How to save money on Princess?

[partyboy]

I like the idea of buying beverages at the embarkation port so that they aren't in my luggage all the way across country! I'm just not sure how convenient that will be between the airport and pier. Perhaps at the duty free shop in the airport? On the other hand, we will need space in our luggage on the way back for goodies./quote]

 

This is an easy one to offer help on FSULB!

Right on 17th street which is the main drag before you turn into the port area is Crown Liquors. We always just ask the cab driver to pull in so we can fill a suitcase or two. ;)

Only takes a few minutes, cabbies are asked to do it all the time. They don't mind, you're still on the meter and it only adds a few bucks to the fare.

Jonathan

[partyboy]

Wait wait, Man I'm on a roll now. All this talk of cruises has me all worked up!

 

This one is probably as good as the bring your own soap to do laundry tip Thanksforyourinfo. See, you've got me thinking. Here it is!

 

If you're on one of the Princess ships that offers MUTS, bring your own candy to the movie! Same thing goes for the wrappers as for the soap boxes....just throw them away. More room for STUFF to bring back with you.

 

Well, gotta run. Time to put some more wood on the fire and start dinner. The Ms. will be home soon.

Have a nice evening everyone and remember... this is just a cruise folks!:)

[kingtns]

My kids have soda cards, my hubby orders his drinks & chases it with soda...compliments of our kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All day & all night long...

[purplefan]

Booking your own trips does take a little planning before you go, but it's not a lot of work.

 

Frommer's and Fodor's websites and books are good for favorite things to do at port. They have phone numbers and website addresses also. Also, there is good info on the excursions on this site. Google the names of what you're interested in.

 

For the BYOB - I bring a large, sturdy duffle with our swim gear. We like to use our own snorkle stuff. Don't fill it very full, throw some sodas and beer in at the store near port, and it's great for bringing home the loot you pick up at port.

 

Happy sails!

[cdfev]

1. Use the interior room if the price of the balcony room is more than 25 % greater than the cost of the cheapest interior. (estimated savings of several hundred dollars or thousands depending on how many people that you are paying for).

 

2. Never use the ship's excursions...they are outrageously priced. I've never been not able to purchase the same or better excursion for less than 50 % less than a comparable ship's excursion. (estimated savings of hundreds of dollars).

 

3. Buy wine at Costco or Sam's Club at the town where you embark....make sure that it is one that the ship offers and one that yuo will not pay corkage fee for with Princess (estimated savings of around $100-$200 depending on the length of the cruise).

 

4. Be judicious in purchasing photos on the cruise....wait until the last day and purchase the ones that are really special (estimated savings of around $100).

 

5. If a spa treatment is a must, find one in port and perform it as part of your excursion...besides, you can meet a native or two this way. (Estimated saving is $100-$200).

 

6. Rent a car and do your own excursion for even more savings (and often time more fun and adventure). Not recommended for certain ports or countries.

 

7. Never use a ship's transfer. These are outrageously priced and it is cheaper to use your own methods. Public transport is best and more fun. This means that taking 100 pounds of luggage is not to be done.

 

I can afford to ignore these suggestions but I did not get to the point where I could afford to ignore these suggestions by not following them.

[Host CJSKIDS]

Also, never use the pre or post hotel packages that Princess offers, it's outrageous. Each and every time I've been able to find the exact same hotels for a lot less. I had checked with Princess in regard to a hotel in London for 4 nights prior to our cruise on the Golden in July 05 and they wanted more than twice the price of what the hotel was offering directly!

[Mmm...coffee!]

My kids have soda cards, my hubby orders his drinks & chases it with soda...compliments of our kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All day & all night long...

There is a difference between being frugal and tacky. I think this crosses the line. Well, bragging about it crosses the line.

 

Also tacky:

Taking digital photos of pictures that the photographers have put out. Extra tacky if they are posed photos taken on one of the formal nights.

 

Cruising is going to have extra costs beyond the cruise fare. End of story. You can control those costs to a large extent and make cruising more affordable. If you have to resort to theft, no matter how petty, your priorities need examination.

[madelinerose]

Hmmm...good point - LOL! ;)

 

we had that also on celebrity...maybe they dont want you to look:eek:,if you look you may spend less:)

[PrincessDreams4P&B]

Regarding booking excursions independently, I'm having a hard time doing that. I've chosen the type of excursion we'd like to do in each port, but don't know how to locate providers. I'm afraid it will just be more hours spent here on cruise critic!

 

FSULB,

I don't know if you have been to the Ports of Call section on CC but I have found it invaluable. I noticed that your cruising to Alaska and they have a thread on it.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55

 

That is where I found my guide in Jamaica. I read alot of great posts of CC members who have used him over and over. He is saving me $130.00!.

Hope this helps and good luck on your cruise!!

[dennbr9]

RCCL and Celebrity also have account access on the TV. I think Disney did also.

 

Princess is cheaper on drinks and wine than those above. Even cheaper if you don't drink, but that was not an option. lol

 

If you really want to monitor your spending, write it all down in a small notebook as you charge it. Have never done this, but than you will know what your spending.

 

Dennis

 

Dennis

[bdjam]

I'm sorry but I still don't see what bringing a soda on board has to do with it. It isn't much different than bringing your own snorkeling gear. Why should it really bother you if someone doesn't mind carrying it aboard.

Who said it bothered me? I indicated that people who pack for a cruise like they pack the SUV for a camping trip don’t understand what a cruise vacation is. I didn't state whether or not I was bothered.

Now let's take bdjam's posts on this thread for example. He interprets the cruise experience his way and I believe he enjoys the heck out of HIS cruise experience. He has many years of cruising under his two feet, but they're his two feet, not yours. That's how he chooses to set his expectations and there's not a darn thing wrong with it.

 

You go on planning any way you want to save money on a cruise just as I will. I'm going to continue to cut back wherever I can so that I can continue to take 3 or 4 cruises a year right up till I reach my fifties and hopefully well into my sixties!!

 

It's no-one elses business how I chose to celebrate my cruise experience in the privacy of my own cabin or for that matter any where in my life as long as it doesn't out right personally offend somebody physically.

 

As for the childish remarks and the elitist attitudes you'll encounter on CC, just ignor them. Sometimes people are having a bad day!

So I’m not sure – are you calling me childish or elitist? If my feeling that acting appropriately in a situation is something that people should do makes me either, so be it. But there's a very large disconnect between the picture of what a cruise line offers as a vacation and a passenger dragging a case of cheap soda up the gangway.

You're going to find in many posts on any one of the threads here at CC people that are opinionated. Opinions are great. We can all take something away from them if we choose, yet some of these people will continue to beat a horse to death so to speak, until they jam their opinion and interpretation of what a cruise experience should be down your throat until you gag!LOL

As for jamming an opinion anywhere, I’m only answering questions posed to me – does not answering the question in the manner the person asking wants mean I’m jamming an opinion at someone?

Cruising is going to have extra costs beyond the cruise fare. End of story. You can control those costs to a large extent and make cruising more affordable. If you have to resort to theft, no matter how petty, your priorities need examination.

Amen, brother. It’s really great that cruising has become more affordable, and the rock bottom prices are testament to that – however it would be nice if those who can now afford cruising would enjoy it for what made it attractive in the first place. Given how low the fares already are and the value for the money paid, how much more inexpensive does one hope cruising will be?

[bflowngs]

On our last two cruises, our shipboard account was about $700. This included our tips, excursions, a couple of mixed drinks each day, a couple of bottles of liquor from onboard shops, pictures, and either perfume/cologne or a man's watch from the ship's store. We could save more by cutting out the pictures and items from the ship's store. However, we are on vacation, and I put aside extra money for these expenses.

 

We have never brought aboard sodas or water, but may do so on this trip. I am considering bringing airplane bottles of gin and vodka along with some mixers to have on our balcony before dinner.

 

We are used to the bill at the end of the cruise. However, a lot of cruisers get carried away because they just charge everything to their onboard account. Watch everyone as they board the ship. They all go to the bars and order drinks like they are going out of style!!! They have no idea how quick the bar bill adds up!!

 

As everyone has said before, just do things in moderation and most importantly, enjoy yourselves.....you're on vacation!!!

[kingtns]

There is a difference between being frugal and tacky. I think this crosses the line. Well, bragging about it crosses the line.

 

Also tacky:

Taking digital photos of pictures that the photographers have put out. Extra tacky if they are posed photos taken on one of the formal nights.

 

Cruising is going to have extra costs beyond the cruise fare. End of story. You can control those costs to a large extent and make cruising more affordable. If you have to resort to theft, no matter how petty, your priorities need examination.

O Pleeease...we run around a $1500 bar bill, we go with large groups & my husband treats everyone to drinks, getting a few sodas is nooooo big deal!!& BTW when our kids are w/ us & the waiters see the soda band they usually just say how many sodas should I bring out!! Their treat!!!

[wdonnieb]

My 2 cents worth of advice....

Take a couple of bottles of wine with you. If you purchase a bottle of wine at dinner, drink half and save the other half for the next night....they will mark it for you and keep it.

Do the research and book shore excursions with independant operators. You'll save about half of what the cruise line charges and they are usually smaller groups with better personal attention.

Do your shopping/eating/drinking away from the pier area.

Avoid the casino

Only play one game of Bingo, not two.

Buy a bottle of booze for your room and make your own drink to take out on the deck.

Avoid the spa. Get a massage at home before you leave to get you ready for your vacation and spend WAY less.

Book a Future Cruise while you on the ship. You will be eligible for a shipboard credit next time.

Build 'travel money' into your budget. This is the one thing people forget but there are so many little expenses you incur on the way to/from the cruise itself.

 

I was always under the impression that if you take liquor or wine onto the cruise that they confiscate it from you when they xray your baggage on the way in and then return it to you when you dissembark the last morning. Is this not correct?

Donnie

[Host CJSKIDS]

I was always under the impression that if you take liquor or wine onto the cruise that they confiscate it from you when they xray your baggage on the way in and then return it to you when you dissembark the last morning. Is this not correct?

Donnie

 

You're allowed to carry on wine and champagne. I've also brought a six pack of beer on board with me from different ports and they've let that on no problem.

[FSULB]

7. Never use a ship's transfer. These are outrageously priced and it is cheaper to use your own methods. Public transport is best and more fun. This means that taking 100 pounds of luggage is not to be done..

 

D'oh! If I have booked them, can I cancel? And how easy is it to find something the day of? I thought it was safer to use the ship's transfer to guarantee that we got there...

 

And Partyboy, THANK YOU for saying to go to the Fodor's and Frommer's websites. I have the Fodor's book, and keep seeing things I'd like to do but there isn't any contact info!

 

I've been making my way through threads in the Alaska forum, but there's a LOT of info there. Too much it seems, sometimes. It was nice to have the Princess book with everything all in one place. I would really like to just find a list of the Princess excursions with links to the actual providers or similar. Wouldn't that make life easy?

 

Yes, I'm a member of the instant gratification generation. And I'm in therapy for it ;) .

[Mmm...coffee!]

O Pleeease...we run around a $1500 bar bill, we go with large groups & my husband treats everyone to drinks, getting a few sodas is nooooo big deal!!& BTW when our kids are w/ us & the waiters see the soda band they usually just say how many sodas should I bring out!! Their treat!!!

 

If you'd said that the first time, I would not have responded as I did. Your first post made it sound like you were really proud of putting something over on Royal Carib'n. By the way, Princess charges much less for their soda cards, so that should come as a pleasant surprise. Happy sails.

[bflowngs]

I was always under the impression that if you take liquor or wine onto the cruise that they confiscate it from you when they xray your baggage on the way in and then return it to you when you dissembark the last morning. Is this not correct?

Donnie

 

That is what the "official" position is. I have not ever seen this done, though. We have bought liquor at a couple of different ports with the intention of taking them home. I expected them to take them away from us as we boarded, then give them back on departure. They never checked for anything as we boarded. I guess it just depends on the cruiseline and crew. And.....just think about it.....it is more time consuming for them to take it away, store it, then get it back to you later on. It is much easier for them to look the other way.

[kingtns]

If you'd said that the first time, I would not have responded as I did. Your first post made it sound like you were really proud of putting something over on Royal Carib'n. By the way, Princess charges much less for their soda cards, so that should come as a pleasant surprise. Happy sails.

No problem...sorry myself, sure didn't want to come off that way!! I live for my cruises so it's wonderful making new friends to chat about cruises all year long...(I bore my friends & family, I'm a cruise junky) Happy sailing 2 U 2!! My next 1 is the Crown...never sailed Princess before, just can't wait!!!!

[Bsan1221]

What great tips!!!

 

It will be my first time on a Princess cruise ship so all these tips are a huge help :D

[ldoc31]

D'oh! If I have booked them, can I cancel? And how easy is it to find something the day of? I thought it was safer to use the ship's transfer to guarantee that we got there...

 

And Partyboy, THANK YOU for saying to go to the Fodor's and Frommer's websites. I have the Fodor's book, and keep seeing things I'd like to do but there isn't any contact info!

 

I've been making my way through threads in the Alaska forum, but there's a LOT of info there. Too much it seems, sometimes. It was nice to have the Princess book with everything all in one place. I would really like to just find a list of the Princess excursions with links to the actual providers or similar. Wouldn't that make life easy?

 

Yes, I'm a member of the instant gratification generation. And I'm in therapy for it ;) .

 

Ok back to the subject at hand--money saving tips.

[FSULB]

If anyone is wondering, I was able to cancel my transfer. The price actually was the same as what I'm doing now, but I found something more fun. And I'm keeping my post-cruise transfer. All other options would have gotten us to Seattle much later or we would have had to drive (we prefer the scenery and not worrying about being lost).

[tapper]

I didn't read every one of the posts on this thread but thought I would add this one way we save. Hope it is not a repeat. When we are on a cruise, we always buy 2 or 3 open bookings. Even though they are $100 per person, we get the on board credit every time we book a cruise through our agent. The $100 per person on board credit for a 10 day cruise covers all of the $10.00 per day tips that are charge to one's account. The on-board bookings are good for four years and can also be cashed in if you don't use them.

[TexasMom2]

If you'd said that the first time, I would not have responded as I did. Your first post made it sound like you were really proud of putting something over on Royal Carib'n. By the way, Princess charges much less for their soda cards, so that should come as a pleasant surprise. Happy sails.

 

Is that you, Spongerob? I've been noticing your posts for a while and each new post convinces me you have changed screen names. Correct me if I'm wrong...

[beachpeach1]

While it is smart to avoid the casinos to save money, I enjoy trying the slots! So I take a set amount each time I go to the casino, and when that is spent, I leave. Of course, if I win money during that time, I also try to leave (although it is very tempting to keep trying to win even bigger bucks!) That way you can enjoy the casino a bit, but not spend a lot. Even $10 will give you a good time at the slot machines. The nickel slots will go even further for you!