Diceman711

[diceman711]

Dear Fellow cruisers

Soon to leave in a month to take only our 2nd Cruise. first being on the Carnival Triumph and now on the allure over Halloween. Am reading a lot about on board credits, coupons etc. can you give me any information about any hints to cut costs down on our cruise. I am doing much of the planning for my wife and our friends. It will be their first cruise and its our 35 th anniversary. Want to make it really special. Any help would be great. thanks and smooth sailing to all. Have read some of the ideas already to cut down on sea and sail charges. Take care.:)

[diceman711]

Dear Fellow cruisers

Soon to leave in a month to take only our 2nd Cruise. first being on the Carnival Triumph and now on the allure over Halloween. Am reading a lot about on board credits, coupons etc. can you give me any information about any hints to cut costs down on our cruise. I am doing much of the planning for my wife and our friends. It will be their first cruise and its our 35 th anniversary. Want to make it really special. Any help would be great. thanks and smooth sailing to all. Have read some of the ideas already to cut down on sea and sail charges. Take care.:)

Thought I would add what this post is about

[cb at sea]

Onboard credits....they can be given to you thru a travel agent, or you can "buy" your own.....so it's not "free" money if you do that! RCI will gladly take payments toward your onboard expenses...call them, if you want to do that.

 

To save money, there's no real need to pay for specialty restaurant, cupcakes, and other things that can run up your costs! Gambling, bingo and photos, not to mention, excursions, are another huge cost! Get a guidebook on your ports...you may find that what interests you is easy to do on your own without paying for excursions! We do that all the time.

 

Since this is your 1st RCi cruise, you won't be getting the coupon booklets that repeat cruisers get...but check your dresser drawers...sometimes, folks will leave their unused coupons behind....use them if you find them!

 

Ice cream is avail. nightly in the dining room, so no need to pay for specialty ice-cream...just wait for dinner!

 

A word of caution...let your friends do some research on their own....they'll get more out of the cruise by doing something on their own behalf!

[diceman711]

thanks so much for the info.Have spent a lot of my time preparing to make the trip special. Did the same when we went to Napa and Hawaii. It's rather fun to learn about what's available and found that there is an ice cream machine on Deck 15 near the pools. It's the little things! Thanks for your help. Take care and smooth sailing.

[johnb0529]

Dear Fellow cruisers

Soon to leave in a month to take only our 2nd Cruise. first being on the Carnival Triumph and now on the allure over Halloween. Am reading a lot about on board credits, coupons etc. can you give me any information about any hints to cut costs down on our cruise. I am doing much of the planning for my wife and our friends. It will be their first cruise and its our 35 th anniversary. Want to make it really special. Any help would be great. thanks and smooth sailing to all. Have read some of the ideas already to cut down on sea and sail charges. Take care.:)

 

If you are leaving in a month, i am assuming you have made final payment. If that is the case, then you have missed your opportunity for getting OBC from your TA, unless they are feeling generous in hopes of getting future business (you can always ask).

 

As for coupons, assuming you are referring the coupons given to members of the various Rewards Programs the different cruise-line have. Generally the only way to get those is through being a high-level rewards member. The number of cruises required varies by program, but is generally 5 and up before you start getting any benefits. One exception on some lines is booking a Suite.

 

After that, it comes down to controlling what you spend. The ship will give you every opportunity to spend more money, so you have to keep on eye on the spending. Alcohol, Pictures, Tours, Brewed Coffee, Some Classes, Specialty Dining, etc.

 

I would also look at Private Tours vs. Ships Tours. You can usually get a better tour that isn't a cattle-car for the same price or less than the cruise-line is offering.

 

Also not sure where you are traveling to, but if international, check our ATM and Credit Cards for International Fees. These can add up! If they do charge, I would look for a bank that offers No Fee ATM and No Fee for International Charges.