I was able to take advantage of a few smart strategies to help make my money go further on my first Celebrity cruise.
While I’m usually a budget cruiser, my recent cruise on Celebrity Silhouette initially proved otherwise.
I upgraded from my typical interior cabin to a balcony room, and I booked my airfare way too late, which set me back a staggering $1,400.
Additionally, my cruise itinerary was set to visit Norway, a country frequently listed as one of the most expensive in the world. I felt as if I were setting myself up for failure as far as budget was concerned, but I was still determined to save money wherever I could.
By utilizing Celebrity’s loyalty status perks, forgoing splurges onboard, and keeping in-port spending to a minimum, I was surprised with the savvy ways I was able to save money throughout my weeklong cruise.
Here are the five ways I saved money on my first Celebrity cruise.
I took advantage of Celebrity’s loyalty status matching program, maximizing benefits to save as much as possible
One of the easiest ways I saved money on my Celebrity cruise was through matching my Crown & Anchor Society status on Royal Caribbean to Celebrity’s Captain’s Club program.
Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean allow guests to match their loyalty status from one cruise line to the other, allowing passengers to reap the benefits of the reciprocal loyalty program—even if it’s their first time on the cruise line.
Related: Celebrity Cruises Captain's Club loyalty program info, tips & secrets
As a Diamond Plus member on Royal Caribbean, I matched my status to Celebrity’s Captain’s Club when I booked my cruise. My status matched Celebrity's Elite Plus status, the second-highest tier of the loyalty program.
This led to lucrative benefits during my cruise, including discounts on wifi and drink packages, a 15% discount at specialty restaurants, two complimentary bags of laundry, one free scoop of gelato, a day in the thermal suite, and access to exclusive events.
Although I didn’t take advantage of every benefit offered, a few select benefits led to great savings. The Elite Happy Hour, for instance, allowed me to enjoy complimentary alcoholic beverages from 5-7PM every evening, and I could also start each day with a complimentary latte from the onboard coffee shop, Café Al Bacio.
I was grateful for these benefits as they enabled me to minimize my onboard spending. I didn’t need to worry about paying for laundry or spending $15 for a single cocktail, and saving nearly $40 on the wifi package was an awesome perk, too.
I planned my own activities in port because Celebrity’s excursion prices were steep
Norway and budget-friendly don’t necessarily go hand in hand, but I was still surprised by the prices of shore excursions offered by Celebrity Cruises.
Having never been to Norway before, I was looking forward to exploring the four ports of call on my itinerary. The Norwegian fjords looked spectacular, and I knew I wanted to see as much as I could in each destination. As an active traveler, I was particularly interested in excursions involving hiking, kayaking, and other outdoor pursuits.
Related: Is it better to book excursions through the cruise ship?
Unfortunately, looking at Celebrity’s excursions ahead of my cruise left me disappointed. Organized tours to destinations like Briksdal Glacier and Pulpit Rock (Norway’s most famous hike) were over $200 or $300 a person. Even independent tours I found on GetYourGuide and Viator were expensive. Norway was already living up to its pricey reputation, and hadn’t even arrived in the country yet!
Before shelling out nearly $1,000 on excursions, I checked whether or not I could get to each port's top attractions on my own. Luckily, I found economical ways to do the same activities I wanted to book with a cruise-sponsored excursion.
Instead of booking a $170 excursion to hike Pulpit Rock, I booked a $40 shuttle bus that departed from central Stavanger and dropped me off at the trailhead. The return trip left five hours later, giving me more than enough time to finish the trail (and grab a well-deserved ice cream at the basecamp).
In Olden, I booked the Loen Skylift on my own to enjoy enchanting views of Norway’s Nordfjord. The cable car’s ticket was $53 for a roundtrip ride, and I got to and from the skylift in just six minutes on a local bus (just $3 each way).
My port days in Ålesund and Molde were easier to plan independently, as I planned to stay within the city centers. Each town offered charming, historic streets, quaint cafes, and gorgeous views from the waterfront. My expenses were minimal in both of these destinations.
I took public transportation to the port instead of a taxi or shuttle
One of the hidden expenses of a cruise vacation is the expense of getting to and from your cruise port. Although you might book airfare far in advance, it’s easy to forget about planning transportation logistics to the ship itself.
My cruise itinerary departed from Rotterdam in the Netherlands, but my flight arrived at the country’s main airport outside of Amsterdam. As always, I arrived a day prior to my cruise. I spent the night in Amsterdam with a plan of traveling to Rotterdam on embarkation morning.
Related: How to prepare for a cruise: Last minute things you should do
One of the most convenient aspects of cruising in Europe is the extensive public transportation network in major cities. In most circumstances, there’s no need to book expensive private transfers or call an Uber to the port when cheaper—and arguably more convenient—options exist.
So instead of booking Celebrity’s $40 transfer or shelling out over €100 for a taxi, I searched for directions to the port on Google Maps. An $18 train ride from Amsterdam brought me to Rotterdam’s central station in under an hour. From there, a short, $2 metro ride brought me just a 5-minute walk away from the city’s cruise port.
If you’re traveling with more than two people, or if you have large suitcases, there’s an argument to be made for private transfers. In my scenario, though, taking public transportation made the most sense whilst also saving money.
I kept souvenir shopping to a minimum and avoided expensive meals in port
After reading how fellow cruise writer Allie spent over $800 on souvenirs on her recent European cruise, I was worried about whether or not I could keep my shopping budget to a minimum. She stated how the cost of souvenirs in Norway was exorbitant, with $40 t-shirts and $60 crewnecks.
Reading this beforehand, I made a mental note to keep souvenir spending to a minimum. Of course, traveling with a carry-on suitcase helped, as I couldn’t fit much more into the bag anyway. So instead of purchasing heavy knickknacks and clothing, I bought small souvenirs like magnets, which were cheaper and easier to pack.
Related: Top 30 extra cruise costs that aren't included
Furthermore, I saved money by avoiding the more expensive dining options in port. On long port days, it’s inevitable that you’ll spend some money on food, whether a sit-down meal or grab-and-go snack.
Most restaurants in Norway are anything but budget-friendly; sit-down meals seemed to average around $25 for an entrée. I could see these prices breaking my budget on a land-based trip, but because I only had four days in Norway, spending $100 on four lunches while in port wasn’t a huge deal.
Even still, I tended to choose more casual dining venues instead of the fancier sit-down options. One of my best meals, in fact, was from a Thai food truck in Ålesund, and the meal only set me back $13. If I needed a quick snack, I could find a scrumptious pastry at a local bakery for around $3-5.
Staying budget-conscious with souvenir and food purchases in port helped me avoid spending more than I wanted to. Luckily, I didn’t feel like I missed out on anything by doing so.
I stuck to only included dining options, despite the intriguing specialty restaurants
Although I usually cruise on a budget, one of the add-ons I frequently splurge for on a cruise is specialty dining. There’s not anything wrong with the included food on a cruise ship, but I prefer the enhanced dining experience of specialty venues, both in ambiance and cuisine variety.
Yet on Celebrity Silhouette, I forwent the specialty options and dined at only included restaurants. I split my meals between the Main Dining Room and Oceanview Cafe buffet. Outside of these venues, the ship offered complimentary burgers at Mast Grill, grab-and-go pastries at Café Al Bacio, and health-focused fare at Spa Café.
Related: What's included on a Celebrity cruise?
I also made sure to avoid food and beverage classes offered by Celebrity. Although the pizza making class they offered onboard was probably fun, I couldn’t fathom spending over $70 for the experience.
The included restaurants provided enough variety that I didn’t feel the need to spend extra at specialty restaurants. By spending nothing extra for food onboard, I could allocate these savings toward meals and snacks in port instead.
Sometimes splurging is worth the convenience, but I was happy to keep to a budget on my Celebrity cruise
At the end of the day, I’m glad I used these savvy tricks in order to save money on my Celebrity cruise. That being said, there’s a time and a place for using these budget-saving strategies.
There’s no denying that booking shore excursions through the cruise line is convenient, for example, and not all travelers want to deal with the hassle of planning port days on their own. Sometimes, spending an extra $100 on an organized tour is worth it for a stress-free trip.
Plus, add-ons like drink packages and specialty dining can greatly enhance a passenger’s onboard experience. There were times I wanted to try those picture-perfect cocktails at the Martini Bar, or that steamy bowl of ramen from Raw on 5, without thinking about the cost of each purchase.
At the end of the day, though, saving money on a cruise enables me to cruise more often. Every cruiser has a different travel style, and I’ll stick to even the tightest budget if it means I can continue booking cruises to far-flung destinations around the world.
