Getting More WITHOUT Paying for it

[slp123]

Every one of us wants some of the "extras" offered on a cruise that will cost us above and beyond the base inside cabin price. Below is a list of items which cruise line executives most gladly offer you in exchange for an additional charge to your cruise invoice or onboard account. I want to share some of the ways to get these extras at no charge. And I would love to hear of any strategies that you have employed with success. And by extras for free I do not mean the recent trend among high priced luxury lines to include with your cabin price all liquor consumed (excepting rare vintage wine) and most shore excursions. These are not free extras . . . the cost of these extras got included into you high per Diem cabin price.

Here is a list of most extra’s which carry an additional charge.

• Upgraded Cabin
  
• Optional Specialty Dining Venues
  
• Alcoholic Beverages
  
• Shore Excursions
  
• Spa Treatments/Exercise Classes
  
• Business or First Class Airfare
  
• The Casino
  
• On board shopping
  
• Photos taken by ship photographer
  

 

Below you will find ways to get free cabin upgrades, free specialty dinners and free or greatly discounted drinks. I am not much help on the other extras listed above because I never spend any significant amount on any of them because . . .

• I prefer candid photos taken by myself and friends over the ship’s photographer
  
• Ship shops very much follow Neiman Markus pricing policy of ‘needless markup” and I prefer to buy in the ports we visit
  
• I never gamble where the odds favor the house
  
• Shipboard masseurs lack knowledge of your prior physical history; therefore they are of limited value
  
• I almost always make my own shore arrangements
  
• I have either enough miles or elite status to get a free ticket or upgrade
  

 

BUT OTHERS VALUE SOME OF THESE THINGS for very legitimate reasons, so share your secrets.

 

Here are a few tips that I am happy share that should yield you free “extras” and free upgrades. Please share any tools that you have successfully employed in recent years.

 

1. I am not a big drinker but I do like a glass of wine or two at dinner each night while on a cruise. By far the best deal for this without paying any additional charge is found on Azamara, a small deluxe line that is not all inclusive but which includes in the cabin price free wine by the glass at every lunch and dinner and their cabin prices are far below prices charged on luxury lines.
   
2. Celebrity is the only premium line which allows you to buy an unlimited drink card for the full length of the cruise. There is both a standard brand and premium liquor card. Less of a savings is available on HAL which offers has a discount drink card BUT it is still a per drink price, only you have prepaid. Whether this is a good value for you depends on your consumption rate---for me it is not a good value.
   
3. I do like dining in specialty restaurants—on average 2 out of every 7 cruise nights. I have never paid more than once on a 7 or 14 day cruise. (A) On HAL book your cruise on AMEX and you get one free specialty dining reservation for your cabin for each week of the cruise. (B)For my upcoming Celebrity Cruise I booked two cabins with the Certified Vacation Planner in 4 minutes after getting a price quote and without any other question. After we finished he asked me if I had any questions. I said, “Just one . . . was I the easiest and fasting booking he had done in a month.” He laughed and replied “in a year”. I replied in jest “does that mean I win two complimentary Specialty Dinners for my two cabins.” Without hesitation he said yes and my reservation record was so noted. Now I am not saying replicate what I did but, the cruise agents, especially at Celebrity and Azamara, will bend over backwards if you are pleasant, complimentary and ask without any hint of expectation or entitlement. I really had not expected a yes answer. ©you can almost always be seated for free in any dining venue you previously paid for earlier in the cruise by making sure the host will remember you when you stop by and ask to be fit in. (D)Also on the last night of a cruise after about 8 pm if you show up at any alternative venue which has open seats, if you express a wish to try this specialty restaurant but never got around to it, the room manager will likely seat you. Remember his continued existence depends on popularity and continued positive comments on the cruise surveys
   

 

And this brings me to my Holy Grail, paying for an ocean view cabin but always getting confirmed into a veranda cabin . . . not a guarantee but an actual pre-assigned cabin of my choice. In the last 5 years I have been able to do this in 7 of the 9 cruises taken. In the case of the 8th cruise, the ship was older with only 40% Veranda cabins so we paid for an inside cabin and traveled in an ocean view cabin at no additional charge. And in the case of the 9th cruise we paid for a Veranda but got access to full Suite amenities throughout the ship while sleeping in a standard size veranda cabin.

 

All of these free cabin upgrades strategies I will share in a later installment in a few days. I am out of time now and I have gone on far too long and want to hear from others who have their own “victories” to share

[Ex-Airbalancer]

I have zero so far

[Lois R]

Sometimes my elevator doesn't go all the way to the top so I want

to make sure I get your post...

 

Basically you are asking "how do you get what you want without

spending extra money for it?":confused:

[Hlitner]

Interesting thread and we will offer our own input. On Celebrity, if you want to save money on drinks just work yourself up to Elite status and take advantage of the daily cocktail parties :). As to the ship's shops, DW (the real shopper in our family) tell me that T-shirts can often be a reasonable value but there is not much else we would buy on a ship.

 

As to the speciality restaurants, there are sometimes "hidden" discounts in these restaurants (sometimes reported here) that can be very good deals. We ourselves have managed to get 2 for 1 deals in Qsine, Murano and in the Tuscan Grill. We have also been offered 30% off in the Lawn (did not take the offer). These discounts may or may not be available on your ship and/or cruise and seem to be driven by supply and demand. But it never hurts to ask..... so stop by the specialty restaurants and quietly (out of hearing of others) ask the person on the desk if they are offereing any discounts. If they say no...then you have lost a min or your life. We posted a recent experience on the Silhouette but will repeat it here. One evening, while we were in the Elite cocktail party, a gentleman from Qsine stopped by our table and asked if anyone was interested in going to Qsine that same evening ...if they got a 30% discount. We politely declined (as did the other couple at our table) but then I told the Qsine staff person that if he offered us 2 for 1 we would reconsider. A few minutes later he stopped back at our table and said he would give us the 2 for 1 if all four of us would go to Qsine that night. We said yes.....and, as always, loved dining in Qsine.

 

In Murano, we were also able to get a 2 for 1 rate on the first night of the cruise (we did back to back cruises so this was actually on the 2nd cruise) which was offered to anyone in Aqua Class (if they asked).

 

Hank

[Tomato53]

Among many other things, Mom taught me:

 

-You get what you pay for

-Never buy the cheapest anything

-There is no free lunch

-Nothing is free

[DocJohnB]

Sometimes my elevator doesn't go all the way to the top so

 

Lois,

 

If that is the case, you need to ensure that you get a cabin somewhere below the Lido . . . . :D :D ;) :D

[ikelmay]

 

1. I am not a big drinker but I do like a glass of wine or two at dinner each night while on a cruise. By far the best deal for this without paying any additional charge is found on Azamara, a small deluxe line that is not all inclusive but which includes in the cabin price free wine by the glass at every lunch and dinner and their cabin prices are far below prices charged on luxury lines.
   

I would have agreed with you until recently, but Azamara have decided to 'upgrade' their product and are now charging IMO premium cuise line prices that I don't think is warranted. Their semi-inclusive approach now includes all wine with meals and house brand liquor and beer. Fine if you drink like a fish, but we don't and I'd rather take the less upscale Celebrity on a newer ship with more choice. We have taken 5 Azamara cruises, but it now doesn't feature on our radar, which is a great shame.

[phoenix_dream]

I wanna hear about the cabin upgrades..............:):):)

[WpgCruise]

Among many other things, Mom taught me:

 

-You get what you pay for

-Never buy the cheapest anything

-There is no free lunch

-Nothing is free

 

I couldn't agree more.

 

Someone getting "smoething for nothing" usually means someone else had to pay for it. All I want is what I pay for, nothing more, nothing less.

[slp123]

I realize that by being so wordy, I have not been particularly clear.

 

My point for this thread is to share with other cruise lovers ways to cruise for less without having to cheapen the experience you would like to have. Everyone either has a budget and/or loves a bargain. So the purpose of this thread is to share "secrets" that will save you money when booking your next cruise. And if we can achieve that, well then we might just get to cruise more often. And who doesn't want that for ourselves and our friends on these boards.

 

So anything you think is worthwhile knowing that saves you money on your cruises, I invite you to share with the rest of us. And please feel free to ask about any suggestions I make which you have questions about.

 

Steven

[firemanbobswife]

Book while onboard for "free" cabin upgrades and OBC. IF you don't know what cruise you want to do next, do an Open Passages Certificate. You won't get the room upgrade, but you will get OBC.

 

Keep in mind that they are not combinable with some fares, or other OBC such as Shareholder Credit. We have done both of these and have nothing but good things to say about them.

 

Hopefully this is the type of information you are looking for.

[Alg63]

I have to wonder how you would feel about "giving something for nothing" every time if it was coming out of YOUR own pocket.

 

As the other posters have said ... You get nothing for nothing and very little for a penny.

 

Writing posts like this make peope think they DESERVE something for nothing. Sounds like getting welfare or disability when you are perfectly capable of working... But don't "want to".

[cruisestitch]

Please let us dismiss any ideas of ripping off the cruise line by sharing drink packages, using Elite coupons that aren't yours, and so forth.

 

That being said, using Choice Air on one way air fares for transatlantic cruises is a way to use a feature offered by the cruise line to save money.

[slp123]

Please let us dismiss any ideas of ripping off the cruise line by sharing drink packages, using Elite coupons that aren't yours, and so forth.

 

That being said, using Choice Air on one way air fares for transatlantic cruises is a way to use a feature offered by the cruise line to save money.

 

Thank you....we are not talking about sneaking liquor on board, contrary to a cruise line's policy or using your personal drink card at 8 different bars in order to get free drinks for your friends. In fact when I go through my upgrade strategies, some of them I learned in two different phone conversations with Dan Hanrahan during his tenure as CEO of Celebrity.

 

More on all that when time allows later this week.

[cruisestitch]

Good to know, because in the other thread, on unlimited drink packages, when you wrote:

 

"I bought a beverage package. I am traveling with two friends who did not who are in a nearby cabin. When you say "sea pass" are you referring to one's Cabin-Key/Cruise-ID card? Are you saying to get two drinks at the same time you need to present two key cards? Di they have to be for the same cabin?

 

BTW the beverage card I have is a "Premium Nonalcoholic Package" so it would be used just to get an extra premium coffee, juice or soda."

 

It certainly looked like you were contemplating buying extra drinks for your friends who aren't on the beverage packages, so I am glad you clarified your intent.

[Ozzmund]

slp123,

 

Thanks for this interesting topic. I am sorry folks attacked you for sharing your experiences.

 

I will give a few of your suggestions a try and will not feel dishonest in the least.

 

I was once moved from economy to first class on Delta when I offered to assist a cabin attendant who was struggling to help an elderly gentleman stow a bag in the overhead compartment. I enjoyed the flight and did not feel that I shortchanged the airline.

[ischeer]

I never gamble where the odds favor the house

 

I assume this means you never gamble, since the odds ALWAYS favor the house. Otherwise the "house" would go out of business. The only variable is by how much do the odds favor the house ?

[slp123]

I assume this means you never gamble, since the odds ALWAYS favor the house. Otherwise the "house" would go out of business. The only variable is by how much do the odds favor the house ?

 

I do gamble. But never in a casino. I play bridge and trivia games for money and I call that gambling .... I just like the odd a lot better.

 

S

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Ok, where the rest of the story!

I want know the secrets , need to finish booking my TA:D

[TravelerThom]

I assume this means you never gamble, since the odds ALWAYS favor the house. Otherwise the "house" would go out of business. The only variable is by how much do the odds favor the house ?

Almost always. However if you use the $5 Match Play often included in frequent cruiser coupons and play appropriately, the odds can favor you [and by a significant amount]. Of course the house hopes that they can suck you into continuing to play after those few coupons, so they can make their money back and more.

 

I generally agree that "you get what you pay for", but cruises are a prime example of when this is not the case. Cruise lines lose substantial money selling cruises, but make this up with profit from on-board sales [if you don't believe this, I can provide specific numbers from cruise line published annual reports].

 

Thom

[swigso]

Hi,

What a great post to start the New Year, and yes I

fully agree that by being polite, having a bit of knowledge,

and not expecting the earth can bring its rewards.

You catch more flies with sugar than salt,

I have been upgraded twice now for free simply by being polite,

having my passport open at the right page and empathising with the check

in desk personnel.

Always ask if seats 2a and b are available, Delta and US airways thank you.

 

Join Starwood rewards and always ask can i pay to upgrade

To a Suite, it's amazing how many times I have had you know what

I am going to put you in our best available room,

Never hurts to ask.

[cruiserziggy]

I'm curious; how is sharing information about how one might be offered a legitimate discount on something, or obtain a bonus or "perk" construed as being dishonest? If you knew that an airline might drop the price of a flight on Tuesday, and therefore you wait until Tuesday to book a flight that others paid more for on Monday, are you doing something wrong or dishonest? How about waiting until after the holidays to buy something that others paid more for at an earlier date? How is that bad? I thought that was one of the things that these online communities is all about: sharing information and experiences that might be useful.

[Jade13]

[*]I am not a big drinker but I do like a glass of wine or two at dinner each night while on a cruise. By far the best deal for this without paying any additional charge is found on Azamara, a small deluxe line that is not all inclusive but which includes in the cabin price free wine by the glass at every lunch and dinner and their cabin prices are far below prices charged on luxury lines.

 

I guess you have not looked at their pricing which has gone up even more from 2013 to 2014. Veranda staterooms on a 10-12 night cruise start at about $5,000 per person with taxes, with many cruise prices much higher.

 

The wine is not free.

[Jade13]

[*]I do like dining in specialty restaurants—on average 2 out of every 7 cruise nights. I have never paid more than once on a 7 or 14 day cruise. (A) On HAL book your cruise on AMEX and you get one free specialty dining reservation for your cabin for each week of the cruise. (B)

 

I have never heard of this and always pay with AmX. This sounds like a travel agent perk.

 

Do you mean booking through an agent affiliated with American Express?

[Jade13]

 

And this brings me to my Holy Grail, paying for an ocean view cabin but always getting confirmed into a veranda cabin . . . not a guarantee but an actual pre-assigned cabin of my choice. In the last 5 years I have been able to do this in 7 of the 9 cruises taken. In the case of the 8th cruise, the ship was older with only 40% Veranda cabins so we paid for an inside cabin and traveled in an ocean view cabin at no additional charge. And in the case of the 9th cruise we paid for a Veranda but got access to full Suite amenities throughout the ship while sleeping in a standard size veranda cabin.

 

But, was this when the cabin price went down so you could have had a price adjustment instead?