Saturday, August 18, 2007

5 Money Saving Tips


  • If you do not have a preference of cabin location, many lines offer guaranty rooms. For a discounted rate, you will not get a room in a category lower than the minimum you booked. A added bonus is that when doing this there is a slim (better than none) chance of an upgrade fairy visiting your booking and you could end up with a higher category.

  • If you book early, watch the price of the cruise, if it goes down you may be able to call and request the lower rate. (This works best if you are not within the cancellation penalty period).

  • For big soda drinkers, get a soda card (or sticker on some lines). You will be entitled to all you can drink (served on glass at a time usually) for the rest of the cruise.

  • Wine drinkers can bring their own wine on board (some cruise lines limit quantity). There may be a "corkage fee" if you want to bring it to the dining room (usually $10 but some servers "forget" to charge). This can be a big savings because some of the wines on board are overpriced and your favorite vintage may not be available.

  • For drinkers, ask bartenders (usually on port days) about happy hour specials. They are not advertised, but many ships have them, and they even differ from bar to bar on the same ship. The savings isn't much but every little bit helps.

  • If you want to visit the on board spa, the best specials are when the ship is in port. Its also a nice time because the spa (and the rest of the ship) is much quieter.

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