After taking quite a few cruises, I’ve learned that you really don’t have to spend a lot of extra money once you step onboard. In fact, we’ve had cruises where we didn’t spend anything beyond the cruise fare and still had a wonderful time.
That might sound impossible when you see all the specialty restaurants, drink packages, shops, excursions, and other extras available on a cruise ship. But the truth is, so much is already included in your cruise fare.
With a little planning, you can enjoy plenty of good food, drinks, entertainment, activities, and time in port without constantly reaching for your wallet. Here are some of the ways we keep our cruise spending to a minimum.
Take Advantage of Included Dining
One of the easiest ways to avoid extra spending is to eat where the food is already included.
Cruise ships offer a surprising number of complimentary dining options. Depending on the ship and cruise line, you may have a buffet, main dining room, casual cafes, snack stations, and other included options available throughout the day. That means breakfast, lunch, dinner, and plenty of snacks don't have to cost you anything extra.
Specialty restaurants can certainly be tempting, but if your goal is to spend nothing beyond your cruise fare, you can easily skip them. We’ve found that there is usually more than enough included food to keep us satisfied throughout the day.
And honestly, part of the fun is trying the different included dining options around the ship.
Make the Most of Complimentary Beverages
Drinks are another area where cruise costs can add up quickly if you're not careful.
Most cruise ships include basic beverages such as water, coffee, tea, and, depending on the cruise line, some juices. Instead of automatically buying a soda or specialty coffee every time you want something to drink, take advantage of what's already included.
You can even get a little creative.
For example, mixing coffee with hot chocolate can make a simple mocha-style drink. Ice cream and lemonade can be turned into a fun sweet treat, and adding a little juice to sparkling water makes an easy mocktail.
We also like bringing drink enhancers or powdered mixes from home when the cruise line allows them. A packet of lemonade or iced tea can make plain water a lot more interesting without the cost of a specialty drink.
These little tricks are especially nice when you're sitting by the pool, relaxing on your balcony, or enjoying a quiet afternoon at sea.
Enjoy Entertainment Without Spending a Dime
You don't have to buy an excursion, reserve a specialty experience, or spend money at the casino to have fun on a cruise.
Most ships have plenty of complimentary entertainment and activities. Depending on the cruise, you might find live shows, trivia, pool games, live music, deck parties, movies, demonstrations, and all kinds of activities scheduled throughout the day.
One of my favorite things about cruising is simply wandering around the ship and seeing what's going on. You never know what you'll find.
Of course, there are also times when you just want to relax. That's when your own entertainment comes in handy.
Before leaving home, download movies, television shows, books, podcasts, or games to your phone, tablet, or e-reader. That way, you have plenty to enjoy in your stateroom or on your balcony without needing to purchase an internet package just for entertainment.
A quiet afternoon with a book and a view of the ocean can be just as enjoyable as a big production show.
Skip Onboard Extras
Cruise ships are designed to make spending money easy.
You'll find shops filled with souvenirs, jewelry, clothing, artwork, and other things that can be tempting when you're walking around the ship. There are also specialty experiences and other upgrades competing for your attention.
But you don't have to buy any of them.
If I'm trying to keep our cruise spending at zero, I remind myself that I didn't come on the cruise to go shopping. I came to enjoy the ship, the ocean, the ports, and the time with my family.
There are so many things to enjoy that don't cost anything extra. Sit on the deck and watch the sunset. Listen to live music. Take a walk around the ship. Spend some time at the pool. Find a quiet place to sit and watch the ocean go by.
Those are often the moments you'll remember anyway.
Take Advantage of the Snacks
You don't always have to buy a snack when you get hungry between meals.
Depending on the ship, you'll often find fruit, pastries, cookies, sandwiches, pizza, or other complimentary snacks available throughout the day. If you find something you really enjoy, you can sometimes take a small amount back to your stateroom for later.
This can be especially helpful on sea days when you seem to get hungry every couple of hours.
When we're heading into port, we'll sometimes take along a few snacks from the ship, as long as the cruise line's rules allow it. Having something in your bag means you're less likely to spend money on an expensive snack just because you're hungry while walking around.
Plan for Shore Days
Shore excursions can be one of the biggest extra expenses on a cruise, but you don't necessarily need to book an organized excursion to enjoy a port.
One thing we often do is go into port in the morning and spend some time walking around and exploring. We'll look at the shops, see the sights, take pictures, and enjoy the atmosphere.
Then, instead of buying lunch in port, we'll head back to the ship and eat there.
After lunch, we can decide whether we want to return to the port for a little more exploring or spend the afternoon relaxing onboard.
I really like this approach because it gives us a chance to experience the destination without feeling like we have to spend money every time we get off the ship.
You don't have to see every attraction or book the most expensive excursion to say you've experienced a port. Sometimes simply walking around, taking pictures, and seeing how people live is enough to make the day memorable.
Watch for Hidden Charges
If your goal is to spend absolutely nothing beyond your cruise fare, this is probably the most important tip: always know what is included before you order or participate.
Cruise ships have plenty of things that look similar to the complimentary options but come with an additional charge.
Before ordering a drink, visiting a restaurant, booking an activity, or participating in an experience, take a moment to make sure you know whether there's an extra fee.
It's easy to get caught up in vacation mode and say, "Why not?" But those little charges can add up quickly.
We try to decide ahead of time what we're willing to spend and what we're not. If we're doing a no-extra-spending cruise, then we simply stick with the things included in our fare.
You Don't Have to Spend Money to Have a Great Cruise
One of the things I love about cruising is that you can make your vacation as expensive—or as inexpensive—as you want.
There will always be something onboard that costs extra, but that doesn't mean you need it to have a great cruise.
We've enjoyed cruises without spending extra money on specialty restaurants, expensive drinks, souvenirs, excursions, or other extras. We ate the included meals, enjoyed the complimentary drinks, watched the shows, participated in activities, explored the ports, and spent plenty of time simply enjoying being on the ship.
And isn't that what we came for in the first place?
If you're trying to cruise on a budget, don't feel like you're missing out just because you're skipping the extras. Some of the best parts of a cruise—the ocean views, sunsets, meals with family, entertainment, exploring the ship, and discovering a new port—can cost you absolutely nothing beyond the cruise fare.
With a little planning, you really can have a fantastic cruise without spending another dime.
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