10 Things to Take on Your Next Cruise to Save You Money Onboard!
When you take a cruise, it’s so easy for costs to build and for it to get really expensive really quickly. Did you that that there are some simple things that you can take on your cruise from home that can actually save you money when you’re onboard?
In this post, I’m going to tell you about 10 of these things, in the hope that it might help you to save some money on your future cruises. Some of these will be simpler than you might think, and they might just save you a small fortune.
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Okay, let’s get started on my list of 10 things that you can pack for your next cruise that will help to save you some money.
1. Alcohol!
Yes, you read that right - the first thing that you can pack from home to take on your next cruise that will save you money is alcohol. Lots of people assume that you’re simply not permitted to take any alcohol on a cruise ship with you, but this often isn’t the case. Most cruise lines will allow you to take at least something onboard with you, which can sometimes help to reduce your bar tab while you’re on the ship. Not only can it reduce your bar tab, but it can allow you to enjoy your favourite wines, for example, while you’re cruising!
I’ve taken countless cruises that allow me to take one bottle of wine per person onto the ship on embarkation day, which means that two people sharing one cabin are able to take a bottle of wine each. This allows me to have a glass of wine while I’m getting ready to head out around the ship in the evening - I actually much prefer enjoying a glass in the comfort of my own cabin before dinner than I do sitting at a bar before my meal (I’ll save that for after dinner).
Every cruise line is different, and it’s important to understand the policy of the line that you’ve chosen to cruise with. A while ago, I created this summary of cruise line drinks policies - you might find it useful to have a look at that, and then cross-check it against the most up-to-date position from your cruise line on their website.
You’ll very rarely be permitted to take spirits onto your cruise ship, but you’re often permitted to take ‘softer’ alcoholic drinks, for example a bottle of wine.
Did you know that you can often take wine on your cruise with you? It’s worth checking, as it can reduce your bar bill onboard!
2. Travel Money!
I meet so many people who decide to exchange their currency onboard their cruise ship. That way, they can board the ship at the start of the cruise with their native currency, and use the team onboard to ensure that they have the correct currencies before the ship docks at the various ports throughout the cruise.
Now, this isn’t always necessary nowadays, since we seem to be operating in a more card-heavy society these days. I’ve actually found on some of my recent cruises that it can be fairly difficult in some places to pay with cash - lots of vendors are now preferring digital or card payments.
Exchanging currency onboard your cruise ship will undoubtedly result in you getting a much poorer exchange rate than you would haver got if you’d shopped around prior to embarking the ship. Whenever I need foreign currency for a trip, I tend to order online to save myself some money, and they’ll even deliver it to my door!
For most of my trips, I don’t actually travel with cash - I stick to using card. I bank with a company called Revolut - I find their exchange rates fantastic, and their cards are accepted pretty much everywhere, as they’re operated by Mastercard!
Think about it - do you really need foreign currency for your future cruises? If you do, then don’t wait until you get onto the cruise ship to exchange!
3. Sun Protection, and After Sun!
This one might sound obvious, so I won’t spend too long labouring this point. You’re going on a cruise, and that cruise ship will probably visit warm and sunny places. That means that your UV exposure while you’re onboard and while you’re ashore is probably going to be higher than it would be if you were at home.
For that reason, the retail stores onboard the ship will likely sell sun protection and after sun, but I’ll warn you now - it will usually be at a grossly inflated price!
I’ve been on ships in the past where sun protection can cost double what I’d expect to pay at a supermarket back home (yes, double!), and I’ve been so thankful to have packed mine with me! I’ve also been in scenarios where I’ve really needed Aloe Vera following a day in the sun, and I’ve been so lucky to spot a supermarket close to the cruise terminal in order to save paying the ship prices.
One final point - I’d recommend taking sun protection with you even if you’re not planning to cruise on a hot weather itinerary. So many people assume that you’re probably not going to get burned by the sun when cruising to places like Alaska or Norway, but that simply isn’t the case. Be on the safe side - always pack it in your luggage - you’re better safe than sorry on this one!
Sun protection and after sun care will be available in the stores on cruise ships, but it will rarely (if ever) be a bargain…
4. Refillable Water Bottles.
If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll probably know that I’m a HUGE advocate of refillable water bottles. This is for a number of different reasons, but perhaps most importantly for me is the subject of waste.
I often despair when I see huge volumes of plastic bottles in trash cans / bins, or perhaps even in the ocean (yes, that does happen - d’oh!), when it’s so easy to pack a bottle of your own. Nowadays, refillable water bottles can be such high quality that they’re far more pleasant to drink from than a plastic bottle. Some bottles can actually keep liquids cool for hours, even if you’re in a really warm climate! Your plastic bottle isn’t going to do a very good job of that…
Not only will using a refillable bottle offer you a more temperature-controlled drink while helping the environment, but it’s also going to save you money. Most cruise ships will offer you water packages, which will mean that you’ll have water delivered to your cabin. Others will allow you to purchase bottled water at the onboard bars - of course, you’ll usually always be able to order a glass of water, but if you can use your own bottle to fill up around the ship when required, it’s likely going to be so much easier for you!
If you’re looking for my recommendation, then I use a brand called ‘Chilly’s’. You can find them on Amazon by clicking here - they’re fantastic, and are really good value considering the high quality that you’re getting. I’ve used these bottles now for the last couple of years, and haven’t had a single issue!
It’s time to remove single-use plastic from your cruises. You’ll help the environment, and you’ll also save some money at the same time!
5. Water shoes!
This is an item that I hadn’t come across before taking my first Caribbean cruise, and I unfortunately had to learn from experience with this one!
While visiting Jamaica, I booked a cruise line excursion to Dunn’s River Falls, which is a famous waterfall that tourists are able to climb up. One of the caveats to being allowed to climb the falls is that you must be wearing water shoes, which of course are available for purchase on the tour.
In the example of my excursion group, we were taken to a ‘gift shop’ enroute to the falls, which sold almost exclusively water shoes (of course!). Here, you could buy these shoes at a premium price, but you don’t have a huge degree of choice if you’re on a tour like this without the shoes that you need to do the climb!
I got quite the fright when I tried Amazon when I got home - I could’ve saved a small fortune had I known to buy these shoes before my cruise. You can find an example of these shoes on Amazon by clicking here.
It’s not just tours like this one that you’ll want water shoes for - they make entering and leaving the ocean much easier and safer, as they allow you a far more natural grip than you might otherwise be able to get. Trust me on this one - if you’re cruising to the Caribbean, or you’re planning water-based activities while you’re away, invest in a pair of these!
Are you planning water-based activities during your cruise? If so, you should think about investing in a pair of water shoes!
6. Snorkelling Equipment
Hoping to try your hand at snorkelling while you’re on your cruise? Well, if you want to save some money while you’re away then you might want to pack your own snorkelling equipment.
I recently cruised to Great Stirrup Cay, the private island owned by Norwegian Cruise Line, and I was SO surprised to learn that it would cost about the same to hire this equipment for one day as it would to have bought the equipment back home and travelled with it. Crazy, isn’t it?
I guess a premium can be charged when you’re already standing on one of these islands hoping to get in the water, and also if it allows you to save some space in your suitcase, but I’m not convinced that it’s ‘value for money’ when the cost to hire is the same as the cost to buy, and sometimes even more…!
In short, buy before you travel and pack into your luggage. That way, you’ll save money AND you’ll be able to use over and over again - a ‘no brainer’, if you ask me!
Want to get in the water during your cruise? Pack your own snorkelling equipment - it’ll likely save you money!
7. Spare Toiletries!
If you’re only cruising for a 7-night cruise (or shorter), then this one might not seem applicable to you, but it is! If you run out of something simple like shaving foam or deoderant while you’re on your cruise ship, you’re probably going to have to pop down to one of the retail outlets onboard, where you’ll be charged a handsome price for a replacement.
I learned this lesson on one of my recent cruises - I needed shaving foam, and I couldn’t quite believe that buying it onboard the ship would have cost FOUR TIMES my usual price at home!
If you don’t have space in your suitcase(s) for spare toiletries, don’t worry. The learning here could be that you’re almost always going to be cheaper to purchase any toiletries that you require while you’re cruising from local supermarkets and stores ‘on land’, rather than on the ship. Most cruise ships will dock in a port every couple of days at least, so it’s really not a huge issue for most items.
Anyway, let’s move on!
8. Squash!
This one might be the most British item that I could think about, but ‘squash’ is essentially a drink that we dilute with drinking water to make a cordial. There are so many different flavours: blackcurrant, summer fruits, apricot and orange, to name a few.
The purpose of these little squash bottles is to turn drinking water into a much tastier (and in my view enjoyable) drink with a simply squeeze. To buy the bottle you can see in the below image into perspective, that bottle fits very comfortably into the palm of my hand and it creates 20 glasses of squash. Clever, isn’t it?
I actually take this stuff on every single cruise that I take - it can really help if you find yourself on a ship that either doesn’t have the best quality of drinking water or doesn’t have the best tasting water - I’ve never had any issues with water once it’s had a quick squirt of squash!
Take squash on your cruises with you to instantly turn tap water into a more interesting alternative!
These little bottles are super convenient - they fit into the palm of your hand and create up to 20(!) drinks!
9. An eSIM for your phone!
When I cruise, I like to be sure that I can stay connected when I’m in port. That way, I’m able to update my social channels, and I’m also able to keep in touch with people at home. An added benefit to being ‘online’ when in port is that I often feel much safer - the GPS functionality on my phone will be active, and I can always use a service like WhatsApp to make a phone call if I need to speak to someone.
My mobile / cell phone network provider isn’t great for international roaming, which means that I’ll often purchase eSIMs for my trips. These digital products allow me to be fully connected in port at very little cost - I’m constantly impressed by the low price point of these little things!
The cost of an eSIM versus paying for international roaming with my provider is hugely different - I can save hundreds of pounds on a regular length of international cruise by opting to travel with an eSIM. The other benefit to these is that I can sometimes avoid expensive cruise ship WiFi charges if I’ve got connectivity while the ship’s docked. If I’m on an itinerary where the ship docks most days, then I know I’ll have signal on those days. I can then simply purchase ship WiFi for the one (or two) ‘sea days’ on the itinerary… Easy!
If you’d like to learn more about which eSIM provider I use most often, then just click here. There’s also a discount code over there for you to use on your next order!
I use my mobile or cell phone for more than just the camera function when I travel, and an eSIM is therefore invaluable for me!
10. Cell Phone Apps!
This one might sound odd, but stay with me. There are so many examples of apps on phones nowadays that can save you money.
One simple example that I would give you would be Uber (or other equivalents). I’ve arrived at some cruise ports where I’d need to use public transport to get to where I’m going. If I were to hail a taxi, I’d get into the car not being able to speak the local language, and run the risk of falling victim to the meter in the car. If there’s no meter in the car, we can sometimes have that incredibly awkward haggling session that ends up with a price being agreed, and that price is often inflated anyway…
Apps like Uber allow me to order a taxi at a pre-agreed price, and it makes the whole experience so much simpler and stress-free!
Remember - not all cities and ports around the world will have access to Uber. Some will use alternative providers, and it’s usually really straight-forward to find out which cities and countries use which apps - Google is going to be your friend for this one!
Planning to use a taxi service while you’re travelling? Download the relevant apps for where you’re travelling to - they’ll probably save you money!
That’s it - that’s 10 items that you can take with you on your next cruise that will end up saving you money. If you enjoyed this post today, then please consider sharing it with someone who you feel might enjoy it.
While you’re here, I’d love you to check out more of my cruise tips. You’ll find a selection of my tips below - hopefully there’s something there that you’ll enjoy!
