When talking to my friends about taking a cruise, many of them expressed that they thought cruises were too expensive. I disagree. If planned well, a cruise is similar to taking an all-inclusive vacation because your lodging, food and beverages and basic entertainment are included in the price.
That said, my friends’ worries about the price were understandable. Even with my positive feelings about cruises, on a recent trip, I managed to make several costly mistakes. That’s why I’m sharing my mistakes — so you can avoid them and get the most out of what is truly a great vacation method.
1. I Picked an Unusual Departure Port
I admit I fell head over heels over a Southern Caribbean itinerary. I was entranced by all the fabulous islands featured. And, that’s probably why I didn’t think through my departure port.
My departure ports for previous cruises had been in Florida or Texas. Either I had driven to them or had multiple choices of airports nearby to fly into, so travel had been affordable. Unfortunately, Southern Caribbean cruises depart from San Juan, Puerto Rico — a pricey departure city. This meant I had to really watch fares for flights in order to find an affordable one there — a risky move.
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You can avoid this issue by choosing a cruise that departs from a less expensive city. Departures from one of the southern Florida ports, for instance, allow you to select flights into Ft. Lauderdale or Miami. Likewise, a European departure port might give you several options for nearby airports, allowing you to pick a less expensive flight.
2. I Overpaid for the Hotel the Night Before Sailing
If I’m flying into the departure city for a cruise, I always plan to spend the night before in that city. For me, avoiding the added stress that a same-day flight creates is worth the extra expense. Consequently, I needed a hotel room.
I hadn’t realized how expensive one in San Juan could be. And, of course, I wanted to stay in the middle of old San Juan, which added to the expense. Hotels in that area know that cruises depart on Saturdays and Sundays, so the prices of rooms are not heavily discounted on weekends.
Avoid this issue by planning well in advance in order to book a decent Airbnb or other lodging option.
3. I Forgot That the Bigger the Ship, the Bigger the Temptations
This was my first time on a Freedom-class ship on Royal Caribbean. My previous sailings have all been on the smaller Vision-class ships. What I noticed was that with bigger ships come more temptations. On the Freedom of the Seas, for example, in addition to the usual activities I’ve come to expect, guests could join a mystery dinner on the last night for $75 or take a cupcake-decorating class for $22. It’s hard saving money when there are so many great things going on.