Tips for Newbies

[telamarie14]

My husband and I just booked our first cruise! We will be sailing out of New Orleans on Norwegian's Spirit on 1/09/2011 for a 7 day cruise. The ports of call include Costa Maya, Cozumel, Belize City, and Roatan.

 

We are both college students on a rather limited budget. I really want to have a nice and relaxing vacation. I've been dutifully saving and I plan to have $1000 for spending money, but preferably would like to stay below this amount.

 

What are some good tips for saving money? Are there certain things I should completely avoid?

 

Thanks for the advice!!

[cb at sea]

A guidebook on your ports can save you BIG bucks on "excursions"...if you know what's in each place, you won't need to pay to "have fun"...you will know how to do it on your own!

Don't "gamble"...that's a sure losing proposition....

Don't buy the ship's photos...take your own.

Don't eat in any "specialty" restaurants...all meals are included, so there's no real need to pay extra for food.

It's quite easy to have a great time without spending alot more than you spend on the cruisefare....but you HAVE to do the research! You're a college student..that should be easy for you!

[cruiseat50]

Welcome to the world of cruising and Cruise Critic. :D

 

I agree with CB on most points but a few suggestions:

 

Go to photo gallery daily and find your pics - and you can stack one behind the other each day. At the end of the cruise find your stack and see if there are any that you would like to keep (maybe the formal ones- maybe not). They sometimes will have specials on the last day.

 

Biggest way to save money is stay out of the casino or where they play bingo. Unless you really like this sort of thing - but set your limit before you go.

 

You really don't have to go to any specialties but if you want one night to be extra special...

 

If you don't like Pepsi products... you can bring whatever softdrinks you want on board (or if you do and want to save money).

 

If you drink your bar bill be one to watch. I would suggest keeping your receipts and checking daily to see how fast they add up. (you can get a copy of your charges at the customer service desk) Remember there is the $12 a day for the daily service charge so factor that in to your budget. You will probably want to leave a little extra for your cabin steward as they usually go out of their way to make your trip so great.

 

Go to NCL board from the main page of the boards if you haven't already... there is a tun of info there.

 

Do check out the Ports of Call boards for ideas on excursions with private vendors. This will save you a lot! I haven't looked lately but in Roatan there is a place called Fins & Flippers and heard many great things about them and were pretty cheap. We unfortunately didn't go with this and wished we had. In Belize I would suggest the one we did go on and had a blast! We went to Bannister island and loved every minute of it! The people who run the company are great and very accomodating. Check out Ecotoursbelize . com Cozumel... again we went the wrong way and went to Paradise beach. Ugh... it was extremely crowded! If we ever go back we are going to definately go to Nachi Cocum. Check these out at the ports of call.

 

If you haven't already join your roll call there no doubt will be seasoned cruisers that will have wonderful advice.

[rebeccaknott]

I have not tried this, but I read it on cruise critic last year and thought it was a great idea. Take sandwich baggies on the cruise with you and order free room service, sandwiches, potato chips and an apple as your breakfast and you can pack a picnic lunch to have on the beach. It is free and can even be romantic. You will want to select a sandwich that won't spoil in the heat though. Also, I don't think you are supposed to take food into another country, so you would need to be discreet and pack it in your bag. That way you can have breakfast on the ship, lunch on the beach, and dinner on the ship and you have not spent any extra money.

[Twelvevman]

I have not tried this, but I read it on cruise critic last year and thought it was a great idea. Take sandwich baggies on the cruise with you and order free room service, sandwiches, potato chips and an apple as your breakfast and you can pack a picnic lunch to have on the beach. It is free and can even be romantic. You will want to select a sandwich that won't spoil in the heat though. Also, I don't think you are supposed to take food into another country, so you would need to be discreet and pack it in your bag. That way you can have breakfast on the ship, lunch on the beach, and dinner on the ship and you have not spent any extra money.

Many countries are very strict about bringing any non-sealed food into the country off of the ship. This is especialy true for fruits and vegetables. I have seen inspections and the use of dogs sniffing bags when getting off the ship. Yoy can be fined for smuggling food into a foreign country. You can bring factory sealed snacks like granola bars or boxes of cereal from the buffet.

[maebyincomo]

Thanks for all these tips (and for asking the question, OP). We're also going on the same Spirit itinerary (only over Christmas '10 though). We just booked our cruise this afternoon so, of course, I am madly trying to find as much information as possible.

 

Keep the tips/secrets coming :)

[AzEileen]

We took this same cruise in January of this year. It was our first time booking independant excursions and we saved alot of money. We liked "Go with Gus" Humanitarian Tour (visit to children's school was incredible....take candy or school supplies) and cave tubing with Major Tom. We also went to Nachi Cocom in Cozumel. Read the reviews in Ports of Call for suggestions. We booked ahead but at several of the ports there were many vendors ready and willing to sign you up on the spot. Good luck and enjoy the cruise. Spirit is a very nice ship!

[erinmarie424]

You can save money on food by planning your mealtimes on port days - we usually eat a BIG breakfast in the MDR so we can last a little longer than normal until our midday meal - and sometimes just get a snack in port mid-day. When you get back to the ship you can order a sandwich or salad from room service to hold you until dinner. Also, if you don't go too far from the ship it might make sense to go back on board to eat. Or if your port stop is a little later you could eat an early lunch on board before you get off.

 

We usually don't take anything off the ship except water and a couple of Larabars for "emergency" - we like to sample the local food and many places have affordable choices. No need to hide food from the ship in your bag.

[janetz]

These folks have great reviews on the Costa Maya board. Not a ship sponsored excursion, but better and cheaper...There are 3, I think to choose from, depending on how long you are docked.

 

 

http://chacchobenruins.com/default.html

[6rugrats]

I have not tried this, but I read it on cruise critic last year and thought it was a great idea. Take sandwich baggies on the cruise with you and order free room service, sandwiches, potato chips and an apple as your breakfast and you can pack a picnic lunch to have on the beach. It is free and can even be romantic. You will want to select a sandwich that won't spoil in the heat though. Also, I don't think you are supposed to take food into another country, so you would need to be discreet and pack it in your bag. That way you can have breakfast on the ship, lunch on the beach, and dinner on the ship and you have not spent any extra money.

 

Yes, if you are "discreet", it's o.k. to break the agricultural laws of another country.

 

It is not romantic to be embarassed and have your food seized as you get off the ship. Do not do this.

[satxdiver]

It is illegal to take food off the ship when going ashore in most foreign countries. The least they will do is confiscate the food but they can do a lot more. It really is not a good idea.

 

To the OP watch your bar bill as it can get expensive quickly and that includes buying soft drinks at the bar. Don't forget the tips for the dining room and stateroom workers. They usually ask for about $10/day/person total.

 

Stay away from the casino and the specialty restaurants. They charge $20 or more per person. Eat in the MDR (dining room), buffet or other ship venues that is included in your package. Stay out of the spa and their "wonderful" services but do use the gym as it is free. Remember room service is free but do give them a small tip ($2 perhaps).

 

If you want some adult beverages, get it onshore while in port as it will be infinitely cheaper particularly Cozumel. If you like the beach, take a taxi to the beach in Cozumel but don't buy any "package". The taxi will be waiting for you outside the terminal. Be sure to discuss the price before getting into the taxi (price is fixed by the government). A beach visit in Cozumel is cheap. If you like to snorkel, bring your own gear for a free experience.

 

In Costa Maya you will be landing at a resort with the attending high prices similar to what the ship charges. Follow the signs to the taxi and go into Majahaul. The prices will be more moderate for food and drink. There really isn't any beach here. The biggest draw is the Mayan ruins and we took a private tour costing much less than what the ship wanted. In short hang onto your wallet while in Costa Maya. Everything is at an elevated price.

 

Belize City is a tendering port meaning you will have to ride small boats (tenders) into the dock where stores abound with somewhat cheaper prices. Don't venture outside the port area as it is not entirely safe and there is nothing to find. Most like the tubing tour through the caves. We did a private tour that was half the cost of the ship's tour and was better. They also have private tours to Altun Ha the Mayan ruins near the city as well.

 

Roatan, Honduras uses a pier and there is shopping, food and drink just beyond the port area at a reasonable cost. Many go to the west end which requires a taxi ride. Taxi is available just outside the port area. Be sure to negotiate the round trip price before getting in the taxi. Roatan does have some nice beaches and snorkeling areas accessible by taxi.

[rebeccaknott]

Good to know, I read this last year and thought is was a neat idea, but after reading all the posts, I agree, maybe not such a good idea.