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I Spent 30 Days At Sea On 4 Different Cruise Lines In The Past Year. Here Are 9 Mistakes I Won't Be Making In 2025.
I've learned from a lot of my mistakes while cruising throughout the past 12 months.
Lauren Mack
- I spent over 30 days with four cruise lines this past year, and I learned some travel tips for 2025.
- I'm done assuming interior cabins are the cheapest rooms on cruise ships.
- In 2025, I'll try to better take advantage of seasonal sales and credit-card offers.
As a frequent cruiser, I learn a little something from each trip.
In the past 12 months, I've spent 30 days at sea on four different cruise lines exploring the Eastern and Western Caribbean and Central America. From those sailings alone, I've learned numerous time- and money-saving travel tips.
Here are a few pieces of cruising advice I'll be taking with me into 2025.
I'm no longer going to assume an interior stateroom is the cheapest option.I had an obstructed-view sea-terrace stateroom on the Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady.
Lauren Mack
I almost always book an interior stateroom because I don't spend a lot of time in my cabin and like saving money.
Although this is often the cheapest option, I learned this year that it isn't always.
In September, my father and I booked a last-minute cruise on the Disney Wish. We almost booked one of the many interior cabins available until I discovered a deluxe ocean-view stateroom with a verandah for over $100 cheaper.
Turns out, it's wise to compare costs on different ships within the same cruise line.You may find yourself pleasantly surprised if newer cruise ships are cheaper to sail with than older ones.
Lauren Mack
When I booked my sailing on Margaritaville at Sea's Islander in July, I assumed my trip on this new ship would be more expensive than its older one.
After all, the Islander is much nicer and has more amenities than the budget cruise line's Paradise ship that I sailed on in 2023.
Much to my pleasant surprise, my trip on the newer ship cost less. My total per night for an interior stateroom was $93 on Islander compared to $165 on Paradise.
Even though I'm a seasoned cruiser, joining online travel groups can still be helpful.I love sharing travel stories with other travelers and hearing their tips.
Lauren Mack
I haven't always been on top of joining and checking cruise-line and voyage-specific Facebook groups, but I think I will from now on.
Many of these online groups contain a wealth of information, even for seasoned cruiser like me.
You can find information on how cruise lines compare, photos of what staterooms actually look like, and practical advice for troubleshooting a slew of issues.
After missing some sales and promotions, I plan to keep a better eye on my inbox and mailbox.Many cruise lines have special offers for people who are signed up for email lists.
Lauren Mack
By ignoring emails and promotional mailers about sales, I missed out on complimentary add-ons like drink packages and free WiFi in 2024.
Even if I'm not sure when or where I want to cruise next, I plan to actually look at seasonal sales and offers in 2025 — especially those that require low deposits or have flexible rules for payment.
I wish I'd stayed on top of my credit-card offers, too.Bundling discounts and deals can save travelers a lot of money.
Lauren Mack
In the past year, I learned the value of enrolling in loyalty-match programs to score upgrades, onboard credits, and more. However, I'd forgotten to use offers from my American Express Blue Sky credit card.
Now, I've started to check and use monthly offers each time I make my credit-card payment.
After all, just a few years ago, I was able to use an AmEx offer to get hundreds of dollars back when using my card to pay for a Princess Cruise.
Next year, I'll try not to forget to put important booking deadlines in my calendar.Sometimes it's helpful to mark when you can start booking parties, excursions, and dinner reservations.
Lauren Mack
When I book a cruise, I only pay the deposit. I put the due date for the final payment on my calendar, but I usually forget to mark anything else.
In 2025, I want to better track important milestones, like the first day I can book onboard experiences and shore excursions.
Because I forgot to do this in the past few months, I missed out on booking my first-choice Holland America Line excursion in Curaçao and didn't get to reserve a beach cabana on Disney's Castaway Cay.
Some of my embarkation days were wasted this year, so I want to start making the most of them.I want to be among the first on my cruises so I can kick off my vacations as soon as possible.
Lauren Mack
Moving forward, I want to take full advantage of each ship's embarkation day by boarding as early as possible.
I've learned to pay attention to each cruise line's check-in procedure to see when I can select an early port arrival time.
On Norwegian Cruise Line, for example, travelers who have completed online check-in can begin selecting arrival times 21 days before their sail date. Some cruise lines include early boarding in add-on packages or offer it via loyalty programs.
Specialty dining will no longer be part of my cruise plans.I've had some good specialty meals at sea, but I don't know that the prices have always been worth it.
Lauren Mack
When I sail on a new cruise line, I splurge for specialty dining because I want to try every restaurant. However, more often than not, paying extra to eat in these places hasn't been worth it.
In the past few months, I found myself particularly disappointed by the mediocre food at Asian-themed specialty restaurants at sea — especially ones serving sushi.
Plus, the specialty steakhouses are usually worth skipping because many cruises serve steak at least once in the main dining room at no extra cost.
Before I book any cruise, I'm going to start looking into the ship's age.Many cruise lines' newer ships are far larger than the older ones.
Lauren Mack
When I've booked cruises in the past, I've focused on the price, ports, and length of a sailing. Moving forward, though, I'm going to look up the age of a ship to avoid disappointment.
For most cruise lines, older ships tend to be smaller with fewer amenities, even if they've been recently refurbished. Plus, the ship's age can influence everything from stateroom size to ports of call.
Read the original article on Business Insider
