Everyone wants to save money on a cruise, so what are a few things anyone could do right now to do just that?
We share Royal Caribbean money saving tips on this site all the time, but I started to think about what's something you could do right now to potentially reduce your vacation cost.
Many strategies involve things to do onboard the ship or tired to the initial booking.
Whether you have months or weeks before your cruise begins, here are a few strategies I think could net you additional savings.
Change non-refundable to refundable fare
One of the lesser known tricks for saving money is adjusting your fare type.
Royal Caribbean offers refundable and non-refundable deposits when you book a cruise. The basic difference is refundable will cost more, but has the option to cancel without any penalties.
If you went the cautious route, you might consider once you get closer to your cruise if it will save you money to change to non-refundable fare.
It's easy to book it as refundable more than a year in advance, and then forget about the fare type you selected. Changing it to non-refundable could lower your cruise cost, and hopefully by now, you're certain you are going on the cruise.
This trick doesn't work all the time, but I've been able to save hundreds of dollars on a cruise I know I'm definitely going on by swapping when the numbers work in my favor.
Refundable cruise fare is a safe option, but right before final payment date I'll double check to see if I can save money by going to non-refundable.
Ask your travel agent if it's possible to change to non-refundable fare, and if that would save you money. You need to be before final payment date.
Reprice all your pre-cruise purchases
One of the best tried-and-true money saving Royal Caribbean tips is to check for a price drop on your pre-cruise purchases.
Royal Caribbean allows you to cancel and repurchase any pre-cruise item all the way up to a day or so before the cruise begins.
It's very simple to do this, and I love this strategy because you can take advantage of a price drop on something you bought, such as a drink package, shore excursion, cabana, or Wi-Fi package.
Repricing my Cruise Planner purchases has easily saved me the most money of any tip over the years.
Heck, you can even use a free price tracker to be notified when there's a better price.
What I'll do is buy up any extra I know I want, and then periodically check to see if there's a lower price later.
If you haven't done this, log onto the Cruise Planner website now and see if the prices have changed. You might be surprised at the savings waiting.
Change to a cheaper category
Booked a balcony but realize you won’t use it much? Downgrading to an ocean view or inside cabin could free up cash for excursions or specialty dining.
Just like booking refundable cruise fare, perhaps you reserved a higher category cabin, but have reconsidered how cost-effective it will be. Perhaps you're on a very port intensive itinerary, or you're on a cruise with friends and will be out and about all the time?
If you're before the final payment date, you might be able to change staterooms to a cheaper category cabin and net savings there.
Inside cabins have certain virtues to them (besides being cheaper), and repurposing the money saved makes your vacation budget go further.
Rethink tour transportation to port
If you're flying to your cruise port, never assume the flights you booked are the least expensive option.
If you're flying in, set flight alerts for a fare drop. In addition, considering alternate airports where you could save a lot of money with a slightly longer drive.
Speaking of driving, you might consider prepaying for parking online to save money.
If you're taking an Uber, compare that cost to hotel shuttles or off-site lots.
Bring your own essentials
Another way to save money on your cruise today is to not pay the cruise line prices for important things later.
There are some cruise essentials everyone seems to need, and I'd recommend buying them early so you can get the lowest possible price.
Things such as a refillable water bottle, lanyard, over-the-counter meds, sunscreen, magnets, and USB outlet extenders are all good to buy now.
Buying these onboard or at the port will mean marked up prices.
One example is the woman that was charged $390 for Benadryl on her cruise, but buying it before the cruise would have been a fraction of that.
