I’ve been on more than 25 cruises, and one thing I’ve gotten pretty good at over the years is keeping my onboard spending under control.
In fact, I almost never spend extra money once I’m on the ship.
When I look at my final bill at the end of a cruise, it’s usually pretty boring. Most of the charges are things I have to pay for, like automatic gratuities, plus maybe a shore excursion if there’s something I really want to do that I can’t easily do on my own.
And somehow, there also seems to be a random visit to the medical center because one of my kids always ends up needing to go. That’s also why I always have cruise travel insurance.
Other than that, I really don’t spend much onboard.
It wasn’t always this way. Over the years, I’ve learned which cruise extras I care about and which ones I can easily skip.
There are already so many things included in your cruise fare that I don’t feel the need to keep paying for upgraded versions of everything.
So here are 11 things I rarely, if ever, pay extra for on a cruise.
And one of them is champagne, because I’ve found a way to sometimes get that for free.
Bottled Water
The first thing I don’t pay extra for is bottled water.
There’s free water at the buffet and restaurants, and that’s what I drink when I’m on the ship.
I usually bring a reusable water bottle with me. I refill it with ice and water from the buffet drink dispenser.
During dinner, I sometimes bring my water bottle and ask my server to refill it for me. So I have water in my cabin at night.
Specialty Coffee
I don’t pay extra for specialty coffee either.
I like coffee, but I don’t need a latte or cappuccino every morning.
There’s free coffee at the buffet and usually in other places around the ship, and that’s what I drink.
Is it amazing coffee? Not always.
But I’m fine with it.
A specialty coffee might only cost a few dollars, but if you’re buying one or two every day for a week, it adds up.
I’d rather spend that money somewhere else.
Champagne
I rarely pay for champagne on a cruise because it’s one of those drinks you can often get for free somewhere on the ship.
One place I look is the art auction. On many cruises I’ve been on, they’ll serve complimentary champagne before or during the auction. You can stop in, look at the art and have a glass. You don’t have to buy anything.
There are other places to look for free champagne too. I’ve gotten it at cruise loyalty parties and captain’s parties. Sometimes the higher-end shops onboard will offer champagne during special shopping events.
Of course, this varies by cruise line and sailing, so you can’t count on it. But there are enough opportunities to get a free glass that I rarely feel the need to pay for champagne.
If I see an event advertising complimentary champagne, that’s usually where you’ll find me.
Room Service
I don’t like paying room service fees.
There’s already so much food on a cruise ship that I don’t want to pay a delivery fee to have it brought to my cabin.
But there is one type of room service I do order: free continental breakfast.
On cruise lines where continental breakfast room service is still included, I’ll order coffee and a simple breakfast and have it delivered to my cabin.
If we have a balcony, it’s especially nice.
I can sit outside with my coffee, eat breakfast and look at the ocean without having to get dressed and go to the buffet.
It’s actually one of my favorite things to do on a cruise, and it doesn’t have to cost anything extra.
Room service policies vary by cruise line, so check what’s included on your ship. If they’re going to charge me a room service fee, I’ll usually just go get the food myself.
Specialty Dining
I rarely pay extra for specialty dining.
I know some people love specialty restaurants on cruise ships, and I’ve eaten at them before too.
But most of the time, I’m fine with the restaurants that are already included in my cruise fare.
There’s the main dining room, the buffet and, depending on the ship, other restaurants where you don’t have to pay extra.
I’ve already paid for all of that food.
So I don’t usually want to spend another $50 or $75 per person for dinner, especially when you’re multiplying that by an entire family.
If specialty dining comes with my cruise package or I get it as a loyalty perk, I’ll use it.
And if there’s a restaurant I really want to try, I might pay for it.
But I don’t feel like I need to book specialty restaurants on every cruise.
Basic City Tour Shore Excursions
Shore excursions are one of the few things I will pay for when I think they’re worth it.
But I’m picky about which ones I book through the cruise line.
One thing I usually won’t pay for is a basic city sightseeing tour if there’s a Hop-On Hop-Off bus that can take me to many of the same places.
Before I book a cruise line city tour, I’ll look up what I can do on my own.
I’ve taken Hop-On Hop-Off buses in cruise ports, especially in Europe, and sometimes I actually prefer them.
I can get off where I want, stay as long as I want and skip the places I’m not interested in.
And it’s often cheaper than the cruise line excursion.
There are definitely times when I’ll pay for a cruise excursion, though. If it’s an experience that’s difficult to arrange independently, transportation is complicated, or I just feel more comfortable doing it through the cruise line, I’ll pay for it.
The big thing to remember when you’re sightseeing independently is that you’re responsible for getting back to the ship on time.
If you’re late, the ship isn’t waiting for you.
Spa Treatments
I rarely get spa treatments on a cruise.
I’ve looked at the prices plenty of times, and they’re usually more than I want to spend on a massage or facial.
I’d rather get a massage at home and use that money for something else on my vacation.
If you really want to go to the spa, keep an eye out for specials. Sometimes the spa will offer deals on port days when most people are off the ship, or they’ll run promotions during the cruise.
For me, though, this is an easy thing to skip.
Cruise Photos
I rarely buy the professional cruise photos.
Every once in a while, they’ll get a really nice family photo and I’ll buy it.
But most of the time, I don’t.
I take so many pictures with my phone that I don’t really need to buy more.
And if I want a picture of the whole family, I’ll ask another passenger to take one for us. I’ll usually offer to take one for them too.
By the end of the cruise, I already have hundreds of photos on my phone.
Premium Desserts and Ice Cream
I usually skip the desserts and ice cream that cost extra.
Some ships have gelato shops, fancy milkshakes, cupcakes and other desserts that you have to pay for.
They can be tempting.
But there’s already so much dessert included on a cruise.
There’s dessert at the buffet. There’s dessert after dinner in the main dining room. And many ships have free soft serve or ice cream.
I’m already eating more dessert than I normally eat at home.
I don’t need to pay for more.
Cruise Souvenirs
I also don’t buy many souvenirs onboard.
I’m talking about the cruise ship T-shirts, mugs, hats and all the other things you’ll see in the shops.
If I see something I really like, I might buy it.
But I don’t feel like I need to come home with a souvenir from every cruise.
If you do see something you want, you may want to wait before buying it.
Cruise ships sometimes have sales later in the sailing, especially toward the end.
And sometimes after walking past something for three days, I realize I didn’t want it that badly anyway.
Paid Fitness Classes
I don’t pay for fitness classes either.
Most cruise ships already have a gym that’s included in your cruise fare.
If I want to exercise, I can use the treadmill, weights or other equipment without paying for a class.
But honestly, I get a lot of exercise just walking around.
Cruise ships are big.
Then you add all the walking you do in port, and I usually end up with a lot more steps than I get at home.
So paying extra for an exercise class isn’t something I normally do.
Drink Packages
I rarely pay for a drink package on a cruise because, for me, the math usually doesn’t work.
Depending on the cruise line and sailing, an alcoholic drink package can easily cost around $70 to $100 or more per person.
If a cocktail costs around $12 to $15, that means I’d need to drink roughly five to seven drinks every single day just to break even.
And I know I’m not going to do that.
Some days we’re in port for most of the day, so I might not even have a drink until dinner. Other days I might have one or two drinks and that’s enough for me.
Drink packages can be worth it if you know you’re going to use them enough. But for the way I cruise, I usually come out ahead by skipping the package and paying as I go.
Watch the video:
9 Easy Ways to Get Free Onboard Credit on Your Next Cruise