Cruising Isn't As Cheap As It Seems

Do you dream of getting on board a cruise ship with your bag full of shorts and bathing suits and sailing the seven seas, all while being completely catered to and visiting new ports of call? With Summer fast approaching, there are cruise deals galore! Of course, not all of them are for Summer, many are for late Spring and even Fall. Luckily, with the exception of Alaskan cruises, the weather will be warm and (hopefully) beautiful. I learned a lot on my first cruise, both while I was planning it and while I was on it. Here are some tips to help you get the most from your money both onboard and in port.

The price you see is not the price you pay – It’s true! When you see a cruise rate that seems too good to be true, it’s because it isn’t listing the taxes and port fees that each cruiser has to pay. The more ports you visit, the more fees you incur. One could, theoretically, pay twice as much as the listed price once fees and taxes are added. Don’t let this scare you, though. I was able to Google port fees for my chosen cruise and find out exactly how much they would add to my rate. It may take a bit of detective work, but you can find it. If you don’t want to take time for that, just assume the cost will be twice what you see and anything less will be a nice surprise when you’re ready to book!

Get involved – Your cruise is (mostly) all-inclusive. You’re paying for activities and entertainment whether you use them or not. My suggestion? Use them! If there’s miniature golf or a shopping talk or a trivia session available, go do it! Unless it sounds like you’ll hate it, mark all the things on the daily schedule you want to do. It’ll keep you busy, keep you moving, keep you from being bored and give you the most value for your dollars spent. We never once set foot in the pool on our cruise. Not because we didn’t plan to, but because we ended up being so busy that by the time we thought about it, it was time to go to sleep. Also, the water slide was shut down practically the whole time we were on board. Some activities do cost money, like some exercise classes, rock climbing and dinners you need to make reservations for, but there are a lot of free things to do. Between crushing other passengers at trivia, going to the rivalry party, dancing, taking in an art auction, playing extreme dodgeball, watching all the entertainment and sleeping and eating, we didn’t really have time to be sitting around doing nothing.

Book your own excursions – No, don’t book it yourself through the cruise line, unless you want to pay double or triple the going rate. Book it completely on your own. There are many reputable excursion companies out there and you’ll find them if you look. I employed Google for this one again: (destination) excursions. You’ll get a whole host of companies that specialize in excursions that fit into the cruiser’s schedule. In my quest to find something fun and affordable to do in Grand Cayman (which we ended up being refunded for, because the ship couldn’t dock), Belize City and Isla Roatan (Honduras). I found some fantastic tours that were highly recommended by other cruisers and similar, if not exactly, to what the ship offered, but at a fraction of the price. Two tours were half the cost of the similar one offered onboard and through the Carnival website and the other was only one-third the listed price! The cruise line takes a cut of each excursion you book online and on board with them, so they mark the prices up higher than retail.

Most people don’t realize they can book on their own, or they are scared of doing it. As long as you find a reputable company with good reviews, you are safe in booking and also on your tour. My husband and I were the only two on our Isla Roatan tour and we ended up getting an extra 90 minutes out of it. Our Belize City tour only had two other people on it and we all had a great time. All the tours I booked were guaranteed and only required a 20% deposit. My Grand Cayman tour was cancelled due to weather. I was sad that I didn't get to go swimming with the sting rays, but our deposit was refunded to our credit card, as it wasn’t our fault that we couldn’t dock.

Book early – The earlier you book your cruise, the better chance you will have of getting a great deal on a good cabin. You’re bound to be given some extras as well, like onboard credit, cabin upgrade and more. If you aren’t sure what cabin is right for you, take a trip over toCruiseCritic and you can get the low-down on which decks have bigger and/or quieter rooms, which cabins and decks to avoid and more.

Get an inside cabin – Since we had never been on a cruise before, we weren’t sure if we were going to like it or not and decided that spending more money to get an oceanview or balcony cabin wasn’t really something we wanted to do. Oddly enough, those rooms don’t tend to be that much bigger and we figured we could just go up on deck to see the ocean. Besides the big drop in price, inside cabins are very quiet and VERY dark when you turn off the lights. If you have trouble sleeping with any sort of light coming at you, an inside cabin is the way to go. I might suggest bringing a portable nightlight with you, though, as trips to the bathroom can be super tricky without turning on a bedside lamp or the overhead light.

Don’t tip the staff – This sounds really mean, doesn’t it? Well, it’s not. You want to know why? All specialty drinks (soft drinks and alcoholic beverages) are charged an 18% gratuity right off the bat. If you throw extra money in the tip jar, you’re actually tipping twice and making that drink – that’s already cost you twice what you would pay in any restaurant or bar – even more expensive. Also, you will be charged a certain amount of money for each guest for service gratuity. This includes tips for your awesome steward, maitre‘d, waiter staff and more. I think it generally costs $10-15 per passenger per day, so on a 7-day cruise for two people, you’re paying an extra $140-210 for those people to do their jobs. Of course, you can contest this at the purser’s desk and have them lower the amount if you feel the staff didn’t deserve so much, but I think you’ll find that they go above and beyond your expectations.

Save your drinking for the ports – I know you’re on vacation and you want to do some drinking, but alcoholic beverages are marked up quite high. Seriously, I had a piña colada and it cost around $15 after their added gratuity. Add up several of those per day across your stay and you’re in for a heart attack come “cruise bill” day. Port cities are depending on your business, so get several drinks on land for the same price as one on sea and keep your wallet happy. You’ll help the economy and have a fun time with your fellow cruisers.

A good way to get free drinks on your cruise is to attend the captain’s welcome party. Anyone can go and they generally serve free snacks and alcoholic (and non-alcoholic) beverages. There is also the goodbye party at the end of your cruise where you can take advantage of free drinks. And during your cruise, if you take advantage of any tastings they are offering, you can get drinks for much cheaper. On our trip there was a deal for a tequila tasting. Six different tequilas for $20. What a bargain compared to my ONE piña colada. At least I got to talk to a lovely waiter from Bahrain.

So, while it seems like a cruise can be a money pit, there are a lot of ways to make it affordable and even a cheap vacation. You can meet a lot of different people, learn to be more outgoing and even discover more about countries around the world both on the ship and off. Keep an open mind and make sure to participate in games and other things around the ship. You’ll be surprised how much fun you can have if you just let go. Hey, you’re never going to see those people again probably. I made quite a fool of myself during the sail away party and again at a blindfolded trivia and probably several other times over our week, but so did other people and I just laughed about it and had a great time. 

6 Steps to Carrying On Like a Boss

Do you ever see those travelers who have one bag – that’s not even bulging! – that look super put-together and get right off the plane and into a cab and you wish you could be more like them? So often I’m walking through a hotel lobby or past the check-in desks at the airport and watch families that seem to bring everything they own on vacation with them, and I wonder how much they paid in baggage fees and chiropractor visits. It was not all that long ago that I thought I couldn’t live without taking individual outfits and a dozen pairs of shoes either. Once I realized I never wore half of what I packed, I decided to downsize my packing. Then when airlines started charging for checked bags, I decided to downsize more.

When my Eric and I went to Nassau and our checked bag was almost lost, we committed to carry-on-only travel. This not only saved us money, but also time and headaches. No more waiting at the baggage carousel forever wondering if our suitcase would be, yet again, the last one off the plane. No more worrying that we will have to vacation with just the few clothing items we packed in our carry-on. No more backbreaking trips up the stairs hauling our too-heavy bags behind us. And absolutely no more paying for our clothes to travel out of our eyesight.

Yes, it can be difficult at first to ditch the comfort of a large suitcase that can carry all your shoes and hair products and “what if” items. We now can pack by a set list of rules and go on vacation with everything we need and only a few things we might need. It is rare that we come back from a trip where we haven’t used everything we’ve taken. In fact, on our last trip to Los Angeles, we each packed three bottoms and four tops each, in addition to what we were wearing on the plane, and those clothes got us through 11 days. What’s more is that we packed it all into one carry-on bag and a bag that counts as a “personal item”. So, how did we pack so little and not go crazy? Here are the rules to travel by:

1. Mix and match everything you take. I used to go wild when I packed and took all my favorite things regardless if they went together or not. If you do this too, stop it. Pick a few things you love and want to take with you and then build a travel wardrobe around them. Make sure everything is in the same color palette. If you like bright tops, then bring neutral bottoms. That way, everything you take will match other things in your travel bag. Bringing mix-and-match separates is the perfect way to travel, because if you have four bottoms and five tops, you can make 20 different outfit combinations! It also helps with Rule #2.  

2. Two pairs of shoes are all you need. When everything in your bag has a similar color scheme, it’s much easier to find shoes to coordinate. Almost everywhere I go calls for the same two kinds of shoes: general walking shoes and comfortable dress-up shoes. With ballet flats being so popular these days, it’s easy to find a great pair that will be comfortable to walk in all day and still look good with everything from shorts to dresses. Wear your heavier shoes on the plane and pack the smaller ones, so you have more room for clothes and other necessities. 

{{There is an exception to this rule and that is for flip flops or similar sandals. They take up little space and are convenient for many things, so shove them into an empty space in your bag and pretend they aren’t shoes. You can wear them to the pool, to do laundry, get your continental breakfast, the beach and so much more. }} 

3. Prepare to do laundry. I hear you groaning and whining, “But I’m on vacation!” I’m aware. I go on vacation, too. I also do laundry on my vacation. When you take so little, unless you want to walk around in dirty – and possibly stinky – clothes, you will want to throw them in the wash at some point. Most decent hotels and vacation rentals (my personal preference) have laundry facilities. You can pop your clothes in on your way to dinner or when you get back from sightseeing and just want to sit and rest your feet. It will take much less time than you think and then you smell fresh the next day.

If your accommodation doesn’t have on-site laundry, you will normally find a Laundromat nearby. I have hoofed it down the street for clean clothes. I take a book or game for my husband and I to play while we wait and then we take our freshly laundered duds back to the room and get on with our trip. If you are at a destination long enough to need to do laundry, you will have enough downtime to do it.

4. Don’t forget to layer. When traveling to cold weather destinations, or even preparing for chilly nights during your stay, don’t start dumping in bulky sweaters and jackets. You will get three of those in your bag before it’s full and you can’t pack anything else in it. Look for lightweight fabrics that pack well and can be layered with other pieces. When I travel, I always bring at least one cardigan and a pullover, like a hoodie. I get cold, but I don’t need to wear my winter coat to stay warm. These pieces work well over most of your normal clothing, like a t-shirt or tank top, and can be crammed into your day bag when not being used.

If you are traveling in the winter time, layering works just as well. Sweaters that are thin and lightweight fleece are great, because sometimes you think it’ll be cold and then it’s not as cold as expected. If it is, you can wear layers underneath these to stay warm. T-shirts and tanks work here, too, but if it’s going to be really cold, look to purchase base layers – thin, but super-warm separates that look like long underwear. They trap heat to your body, but also wick moisture, so you don’t sweat to death while trying to prevent hypothermia. You can pack several sets of these in your bag and they take up little room and are undetectable under your everyday clothing. 

5. Downsize your toiletries. How long does it take you to go through a full-size bottle of shampoo? Two months? So why take that big thing with you on your vacation? TSA rules allow you to bring a one-quart plastic bag full of three-ounce bottles. If your problem is that you can’t find your same shampoo, conditioner, facial scrub, hairspray or whatever else in a travel-size container, make your own. Purchase small bottles, pumps, vials or jars and decant your favorite items into them. This gives you just the right amount you need for your trip and allows you to take them with you in your carry-on. If you’re one that needs to carry beauty tools with you, like a flat iron or curling iron, purchase a mini version specifically for your travel bag. You can normally find the same brand you use at home that works just as well, only smaller. I love my mini flat iron so much, I almost want to use it instead of my full-size one at home. It takes up half the space in my bag too. 

6. Streamline your beauty routine. Don’t stuff your toiletry bag full. Your objective here is to pack as little as possible. Look for make-up palettes and multipurpose products that will enable you to pack less. I am a fan of tinted moisturizer that has SPF in it and pairs perfectly with a powder foundation for a flawless look. Cheek tint is often meant to be used as lip tint, plus it can be applied with your finger, so you don’t need to pack another brush. 

There you have it. Six easy rules to pack by that will help you travel lighter and save you tons of hassle. If you can’t lift your bag to put in the overhead, you probably have too much in it. It’s really true what they say: Lay out all the clothes you want to pack and then put half back in your closet. I make packing even easier by creating a detailed packing list. This can help you see if you have way more than you really need, reminds you of the essentials – like underwear! – and helps you repack on the way home. When you travel with an organized carry-on, not only do you save money on baggage fees, but it helps your trips go smoother, so you only have to worry about what to do first when you get to your destination.

Taking an Affordable Las Vegas Vacation

So, I'm totally going to Vegas next month. NBA Summer League is happening and we are going to hit up some games, do some sightseeing, visit family and eat so much food. It's going to be a billion degrees, but whatever. I'll be working with Smart Destinations and their new Las Vegas GoCard, which is very exciting, because I'll be bringing you cool reviews of things I probably wouldn't get to do otherwise, and certainly not at such a discounted rate if purchased on it's own. Did you know that a trip to Sin City doesn't have to break the bank? Thank goodness, because we still have a big trip to Orlando on deck.

There is no shortage of things to do in Las Vegas, but without proper planning, you can easily go overboard with your spending. Between the expensive buffets, Broadway-style shows and gambling, your money can quickly vanish. Luckily, it is just as easy to find free and inexpensive experiences in Sin City that can make your trip much more budget-friendly.

All You Can Eat

Many of the major buffets can be a big blow to your wallet, even for breakfast. If you’re willing to get a bit off the Strip, you can find affordable food in other hotels. The following buffets will satisfy your hunger and your budget: 

• The Fantasy Market Buffet at the Palms 
• Circus Buffet at Circus Circus 
• Studio B Buffet at M Resort 
• French Market Buffet at Orleans 
• Ports O’ Call Buffet at Gold Coast 
• Any of the Fremont Street casinos offer cheap buffet prices

Sit down to a real meal with some of these great deals:

·         Ellis Island, behind the Paris, has an inexpensive and hearty breakfast.

·      Get a table at Mr. Lucky’s in the Hard Rock Hotel. Ask for the “Gambler’s Special”, which is not on the menu, and receive an 8oz flatiron steak, three jumbo shrimp, salad and mashed potatoes for just $7.77. 

·         Linger over a Parisian lunch at JJ’s Boulangerie at the Paris Hotel and Casino. 

·    Find dinner at the Four Queens Hotel and Casino’s Magnolia’s Veranda and get a prime rib dinner for just $8.95.

Go Sightseeing

Just because you’re in Vegas doesn’t mean you have to stay there. In fact, you can visit several other cities while you’re there without ever living the Strip. 

• Stroll past sidewalk cafés and Paris sights at the Paris Hotel and Casino. Take advantage of discounted rates at the Eiffel Tower if you visit before the dark of evening sets in. 
• Experience the streets of New York City, with an amazing skyline inside and a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge outside at New York New York Hotel and Casino. Unfortunately, they've taken out Central Park and some other fun things to make space for more slot machines.
• Walk along the canals of Venice at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino. 
• Explore the ancient glittering city of Rome at Caesars Palace. 

Free Attractions

Your budget can stretch much further when you mix free activities with paid ones. If you know where to look, you can enjoy a lot of totally gratis in Las Vegas.

• Make your way to the Bellagio and wander the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. Like the rest of Las Vegas, it’s open 24 hours a day. 
• Behind Caesars Palace in the forum shops you can watch The Fall of Atlantis. This animatronic show that happens every hour that shows the struggles between the Gods and how Atlantis ended up on the ocean floor. 
• See flamingos and other pretty birds and animals in the habitat at The Flamingo. 
• After the sun goes down, several hotels offer nightly shows, including the fountains of Bellagio, the volcano at the Mirage and the Fremont Street Experience – a lighted canopy that plays designs and videos to music.

With just a bit of planning and knowing where the deals are found, you can make what would usually be a spendy trip into one that fits your budget and allows you to do more with the money you have. With so many things to do in Sin City, it’s definitely fun to see a different side of Vegas that doesn’t always include the clanging of slots, although, I'm going to be spending a few dollars there, too. What are your favorite ways to spend the days (and nights) in Vegas?