Mistakes you may be making on cruises.

We have been active cruisers for almost 20 years. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed each and every one of those cruises, but there are a few common mistakes that we’ve learned to avoid to make the most of each experience!

Before you cruise

Not checking prices after you book

Once you book your cruise, you should check prices about once a week. Cruise prices fluctuate, and unlike airlines and hotels you can take advantage of lower prices after you book. Of course the cruise line won’t do it for you. You have to call the cruise line and request to be rebooked at the new lower price. While your checking, don’t only check the prices for your selected stateroom category. Make sure to check prices on higher category staterooms to take advantage of a possible inexpensive upgrade.

Not considering airfare through the cruise line.

Traditional wisdom dictates that booking flights through a 3rd party is a mistake. While we agree in most cases, cruise lines are an exception. Most 3rd party airfare deals do not represent enough of a savings to be worth considering, but due to the nature of cruise and airfare deals the savings can be significant enough to be worth looking into. As always, flights booked through a 3rd party may not be eligible for miles, upgrades, or loyalty privileges so keep that in mind if you’re counting on any of those factors.

Never making a phone call to the cruise line.

While there is no requirement to ever pick up the phone before your cruise, you may be pleasantly surprised at the results. Most cruise lines have dedicated staff that can and will help you get the best deals. Celebrity cruises for instance calls them “Certified Vacation Planners” and they function like a travel agent within the company. While they can’t work miracles, they tend to have much more flexibility than clicking around on a cruise line’s website. Here are just a few examples of benefits we’ve received from calling in and just asking:

• Extra Cabin Credit
• Stateroom options not available online
• Free meals from premium onboard restaurants
• Free internet time
• Comparatively inexpensive upgrades not available online.

Picking the wrong perks

Cruise lines often offer different perks you can choose from depending on which stateroom category you book in. When considering these perks, it’s important to understand what they are actually worth and what they mean for you. Here are a few to consider.

• Cabin credit – Money to spend speaks for itself! If you can get a decent amount included with a package it’s always a valid option.
• Prepaid gratuities – with cruise gratifies ranging from $10-30 per person per day (and sometimes even higher!) based on your stateroom category. Having your gratuities prepaid can represent a significant savings especially on longer cruises in high category staterooms.
• Drinks packages – these packages sound good when you consider the cost of soft drinks and alcohol onboard. If you plan to partake and a drinks package is available as a perk with your room, it may be a good option. We’ve selected this option a few times as a perk, but it’s something we would never actually pay for if it wasn’t a perk.
• Unlimited internet – First off, you need to understand what to expect from internet on a cruise ship. If you’re thinking of enjoying a bit of Netflix or a few YouTube videos you’re out of luck. Most cruise ship internet is painfully slow compared to even a cellular connection on land and many cruise lines actually block streaming services.

Onboard your cruise

Not asking for an upgrade during check-in

Once departure day has arrived, the cruise line is going to spend the same amount of money no matter what. So when you check in, make sure to ask if any upgrades are available. A free upgrade is extremely rare and usually reserved for cruisers with in high loyalty tiers. However, relatively inexpensive paid upgrades are available somewhat often and it only takes a moment to ask. So this is one instance when you shouldn’t be afraid to ask.

Picking the wrong shore excursion

When should you take a shore excursion in the first place?

• How safe is the port you’re in? Many ports have a lot to offer, but may not be the best place to venture off on your own. If you find yourself in this position, a cruise line sponsored shore excursion can keep you safer. If you are in a relatively safe place it is well worth considering a self guided experience as getting away from the big group can make for a great experience.
• Is it a weekend or a holiday? Beware of trying to arrange your own activities on Sundays or public holidays as in many countries shops, restaurants, and most attractions may be closed.
• Is there something specific you want to see? If you are dead set on seeing a certain landmark or attraction, a cruise line shore excursion can guarantee your success.

When it comes to actually picking on of the many shore excursions that are offered in each port, a case of choice overload is a distinct possibility. We could go on for ages about all of the great excursions and self guided experiences we’ve been on, but its much easier to suggest a couple to stay away from.

• The Generic “Day in Town” Excursion – If you are not interested in a specific attraction, the “day in town” type of shore excursion is often lackluster and expensive. Don’t waste your money on one of these and head out on your own if its safe and convenient.
• The Little Bit of Everything Excursion – This is a trap we’ve absolutely fallen for. On our last cruise in the Baltic Sea in July of 2018, we had 2 days in St. Petersburg. This was to be the highlight of our cruise as non of us had ever visited St. Petersburg before. Wanting to make sure we didn’t miss out, we booked a 2 day excursion that promised to hit all the highlights. It turned out to be two days of busses, boats, and woefully little time to soak in each attraction. So remember that a little bit of everything also means not much of anything.

Not visiting the Future Cruises Desk and booking your next cruise!

Booking onboard is one of the best ways to get extra perks, more cabin credit, and the lowest possible deposits. The future cruises staff are also very knowledgeable about new itineraries and ports of call and are generally salaried employees and therefore not as motivated to just sell. If you’re not sure when or where you’d like to cruise next, simply book a cruise as far in advance as possible and lock in all the benefits with a reservation you can change later.

Not understanding where your tips are going

While we are not debating the moral or ethical aspects of whether you should tip or not, we do offer some advice on understanding how your tips are applied and how to change that.

How your tips are applied?

Room stewards generally receive most of your gratuity money, usually around 40-50%. Another 20-30% goes to the dining room staff, and the rest is spread out among the rest of the customer facing employees on the ship.

How Can you change where your tips are going?

On most cruise lines since your gratuity is a form of tipping you have the option to redistribute your gratuity money, increase or decrease the amount, or forgoe tipping all together. When we cruise we generally ask that the daily gratuity be removed from our statement. Before you burn us at the stake, understand that we are still tipping and generally more than the automatic amount! We just tip in cash. We do this for two reasons. First of all we get to recognize the staff members that have gone the extra mile or done something special more than those who simply go through the motions. And second we know that money is going directly to those staff members as opposed to  going through the cruise line first.