The Ultimate Guide to Cruising Without Paying Extra

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.

FLYING SPIRIT AIRLINES - Luggage Allowance & Covid

 

My daughter and I spent spring break in Orlando and domestic tickets have been super cheap during Covid.  Currently there are tickets available from Dallas to Orlando for around $34 round trip.

I was not sure what to expect since I have not flown in the past year.  Especially when dealing with a budget airline like Spirit.

11 Things That Surprised Me About Malta: A First-Time Visitor’s Guide

One of the things I love most about traveling is discovering how different each country can be. Every place has its own traditions, food, language, customs, and little quirks—and honestly, those differences are part of what makes traveling so much fun.

Malta was no exception.

This was my first visit to Malta, and I came away with a few things that surprised me, along with some practical information that may be helpful if you're planning your first trip. Keep in mind that some of the information below is based on what I experienced during my visit, so it's always a good idea to check current information before your own trip.

7 Reasons I Still Love the Carnival Breeze

If you have booked a cruise on the Carnival Breeze, you are in for a great time.

I first sailed on the Carnival Breeze and absolutely loved it. Since then, I've had the opportunity to sail on quite a few other ships, including smaller Royal Caribbean ships, Harmony of the Seas, and MSC Seascape.

Sailing on those ships has definitely changed the way I look at cruising. I've experienced larger ships with more activities, different layouts, more dining options, and amenities that weren't available on the Breeze.

The last trip I took involved eight flights, and the trip before that, to Europe, involved seven. So, over the past few years, I have spent a lot of time making my way through international airports.

Of all the airports I have traveled through, London took the longest to get through—and it actually caused us to miss our flight.

And the reason?

A tiny little tube of antibiotic cream.

Yep. A tiny tube of cream that wasn't in my clear liquids bag. It was tucked away in my regular toiletry bag.

Seven airports hadn't had a problem with it.

One did.

And that one little tube of cream started a whole series of unfortunate events.

BACK IN BARCELONA

When I went to Europe in 2014, I honestly thought it would be a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

I was completely enchanted by Europe. For the entire 16 days we were there, it felt like I was living in a dream. It was just my daughter and me, traveling together on what felt like the biggest adventure of our lives.

I raised her as a single parent, and in many ways, we lived vicariously through Rory and Lorelai Gilmore. We dreamed about going somewhere exciting and far away, never really imagining that we would actually get the chance to do it.

I should probably say that I never dreamed it would happen for me.

My daughter had always wanted to study abroad and knew that, someday, she would travel. For me, Europe was more of a dream than a realistic possibility.

Then, somehow, we made it happen.

I Paid for My Caribbean Cruise with Credit Card Points — Here’s How

I just returned from an eight-day Caribbean cruise where my cruise fare cost me essentially nothing out of pocket.

How? Credit card reward points.

At the time, I redeemed 35,000 points for $550 toward my cruise. My ocean-view cabin fare was only $463 because I was traveling during the off-season, so I was even able to put the remaining reward toward my grandson's cruise fare.

It was one of those moments that made me realize just how much travel can be possible when you combine rewards with a little careful planning. 

Cruising Can Be Surprisingly Affordable

One reason I love cruising is that so much is already included in the cruise fare.

Your cabin, meals, entertainment, pools, many activities, and transportation between destinations are all wrapped into one vacation.

There are certainly plenty of opportunities to spend extra money—specialty restaurants, drink packages, excursions, spa treatments, shopping and other extras—but you don't have to purchase all of them to have a wonderful cruise.

I've taken cruises where I spent very little beyond the basic cost of the trip.

Save Money in Port

I don't book an excursion at every port.

On many Caribbean cruises, I'll choose one excursion that I'm particularly excited about and spend the other port days exploring independently or visiting an inexpensive or free beach.

Depending on the destination, we might walk around the port, take a taxi to a beach or explore an area on our own.

This is one of the easiest ways I've found to keep the cost of a Caribbean cruise under control.

Take Advantage of the Food You've Already Paid For

Another way I save money is by eating most of my meals on the ship.

Cruise fares generally include plenty of dining options, so I don't feel like I need to buy a restaurant meal every time I get off the ship.

If I'm only going ashore for a few hours, I'll eat breakfast before leaving and have another meal when I return.

Just remember that rules about taking food off a cruise ship vary by destination, particularly when it comes to fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and other agricultural products. Always follow the rules for the port you're visiting.

How I Used Credit Card Rewards

There are countless travel and cash-back credit cards available today, and reward programs can change frequently.

For this particular trip, I used rewards I had accumulated through my credit card and redeemed 35,000 points for $550 toward the cruise.

The important part is that I wasn't buying things simply to earn points. I was using the card for expenses I would have paid anyway and then paying the balance in full.

That's the only way I recommend approaching credit card rewards.

Never carry credit card debt or pay interest simply to earn travel rewards. The interest can quickly cost far more than the value of the points you earn.

The Credit Card I Used

I have had a Simmons Bank Visa over 40 years and use the card for regular expenses and bills, paying the balance in full each month.

The rewards from those everyday purchases eventually helped pay for this Caribbean cruise.

Credit card products and reward programs change over time, so rather than recommending one particular card, I suggest comparing current programs and looking carefully at annual fees, redemption options, interest rates and other terms before applying.

This post is not sponsored, and I received no compensation for mentioning the card I used.

What is not covered in your basic cruise fare:

Depending on the cruise and how you book, you may still have expenses such as:

• Taxes and port fees
• Gratuities
• Transportation to the cruise port
• Parking or airfare
• Hotels before or after the cruise
• Excursions
• Drinks and specialty dining
• Travel insurance
• Shopping and other personal expenses

My Biggest Tip for an Affordable Cruise

You don't have to buy everything a cruise line offers.

Enjoy the meals you've already paid for. Watch the included shows. Spend the afternoon at the pool. Walk around the ship. Explore ports independently when it's safe and practical. Choose one or two extras that really matter to you and skip the rest.

Some of my favorite cruise memories haven't cost anything extra at all.

And if you're earning rewards on purchases you already make—and paying the balance in full—those points may eventually help make your next trip a little more affordable too.

8 PLACES OUTSIDE OF THE US YOU CAN ACTUALLY AFFORD TO TRAVEL TO IN 2017

I have said this many times....Travel doesn't have to be expensive.  If it was, I would never leave my house.  I live in Arkansas where the minimum wage is $8.50, so many of us have to work extra jobs to earn travel money.  Some work three jobs!

The good news is that there are some places where you can consistently find cheap flights and lodging.  Places like Spain, Italy, France, Ireland,  many Caribbean islands, and almost all of Mexico.

One of your biggest expenses is airfare so be sure to check out my post on Finding Cheap Airfare HERE.

My travel companions and I have put a list of some of our favorite budget places to travel.

#1 ROME   I don't remember ever seeing Rome and a list for budget travel.  I'm not sure why.  Maybe because flying directly into Rome can be expensive.  If you fly to a cheaper destination like Barcelona, you can fly on to Rome for around $25.  Once you are in Rome, there are tons of things to see for free.  We paid to get into the Colosseum but you can walk to the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, and many more places for free. 

The public bus cost €1.50 for 100 minutes or €24 for a week so you can travel around Rome cheap.  There are tons of places to eat in Rome but if you are looking for someplace inexpensive, pop into one of the pizza shops where you can get a huge slice of pizza and soda for around €5.

#2 BARCELONA I never realized how popular Barcelona was as a travel destination until I traveled there the first time.  Barcelona is fairly easy to get around and there is always something to do.  Buses to and from the airport are very affordable (I think we paid ­€7) and if you stay in a hotel (or use Airbnb like we did) near the Placa CAntalunya, it's just a short walk to everywhere.  If you really want to eat cheap, find a tapas bar where you can pick up a tapas for €1 each. 

AIRBNB EXPERIENCE IN SENGLEA, MALTA

We decided to use Airbnb for our lodging in each country we visited.  I have never used Airbnb before but had heard about others having great experiences with it and the cost was much cheaper than staying in hotels.  And let's face it, staying in a hotel doesn't really give you an authentic experience.  

For detailed information about pricing and apartments we rented, check out my post Booking Unbelievably Cheap Lodging in Europe...Yes, It's Possible ! 

If you have never registered with  AIRBNB  and use THIS LINK you will receive a discount on your booking and I will get credit toward a future booking.  

We chose Kavall Apartments in Senglea. The price was great and the location was fantastic. The apartments are located just two minutes' walk from the Bus Terminus and 5 minutes away from the Sea, in one of the Three Cities in the historical part of Malta. Quiet and peaceful, yet only twenty minutes from the Capital City - Valletta.

The two photos above are of the deck off the living room.  It wraps almost completely around the apartment.

Everything was immaculate and beautiful.  The pictures really don’t do the place justice.

BOOKING UNBELIEVABLY CHEAP LODGING...Yes, It's Possible !

Next to airfare, lodging can be one of your largest expenses when you travel.  While searching for  lodging in Europe, we quickly realized that Airbnb was the way to go.  You can stay in an entire apartment cheaper than you can stay in a hotel.  Of course, since we haven't stayed in any of these places, we will have to wait for the final verdict.  

We rented apartments in all three countries.  Here is what we have booked so far:

Update:  I wanted to update our experiences at each of these places and  give you honest reviews.

The first place we booked is in Barcelona.

The description was accurate and it was well worth the $134 for four people.  You can read the entire review of this apartment HERE along with photos of the apartment and lodging information. 

The Space

Accommodates: 5

Bathrooms: 1

Bedrooms: 2

Beds: 3

Check In: Anytime after 2PM

Check Out: 12PM (noon)

Property type: Apartment

Room type: Entire home/apt

 The cost for 4 people ...$134.00 ($33.50 each)

SECRETS TO FINDING CHEAP AIRFARE

Since I always have people ask me how I find cheap airfare, I thought I would write a post about it. Below are some tips to the sites that I use and why I use them. I'm not going to go into earning airline miles in this post, I'll save that for a later post.

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about how I fly cheap on Spirit Airlines. There are other airlines that have similar cheaper flights and you can save a lot of money using them. Just keep in mind that there are trade-offs for the cheap fares such as no free food or beverages. I have listed links to some of these airlines below.

Check Fares Often
Airlines change fares constantly, often multiple times a week. So when it comes to buying an airline ticket, timing is everything. To get the best deals you will need to check airfare sites often. I have about three sites that I check at least once a day. The price of a fare can change in a few seconds (many times the price will change while you are looking at the fare). I was looking at an airfare to Morocco which was listed at $167 and the price jumped to $850 within five minutes.

Be Flexible
You can save hundreds of dollars by being flexible on your dates and destinations. Here is a random example I pulled up on Skyscanner

BUDGET LODGING IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA

How do you find budget lodging in Orlando?  That's one of the most asked questions when planning your Orlando vacation.  

There are several budget hotels near the attractions and you will need to consider if you plan to visit several attractions or if you plan to stay in one area.  We planned our trip around visiting Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.  The hotels around this area can be expensive, especially if your have specific needs.  For example, we needed a hotel with a kitchenette since we had a baby and needed to be able to keep and heat formula.  We were also planning to be there 5 days and wanted to be able to prepare food in the room.