Budget Cruise Tips for Newbies

I went on my first cruise in 2022, and I started with a whopper because it was a Transatlantic! I went from Florida to England on a two week Princess cruise in an interior cabin, and it was SO FUN. I met really nice people (including other solo travelers), did a lot of reading and relaxing, and got to visit some great ports!

Cruises can be a lot of fun and a great way to travel the world in comfort. For nervous new travelers who want to go solo but don’t know if they can do it, a cruise is a great way to start because all you have to plan is a few things rather than 50 things.

Also, compared to vacations in high-priced countries, cruises can actually be CHEAPER!

If you consider that you’re covering room, meals, entertainment and transit in the cost of one cruise, it can actually be a pretty good deal! They’re also great ways to meet people when you’re traveling solo.

Here’s some tips on taking cruise trips on a budget! This post is particularly aimed at people who have never cruised before and may not know about all the different ways to save money on a trip.

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What is a “cheap cruise”?

I’m a cozy budget traveler. I’ll save money on transit and take buses, but I’ll pay a bit extra and book a private room in a hostel or an AirBNB. I also don’t mind paying a bit for a new experience, like a transatlantic cruise!

Listen, cruising will never be shoestring travel cheap. You can always travel cheaper by using discount airlines, staying in hostels, and eating grocery store food. Think of a cruise as an EXPERIENCE and the pricing will work out better.

For me, a cheap cruise is $100/day or less, including gratuity. My 15 day transatlantic cruise with Princess ended up being $84/day altogether, not including the flight to Fort Lauderdale and all the other surrounding costs.

To compare that cost to my Western European travels, in England I spent about $92/day, Scotland $62/day and France $62/day. Not bad!

Cruise cost considerations

Just a note: consider the costs surrounding your cruise as well. I’m talking about flights to/from port, hotels before and/or after the cruise, transport to/from the port, etc.

When you look at the costs from the cruise lines, they also don’t tend to show port taxes and gratuities until you start to check out, so add another $15-20/day onto the estimated cost.

And finally, if you’re a solo traveler like me, then you may have to pay a “solo supplement,” as many of the discounts and sales are aimed at double occupancy.

Basically, don’t get sucked into the promo numbers that show a 10 day cruise for $500– that’s almost never true, because of all the other costs surrounding it. 😛

Finding cheap cruises

Here’s the starting point: how to find discounted cruise rates!

The easiest way is to sign up for a cruise aggregator(/travel agent) like CruisePlum or VacationsToGo. You can set alerts for the routes and dates you’re interested in, and they’ll send you emails when there’s a good price.

I like these sites too because they show the total cost of the cruises, and VacationsToGo even has a “solo traveler” cost breakdown.

Cruise lines will often have sales or discounts, and that can be a good way to snag a cheap cruise. I got my Princess transatlantic cruise for a steal because I booked it only a month or so before it left.

If you have some flexibility on your dates, then waiting ’til the last minute can save money, especially for repositioning cruises.

A repositioning cruise is when a ship moves from one general location to another at the beginning/end of a season. For instance, a ship may go from mostly cruising around the Caribbean to over to the Mediterranean in the spring.

How to save money booking a cruise

Okay, so you found a cruise and want to book it! Here’s some ideas on how to save money on that:

1. Split the room with a friend.

Almost all cruise rates are for double occupancy, and if you want to go solo then you’ll have to pay a solo occupancy fee. That can be anywhere from 10%-100% extra charge on top!

If you have a friend willing to split a room with you, then all the better because you both can save some money. Some Facebook cruise groups have calls for travel buddies; try searching the cruise name you want to go on and see if there’s any groups set up. Usually, there is!

You can also check the Cruises for Solos FB group and see if you can link up with another solo traveler.

Related: Best Facebook Groups for Solo Female Travelers

2. Stack discounts with AARP, credit card promos, etc.

Some credit card companies will have sales on booking cruises through their travel portals.

You can also buy discounted gift cards for some cruise lines using AARP! You’ll need a membership, but it’s only about $5/year and you can get all kinds of savings through it. You do NOT have to be retired or of retirement age to have an AARP membership.

3. Earn status by sticking to one cruise line.

If you book multiple cruises through the same line, you’ll earn points that eventually will give you a certain status within the cruise line. Think of it along the lines of hotel loyalty programs. Once you get to a certain number of points, you move up in status and eventually get special benefits.

This can take a while, depending on the cruise line, but if you plan on cruising a lot then picking one cruise line and sticking to it might be a good idea.

You can also try to match your status from a hotel or other provider. MSC, for instance, will match your status and transfer it to their system.

4. Book your next cruise while you’re on the first one.

Usually there will be promo flyers up near the customer service desk, at the “future cruise” spot. If you book a future cruise during your current one, you can get discounts! Maybe 10% or more, depending on the line and what they’re offering in the promo.

5. Other special programs and their benefits.

If you’re a gambler, you might be able to snag super cheap deals. I’m not a gambler so I haven’t been able to unlock those, but some friends of mine get offers for $300 week-long cruises all the time because of their gambling status.

Holland America has a standby program where you put your name in a kind of lottery and see if you can snag a last-minute cabin on a cruise. (Note: the standby program may not run all year. I saw a bunch of cruises listed a few months ago but it seems to be empty now.)

And finally, if you buy a certain number of stocks for a cruise line, you’ll get “owners benefits” which include higher member status and/or discounted rates.

Saving money ON the cruise

The last hurdle for any budget cruiser: saving money while on the cruise itself! Once you’re in the cruise ecosystem it’s very easy to spend-spend-spend, but with a little prep before you board you’ll be able to save a bit of your wallet.

Use an eSIM for data.

If you’re going to multiple countries in a short amount of time, then it’ll be easiest to get a regional eSIM and use that instead of trying to juggle multiple SIM cards. Worse, trying to use your international data plan and get hit with roaming fees. No way!

Airalo has several regional eSIMs, including one for Europe and one for Asia, as well as a global eSIM! As long as your phone is unlocked and paid off fully, you can use an eSIM while abroad.

Related: 50+ BEST Phone Travel Apps for Digital Nomad Life

Bring a decent med kit.

I’m talking Tylenol, an ACE bandage, seasickness stuff– anything you think you might need if you get sick onboard. You’ll be able to find this stuff in port, but if you only have a day there you probably don’t want to spend it looking for a pharmacy. You can definitely get it at the medical center on the ship, but it’ll be expensive.

Be sure to also bring sunscreen, as big of a bottle as you can!

Related: What to Pack in Your Travel OTC Med Kit

Book your own excursions.

The benefit of booking an excursion through the cruise line is that if you’re delayed getting back to the ship, they’ll wait for you. If you go out on your own, and you return too late for departure…you’re SOL.

That’s why I say ONLY book your own excursions if you don’t have to travel 1+ hour away from the port. Stay close enough that you’ll be able to get back on time!

In-town walking tours, short trips around the island, etc. are all things you can book yourself and save 50% or more on excursion costs. I like GuruWalk for finding walking tours and Viator for half-day tours.

Related: 7 days on MSC Preziosa, Northern European Cruise

You can also check the cruise travel boards and see if there’s a group putting together an excursion themselves. This is a good option for solo travelers as well, as you can get added to a tour that might have a minimum guest number.

Do sink laundry.

Laundry can be surprisingly expensive on board, and if you have a limited wardrobe then you’ll have to do it more often and the total costs quickly add up.

On my Princess transatlantic cruise, for instance, laundry cost roughly $7 USD/load and I had to do it twice a week because I was going carry-on only. To save a bit of money, I did sink laundry when I could and hung items up to dry on the laundry line in my bathroom.

Some cruise lines give free laundry once you get more status, by the way! Always something to look forward to.

Final Thoughts

While cruising can be fairly expensive, it’s also a good way to travel around expensive locations comfortably. Cruising isn’t for everyone, but if you enjoy all-inclusive resort type vacations then they’re a great way to get around and see some sights.