There are a few proven strategies I always use to save money on a cruise vacation, and my recent cruise was no exception.
After cruising over twenty times on a budget, I’ve learned how to stretch my vacation budget during every aspect of the process, from booking my cruise fare to planning shore excursions.
On my most recent cruise on Brilliance of the Seas—a 10-night sailing to the South Pacific from Sydney, Australia—I saved thousands of dollars by using a few of these travel “hacks”.
Not only was this itinerary the longest cruise I had ever booked, but it was the furthest from home I had ever traveled for a cruise. Wanting to make the most of my trip to Australia, I tried to stretch my budget as far as possible.
Here are the eight ways I saved thousands of dollars on my recent cruise vacation.
*All prices are in US Dollar (USD) unless otherwise noted
I booked an interior cabin
For my ten nights on Brilliance of the Seas, I stayed in an interior cabin. While staying in a windowless, closet-sized cabin is nothing luxurious, it’s definitely a money saver.
While booking my cruise, I compared the price of an interior cabin to the more spacious ocean view and balcony cabins, but higher cruise fares kept me from booking these rooms.
I paid $2,018 total for the cabin, or $1,009 per guest. If I had booked an oceanview or balcony cabin instead, my cruise fare would have increased by hundreds of dollars.
Related: Why you should book a cruise ship inside room
In most cases, I prefer to stretch my vacation budget as far as possible. Saving a few hundred dollars on my cruise fare gave me a bigger budget for other aspects of my vacation, whether the scuba diving trip I booked prior to the cruise or shore excursions in the South Pacific.
Additionally, there is not much scenery (aside from the ocean) when sailing to and from ports in the South Pacific. If I had booked a cruise to New Zealand, on the other hand, I might have decided to splurge on a balcony.
I booked my cruise a year in advance
When it comes to finding the cheapest cruise deals, it’s almost always better to book far in advance rather than at the last minute. Booking your cruise one or two years in the future can save hundreds (or possibly even thousands) of dollars compared to waiting until just a few months before the departure date.
Of course, it’s not always possible to book cruises so far in advance. It might be difficult to plan vacation days, school schedules, and other responsibilities years in the future. Fortunately for me, my biggest responsibility is my dog, so I was able to book my cruise a year in advance without worry.
Related: The best time to book cruises by day, month, and last-minute
Booking my cruise a year before the departure date not only offered a lower price compared to booking months later, but more options for cabins, too. For those looking to book a particular suite, it’s recommended to book your cruise early so the cabin doesn’t sell out.
When I repriced the cruise months after booking, I saw the price of my cabin had increased by around $1,000. I was glad to have booked the cruise as early as I did.
I split private shore excursions with other guests
I rarely book shore excursions when I cruise, typically preferring to explore on my own. Yet when researching the South Pacific islands on my itinerary, I realized a shore excursion might be the best way to explore several of the islands.
Looking to get the most bang for my buck, I decided against booking shore excursions directly through Royal Caribbean. While convenient, these excursions are almost always priced higher than tours booked through independent tour operators.
Instead, I booked shore excursions with other guests on my cruise. A few months prior to my sailing, I joined a Facebook group for my cruise date. Not only was the group a helpful resource when planning my first cruise from Australia, but I found several posts advertising open spots on excursions booked through independent tour companies.
In Noumea, New Caledonia, I snagged a spot on a private catamaran tour to nearby islands, and I joined a group of friends on an excursion in Luganville, Vanuatu.
Booking these tours on my own would have been much more costly—the catamaran would have set me back over $2,000 alone!
I used my Crown & Anchor Society discounts whenever possible
Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society program is among the most generous cruise line loyalty programs in the industry. You only need to cruise once to start reaping the most basic benefits of the program, such as discounts on internet packages and select beverages.
As a Diamond Plus member of the Crown & Anchor Society, the second highest tier, I receive a range of money-saving benefits, from a free bag of laundry to five complimentary drinks per day.
Related: 11 of our favorite under-the-radar Crown & Anchor perks
Taking advantage of these discounts during my 10-night cruise allowed me to save several hundred dollars, especially considering each cocktail costs around $15.
In total, I saved $25 by using a BOGO deal at a specialty restaurant, $35.99 on a bag of laundry, and over $750 on alcoholic beverages.
I took the train from the airport instead of an Uber
I may have saved hundreds of dollars by booking an interior room over a balcony, but even the smallest purchases can add up to great savings over time.
When I arrived at the airport in Sydney, I decided against taking a taxi or Uber into the city. Instead, I rode the train that goes directly from the airport to downtown for around $12.
Given that an Uber would have cost roughly $25-30, I found the train to be the better choice. As another plus, riding the train meant I didn’t have to wait in traffic while traveling downtown, and my hotel was within a short walk from the station.
I monitored flights to find the best deal
When I initially estimated the cost of my flight to Australia, I gave myself a budget of around $1,600. Given the distance between the United States and Australia, I assumed flights would be fairly expensive, especially since my home airport is quite small.
Because I booked my cruise so far in advance, I had a lot of time to monitor flights and try to find the best price. When I first looked, I saw prices around $1,500 to $1,600. While technically within my budget, I decided to risk it and wait for a better deal.
I checked and monitored flight prices on Google Flights every few weeks hoping for a price drop. A few months before my cruise began, I decided I should book my flight sooner rather than later; when I checked again, I saw that the price had dropped to just $1,273.
While $1,273 is still a hefty amount of money to spend on a flight, I found it extremely reasonable for a flight to Australia. Considering that it often costs me $600+ to fly to Florida from the west coast (yikes!), an extra $600 to fly to Australia felt like a bargain.
I utilized Priceline’s Express Deals for a cheaper hotel stay
One of the travel “hacks” I’ve utilized throughout the past year is to book my pre-cruise hotel stay through Priceline Express Deals.
Priceline Express Deals is a “blind booking” option on Priceline that can lead to significant savings on hotel stays. When searching for hotels with this feature, you cannot see the exact name and location in the search results. You can filter the results somewhat, such as selecting your preferred neighborhood in the city, but brands, hotel names, and locations remain hidden.
While this might seem risky, I found a hack for the program. Using Google Images’ reverse image search, you can take the image from Priceline and upload it to Google’s search engine. In most cases, the image will match an image online from the hotel, allowing you to see the exact hotel name and location.
I “blind” booked the Holiday Inn Express Darling Harbour through Priceline, and this saved me around $50 compared to booking the hotel directly on Holiday Inn’s website.
I avoided expensive add-ons on the ship
Finally, the last way I saved money during my recent cruise was by avoiding expensive purchases once onboard Brilliance of the Seas.
Everything you need is included on a Royal Caribbean cruise, from multiple dining venues to entertainment shows and comfortable cabins. Yet most passengers will spend extra on add-ons during their cruise, whether cocktails, spa treatments, or souvenirs.
During my cruise I tried to avoid spending money on extra add-ons whenever possible. While I would have loved to book a spa appointment, I couldn’t justify spending over $200 for a massage. Instead, I took advantage of a complimentary massage included with a cabana rental I reserved in port.
Related: How to have the best experience for cheap on Royal Caribbean
Likewise, I decided against booking specialty dining packages for the sailing. Because I was sailing on an older ship, specialty restaurant options were limited. None of the restaurants particularly appealed to me, so I dined primarily at complimentary restaurants instead.
Sticking mostly to complimentary venues and avoiding activities like gambling helped me save money while on the ship, and I never felt limited with so many free things to do onboard.
