Weddingbee Blog

This post is one that I’ve been wanting to do for quite a while. See… Frogger and I are big into cruises. We’re talking giant ship, all-you-can-eat, belly flop contest, waking up in a new country each day, make your own schedule vacations.

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Initially being the stubborn girl that I am, I resisted the idea of our honeymoon being a cruise. I wanted to do something different than our typical vacation choice but when you add up the dollars and cents, it’s honestly really hard to beat. Although I’m no expert, I know a thing or two, so here is Froggie’s guide to million-dollar-cruising-on-a-mini-budget:

So, first off, although cruises are not exactly all-inclusive, there are some key elements that are included in the price which traditional honeymoons just can’t compete with. What’s included in the price of your ticket (and this refers to most cruise lines):

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Food – typically there are multiple locations on board that offer food options ranging from buffets to cafes to fancy sit-down dinners; room service is also included in this and is available 24 hours… yep, you can have chocolate chip cookies delivered to your room at 3:30 AM. Not that I would know anything about that.

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Ship activities – each day a schedule is delivered to your room featuring a variety of activities such as contests, trivia, dance parties, wine tastings, ship tours, karaoke, piano bar, sporting events, theater shows, virtual driving ranges, the list goes on…

Now here are my tips for what to expect and what I’ve learned on my previous vacations.

• Although juice, tap water, iced tea and coffee are free, sodas are not. You have the opportunity to buy a soda card at the beginning of the cruise for around $25-$35 which lasts for the entire trip.
• Alcohol is not cheap. I’ve heard that people pack alcohol in their checked luggage and never have a problem keeping it in their room. I’ve also heard that people will purchase the soda card mentioned above and use that for their mixer with their alcohol… just saying. I obviously have no personal experience with this.
• A new trend among cruise lines, with Norwegian Cruise Line leading the pack, is on-board restaurants that are more exotic and enticing than the included on-board fare. The catch? - these restaurants charge a reservation fee ranging from $5-$35. Depending on how you budget this can be worth it during certain special occasions but keep in mind, it will quickly add to your bottom line.
• Another expense to take into consideration is excursions. While you are not required to sign up for excursions, they do help you to make the most of a visit to a port. Those vary in price from as low as around $25 to as high as more than $200… it just depends on how extravagant the excursion is. One thing to note—if you’re a newbie, book through the cruise line—don’t book with an outside company for an excursion. It may be cheaper but if you are late back to the ship for any reason, they will literally pull anchor and leave without you! Wait until your second or third cruise before you get adventurous with outside vendors—that way you’ll know how timing works in ports and will be more comfortable with who you book through.

My last few tips are:

1. Shop around. We’ve booked both through the cruise line itself which after becoming a member and signing up for emails, we received the best deal, but we’ve also found great deals after a little Googling. Sites love to entice with offers of ship credits, room upgrades, etc. so just keep your eyes peeled and definitely sign up for email alerts!
2. Consider using a travel agent. Unlike when you are booking airfare, cruises don’t require you to pay a fee to the travel agent, they are paid commission by the cruise line itself. The bonus with using a travel agent (I suggest searching through T+L online for recs) is that they can usually offer on-board credit or cab in upgrades and can offer insight as to what rooms might have an obstructed view on certain ships.
3. Book a room with an ocean view. I’ve done the interior room thing and although it can work when on a tight budget, it’s so worth it to book a room with a window so that when you wake up in the morning and you’re in a new country—you open the blinds and it’s a whole new world each day! If you can book a balcony or higher, all the better!
4. Attend as many activities on the ship as possible. They may sound cheesy but they really make the trip memorable… and they make for some killer photo oops!
5. Watch the sunset. Again, sounds cheesy but honestly it’s the most relaxing part of the day when you are out on the upper deck, breeze in your hair, watching the sunset over the open water. It’s a pinch yourself moment and one that you can relive on each new cruise you take.

Are you a cruise person? Would you consider doing a cruise for your honeymoon?