Founder & Cruise Expert
Avid cruise enthusiast who cruised so many times he decided to make it a career. Ian has sailed on over 30 cruise lines across 6 continents, from budget-friendly Carnival sailings to luxury Regent Seven Seas voyages. He built CruiseShipTracking to help fellow cruisers track ships, plan voyages, and find the best deals.
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The highest-impact cruise money-saving hacks: book during Wave Season (January-March) for free drink packages worth $500-1,200, bring one bottle of wine per person at embarkation, book independent shore excursions for 30-50% savings, and buy onboard packages online before sailing at 20-30% below onboard prices.
In This Article
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Cruise lines are sophisticated revenue optimization machines. Every element of the onboard experience, from the cabin assignment process to the buffet layout to the way drink packages are sold, has been engineered to maximize your spending.
That doesn't mean you're helpless. It means the game is worth understanding. Here are 21 hacks that genuinely work.
Ready to book a cruise? Browse 12,000+ live cruise deals on Cruisebound. Filter by destination, length, cabin type, and departure port to see today's pricing before you keep reading.
Before You Book
1. Book During Wave Season
Wave Season runs January through March. During this window, cruise lines compete aggressively for bookings on sailings throughout the year. Promotions typically include free drink packages (worth $500-1,200 per couple on 7-night sailings), free gratuities, onboard credits, and cabin upgrades.
The math is simple: a free Premium Drink Package for two on a 7-night sailing saves $700-1,400 compared to purchasing it onboard. Wave Season is the single best booking window.
2. Set Price Alerts After Booking
Most cruise lines guarantee that if the base fare drops between your booking date and final payment (90-120 days before sailing), you can claim the lower rate or upgrade to a better cabin at your original price.
Set a monthly calendar reminder to check your booking's current price. Fares fluctuate based on inventory and demand. A $100-200 drop is common; occasional drops of $300-500 per person are not unheard of.
3. Compare Cruise Line Pricing on Multiple Platforms
Prices for identical sailings can differ between the cruise line's direct website, online travel agencies, and cruise specialist travel agents. Travel agents often have access to group-rate inventory with lower fares plus added onboard credit. Before booking directly, get a quote from at least one cruise specialist agency.
4. Book Inside Cabins Midship on Lower Decks
Inside cabins are the cheapest cabin category. But within inside cabins, location matters for price. Not for experience. A midship inside cabin on deck 6 costs less than the same cabin midship on deck 10, while providing identical amenities, better motion stability (lower center of mass), and the same access to every part of the ship.
Avoid: Aft cabins and cabins directly above or below entertainment venues. Noise travels.
5. Consider Repositioning Cruises
Cruise Door Organizer 24 Pockets Magnetic
- 24 clear pockets attach magnetically to the metal cabin door
- Holds sunscreen, lanyards, snacks, and small items
The single most recommended cruise hack, turns your cabin door into instant storage
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DIYMAG Magnetic Hooks 6-Pack
- Super-strong neodymium magnets stick to cabin walls and ceilings
- Hang hats, bags, towels, and lanyards anywhere
Cruise cabin walls are steel, magnetic hooks turn every surface into storage
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5-Pack Cruise Lanyards Waterproof
- Waterproof holders protect your cruise card at the pool and on excursions
- Five lanyards for the whole family
Your cruise card is your key, wallet, and ID, a waterproof lanyard keeps it safe and accessible
View on AmazonWhen cruise ships move between seasonal deployment regions (Mediterranean to Caribbean in autumn, Alaska to Caribbean in late September), they offer transatlantic crossings at 40-60% below standard fares. These itineraries have more sea days and unusual dates, but the per-day pricing is remarkable.
Search for repositioning sailings on cruise line websites or find repositioning ships on our search.
On Embarkation Day
6. Buy All Packages Online Before You Board
Drink packages, dining packages, WiFi packages, and shore excursion credits purchased online before your sailing are consistently 20-30% cheaper than purchasing them onboard on embarkation day.
The cruise line knows that once you're aboard, your reference point shifts. $110/day for drinks seems reasonable at sea when you're in vacation mode. $110/day feels expensive when you're sitting at home at your laptop comparison shopping.
Always check pre-purchase prices before leaving for your cruise. Buy what you know you'll use.
7. Bring Wine at Embarkation
Most mainstream cruise lines (Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian, Celebrity, Holland America, Princess) allow each adult to bring one 750ml bottle of wine or champagne at embarkation, at no charge. Two adults can bring two bottles.
A $20-25 bottle from a grocery store near the port provides the same experience as a $40-60 bottle purchased onboard. On a 7-night sailing, two people save $50-100 with minimal effort.
Prohibited: Spirits and beer. Wine and champagne only, in carry-on luggage (not checked bags. They're X-rayed at check-in).
8. Eat at the Buffet on Embarkation Day
Cabins aren't ready until early afternoon on embarkation day, and hungry passengers flood specialty restaurants and pay for early access to dining options. The Windjammer or equivalent buffet is fully operational and free from the moment you board. Lunch is included; use it.
Drinks and Dining
9. Time Your Drink Package Decision
If you're genuinely on the fence about a drink package, calculate your realistic consumption before buying:
Break-even on a $90/day package: approximately 4-5 alcoholic beverages per person per day
If you'll have 2 cocktails at dinner and 1 at the pool, buying by the drink is cheaper
Non-alcoholic packages ($30-40/day) are often better value than they appear. Specialty coffees, fresh juices, smoothies, and mocktails add up quickly.
The genuine savings case: If two adults both drink 5+ drinks per day, the couples' package saves $300-500 over individual purchasing on a 7-night sailing.
10. Use the Main Dining Room
The main dining room is included in your fare and is, on most mainstream ships, genuinely good. A three-course dinner with attentive service and a real menu costs you nothing. Specialty restaurants on mainstream ships run $30-55 per person as an add-on.
One specialty dinner for a special occasion is reasonable. Three specialty dinners is over-spending.
11. Bring a Reusable Water Bottle
Bottled water on cruise ships costs $3-6 per bottle. A refillable water bottle used at cabin water stations and dining room pitchers saves $20-40 per person per week at essentially zero inconvenience.
12. Skip the Bottled Soda Program
Cruise lines sell soda cards and packages for $8-12/day. If you drink a lot of soda, this can be worth it. But most drink package tiers include soda, and the free beverage offerings (water, iced tea, lemonade, coffee) are available throughout the ship at no charge.
Shore Excursions
13. Book Independent Tours for 30-50% Savings
Ship-sold excursions carry a significant markup over what local operators charge independently. The same snorkeling tour in Cozumel that costs $110 ship-sold runs $45-65 booked through a local operator. The same private driver in Rome costs $200+ ship-sold versus $120-150 booked independently.
The ship-sold advantage: If the tour runs late and you miss the all-aboard, the ship waits when you've booked through the ship. Independent tours don't carry this guarantee.
Risk mitigation: Use reliable, well-reviewed operators booked in advance. Give yourself a 60-minute buffer before all-aboard. In familiar ports, the risk is low and the savings are real.
14. Use Free Port Time Strategically
Many ports have excellent free or nearly free experiences within walking distance of the pier:
Nassau: Fort Charlotte, Queen's Staircase, Government House are all free
Cozumel: San Gervasio ruins, local restaurants on the main square, town center
Dubrovnik: The city walls cost €17, but the old city itself is free to wander
St. Thomas: Magens Bay beach costs $6 entry; getting there is a $6 taxi
Build at least one free or cheap port activity into your itinerary. Not every port day needs a $100+ excursion.
15. Combine Excursions as a Group
Private tours priced per vehicle rather than per person become dramatically cheaper when shared. A private driver in Rome for $200 covering 6 hours costs $40 per person split among 5 travelers. Competitive with ship-sold bus tours at $70+ per person, with far better flexibility.
Cruise forums (CruiseCritic roll calls for your specific sailing) are the traditional way to find others to split private tours. This works especially well for Civitavecchia → Rome transfers.
Onboard Spending
16. Use Cash in the Casino
Ship casinos accept onboard account charges, which makes it psychologically easy to overspend. The frictionless tap-to-pay experience removes the natural brake of handing over physical money.
Bring a fixed cash budget to the casino. When it's gone, you're done. Set the limit before you board. Not at the table.
Aerotrunk Compression Packing Cubes 4-Pack
- Double-zipper compression cuts volume by up to 60%
- Four sizes cover every clothing type
Compression cubes are the single best way to fit a week of cruise outfits into a carry-on
View on Amazon17. Visit the Spa on Embarkation Day or Port Days
Spa prices are dynamic. They're lowest on embarkation day (when the ship wants initial bookings) and on port days (when demand falls as most passengers are ashore). They're highest on sea days when everyone is on the ship.
The thermal suite (heated loungers, steam rooms, hydrotherapy) is typically $30-60/day and represents far better value than full spa treatments. Book a sea-day treatment on a port day.
OlarHike 10-Set Compression Packing Cubes
- Ten-piece set includes multiple sizes plus shoe bag and laundry bag
- Color-coded for easy family organization
Families sharing a cabin need maximum organization, 10 cubes cover everyone
View on Amazon18. Skip the Photo Package (Usually)
Cruise photographers work every dinner, embarkation, and formal night producing portraits you can purchase as prints or digital packages. Photo packages are sold for $100-400 for the week's digital images.
Unless you're on a honeymoon or milestone celebration where you genuinely want a professional portrait archive, the ship photographer photos are redundant for anyone with a smartphone. Skip it.
WiFi and Technology
19. Use the Cellular Hotspot Option (Sometimes)
Some cruise ships are now in range of cell towers at certain ports, briefly enabling cellular data at your carrier's international roaming rates. This is useful for a quick email check or map access while in port, a few minutes of data at $10-15/day international roaming (check your plan's rates) versus $15-25/device/day for ship WiFi.
Know your carrier's international day pass rates before sailing. Some plans (T-Mobile Magenta, Google Fi) include international data that works in many ports at no additional cost.
20. Buy the Cheapest WiFi Tier That Meets Your Needs
Most lines offer tiered WiFi packages: social media only, browsing, and streaming. If you don't need video calls or Netflix, the browsing tier at $15-20/day is adequate. The streaming tier ($25-30/day) is worth it only if you genuinely need reliable video.
Buy pre-cruise at the lowest useful tier; upgrade onboard if needed (you'll still save money over buying streaming access outright).
Post-Cruise
21. Book Your Next Cruise While Still on the Ship
Most cruise lines offer "onboard booking" discounts: reduced deposits, onboard credit (typically $100-300 per stateroom), and sometimes early access to promotions. You don't have to commit to a specific date, many lines allow open bookings for a future credit you can apply later.
The savings are real: an onboard booking credit of $200 covers a meaningful portion of a drink package or shore excursion budget on your next sailing.
The Bottom Line
The most expensive cruise mistakes are made before the ship leaves port: not monitoring for price drops, buying packages at onboard prices, and booking ship-sold excursions without comparing independent alternatives.
Apply even five or six of the above hacks on a 7-night sailing and you'll realistically save $300-600 per couple, enough to meaningfully upgrade your excursion budget or simply keep in your pocket.
Compare cruise lines to find the right ship and itinerary, then use our tools to calculate your real total cruise cost before you book.
