How to save money on Princess?

[LARGIN]

We save to go on vacation.......we don't go on vacation to save. :D

 

Agree 100%

[bdjam]

If I had to cruise this way.....I'd never do it. When does the vacation start if I have to schlep 2 cases of soda and another case of water???? Then, of course, the bottles of wine and alchohol. Plus...packing envelopes of lemonade, tea and hot chocolate AND insulated cups???

This describes camping.....not cruising.

Amen, sister! And wouldn't one have to pay for all of that stuff before they brought it home and packed it in their suitcase?

[Cruisin' Chick]

As for souvenirs, avoid the shops that are pushed in the Adventures onshore and port talks. As someone above said, walk a bit farther and you'll find the same items for possibly less. Also, watch the Patters for when the ship's tees and sweatshirts go on sale: usually the last couple of days. We like having these wearable souvenirs.

 

When we went on our Alaskan cruise, we booked one excursion for Skagway through Princess (really liked it; felt it was worth it) and one on the Ketchikan pier, which was almost forgettable. We walked into Juneau and Skagway (we're talking small towns here) and caught the $5 shuttle at the Victorian pier into town where we walked around and went into the Miniature Museum.

 

On most of our cruises, I try to research ahead of time what to see and we don't bother with any excursions -- with the ship or with an indy operation. We have never rented a car. We might grab a taxi if the actual place is not near the pier (a couple of times we even negotiated a tour with the driver).

 

As for free drinks, they are usually watered down (which is fine for me as I'm not much of a drinker) and not offered on too many occasions. Princess didn't even offer free champagne on New Years Eve.

 

The ice cream offered for free at the Horizon is pretty good, with toppings, around 3-4. Also many flavors of ice cream and sorbet are available in the dining rooms with dinner. On this last cruise, I didn't even have any ice cream as there were many other yummy desserts -- even the sugar free ones.

[tvaud]

 

Mmm...coffee!

 

I see you are a coffee efficianato, but from what I've been hearing, Princess has horrible coffee. What has been your experience? My husband usually has an IV drip of Starbucks with him at all times. Will he be able to survive on the ships coffee or should we bring our own coffee maker and coffee?

 

Cindra

[Tom O.]

If you have pictures taken (it's pretty hard to avoid), go to the display boards, find all your pictures but don't buy any yet. Instead, ask for them to be kept for you. Then at the end of the cruise go through the whole folder of photos and just pick a few of the best ones. If there are several that you want, there is usually package pricing that is cheaper than buying them individually. Waiting until the end of the cruise is better than buying them as you go, because you may find better ones, late in the cruise, than ones that you already have purchased. You would be shocked at how much you can spend on photos if you are not careful.

[DesrtDrmr]

Also, for pre cruise savings, don't feel that you have to buy a whole new "resort" wardrobe to cruise. Bring pants and shirts to mix and match, a dress you can dress up for two different formal nights......like with sequin scarves, or a couple of jazzy tops over a black skirt, etc. Bring only a few pairs of shoes............you truly wont need all of those shoes........... I used to bring about ten pairs and ended up wearing two or three.........now, I just bring two or three. Bring a few aspirin, bandaids, motion sickness pills, etc..........these little first aid things are expensive on the ship. Bingo is very expensive.........a big surprise when you first go. We used to play every game we were on the ship for, but play very little now. Go to the free trivia and other kinds of games, see the shows, take advantage of the free lessons offered. Use the library. If you are a pool person, go to the pool games. As someone else suggested, DO bring plenty of sunscreen, as it is very expensive on the ship. We do bring the Crystal Light "to go" packets because we don't drink a lot of soda or beer, and get tired of iced tea. We take a few bottles of wine with us. We don't go to art auctions. One cruise we were on, with friends, saw them spending over $50,000 on art. (Princess loves them...........) We have bought what we think of as folk art at various ports........inexpensively...........decorative, and a great souvenir for under $25.

Mostly, make up a budget, and put your money away ahead of time...........then you wont feel like you are being "cheap" because you'll have all that money.....................and, best of all,

Have a great cruise!

 

Our biggest "luxury" is that we take water onboard, and buy more at ports (make sure bottles are sealed) because we were on a cruise once where the ship's desalinization plant broke down, and all we had was salt water. You haven't LIVED til you've had salty lemonade and coffee! :)

[chasetf]

but the most important thing I find is to put a budget together for the trip, pencil it out, add some extra, and then look to see if that fits your vacation budget.

 

Trips to Europe obviously are going to be more per day than the Mexician Riveria. Depending where we are going, I set a figure to shoot for and try to hit it without compromising what we want to see and do.

 

Cost of something particular can be expensive to someone and not a problem for another. Each has to figure their threshold. To some, a "snuck on" bottle of wine is worth shagging across country or half way around the world to save a few bucks. To us it is not.

[scots]

We went on the Grand last month - our shipboard account was under $500.00, and we enjoyed ourselves immensely even without racking up a huge bill!!!!

 

We didn't drink much alcohol, a drink at dinner a couple of nights, mostly kept to our soda cards.

 

Formal pictures - we had planned on buying pictures ahead of time anyways - that is why we had the photos taken otherwise we wouldn't have bothered doing it.

 

Shore excursions - we did two shore excursions each through Princess, other two days in port we spent just checking out the sights locally.

 

A couple of internet sessions (one to report home of our being safe after the infamous "listing" episode).

 

Gratuities as expected.

 

It is possible to have a great vacation, and not spend a lot, just remember to keep within your means and enjoy yourselves!

[reddy2go]

We just got back from the CB sailing 2/18 - 2/25. Here are some things we did that really helped us save some money:

1. Decide ahead of time a certain $ amount you hope to spend on your cruise - bring that amount of cash and bring to the pursers desk to put on your account. Then check your account every few days. We did just that and yes we still went over our "budget" by $170, but at least we had a starting point and didn't just go into it with a "whatever" kind of attitude. We were flexible and knew we'd spend more, but it does help to have an idea to start off with.

2. On Port days come back to the ship for Lunch. This was a BIG money saver for us. In St. Thomas and St. Martin it was great to come back to the ship - eat lunch - change out of bathing suits - grab whatever and be off again.

3. Schedule excursions on your own and don't think you have to have an excursion at every port - there is probably plenty to do and see right at the Port.

4. On Formal nights - have someone take lots of pictures of you with your own camera when you are all dressed up. We did do the Ships Formal Pics, but I also have a lot of nice photos on my own digital with me and hubby all dressed up. Look around the ship for nice picture taking spots you will find lots of them. Even a "real" sunset :)

5. Bring Bottled water - soda - or whatever else you like to drink and keep in your own fridge - or at least bring a water bottle that you can refill as you go off the ship.

6. Bring MORE sunscreen than you think you are going to need. We brough two good size bottles and just had enough for the 2 of us. If you run out it is expensive on the ship and out at the Shops. This also goes for any other OTC item you may need....aspirin, band-aids, dramamine, etc..

7. Don't forget about the 15% tip added to every drink order.

8. If you plan on snorkeling - bring your own equipment - not only is it more hygenic - it will save you money in the long run. We had never snorkled before, but knew we were going to give it a try on our own. We each purchased the complete set at Costco $39.99 and were very very pleased with it, and now we own it!

9. If you want the drink of the day ask for it in a "regular" glass - it is less expensive than the drink in the souvenier glass. I also think that all drinks come in 3 sizes and the bigger the drink - the better the value.

10. Find the Free Ice Cream - this was served on our ship everyday at 3:30 in the "closed" half of Horizon Court. I say closed, because they were no longer serving lunch buffet, but set- up 2 ice cream sundae stations. They never announced it, but it was there every day. :p Yummy!

I am sure I can think of others, but hopefully this is a good start!

Enjoy!

linda

CB Princess - 2/18-2/25...Ah where to go next??

 

 

Great tips! Sunnylin. I'm interested in how you carried on your beverages (sodas, water, etc..)? Did you pack it in a box and send it with your luggage or just pack it in your luggage? Did they know you had it but just ignored it.

 

Did you happen to notice anyone blatantly carrying beer onboard. My family have specific taste that I don't think are being offered onboard. I have "smuggled in" all sorts of beverages (alcoholic and non alcoholic) on other cruise lines in the past but would prefer to just pack it up and let them carry it on board. It would be great to be upfront with these things. Besides I am looking to save some money here and there without significantly altering my "have a good time your on vacation" attitude too much!

[Mmm...coffee!]

I see you are a coffee efficianato, but from what I've been hearing, Princess has horrible coffee. What has been your experience? My husband usually has an IV drip of Starbucks with him at all times. Will he be able to survive on the ships coffee or should we bring our own coffee maker and coffee?

I survive just fine without a coffee maker in the cabin, although I would like to have one provided instead of having to call room service or go upstairs. I'm not an afficionado and I think $tarbuck$ is akin the Evil Empire. No way will I pay three dollars for a cup of plain coffee then have some twit expect a tip. I don't have a problem with Princess coffee most of the time. Sometimes the stuff upstairs is a little weak. Usually I make friends with the morning person at the Promenade bar and have my coffee there while the better half is getting ready for the day.

[Mmm...coffee!]

You can also order room service (a couple sandwiches) bring ziploc bags with you and you have an instant lunch/snack on excursions. We rarely paid for meals off the ship, yes I know we are cheap.

 

This is not always the best advice. Many places ask, and sometimes enforce, that you do not carry perishable items from the ship on shore. The US has similar laws. It is to prevent the spread of non-indigenous parasites that might be in the food you bring ashore. Pre-packaged items such as chips and crackers are okay, but what you describe is not in many places.

 

I don't mind spreading a little money around in the places we visit. I consider it the most fair system to redistribute wealth. Hopefully it will encourage the places we visit to continue to host tourism. If people visit without leaving some money behind, why bother putting up with tourists?

[FSULB]

Thanks for the constructive tips.

 

We will be traveling from Florida, so it's a long way to take luggage. We were planning on a couple of bottles of wine. My husband could be an honorary eagle scout, so I know we will have a virtual hospital and kitchen stowed away somehow. And, since we're going to Alaska, we won't be getting too fancy most of the time. I did get some new boots and a track suit to wear onboard, but we have all we need to stay warm, though we wouldn't win any fashion week accolades! We're not doing the formal nights, and since we spent a small fortune on a new camera, I don't think DH will allow paying for a ship photo (I'm okay with that- I think they're cheesy).

 

Cruising is expensive. Vacations are expensive. To those who said they don't cruise to save, I'm not sure what your point was. Mitigating expenses is always wise, unless one has an endless cash flow, and should never be mocked. We're going to spend plenty of money on this trip, but I'd like to still have my power on when I get home!

 

Thanks again for the tips- I'll add them to our growing pile of information for this trip!

[sunnylin]

Great tips! Sunnylin. I'm interested in how you carried on your beverages (sodas, water, etc..)? Did you pack it in a box and send it with your luggage or just pack it in your luggage? Did they know you had it but just ignored it.

 

Did you happen to notice anyone blatantly carrying beer onboard. My family have specific taste that I don't think are being offered onboard. I have "smuggled in" all sorts of beverages (alcoholic and non alcoholic) on other cruise lines in the past but would prefer to just pack it up and let them carry it on board. It would be great to be upfront with these things. Besides I am looking to save some money here and there without significantly altering my "have a good time your on vacation" attitude too much!

 

 

Regarding bottled water we stopped at Walgreens in Fort Lauderdale right before going to the Port so we just carried the case on the ship with us along with our carry-ons. Your Luggage is taken from you when you arrive at the Port, so whatever you want to carry on you just hold onto seperately. This was the easiest way for us to do it, but you certainly can pack a suitcase with your water and soda and anything else and have it delivered to your room. Bringing water and soda onboard is "allowed", so it really doesn't matter how you get it on the ship.

 

In regards to alcohol though the only "allowed" drinks are wine and champagne - it is my understanding that beer is not "allowed" to be brought on. I did not see anyone carrying beer. I am sure people get it on board though along with other types of alcohol. We purchased a 5 pack of Flavored Rums in St Thomas and I told my husband to expect them to take it from us as we boarded the ship. They scanned the bag through the security and x-ray machine and just handed it back to me. We didn't drink any on board as I wanted to save it for home, but I am sure we could have. They seem to be very relaxed in this area.

 

I would agree with the previous poster about taking sandwiches and food off the ship. It is not a good idea as most countries have very specific customs rules about fruit, food, and flowers entering their country. I believe you can also be fined. Take my advice and just schedule your day to get back to the ship for lunch and get back off again to do more. Worked for us!

 

Any other questions - let me know! The best advice is to try and find the best balance for you with saving money and spending money. Figure out where you are most willing to spend your money - and take it from there. You don't want to drive yourself crazy penny pinching everywhere, but you also don't want to be foolish with your money either. Be smart and save a few dollars here and there and spend it on what is REALLY important to you. I have found that what is important to one is not the same for another.

 

I wish you LOTS of FUN!!

 

linda

CB Princess 2/18/2006....where to next???

[meemeec]

 

 

Cruising is expensive. Vacations are expensive. To those who said they don't cruise to save, I'm not sure what your point was. Mitigating expenses is always wise, unless one has an endless cash flow, and should never be mocked. We're going to spend plenty of money on this trip, but I'd like to still have my power on when I get home!

 

I said "We save to go on vacation...we don't go on vacation to save". I thought my point was clear. If we can't afford to go we stay home and save until we can go. Mitigating expenses is wise as you say and we do that before we leave home. If worrying about having power upon my return home is an issue then I have no business being on vacation in the first place.

[bdjam]

I said "We save to go on vacation...we don't go on vacation to save". I thought my point was clear. If we can't afford to go we stay home and save until we can go. Mitigating expenses is wise as you say and we do that before we leave home. If worrying about having power upon my return home is an issue then I have no business being on vacation in the first place.

Amen, sister.

[Zebboriah]

I said "We save to go on vacation...we don't go on vacation to save". I thought my point was clear. If we can't afford to go we stay home and save until we can go. Mitigating expenses is wise as you say and we do that before we leave home. If worrying about having power upon my return home is an issue then I have no business being on vacation in the first place.

 

Yeah, great, got your point. You've only said it 3 or 4 times and your cheerleader peanutbutter jam is always there to back you up.

 

Realize that this thread asks "How to save money?" not "Can I get your opinion on whether or not we should find ways to cut costs while going on a cruise?" Many of us are younger folks raising a family and/or have limited incomes and a cruise is a once every few years experience rather than a few cruises every year experience.

 

If you don't have anything constructive to add then don't post anything.

[partyboy]

Yeah, great, got your point. You've only said it 3 or 4 times and your cheerleader peanutbutter jam is always there to back you up.

 

Realize that this thread asks "How to save money?" not "Can I get your opinion on whether or not we should find ways to cut costs while going on a cruise?" Many of us are younger folks raising a family and/or have limited incomes and a cruise is a once every few years experience rather than a few cruises every year experience.

 

If you don't have anything constructive to add then don't post anything.

 

Amen, Zebboriah

[belfast]

Hi Snowblower: Thanks for your useful information about buying wine that is on the list. We were on the Carnival a couple of years ago and purchased wine to drink with dinner. When we go on the Princess Starr in January 2007 for my sons wedding I will make sure that I buy only the wine that is on the list and that way I will bring it to the dining table in the evening. Thanks again - a good piece of advice.

 

Belfast

 

I agree with above. One additional thing if you are wine drinkers. We take wine on every Princess cruise. As for the corkage fee, we have never been charged. I have been told by many dining staff that if you bring wine to the dining room that is on the Princess wine menu, no corkage fee. Bring wine that is not on the wine list, then there will be a corkage fee. How do you figure out what to bring to avoid the corkage fee????? Go here:

 

http://www.princess.com/onboard/services/gifts/cellars.html

 

You should not be charged a corkage fee for any wine on this list....

[partyboy]

Just where do you search to find the past passenger place to see if your cruise price has changed?

Can you get this cheaper price even though you have already paid the complete price for your cruise?

Thanks!

 

 

You can find this information on the Princess web site. Click on BOOK A CRUISE. Fill in the details and watch for changes. Do not forget to click on the area that says "Sign in as you may qualify for Personalized Pricing". That's when you'll see a change if any. At least that's how it worked in my case.

 

You would have a better idea to know what to look for if you knew what Princess's pricing was at the time you booked your cruise or soon thereafter when looking for your price drop on their website.

 

For example, I knew that the base price on the Princess web site for my cabin was $1000.00 back in September. In early January, I saw that the base price had declined to $904.00. I called my TA and they adjusted their already discounted price for me.

 

The price on my online TA's website did not change, it only changed on the Princess website. If I hadn't checked the Princess site, I would never had known about the price change.:D

 

After final payment, you will not get a price reduction for special flash promotions that kick in most times after final payment just to sell the unsold cabins.:)

[meemeec]

Yeah, great, got your point. You've only said it 3 or 4 times and your cheerleader peanutbutter jam is always there to back you up.

 

Realize that this thread asks "How to save money?" not "Can I get your opinion on whether or not we should find ways to cut costs while going on a cruise?" Many of us are younger folks raising a family and/or have limited incomes and a cruise is a once every few years experience rather than a few cruises every year experience.

 

If you don't have anything constructive to add then don't post anything.

 

I only said it twice and the second time was to own up to the statement when a poster said 'someone' had made the statement.

Why should it bother you that I have a strategy regarding my vacation $$'s? The OP, in my opinion, was asking how to avoid a large tab at the end of the cruise and I was contributing my 2 cents like everyone else. Just because my planning involves saving ahead and not packing my own beverages doesn't mean it's not valid and constructive.

I don't make any assumptions about why people cruise once a year or ten times a year.

If someone agrees with me or not is immaterial because I know this works for me. I'm at a loss as to why you would criticize only one person for agreeing with me when several did.

Happy Sails to you...:)

[meemeec]

Double post...sorry

[A Sixth?]

Here's perhaps the single most important tip to saving money on Princess:

 

Don't listen to comments like "If I had to cruise this way.....I'd never do it. " or "We save to go on vacation.......we don't go on vacation to save. :D ". They're challenges not advise.

Rarely are are more diverse economic group thrown together in close proximity than a modern cruise ship. Having gone on my first few cruises as a young adult, paying off the first payments on a new mortgage I know that as nice as going on a spending spree would be great, but there are economic realities. Enjoying a cruise for those on a budget doesn't mean entering into financial folly.

Here's the advise: Don't feel you have to keep up with your spendier ship mates. Don't let anyone bully you into spending more or doing something that you don't want to. Don't let somebody talk you out of spending on or doing something that you want to.

Generally speaking the best ways of saving and enjoying on a cruise are learned "on the cruise"

[bdjam]

Yeah, great, got your point. You've only said it 3 or 4 times and your cheerleader peanutbutter jam is always there to back you up.

Um – if you’re referring to me and you have a comment regarding my posts, perhaps you’d like to debate my posts without resorting to using improper names. I would be happy to discuss anything I’ve posted with you, however I would like to be treated like an adult. You yourself indicated if one doesn’t have something constructive to add they shouldn’t post – perhaps you might tell me how your comment is constructive?

As for the topic of this thread, I’m in agreement with meemeec – there is a certain cost to a cruise and while there are ways to economize, it seems to me that a responsible way to go about taking a vacation would be to budget properly for it rather than buy it and then try to economize afterward. Further, many of the suggestions here require an output of money, the only difference is that output is accomplished places other than on the ship. So when it comes down to it, everyone needs to budget a certain amount in order to pay for a cruise vacation. Yes, one can economize by not overspending on the additional offerings on board, but there’s still a minimum that must be expended. And some people have to save for that before embarking on a cruise…or pay for it after.

It seems its always fair for opinions to be expressed as long as they aren't different from the rest. :rolleyes:

[Zebboriah]

Um – if you’re referring to me and you have a comment regarding my posts, perhaps you’d like to debate my posts without resorting to using improper names. I would be happy to discuss anything I’ve posted with you, however I would like to be treated like an adult.

 

Oh come on now, I'm just having a little fun, no harm intended. You're a regular around here and I figured you could take a little ribbing but I apologize if I offended you. *offers handshake* :)

 

...and I appreciate your response. Thank you.

[bdjam]

Oh come on now, I'm just having a little fun, no harm intended. You're a regular around here and I figured you could take a little ribbing but I apologize if I offended you. *offers handshake* :)

 

...and I appreciate your response. Thank you.

Obviously my fault – I didn’t catch the “fun” tone of your post.