Do you remember that 1980s tv show, The Love Boat? It launched way more than a fan following. The Love Boat sparked interest in cruising and set off a luxury, size, and technology race amongst cruise lines. The Pacific Princess, the icon ship of the popular tv show, is a real ship. She was sold in 2021 by Princess Cruises to an undisclosed buyer. The ship, from what I’ve read, wasn’t in service during the show. The Pacific Princess joined Princess Cruises in 2002. The ship is quaint by today’s standards and only carried 670 passengers. Royal Caribbean’s new Icon of the Seas is slated to carry a whopping 7,600 passengers plus crew! By comparison, RMS Titanic carried 2,435 passengers. You know what is new about cruising? Almost everything!
Forget your granny’s formal nights, theme days, and repetitive dining options. These days the industry is exploding with options to fit nearly every budget and style. You can go big like Icon of the Seas and take the whole family on a floating theme park thru the Caribbean. Or, you can scale it down and go small like Windstar Cruises who may board as few as 148 passengers for smaller, more intimate destinations. Or, adults only like Virgin Voyages if that floats your boat.
Formal night is still a tradition on most cruise lines. However, formal is loosely interpreted these days and mostly optional. We sailed from Italy to Croatia and Greece in 2022 and I never donned a tie or even a sport coat which made packing a lot easier and lighter.
What about those dining options? Well, onboard Royal Caribbean, the main dining room menu changes nightly! It used to be set for the week so by evening 5 or 6 you were likely repeating what you had eaten previously. That’s no longer the case; although they do make some classic options available nightly. Most cruise lines also have a tremendous array of specialty restaurants. These restaurants are truly upscale and offer great value if you buy your nights in advance (more on that below). These days, you can even eat at your leisure or pick a timeframe and your table will be waiting.
Excursions have also changed. You can go solo or join a group. Most group sizes are limited these days to provide a better experience for you, your guide, and the local merchants. Those giant groups following a guide with a flag are mostly gone. Customized options are also available. We’ve done high tea at the Empress Hotel for four people, hiked in the mud and rain in the Tongass National Forest, gone wine tasting in Croatia as a group of twenty, visited the archeology site at Delos, and explored Diocletian’s Palace on our own as shore excursions.
Cruise lines, like airlines and hotels, offer you points if you join their programs. This is a good idea. Your points accrue quickly and this unlocks lots of extras and freebies such as early boarding and departure, and even drink discounts. I recommend joining.
About those specialty restaurants I mentioned earlier. Most cruises include all of your meals if you eat in the main dining room. If you want a special night out or a more intimate setting, this is where the specialty dining comes in. For our last cruise, I bought a 3-night option for 2 people for $203. This allowed us dinner in a high-end steak house, an upscale Italian option, and a sushi bar night. That’s six meals for $203. Ours also included either 20% or 40% discount on wines depending on location due to our membership level. A steak house here in the Bay Area would be over $200 for two people and wine for a single meal.
So, are you ready to snag a deal on a cruise and give it a try? I never thought I would like cruising, but we’ve found that you can be as solitary as you like, or partake in numerous activities. Staterooms are much more comfortable these days and you unpack once and get to see multiple cities. Here are a few tips on making the most of your money and your trip.
Our view of Split, Croatia from our balcony aboard Brilliance of the Seas. Oct. 2022
Join the cruise line’s membership program and start accruing those points. One cruise can make a difference for your next trip. It starts unlocking discounts, amenities, and privileges.
Shop the annual and semi-annual cruise sales. This is usually around December thru February. In fact, we just got 75% off the second guest and an onboard credit with Celebrity Cruises for a western Mediterranean cruise in 2024. This made the cruise very affordable and we could book a higher cabin class.
Be open to last-minute deals on destinations that may not be on your radar. Of course, the Mediterranean and Alaska are always popular destinations. But these days, cruise lines are covering the globe. Consider a last-minute deal if you have a flexible schedule and sense of adventure.
Buy your excursions in advance of your cruise. The popular options sell out fast and the cruise line will usually offer a discount if purchased in advance. If you buy onboard during the cruise, you will pay more.
Consider your alcohol consumption. We found that for us, the pre-paid alcohol package simply wasn’t worth it. If you are spring break cruiser who plans on drinking all day on a Gulf of Mexico or Caribbean cruise, it might pencil out. Head over to Cruzely.com and try the calculator to see what’s best for you. We found that paying for our dinner wine and evening drinks was actually cheaper. Drink packages are priced per day, per person and have to be purchased by all adults in shared cabin if one adult purchases the package. Our package would have been over $900 and we somehow ended up spending less than $300 for the week including tips.
Pay your gratuities in advance. This will save you some money. These gratuities usually take a small annual increase, so prepaying could save you some money before you depart. You may wish to tip your main dining attendant, stateroom attendant, and other helpful staff a little more at the end of your cruise so keep in mind that you’ve prepaid some of the tip.
Pay a little more to select your cabin. If you don’t, you will get the class you booked, but it may not be on the deck you like, or the section of the ship you like. With some routes, you might want to be starboard vs. port simply because of scenery.
One area that is still outrageously expensive and low-quality seems to be WiFi. We’ve paid for ship’s WiFi a couple of trips now and it wasn’t great. If you do the package in advance, you may be disappointed. Keep in mind it’s usually charged per person, and limited to a certain number of devices. This amenity is changing fast as some cruise lines are now including it, and others are still charging like it’s HBO in a 1980s roadside motel. Although, if you book a suite category it may be included.
As an independent Certified Financial Planner™, I can help you prepare for a specific goal such as a cruise or even bigger like buying a boat. No matter where you are in life, a CFP® professional can help you create a financial plan for today and tomorrow. Contact me and let’s get started! #talktometuesday #education #Hireaplanner #goal #cruise #boat #income #CFPPro #LetsMakeAPlan