10 Cruise Booking Hacks that Will SAVE You Money

You can't beat Princess Plus for pricing!

Thank you so much for this. I am finding out that I am doing good at booking our cruises. Happy New Year to you and your family!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR ! SUBSCRIBE AND LIKE

One thing I have done is after booking up until the time of final payment, I call every so often and ask if any of the current offers can be applied to our account and if our cabin has the lowest rate available. On our last cruise, this allowed us to have over $200 in OBC! This was with Carnival.

Good points. Verry informative as always. I am wondering if you have a recommandation for a travel agent specialising in cruising in Canada. Thank you in advance.

I took advantage of 2for1 airfare on Norwegian. Big mistake I'll never let anyone book my airfare again. We got booked on an over-night flight into an airport that was a 3 hour drive from the cruise port (and there was an international airport in the embarkation port)

Happy New year

HAL doesn't do a bid, but I usually get an upgrade offer 2-3 weeks before the cruise.

I have never been on a cruise, but I would like to go on one to Alaska. Can you tell me the best way to find a travel agent to help me. I live in Iowa and have never used one. Thank you

The blue print dress is flattering on you!

My tip: Don’t be afraid NOT to take the “have it all” packages. We have done cruises booking cruise rate only and save in the long run because: 1- we don’t drink a lot of alcohol 2-we may not care about excursions 3-we have done our homework and observed how much we spend on our cruises for: drinks, excursions and misc. we use onboard credit for wifi if we want it and toward our drinks and gratuities. Also we watch how many sea days there are for estimations as well as you can drink more:any beverages and other ship activities with cost as well as spa. Know your needs, wants and non-negotiables. Cheers and Happy New year Illana! 🎉🎉🎉😊

Lowest fare option works for us.

Great tips.

I was wondering if you have been on the NCL Prima yet? I've seen mostly bad reviews??? I am booked for march and it's paid in full..

Also check your airfares. We booked a cruise to Tahiti ( cancelled during covid @#%$! ) that ended on a Sunday. Airfare back to USA on Sunday was several hundred more than on Tuesday !

Thank you so much for your tips. I have never cruised, but by watching your videos and 2 others (Tips for Travellers & Emma Cruises) I have confidently now booked 4 cruises. I booked on high value days ie: Black Friday w low dep (Alaska w HAL, Norwegian Fjords w MSC) and Boxing day specials (Med Cruise w Costa & Western EU Cities w Cunards Queen Anne for 2024). I selected my cabin on 3 of them and will do guaranteed inside w Costa. I'll watch the prices but honestly, I feel like I got fab rates and on board credits plus I don't drink much and seeing as I'm new to cruising and don't know if I'll get sea sick, I don't plan on drinking much to be safe - so I wont buy expe sive drinks pkgs. I also prefer to research excursions and not be on a bus w 50+ people so will see which makes more sense on pre bkg them etc. I bk my own flts and pre cruise hotels as well. Happy New Year!

We don't drink soda or alcohol.

Great advice! On our Princess Cruise, checked pkg prices verses without. Much cheaper. With all you have pay on a cruise, gratuities, wifi, drinks etc.. was best option for us. Don't drink but still did princess plus, sodas and such. Very good deal
Oh and checking prices saved me a couple hundred bucks so always always keep checking the prices.

Thank you for sharing
I cruise solo and I don't drink also don't care about all exclusive deals
Can I use on board credit toward paying for supplement
Thanks

Thank you for these tips!

Can you please upload this on your website too pls thanks so much love ❤your content

So if you have booked a cruise and the price or a special package of some kind comes up how do you get that? What about transportation relocation cruise?

Hi Ilana! I've been binging your videos for a few weeks now and I've learned so much already! Thanks for all your tips and for sharing your experience so generously. I live in Longueuil, and I'm planning to book our first cruise. I was thinking of doing it with Costco Travel, but I wonder what you think about it. Is it better to do it with a regular travel agency? If so, do you have any recommendations for a travel agent in Montreal? Thanks again and have a glorious beginning of the year!

I don't much travel agents in this online age. Interested if there any for my future criuse booking.

And, for the military community, don't forget to ask for the military discount! Only military ID needed. There is also a discount for senior citizens.

Super random question but what’s a realistic budget for food,souvenirs, etc on the ship?! Trying to figure out how much is needed to be saved for a cruise I’m wanting to go on in September!

We usually don't take all inclusive cruise fares because we don't drink. Even by purchasing speciality coffees or mocktails separately, we don't spend any where near the cost of the beverage packages. We prepay our tips and some speciality dining and we save a significant amount of money. We've stopped purchasing wifi on most ships unless they are known to have good wifi. Once you know your spending habits, it will be easier to determine which option is best.

Thank you thank you.
As a former Director of the 8th largest Tvl .Agency. on the east coast of the U. S. It is so nice to hear your recommendation to use a T. A.

Some cruise fares drop and some rise coming up to sail date. Some actually plummet and typically those would be repositioning, Transatlantic first/last leg of world cruise. Difficult to sell because airfares peak for short notice flight bookings. Last minute cruise cheap cruise might have a very high airfare required to get on board. You can target a potential cruises but wait until last minute to book the cruise. However early on may be up to a year ahead book refundable air tickets and refundable hotel room for the appropriate dates. Either the cruise fare drops and you bag a bargain or the cruise fare holds up or increases and you apply for air and hotel refunds.

May I please ask how much a cocktail for instance on Royal Caribbean is to see if it's woth taking the drink package. Or maybe you know where I can check prices please. I enjoy your video's been finding them helpful.

I found that not getting the inclusive packages saved me a bunch. I don’t drink everyday so I don’t need a drink package. I also got $400 in credits. I did bid for an upgrade as a surprise for my wife if I get it. As a first time cruiser, I hope I didn’t spend too much, but I will certainly use an agent next time.

Still not sure how to check for dropped pricing on the website.... your saying to try and book another cruise on that particular ship and then call the agent if it is cheaper?

Ok - first of all I love your videos. I sat at my computer with Amazon open while I was watching your 50 cruise hacks video an the pack with me for a cruise video. I end up buying a brilliant fan to take on board (sat nicely on top of the light next to the bed and could tilt down). The packing cubes and magnetic hooks were great. We used the hooks to hold hats, games, lanyards, bags, towels - you name it. On top of that for the second cruise (I did back to back), I was sharing with a friend. The separated beds were a little too close for comfort so I used the magnetic hooks to hold up a shower curtain. It worked brilliantly. The only thing I will be adding to my cruise kit will be a suction cup hook as the cabinetry is not magnetic and I had to work some magic to make it work.

I've been trying to find a tour guide in the US, but am having a hard time figuring out how to vet them, or their websites don't have the cruise I'm interested in listed. Any advice on how to pick an agent, things I should be looking for? The cruise will be heading from NY into CAN and back, in September this year, on MSC; a deposit has already been paid

Ty in adv to anyone who might be helpful; I'll be a first time cruiser, and it's my first solo trip as well. 😀

I am trying to go thru your cruise info (you have ALOT) thank you for all you do - It will be our first cruise in maybe 20 years but we at our age foresee a multiple cruise vacations each year - glenda

how do you bid for a cabin upgrade?

I am sure my wife and I get ripped off on the drinks packages since we don't drink much; the cruise lines seem to assume each person has about six drinks a day. We get $100 in OBC per cruise because we have NCLH stock, though unfortunately the stock has gone down.

As for travel agents, the one we have used in the past offered us a flight and hotel package that was WAY more expensive (like 2.5 times) what we found on our own, so we stopped using her. I have since contacted three travel agents that others have recommended. They've all said they're really busy and would get back to me, but didn't. Don't know what's up with that. Would be happy to hear recommendations from others.

We recently booked a repositioning cruise on Norwegian that runs from August 28-September 8, 2023. It starts in Venice (Trieste) and ends in Barcelona. It was a GREAT deal (only $999 each for an inside cabin; looks like they've since raised it to $1,049), far less than you'd pay for a standard cruise that started and ended at the same place. We love Venice and I've always wanted to go to Barcelona, so the itinerary is great too. We'd prefer not to have an inside cabin, but figure we'll bid on an upgrade; the last three cruises, we've bid on and gotten an upgrade from inside cabin to balcony for $250-300 per person. We also took Norwegian's BOGO airfare deal, so we pay (from Chicago) $1,500 for one of us and zero for the other. (Non-round trip flights are expensive.) Very happy with the deal.

You talk about that bidding for an upgrade. How do you do that?

My dear thank you for your videos! I have a question. If I already have my medical insurance do I have to get a separate travel insurance and why. Thank you so much in advance! ❤❤❤😊😊😊

Hey, just wanted to say that I've been enjoying your videos. I'm trying to plan my first cruise for me and my mother for next year and I've learned so many things from you.

For me i love to give my clients extra onboard credit who book through me. I learned this from my TA before I becaame one myself.

Thank you Ilana. Who have helped me so much I have learnes so much from you. I am beyond grateful I found you.

Your videos are so informative! I'm planning our first cruise this winter & I'm feeling more prepared. Thank you!

On our last cruise with Princess, we booked an oceanview cabin and since it was our 3rd cruise with Princess, they upgraded us to a balcony and we only found out as we boarded our cruise ship. I have never heard of bidding for an upgrade. So how do you do that?

I used a travel agent and I found a ocean view cabin for 725 on the Symphony of the Seas. Actual price was 1600. I was so impressed not for the fact that we didnt got a high cabin but the ship that we got was the most value and made the cruise 100 times more exciting. We can't wait to sail this next summer!!! Use travel agents guys she is 100% right I'm witness of this topic.

I paid full price, and didn't get any refunds or discounts.

I spent a lot of money on our cruise with carnival. This turns me off from cruising. An all-inclusive trip to Jamaica, would've probably been a better option.

I used one of their booking agents.

But on the positive side, the more I cruise, the more I save.

On another positive note, I really appreciate your videos. There really helpful.

Hi Ilana, I've been watching your videos non stop ever since booking my first cruise two weeks ago! You make such great content - I'm so excited for my first Royal Caribbean cruise in October this year.
I did book the lowest possible room - an interior cabin where RC picks the room for me. I thought I won't be spending much time in there anyways and want to get the most use out of all the things the ship has to offer. But now that you mentioned bidding I'm curios. How and where would I bid for a higher room category? I booked the cruise myself on RC website, not through a travel agent.

Thanks for all you do!

Are all cruises announced the year before, or is there a chance that there will be more routes added for next year?

You're my favorite cruise channel!