiser, these travel tips will make you feel like a pro!
These cruise tips work on different itineraries, as well as with different cruise lines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Holland America, MSC Cruises, Virgin Voyages & more).
I've partnered with Shore Excursions Group & they have sponsored this video.
Find Excursions for Your Cruise: www.shoreexcursionsgroup.com/...
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Please note that I am unable to give personal cruise and travel advice. If you leave a comment I try my best to answer.
ABOUT ME
Hi! I'm Ilana! I live in Montreal, Canada with my husband Frank. We can often be found dreaming about and planning future cruises, ideally to hot and sunny destinations! I believe in having fun, being kind and that you are never too old, or too young, to live the life of your dreams!
Please note that I do not sell cruises on Life Well Cruised. This and all other videos are for entertainment purposes only. I share my own opinions, personal experiences and information with other cruise travellers, which I hope can be helpful. Please contact your travel agent or the cruise line directly for advice and any information specific to your booking.
Some B-Roll Footage used in this video is courtesy of RCCL
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Music Credit: Surf Time by Lux-InspiraMusicMusic
Find excursions for your cruise at Shore Excursions Group:
www.shoreexcursionsgroup.com/?id=1422218
I was referred by my travel agency and used this agency in 2007 for a tour of Vancouver. Tour was cheaper than Celebrity.
Thank you for this link! We've checked it out and have found a solution for an issue with our upcoming cruise.
We've had great success with them. I like the way you can search for excursions by your cruise date and ship.
I've personally booked with SEG and liked the excursions offered. Only thing I don't like is their cancellation poicy...generally must cancel two weeks prior or no refund!! Of course you can purchase their extra insurance. Ha
Just purchased 2 excursions using your link for Mazatlan and PV this April! Sailing aboard the Carnival Firenze on April 25th...so excited! Thanks for the referral to Shore Excursions. They are way cheaper (saving about $30 - $50 per person)! Looking forward to those excursions!
Yep, now you're talking my language. Last year I did 9 cruises. I am a frugal person. Yes, I skip excursions, specialty dining, drink packages and always book inside cabins. I still have a great time.
Thanks for sharing!
Same here
@@cynthialindblom2490me too
Sameeeee!!! I've been on 20 cruises. Never buy drink package, no internet, no specialty dining. I have done a few excursions. Inside cabins only!!! You are my people!!!
Completely agree - same here!
Great list of money saving tips! A few other tips we use: 1). Do not cruise during the Christmas and New Years holidays as you pay extra for these cruises. 2). Cruise on older ships (not the newest ships) as these are cheaper fares and many times the cruises are longer. 3) Purchase refundable pre-cruise hotel reservations as many times the rates reduce near the sail dates (we recently saved $200 per night in Boston by cancelling our current reservations and rebooking at the reduced rate). 4) Research ports of call to determine what is available for excursions in the area - many times you don't have to take an excursion to enjoy the port. 5). Stay on the ship when in port to enjoy the ship when most cruisers are ashore. 6). Monitor your cruise account frequently as you will be surprised at how much money you are spending while on the ship and be aware of mounting costs. take care...
Awesome! Thanks for sharing these
I have NEVER taken an excursion from the ship. We always get off, find a taxi driver, tell them what we want to do, and they take us. Never had an issue, and a lot of times, I was able to do and see more than what the same excursion on the ship did. We also have "hired" a taxi driver for the entire day to show us around the area. They know the place better than any other and sometimes, they have secrets they will share. That being said, I'm pretty firm and no nonsense when I'm telling the driver what I expect. AND we always agree on a price BEFORE we get in the vehicle. Hubby says I can be down right rude 😂 but I've found the person who is driving us, is respectful of my requests and understands my fears, and why I'm being serious in what I am telling them I expect. I've saved HUNDREDS of dollars by doing excursions this way. For our family of 4, I saved close to 80% PER PERSON!
You sound like you’re a great traveller. Well done 🛳️👏👏
That's brilliant!!!!! I can see people being hesitant to do that, but I love the idea!
I don’t doubt there is a savings, but you should compare a ship excursion (or even a local co. excursion) vs your own, and I bet you’ll get more from the ships excursion- I’ve done both and can honestly say that there is great experience value from many of the ships excursions.
This is exactly how we do it too!!
So glad to hear you were pleased with Shore Excursions! I'm going on a Mediterranean cruise next month & I booked 2 excursions with them, as they were much more reasonably priced & the guarantee back to ship on time is a big reason as well!
Cruising in the Caribbean as someone who lives in the Caribbean, is very smart. I’ve cruised in every season but winter, and cruising in late March to April is smart
Doing the specialty dining for the Steakhouse on Princess was the best thing I have ever done on a cruise ship
Ater our 10th cruise, we (finally!!!!) learned to book through the cruise line, and then transfer the booking to a travel agent... they give gifts and credits, sometimes handsomely.
Thank you so much for referring Shore Excursions Group. A travel agent friend referred me to them, but adding your experience makes me so much more comfortable using them.
So glad this was helpful
I personally vouch for the Shore Excursions Group. (Disclaimer: I am a travel agent.) I have a luxury cruise client and she was overwhelmed by how expensive the ship's excursion are, even if it comes with a package discount. I sent her the SEG link to her cruise and the excursions cost much, much less. My client is really happy with the excursions she booked.
If you love going to the cruise ship's spa, check if they have a raffle for a chance to win spa vouchers. You must be present during the raffle to receive the prize. And even if you don't win, the spa manager would announce an exclusive spa package only for those who attended the raffle. If you're in a longer cruise, you might even receive a spa voucher out of the blue simply because you joined the raffle.
Thank you for the tip on excursions. We have 2 cruises and plan to use them. We also do our own laundry on Princess.
Thanks for sharing this!
We always book a future cruise while onboard. Our travel agent gets credit for the booking and we receive their perks. It’s a double win. I check the cruise line for price reductions and save again😊
Great idea!
Question when you book on board do you still receive the state that you live in reduction discount. Also I was going to book on Anthems of the Sea for Symphony Of The Sea this year, which they offered $600 discount, but I received more when I booked myself with the Royal Caribbean agent this year. Last year I booked online and they received a great deal as well I just don't receive any on board credit perks because I'm not using a travel agent because my agent that I used to work with he lost his agency. But I'm going to try a new travel agent for Tahiti Hawaii next year. Thanks for the info!
Ilana, I thought of you and your amazingly helpful tips after experiencing this situation on two different cruises now: On a Celebrity cruise my husband and I were on in January, we sat on the back deck overlooking the wake. Upon returning to our cabin, I realized I had a few black spots on the seat of my white pants. I thought it may have just been my luck with the chair I selected until I experienced the identical situation (but even worse) on a recent Royal Caribbean Wonder cruise ship. Attending the aquatic show at the back of the ship and again open to the sky, (wearing white shorts this time), when I returned to my cabin - little black spots all over! I immediately put two and two together and it's caused from the diesel exhaust being blown from the ship's smokestack. SO! Lesson learned, 1. don't wear white at the back of the ship where there is open air and it's downwind from the smokestack 2. Bring a small towel, use a ship cloth napkin to sit on to protect clothing. {P.S. I've since washed these clothes and a lot of it faded, but it definitely stained.}
Thank you for this heads-up!!
Oh no! I have to share this with others. You’re right many people have shared that there can be soot (or something eise) on back areas
@@LifeWellCruised I didn't know how to get the word out by myself, but thought if you knew, you could help lots of others. 😊❤️
@@LifeWellCruised, dinosaurs' ashes.
AGREE! We had 2 specialty meals added to our package last year. We thought the meals were "so-so". We won't be paying for specialty meals in the future. MDR and buffet food are fine!! I love all your helpful hints!
If you happen to own stock in either Carnival Holding or Royal Caribbean Holding company, you are entitled to onboard spending credit of $100 or more depending on length of cruise. You need to provide proof of 100 or more shares 2-3 weeks before cruising to get the credit. Not a reason to rush out and buy stock, but if you have it, then take advantage of it. Applies to all brands under their respective holding company. There may be other companies that offer this perk as well.
👏👏👏
I am sick of working 37 years, and I can’t even entertain working on vacay! I bring enough to cover my adventures, 18 cruises…you live & learn. I bring Downy wrinkle remover spray, and look fresh, and shower…and good to go!!!
This is true for NCL too- if you own 100 shares you can get a stateroom credit. Just have to submit the paperwork in advance!
Hi Ilana, two suggestions for saving money on cruises. We mostly sail HAL. Since we are AARP members (living in USA) we can access discounted gift cards, same as cash for bookings, shipboard credit, etc. at a 10% discount. They limit the number one can buy per month, but with a little planning, it is easy to pay most or all of a cruise on the available lines (like HAL, Carnival, Celebrity etc) for a 10% discount. Also, we never get a drink package. Instead, we have the steward empty the mini bar on the first sailing day, then get extra bottles of beer during happy hour when they are half price, keep them in our fridge and take them to dining, shows, etc. I have heard of some people being allowed to bring a beer or two back from a shore stop, but don't think that works most of the time. We really mostly drink beer rather than cocktails so that works well for us, may not for others. Also, have never seen self service laundry on any HAL ships or anything else we have sailed, or we would have used it too. James.
Thanks for sharing! Love the AARP one
Princess has self service on every deck or every other deck. Very nice facilities!
Hi, Illana. Those are nice tips, but please let me add a few more:
1. If you book your next cruise while on board you can get reduced deposit and additional on board credit
2. If you buy cruise line's shares in the stock exchange you can apply for extra on board credit.
3. If you are into gambling, learn about the casino loyalty programs. Even if you do not earn enough points for a free cruise, chances are the cruise line will notice your gambling activity and end up offering you free cruises anyway. Taxes, fees and gratuities will still be due but that's much better than paying for it in full.
Love it! Thanks for adding these
A friend gambles A LOT!! Trust me, I've seen her spending. She's never gotten any kind of free offer...
@tduck828 my wife is the gambler. Typically 4 or 500 per cruise. She's ALWAYS getting offers. At least 1000 off plus cruise cash and/or casino cash.
@shermanbyas9726 I wonder why my friend never got any.. .so weird..I know she played with her card in the machine too. Guess her play never amounted to many points but not sure how it wouldn't have.
@@tduck828Me neither. All free cruises I got I earned by gabling, not by being offered them afterwards. Rumor has it that if you already have a lot of cruises booked they are less likely to offer you any more for free. From a business point of view that makes a lot of sense, and that's probably why I get no offers.
This comment is for everyone who is thinking about doing laundry on the cruise and bringing detergents. PLEASE DO NOT take pods or detergent sheets if you care about your health and marine life! Pods and sheets contain plastics that do not fully dissolve. The microplastics left undissolved are released into the ocean and recycled back into the ship water supply. Marine life especially has been found to contain a large percentage of microplastics that humans consume in their diets as well. If you plan on doing laundry please use powder detergents.
Good point
I was wondering if detergent in the USA is compatible with the facilities on board.
We booked a Mediterranean cruise on NCL. Our group of 4 people is very frugal, so we booked an interior cabin. The drinks package was “free” with our cruise…but once we realized that 1) No one in our group drinks alcohol and 2) We would have to pay gratuity on our drinks anyway…we asked NCL to completely remove the drinks package/gratuity charges and upgrade us to a balcony suite instead! It was a wash! 😊
Have been using Viator for years and never had any issues with their excursions. We were able to get upgrade on our HAL Mediterranean cruise a week before sailing as it wasn’t fully booked.
I always thought that, unless you're celebrating special or if fine dining is your thing...there is SO much food on the ship, why would someone throw money in the specialty restaurants? Again, I know a couple who - once a month, fine dining is their hobby. That's their special thing and it's great but on a cruise...is being on a cruise not special enough? It's like when you hear people say that they're taking their kids to Disneyland and ask "how can I make it really special?" Going to Disneyland is special anyway!
Hop on, hop off busses in many places or the multi day bus/boat packages in ports like Bermuda.
Heck, on NCL the hop on, hop off pass could even end up being free if you use an excursion credit on it.
I just love your videos! As soon as I hear your intro tune 🎶 I get excited. Your knowledge has helped and is helping me with my cruises
Thanks for all of the great tips!
I've done shore excursions group and venture ashore. It's always worth checking their options for deals. Plus they also guarantee getting you back to the ship on time
That was really helpful tips! Another great video! Thank you 😊
Ilana, that is great advice about Shore Excursions Group. Having a truly reputable 2nd option for excursions, which offer more variety, is exciting!
First time cruiser here & this was really very helpful, thank you 😊
I agree, skip specialty dining altogether
Thank you again. I really take your advice to heart because you’re an avid cruiser and I have yet to do my first cruise so as I was talking to my coworker who is an avid cruiser she just came back from Hawaii and she’s like I’m ready for my next cruise and I’m like man you know I need to get you know think like her but I’m glad you asked for the upgrade because I just caught a really good price on a cruise. It’s a seven day cruise to Bermuda and it’s leaving out of New York, but I found another line that the same trip to Bermuda but it leaves out of Boston so but then that price the Boston price is cheaper than the New York price but they’re two differentcarriers and I’m gonna try it. I’m definitely going to try asking for the upgrade because the price that I found was super low extremely low and I’m a solo traveler and I’m just kind of like if I can get the up like pay that low price for the interior but then ask for an upgrade and normally it’s kinda like with flights. You do the same thing you buy low and you can upgrade cheap.🎉🎉🎉
Will check into Shore Excursions Group for future cruises! Thanks for another great video! ❤
Many thanks for sharing the shore excursion for amalfi. 💜
Thank you for sharing Shore Excursions!!! I will look this up as I am looking for something cheaper and as convenient!
I booked an excursion through Shore Excursions and I had pleasant experience with them. I liked their guarantee about getting you back to your cruise port on-time. I'll do them again on my next cruise.
So glad to hear about your experience! Thanks for sharing 👏
Hope you have a fabulous weekend llana and ur amazing family thank you for fun videos 💛💙🛳️🛳️💖💖💛💙🌈🌈🌈🌺🌞🫶🏻💗🧡🌸🌸🩵❤️❤️❤️🌷🌷❤️🩵🧡💚🌹🌹💚🧡🧡🥀🥀🥀💚🧡🌞🌞💜💖💖🩷💛💙💙🛳️🛳️🛳️💛
Thank-u for posting!!
Disembarked from a ship yesterday. This was our 14th cruise. We dined in 2 specialty restaurants for the first time ever. Did not enjoy at all and it was expensive. The meals in the main dining rooms were so much better.
Great that the dining in the mdr was so good
I use Shore Excursions in the Caribbean…they are the best!
Hi Ilana! By coincidence, yesterday I booked a tour to go around Ketchikan with Shore Excursions and it was 40% cheaper than the same tour with the ship.
Thank you for the great tips. I’m going on my first cruise next month.
That’s awesome!! Excursions are definitely a potential big expense so I hope this helps :)
I agree there’s no need for specialty dining when you’ve paid so much already. Pool bar for lunch, ice cream all the time, 4 themed restaurants to choose from every night on celebrity. It was fantastic. I would always book excursions thru the cruise line so you get back in time. Our days at sea (4) total were a bit rocky so be prepared for that from Sydney. Again we paid for laundry no choice for self laundry on the Edge. It was 11 nights so we had to do laundry. As always I wish I would have packed much lighter 😝 never wore 2 dresses and hubby never wore the sport coat. LOVE the El Baccio Cafe ☕️ 🎶
In all the years we have been cruising, we have never used speciality dining because between the included restaurants, there is plenty of excellent food to enjoy. We divide excursions between the cruise line and privately. If the excursion is in the morning, we go privately (cheaper usually) or if its in the afternoon, we will book with the ship to avoid possibly getting back to the ship late. Even though some private tours say they guarantee to get you back to the ship in time, there can be some circumstances where they are delayed and the ship will not wait unless you have booked with them. We also travel mostly in shoulder season, April/May and September/October and in inside cabins saving tons of money. We always have a wonderful time.
We just booked my very first cruise (hubby's third) - Royal Caribbean to Northern Europe - we can't wait - your videos have been so helpful that I felt comfortable booking direct on my own - awesome!!
So glad my videos could help you as you plan!!
This is the best video of yours…thank you!!
Awe thanks! Really appreciate you watching
Thanks for this Ilana. I like the idea of getting most out of your cruise fare. I will also bookmark the company you recommended.
So glad this was useful 🙂
I always book a Thermal Spa pass. Love it
If you're going to be using laundry I suggest bringing detergent sheets. They take almost no space and work very well. As far as I'm concerned they've rendered pods obsolete.
I use these at home also!
My comment may be a little off the current subject but I must thank you for the drink package advice. Since one of us does not drink alcohol I called the cruise line as you suggested and I was able to purchase separate packages, saving over $100! Thanks so much!
Great tips as always. We are about to due a transatlantic plus 4 days in Spain. For use in the cabin (when ship does not have a self-service laundry) I normally take some liquid or pods laundry detergent on a longer cruise but I am going to try laundry sheets this time. And I tip I recently saw - will try washing them in a "dry bag". If it keeps water out, it should keep it in and allow for good agitation.
I love all the great tips you give. I’ll be cruising in Alaska in August and again in the south caribbean in march 2025 and I’ve been watching a lot of your videos. I am taking notes in a small note pad for future reference. 😊
I've never asked for an upgrade after boarding. Happy to hear that is a possibility. I'll try that on my upcoming cruise in May.
We booked a deluxe inside cabin on the Cunard ship Queen Victoria. Not only was it luxurious and large, it was also super quiet. We slept so well when we were there and didn't miss a window or balcony at all. Thanks for the advice re. not going to the extra dollar dining. The food that you have already paid for is wonderful and we didn't miss out at all.
Thanks for sharing!
Great discovery. Definitely cruising Europe late March is amazing. Glad you enjoyed cooler weather, places are all yours, nothing overcrowded and sooo much enjoyable!!! And what about the lower prices?
Another fantastic video thanks Ilana! Most of those things we already do. (Cheapskates! 😂) Great shore tour website thanks so much. We are going on a Norwegian cruise in Europe in May so I have already had a look at the website and we will probably book some tours for that! 😎
That's awesome! Have a fantastic cruise!
I am also a very cautious traveler and only used the cruise excursions. On our last cruise this past February, I wasn’t thrilled with the pricing and selection offered by Princess. I found out about Shore Excursions Group and reluctantly took a chance and booked with them in San Juan and the Dominican Republic. We were so pleasantly surprised by how great they were. I will not hesitate to use them again.
Great to hear about your experience! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you
We used Shoreexcursions group for the first time in St Maarten going to Maho Beach. They were prompt, got us back in lots of time, and we really enjoyed them.
Great to hear 👏
Great advice on that shore excursion company. I love the pre and post excursion idea with luggage in tow.
Good idea
Ask for discounts. Senior citizen, military, etc. Not all cruise lines have them, but it never hurts to ask.
Great tips and advice! I just booked through the tour company you recommended for our Alaska cruise. The cheaper prices compared to the cruise prices blew my mind! Thank you!
Glad this was helpful
I was in hospital. Glad I saw this Hun.
Hi Ilana…good choice..I use Shore Excursions Group, I also took the multi excursion pkg. too. You are correct about the guarantee, this was what first drew me to them. I have used them several times at a lower cost….Love the smaller groups. Yes bring my own detergent and dryer sheets without issue, especially for my upcoming 21 days..i will save the 6 dollars per load for a wash and dry during the 3 weeks as i will wash once a week. Thx 🚢🙂
Thanks for sharing. Those multi-port packages are a great saving - so true. Good laundry info 🙂
Going through a travel agency for an excursion was the best thing we did! Basically shut out of the Rome tours we wanted but secured a private tour on a golf cart! Saw much more this way but it was super expensive! I have to say it was WORTH IT!!!😊
Sounds great!
We don’t do specialty restaurants on a cruise. We do them when we are home for a nice night out. We do on Princess only because they come with our package.
We have used shore excursions group as well - 150% satisfied.
About 10 years ago we went on a Panama Canal cruise with Princess. It was last minute and we booked approximately 60 days before sailing. It was 11 days, partial transit. We paid $509 + port fees and taxes for a guaranteed inside cabin. We received our cabin assignment about 2 weeks before the cruise at about noon. A little after 5:00 we received an email asking if we wanted to upgrade to a balcony cabin for $99, which we jumped on. $608 for a balcony cabin on a Panama Canal cruise. Not bad, even for 10 years ago.
Thanks for sharing
@@LifeWellCruised I think it’s an example of how you can get good deals if you’re flexible. We’re retired and lived in Florida at the time so getting to the port was easy, but even if you flew there was sufficient time to make the cruise. It was in October/November, so it was shoulder season and that helped.
Leaving for the Caribbean Princess in 2 weeks, our first with Princess. We are doing 2 specialty dining night because they are included in our package, otherwise we have never done a specialty dining as it seems like at some point they serve the same menu in the MDR. I’ve done laundry on Carnival and NCL but have heard horrible things about the laundry rooms on CP.
Love the videos.
Great tips as always. Thanks for sharing the Shore Excursion group. It's good to know of another option for shore excursions. The ones offered by the ship can be pricey and limiting. And sometimes when you book on your own, you don't know if the price is just too good to be true.
Glad this was helpful 😊
Great tips. Shore Excursions Group are very good and I wouldn’t hesitate to book with them. It’s when things go wrong you know how good a company are and we had a brilliant experience with them when we had trouble making our excursion in Hawaii - they went above and beyond 👏
Fantastic information illana. We will be going on a HAL cruise in November '24. 3 night Florida + 14 nights Caribbean cruise. My fist ever cruise and will be celebrating my 59 th birthday on the 1 st day of the cruise. Just started looking at the excursions and will now look at your recommendation. Thank you & take care 🇬🇧👌
That’s wonderful! Great way to celebrate your bday!!
I was blessed enough to have on board credit which came with my cabin booking. Booked thru AAA. So i used it for excursions! What a blessing.. ❤🙏
I would only do the specialty restaurants unless included in a package. The main dining room often has the same entrees at some point during the cruise as the specialty restuarants.
RE excursions recently in the news were the people in Sao Tome/Principe that got left behind.
Not every cruise ship has an on board laundry. But the one time we did, it was the best!
I've been doing "all the above" every since my first cruise in Alaska in 2006 on Holland America. With all the free food available on ALL cruise ships why would you go PAY for a meal?? The only exception I use is for a special occasion. In that case I recommend the "steak house" not because of the food, but because of the ambiance, impeccable service, and the "dress up" atmosphere. I also use "Vacations to go" to pick out my cruise; they're amazing! Cruise pricing at a glance and the ability to compare pricing between cruises and dates. You did a good job of explaining what us "old timers" have known all along! Keep up the good work!!
I appreciate your comments & thanks for sharing your experience 👏
Howdy Ilana, subscribed and already hit the like button. Cruise policies are changing. Mediterranean gets too hot during the summer. Take shore excursions that are sponsored by the cruise line. Have been on a few that got delayed going back to the ship. The ship waited for us. The ship would not have waited for us if we took a third party excursion. Some things I do myself. Other things have to get sent out to be cleaned. Have gotten good deals on Carnival Corp cruise lines because I play in the casino a lot. Have gotten cash back, trips to specialty restaurants, even discounts on cost of the cruise.
Thanks for sharing! I’m definitely a cautious cruiser so I appreciate the guarantee by SEG, but I completely understand your concern
I have used Shore Excursions in he past and, and have another excursion with them on our upcoming Iceland cruise.
Awesome! I appreciate you sharing your experience
Thanks for always great information. I looked up shore excursions but they don't have anything because they change the Labadee for Nassau Bahamas Symphony Of The Sea May 16th but I will keep them in mind. 1998 when I was on the Crown Princess for 12 days Tahiti Hawaii I love the laundry washing machine in irons. I haven't seen that on Royal Caribbean so I do send my clothes to the cleaners to be pressed and sometimes cleaned it's a little cheaper than where I live. Not to mention I would have to iron it if I had it cleaned at home. I love all the tips that you offer. I've only tried a specialty dining through The Key VIP which was Chops Grille and I never purchase the drink package since you can bring on board two bottles of wine. I'm going to try and Hook Seafood for the first time for dinner and I don't do many excursions. The last time was when I was on the Crown Princess 1998 and I did short excursions every port and you are correct it can become very pricey but that was my first cruise. Thanks again for all your suggestions and I have used many including products and they are fantastic. Happy cruising💃🏽💃🏽🎉🎊
You are speaking my language! I totally agree with you on all your suggestions. I don’t understand why people waste money at specialty restaurants it’s such a waste of money. Shoulder season, cruising is definitely definitely a benefit for crowds and price. And I never waste money on the drink packages. If you do a cost benefit analysis, including what your travel agency gives you for on board credit, plus the cruise line credit, plus other benefits like a military credit on Princess and Holland in America. It hardly makes buying a drink package worth it. I’m headed out on Caribbean princess in July for 16 nights out of Southampton to Ireland, Iceland and Scotland, I booked all my shore excursions privately and saved over $1000 per person. Interestingly, princess took away price match guarantee for shore excursions. There is a reason some cruise lines like Celebrity charge a “surcharge” for singles, more than twice the cost of a single traveler in a room. They Expect travelers to waste money on board. Honesty, cruising in my opinion, was designed to travel comfortably and economically from port A port B port C to part D, not to be held captive wasting money on drinks and specialty dining. Although far more expensive, I am switching to smaller cruise ships like Azamara, Silversea Cruises & Seaborn.
I love your purse!!!
Thank you 🙂
Thanks for telling me about the status match program! Going on our first MSC cruise 4/2025 and have time to do it!
We’ve used shore excursions group several times and it’s been so much better than some of the cruise line ones. Prices are great, groups are small. And we’ve never had an issue getting back. When one has been cancelled we received a refund right away. And on top of it we had one where we messed up the pickup location because the port had two of them and it was confusing on the directions. We missed the excursion and they refunded half to us as a credit to use for over a year. Great service!!!
Thanks for sharing this! It’s always good to hear reviews from real people 👏
Hi Ilana, one tip, cruise line giftcards..for my birthdays and anniversary this is what I ask for if i know I have a sailing. Also, we look for hotels with free cruise shuttles. Now for the room upgrade I'm all for it, because like yourself I prefer my couch beside balcony doors 😅
Great info. Love the shore excursion link.
Celebrity will status match your Royal Caribbean status also. 😊
I used your tip on making your own sangria in your room with the wine you bring on board. Huge success. We had sangria on our balcony before dinner.😊
That’s awesome! So true it’s especially good at mid to higher tiers 👏
@@carolgravius9312I’m so glad!! 🍷
We have used shore exclusion groups for many years.
MSC status match us so we are elite with them which is the highest
I couldn't be bothered changing rooms on day two!😊
We have been downloading self-guided walking tours for ports especially in the Caribbean as we are not beach people. Have also used local walking tour providers in European ports for much less than what the ship has to offer. On the other hand we have had very stressful independent tours when leaving port areas and don't need that on our holidays.There is much less stress knowing the ship is going to wait for you than knowing the provider will help you get to the next port.
Great tip 👏
Shore Excursions Group is also good in that they also offer insurance for a small additional fee, in the event that your ship ends up not making it into the planned port, or if you have to skip it due to illness, etc.
We have used VIATOURS and we were very pleased with them. We did an Amalfi coast tour with them and because we had to be back at the ship earlier than others on the tour they put us in a private van and we had an amazing tour and were back on the ship in plenty of time. They do offer a guarantee to get you back. Their prices were very good..... much better than from the cruise line.
Ilana, Love your videos thank you as they are very informative. I was wondering if you ever flew into the Netherlands for a cruise and what we can pack that won't be in issue with customs. We are booked on our first Celebrity Cruise doing the British Isles and it has been over 15 years since we last cruised. I feel a little out of it. Plus it is our first time traveling internationally from the USA. Our travel agent hasn't been extremely helpful as I hoped. I have taken alot of notes from your previous videos too. I have looked into Shore excursion group, but note some of the excursions you have to find your own transportation to a drop off point, according to the ones we have been looking at. thank you for any in site and keep up the great videos.
Would you be able to do a separate video to explain status match, how to do it, how it works?
Thank you for this information .
I checked on non-cruise line excursions for our May 2024 east Caribbean cruise and ALL them were more expensive than what the cruise line offered for similar cruises. I was surprised.
Viator is also a good option , I’ve tried them a couple times and they are reliable. Thanks for the tip, I will check on shore excursions . Greetings from Mexico 🇲🇽 ilana
Thanks for sharing
I find it amusing that a decent number of tips were essentially "don't spend money on this thing". Not that that's wrong, if anything I could definitely learn how to do that more in my own life
lol, I think there were some alternatives. I definitely like spending on what I believe will be impactful :)
The problem with upgrades is you cannot pick your room you might be upgraded to another room and be on the worst floor the worst part of the boat do you have no control when you let them pick your room I don’t do that not worth the savings
I took Tide Pods for laundry. Works great!
As always, I love the information that you provide. My husband and I are Elite plus on Celebrity, so I called Virgin and was told that they have suspended their status matching program. Too bad...
Hey, love your videos!
How do you like your Level 8 luggage ? I believe I saw you walking with it in the beginning of the video.
Love them! If you check my video description you’ll find a discount code if you like :)
I absolutely LOVE the excursions and view the cruise as a waste if I don't get out there and do something fabulous!
Yes
I'm a solo cruiser and accidentally found a GREAT deal for a balcony as it was after the final payment was due. It was in November 2019 on the NCL Bliss from L.A. to N.Y. - 21 glorious days. And I celebrated a birthday on board! And then everything shut down. But I'm finally ready to go again and am booked on the NCL Prima for the Jan. 2-17, 2024 sailing from N.Y. to Galveston. 😁
Thanks Ilana! Another gem of a video. I definitely appreciate the tips. I just scrolled through Shore Excursion to see their tours. They look really good and their prices are much more reasonable than booking through the cruise ship.
I so appreciate your knowledgeable tips and have liked and subscribed to your channel. Just a quick question, do you know if the prices quoted in Shore Excursion are US$ or CAD$?
Hello! I've just booked with them and it's USD. 👋
So glad you enjoyed the video. I believe it’s in USD
One of our recently discovered money savings techniques is to buy gift cards through AARP. We will primarily on Holland America and receive a 10% discount. Gift cards can be used to pay for the cruise or for onboard spending.
We also maximize onboard credit by booking our next cruise while onboard ship, getting AARP OBC, as well as OBC for retired educators, military, and for owning stock in the cruise line.
We did Shore Excursions Group for our Alaska cruise and the reposition to Miami. We were VERY happy with them AND the back to ship guarantee was a big reason AND the reviews all were the final point that we said "ok, we'll do this" Also, they have a great insurance policy that we do research. Well our travel agent actually does. She's the one who said "DO THIS" and we were with her.
As for laundry, with one line we do have free laundry with them. BUT I do take my own laundry pods and dryer sheets for travel from Michigan to Florida for driving.
Thanks for sharing!
I know you are not into gambling, but for our 2 Carnival cruises we are taking this year (we have not cruised in 15 years), I used "Carnival Fun Match" and put in my player card # from the land based casino I play at and got a free interior room, $200 on board credit, free drinks in the casino while playing (normally takes 1500 Carnival points to get that), and $50 free play for each trip we are taking (7 night Carribean & 10 night Alaska). We probably saved from $3 to $4K total doing this. And there is no gambling requirement once on board.
I LOVE the idea of checking with Guest Services on the 1st/2nd day of sailing for empty cabins for upgrades. Our 1st cruise coming up in May has already sold out, but it cant hurt to ask! Thank you for your info! 😊
Haha let me know. Love your Casino tip, maybe one day for me 😂
@@LifeWellCruised if you have not played yet, don't start now! 😀
@@stevengolden9009 🤣🤣
Hi love love your advice is the self service washers coins?
Usually billed to the app or cruise card
Great tips Iliana, will definitely try out the shore excursion gang. What approach do you take when bidding for an upgrade, do you tend to go with the full amount suggested or somewhere in the middle please?
lol I’ve never had luck but I’ve always bid the minimum 😂