When it comes to cruising, I’m a hard-core budget traveler. The more money I can save, the more often I can travel - and that's always my goal!
Although traveling has become increasingly more expensive in the last few years, I still find incredible value from cruising. With accommodations, meals, entertainment, and onboard amenities included in your cruise fare, it offers exceptional value for your money. My budget can be stretched further while cruising with so much included in the fare.
However, there are always opportunities to splurge while cruising. Expensive add-ons and upselling both seem to be more prevalent than ever. Because of this, budget travelers might find constant temptation to splurge on cruise extras, including drink packages, internet purchases, specialty dining, and excursions.
For me, 2024 was a big year of travel. I sailed on eight different cruises across four continents. These far-flung itineraries required long international flights, during which I flew on nearly 100 separate flight segments in 2024. This amounted to 135,206 miles of flying, with 13 days of the year spent in the air.
I was able to check a few major destinations off my bucket list this year by cruising, including South Africa, Madagascar, Belgium, Indonesia, and Australia. I was able to reach these countries while cruising on four extremely port-intensive itineraries.
This included two sailings on Norwegian Cruise Line to South Africa and New England. I also cruised twice with Celebrity Cruises to Norway and Australia in 2024. Other sailings included weekend cruises with Carnival Cruise Line.
Between credit card points, cheap interior cabins, and my remote work jobs, I was able to stretch my vacation budget significantly this year. With a few big splurges in 2024, some purchases were absolutely worth the expense, while others felt like a waste of money.
Worth it: Balcony stateroom
One of my favorite cruises of the year was a 7-night Norway fjord sailing on Celebrity Apex with my husband. We departed from England and visited three ports throughout Norway, including one stop in Belgium.
Although we typically book cheaper cabins like interior guarantee staterooms, we decided to splurge on a more expensive balcony cabin for this cruise. We knew Norway would be incredibly beautiful with stunning views of the fjords throughout the week. Because of this, we wanted to have our own private balcony so we wouldn’t miss any of the sights!
Our deluxe porthole balcony stateroom was pricey at $4,200, which is certainly on the expensive side for a 7-night itinerary. But, the splurge was absolutely worthwhile! With extra space in the cabin and our own veranda, our cabin felt like a slice of luxury.
We also decided to splurge on choosing our specific stateroom instead of booking a balcony guarantee. Although we saved money last year booking this kind of cabin on our Jewel of the Seas cruise with Royal Caribbean, our stateroom was above the nightclub. We couldn't sleep until midnight each evening because of the loud noise!
This time, we strategically picked our stateroom because it was nestled among other cabins. This was worth every single penny!
The highlight of our balcony was sailing through the fjords from the privacy of our veranda. After bringing two bottles of wine onboard for embarkation day, my husband and I enjoyed a relaxing happy hour on our balcony each evening, sipping wine as the ship sailed away from the ports of call. Watching the awe-inspiring fjords drift by made the splurge unforgettable.
Waste: Spa treatment
During our cruise through the Norwegian fjords, my husband and I decided to splurge on a couple’s massage. Cruise ship spas are notoriously expensive, so the $400 cost for our spa treatment was not surprising.
Unfortunately, the overall experience fell short of expectations. The massage itself was wonderful, but I expected more for the price. I had high hopes for the Edge class spa, which is often advertised as a top-of-the-line amenity for Celebrity Cruises. As a premium cruise line, the onboard experience is centered around modern relaxation and rejuvenation.
First, the massage room lacked ambiance - it felt very plain and resembled a basic spa in a shopping mall. Some of the aspects of the experience also felt cheap. For instance, the masseuse placed a rolled-up paper towel over our eyes for the facial portion of the massage. For the cost of the spa treatment, I would expect at least a warm towel for my eyes.
In the future, I will probably prioritize thermal spa passes that can be used throughout the duration of the cruise. While cruising in Africa, I spent about $200 on a thermal spa pass to use for the 12-night voyage. This was the first time I splurged on a thermal spa pass - and it was definitely worth it!
This was one of the best splurges I made during that itinerary. I enjoyed the heated loungers with my book every afternoon, often resulting in a nap. This purchase felt far more worthwhile, as I could enjoy the spa amenities every day of the cruise. On the flip side, massages only last about 60 minutes.
Worth it: Drink packages
As a frequent cruiser, I hardly ever splurge on a drink package because they’re extraordinarily expensive. Before 2024, I had only purchased Royal Caribbean’s drink package once and struggled to get my money’s worth. Keeping up with the required level of drinking throughout the cruise felt excessive, and I ultimately lost money on the drink package.
Also, with my Royal Caribbean loyalty status, I receive five daily drink vouchers for complimentary beverages priced up to $14 each. This perk is more than sufficient for me, essentially providing the benefits of a drink package without the added cost.
However, one of the cruises I booked this year included a drink package in the cruise fare. I cruised with Norwegian Cruise Line to Africa onboard Norwegian Dawn in January 2024. The cruise line’s “Free at Sea” pricing included a drink package, in which guests only needed to pay for the gratuities on the package. I had never tried this package before, but I thought the price was reasonable.
For the 12-night cruise, I only paid about $500 in gratuities for Norwegian’s standard drink package. This included most of the drinks that I wanted to order, such as mojitos, martinis, and piña coladas.
Being able to indulge throughout this port-intensive itinerary was worth the splurge. I appreciated not having to worry about paying for every drink consumed, although I do wish specialty coffee was included in Norwegian’s standard drink package. Even still, I easily drank more than $500 worth during the 12-night cruise - and I would splurge on Norwegian’s drink package again.
Waste: Specialty dining
Specialty dining is typically a splurge I enjoy. When sailing on longer itineraries, a specialty restaurant can provide a change of pace from the main dining room. Specialty restaurants on cruise ships include higher-quality entrees and more attentive service for a reasonable surcharge. However, this wasn't always the case during my 2024 cruises.
While cruising in Norway with my husband, he was especially interested in dining at Raw on Five onboard Celebrity Apex. As a sushi-lover, we heard rave reviews about the upscale experience. During our first sea day, we booked Raw on Five for lunch to try this raved-about restaurant.
Unfortunately, Raw on Five did not live up to our expectations. My husband tried two sushi rolls and one plate of oysters for lunch. While the food was edible, the meal was not particularly impressive. Similarly, I tried the pork butt and felt the meat was rubbery and tough. For $60, our money could have been spent elsewhere.
Not all specialty dining was disappointing, though. My husband and I also dined at Rooftop Garden Grill during our cruise and had one of the best meals on any cruise! I also tried Tuscan Grill on Celebrity Solstice, which is one of my new favorite cruise ship restaurants. In fact, the meal was so delightful the first time that we returned for a second visit during our 15-night cruise in Australia.
Worth it: Cruise line excursions
I’m a destination-focused cruiser, so I usually pick my sailings based on the ports of call. If I am going to spend time and money to travel, I want to make sure I'm visiting destinations that I actually want to see. Because of this, I plan my days ashore meticulously to maximize the time in port.
While excursions through the cruise line can be undeniably expensive, my splurges in 2024 on these tours were absolutely worthwhile. Cruise-sponsored excursions provide added security that your cruise ship will not depart without you. This means unexpected traffic or delays aren’t a cause for concern during your time ashore.
In addition, I’ve discovered that cruise-sponsored almost always receive priority for disembarkation. If you’re docked in a port that requires tendering ashore, cruise-sponsored excursions will be among the first to head ashore. These tours also receive priority for ports of call that require face-to-face immigration.
Throughout 2024, I splurged on excursions offered through the cruise line - even if the cost was significantly more than booking an independent tour. While cruising around South Africa, we booked multiple safaris throughout our itinerary. Most of these safaris were hours away from the ports and required significant travel. Not to mention, we were required to do face-to-face immigration in South Africa.
I felt Norwegian’s excursions would be the safest option for touring, especially while traveling to an unfamiliar part of the world. We also received priority disembarkation in every port, which allowed us more time ashore. Because we were booked on a Norwegian excursion, we also avoided the chaotic immigration line with those going ashore on their own.
Throughout 2024, I found myself booking more excursions through the cruise line for these reasons. I also booked the Flam Railway during our Norway cruise through Celebrity Cruises. In addition, we visited the Great Barrier Reef while cruising in Australia. Instead of looking to save money with an independent tour, we opted for Celebrity's snorkeling excursion because we would be traveling far from the anchored ship.
Worth it: Disembarkation tours
Disembarkation tours became a new favorite splurge of mine in 2024. These excursions allow guests the opportunity to tour the disembarkation city before heading to the airport or continuing on with their travels. Instead of waiting around at the airport all day, you can utilize your time to explore the surrounding area.
The first disembarkation tour I booked was in Cape Town, South Africa, which was through the cruise line. Because our flight did not depart until 11 in the evening, we had an entire day to tour the city. I was ecstatic to see a tour of the Cape Peninsula to visit Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope, which are the southernmost points in Africa. Of course, I couldn’t wait to also see the precious penguins waddling around Boulders Beach!
With just two days to explore Cape Town, I was thrilled with this all-day excursion, as it made the most of our limited time in the city. We were able to venture around the Cape Peninsula all day and still arrive at the airport with plenty of time. In addition, we didn’t need to worry about storing our luggage somewhere in a secure location on the coach bus.
After this positive experience, I decided to utilize the same strategy in Singapore after disembarking from my cruise around Australia. We only had one day to explore Singapore before flying home the following day, so we organized a disembarkation tour through Viator.
With four people, we had a private van that shuffled us around the city to the main sights. We were able to keep our luggage in the car safely before checking into our hotel later that night. This was the best way to end a fantastic cruise.
With future cruises, I will continue to book disembarkation tours if the right opportunity presents itself. I’d rather see more of the local sights than wait around all day at the airport!
