Lindsay Van Someren says a cruise can be the best bang for your holiday buck – more so if you follow a few simple rules.
Cruise vacations are becoming an increasingly popular way to travel — and there’s a reason why they have become so trendy.
Cruise aficionado, Lance Cothern believes it is the best way for getting bang from his buck.
“You get lodging, transportation to foreign countries and food all at one low price,” Mr Cothern says.
Still, cruises can be intimidating for the uninitiated.
What exactly is included? How do meals work? Aren’t the cabins small? What about seasickness?
Perhaps most importantly, how much is alcohol going to cost?
I spoke with cruise experts, Joel Parker, from Financial Freedom Community, and Lance Cothern on what you need to know.
The cabins on cruise ships are generally divided up as follows in order of highest to lowest cost:
Suites; veranda cabins with private balconies; ocean view cabins with windows or portholes that you can’t actually open; interior cabins with no views.
For those looking to save a few bucks, Mr Parker recommends skipping the expensive balcony cabins unless you’ll be in a position to use them well and often.
“My most recent cruise only had two days at sea and the premium balcony room went unused,” he says.
“However, on our other cruise, we had several days at sea and used the balcony almost every day.”
Chances are your cabin will be smaller than you’re used to with a traditional hotel room.
You don’t necessarily need to skimp on packing, but now’s definitely not the time to bring your entire collection of fine china.
Cruise ships get creative with the design of the rooms.
Most cabins come equipped with two twin beds, regardless of how many people will be sleeping there.
Couples can push these together to form a bigger bed.
The bathroom might also come with a clothesline or bar that you can use to dry bathing suits.
There’s good news and bad news when it comes to food on cruises.
The good news is that free food at designated restaurants and all-you-can-eat buffets is included with your cruise fare.
The bad news is that premium restaurants like steakhouses, Italian trattorias, and sushi joints typically aren’t free.
Furthermore, since the free places are … well … free, they tend to get crowded, especially during regular mealtimes.
To get around this, Mr Parker advises making dining reservations in advance so you can avoid being locked out of the free sit-down restaurants.
More bad news: Alcohol and even soft drinks generally aren’t free and they can be expensive.
However most cruise lines allow you to bring on a 12-pack of soft drink per person and a bottle of wine.
It’s a good idea to check your cruise line’s policy before you do this.
Additionally, you may also be able to purchase an all-you-can-drink package at the beginning of the cruise.
This may be a cheaper option if you plan on buying a lot of drinks.
One can only sit still and relax for so long without going stir-crazy.
That’s where shore excursions come into play.
When the ship docks in a destination, often you’ll be allowed off the boat for fun activities.
Most people book shore excursions through the cruise line itself.
However, budget travellers can do better than that.
Mr Parker says you can typically find the exact same excursion for less by booking direct, or find alternative, better experiences through a different company.
Websites like TripAdvisor and Expedia can introduce you to good tours and allow you to book them cheaply.
The catch here is that if you go it alone, you’re responsible for your own safety and getting back to the ship on time.
In addition, getting on and off the boat isn’t always a speedy process.
After all, it takes a lot of work to funnel hundreds or thousands of people through limited entryways.
Make sure to budget this time into your plans.
A lot of people worry about getting seasick while on cruises.
Most cruises have stabilisers built in for a smooth ride, although you still may feel a bit queasy, especially if you encounter a storm or rough waters.
It’s recommended to always bring seasickness remedies on board, just in case.
If you’re prone to seasickness, a good place to book a cabin is in the middle of the ship on a lower deck, since this is the most stable place on the ship.
Cruising is a great way to spend your vacation relaxing and not worrying about logistical planning.
That doesn’t mean it’s entirely worry-free or cheap, however.
By doing your homework ahead of time with your specific cruise line and following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to enjoying your first cruise.
*Lindsay Van Someren is a personal finance writer who blogs at Notorious D.E.B.T. and enjoys travel, reading, hiking, home-brewing and learning to play the guitar.
This article first appeared at www.wisebread.com.
