Good Lifestyle

After dozens of sailings around the world, I've learned how to pinch my pennies on a cruise vacation budget. A seven-day sail can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars, yet I've discovered that the cruise basics don't waver much—and there's just as much fun to be had when cruising on a budget. When a girlfriend and I recently landed on Carnival Panorama—the one ship I always recommend to friends—for our week-long getaway, I shared with her my tips and tricks for elevating our wallet-friendly experience. Read on to discover how I turned a budget cruise into a luxury experience without breaking the bank.

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One of my favorite things about vacationing is slipping into a luxurious bed with high-quality pillows and sheets. Yet, on a cruise ship, it doesn't matter how expensive the cabin is—all guests benefit from deluxe bedding. When my friend and I sought out ways to save on our getaway, I knew an interior cabin would still have the same high-end linens but with a lower price point.

We each selected our own interior rooms for $300–less than half the cost of an oceanview room–and enjoyed quality linens, a full bathroom with a shower, and more closet and drawer space than needed. Bathrobes were available upon request, and the room steward replaced towels daily. Each of our rooms also had a desk with a chair, flat-screen television, and a small refrigerator.

My friend and I could have saved even more money sharing one cabin, but we loved the idea of having our own dedicated, private space. Choosing an interior cabin for each of us was the best way to trim our budget without sacrificing quality or privacy.

Carnival Panorama has an amazing assortment of free eateries and specialty restaurants with a modest upcharge. We were able to enjoy Italian, Asian, and barbecue cuisine without paying extra, because three of the specialty restaurants on Panorama have free lunch menus. The Italian eatery, Cucina del Capitano, offers a complimentary lunch featuring house-made pastas, while JiJi Asian Kitchen offers a free Mongolian grill lunch menu with customizable entrees. Dining at these specialty venues in the evening would cost $15 per person, so the no-cost lunches saved us $30 each.

Another popular specialty venue is Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse, of Guy Fieri fame, which has a la carte pricing. On sea days, Pig & Anchor offers a full, free barbecue lunch with several types of meat and sides. We easily saved $30 each by enjoying the spread on two sea days.

In addition to these higher-end eateries, my friend and I dined in the main hapag kainan on lobster night, which offers broiled lobster tails and seared steaks for no upcharge. During the rest of the cruise, we enjoyed grilled salmon and pastas in the dining room and buffet, tacos and burritos at BlueIguana Cantina, and several incredible burgers at Guy's Burger Joint—all included within the cruise fare.

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My friend wanted the ease of ordering whatever drink she wanted, when she wanted, without worrying about the cost. So, it made sense for her to get the Cheers beverage package, which allows for 15 alcoholic drinks daily, in addition to unlimited specialty coffees and sodas. On our seven-day cruise, my pal saved more than $40 by paying for it in advance, instead of buying it onboard.

Since I prefer coffee over cocktails, I did not purchase the package and instead opted to pay for fruity cocktails as I wanted them. I still cut my costs, as happy hour promotions tend to offer "buy one, get one" selections. And I also saved on specialty coffees at Java Blue Café because they have a punch card where with every six coffees purchased, the seventh is free.

The other nice thing about Carnival is the cruise line allows guests to bring aboard one, 750-milliliter bottle of wine per adult at the start of the cruise. They also permit up to 12 cans of soda per person on boarding day, so I also saved money by bringing a few of my own Cokes with me.

On the first day of a cruise, I always make time to take a brief tour of the onboard spa facilities. Pagkatapos ng dose-dosenang mga cruises, pamilyar na ako sa mga spa ng barko, ngunit may isang magandang dahilan upang maglakbay: mga diskwento. Sa panahon ng paglilibot, ang mga bisita ay iniharap sa mga espesyal na pagsisimula, na lubhang nag-apela sa aking kaibigan.

Ngunit ang aktibidad na ito ay din badyet-friendly dahil ito ay libre at karaniwang may kasamang ilang mga sampler treatment. Sa partikular na paglalayag, ang aking kaibigan at ako ay may komplimentaryong mini-massages sa dulo ng tour. Bukod pa rito, mayroon ding mga spa raffles kung saan maaari kang manalo ng mga gift card upang ilagay sa isang buong paggamot.

Kung saan kami din nakapuntos sa spa ay sa pagdalo sa isang palayok party. Mahalaga, ito ay isang maikling session kung saan hanggang 20 bisita dumalo sa isang DIY spa party. Kasama namin ang isang libreng, limang-hakbang, DIY facial, gamit ang lahat ng mga kamangha-manghang mga produkto ang onboard spa ay mag-alok. Walang halaga sa amin, at ang aming mga mukha ay kumikinang na may kagalakan pagkatapos ng isang magandang gamutin.

Nag-opt kami para sa isang karanasan sa splurge sa cruise na ito at iyon ay para sa isang linggong thermal spa pass. Ang Carnival Panorama ay may ilang mga thermal suite na may dry heat, sauna, at steam bath option. Mayroon ding isang oversized spa tub na perpekto para sa relaxation pagkatapos ng isang mahabang araw sa port. Para sa isang tao, ang Weeklong Pass ay nagkakahalaga ng $ 149, habang ang rate para sa dalawang tao ay $ 249-kaya mas madaling magbayad nang mas kaunti sa mga kaibigan. Mas mura ang mga pass ng araw ay magagamit din sa karamihan ng mga barko, kaya't isa pang paraan upang i-save habang splurging.

Mayroon akong mga kaibigan na laging gumastos ng pera sa mga guided excursion ng grupo, ngunit mas gusto kong i-cut ang aking mga gastos at kumuha ng self-guided walking tours. Kapag nagtakda kami para sa araw na itoMazatlán., halimbawa, ang aking kaibigan at ako ay nakilala ang iba't ibang mga palatandaan na kasama sa isang opisyal na pagliliwaliw tour at simpleng navigated sa pamamagitan ng bayan sa paa upang mahanap ang mga atraksyong ito sa ating sarili.AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB.

Bago magsimula ang isang cruise, kapaki-pakinabang na mag-download ng mapa ng paglalakad para sa bawat port sa itinerary. Pagkatapos, suriin ang mga handog sa iskursiyon upang maging pamilyar sa mga palatandaan na dapat makita upang makahanap ng isang self-guided walking tour. Ginamit namin ang napaka taktika sa Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, at Cabo San Lucas, at nagkaroon ng isang kamangha-manghang oras sampling treats sa mga lokal na cafe, locating oceanfront sculptures, at exploring boutiques.

Dagdag pa, na may karamihan sa mga atraksyon na nakasakay sa karnabal na panorama na kasama sa pamasahe ng cruise, maaari din naming i-swoosh down waterslides, balansehin ang aming paraan sa kurso ng ropes, at maglaro ng isang pag-ikot ng mini-putt para sa walang dagdag na gastos kung nais namin. O, maaari lamang naming ilagay sa pamamagitan ng pool alam namin ang aming badyet getaway sa isang parang panaginip, luxury bakasyon salamat sa ilang mga smart trick savings.

Kaugnay:Ito ang pinaka-mapanganib na lugar upang maging isang cruise, sinasabi ng mga eksperto.