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You might have to deal with more people, but nothing beats having a day on a world-class beach without having to spend a dime. That said, if you do decide to use your card, be sure call your credit card company first. It may alert their system to fraud to see a card used in three different ports in three days, leading them to put a freeze on your account if they don’t know what’s going on.
How to cruise for free (or close to it) with Royal Caribbean and Carnival - Frequent Miler
How to cruise for free (or close to it) with Royal Caribbean and Carnival.
Posted: Fri, 09 Dec 2022 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Have Breakfast on your Balcony
Enter as many times as you can according to the rules – some giveaways limit entries per person or per household, and violating those restrictions can invalidate all your entries. Cruise lines will occasionally give away free cruises, especially to promote new vessels or embarkation ports, company milestones, and other significant events. Entering such a contest might be as simple as filling out a basic form, or could involve a more elaborate survey, social media connections, or other steps to be eligible to win.
Unfortunately, it’s not easy to see the stars at sea
You increase your likelihood by spending time looking at the sea from the top deck, balcony or even on the promenade deck. Have you received a cabin upgrade on a cruise recently or in the past? Typically, if you note the occasion on your booking, your special day will be recognized with a small cake and sometimes a small decoration on your cabin door. If you’re celebrating an anniversary or special occasion on your cruise, you might be wondering if cruise lines do anything special, like upgrades. Travel agents that sell a lot of cruises will often have access to group rates on cabins.
Ways to Get Free or Cheap Cruise Cabin Upgrades
Educate yourself on tips and tricks for getting the best cruise price, and then pick the trip you want. Note that a complimentary Royal Caribbean cruise includes cruise fare for two, but you still need to pay the additional taxes and port fees. Many cruise lines have discounts or offer category upgrades for past passengers as part of their cruise line loyalty programs. While you won’t usually get a free cabin upgrade, it’s possible to save anywhere from $50 up to a few hundred dollars a person. With these deals, you pay a bit extra, but then you get more included in your fare (such as Princess Plus). This can include Internet access, drink packages, your onboard daily gratuity, and other perks.
Always use your cabin safe. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than nothing
Such high-end offers are only paired with extravagant purchases, however, such as buying a new luxury vehicle, a new boat, or even a new house in an elite community. If you are making these purchases you may not be concerned about your vacation budget, but a free cruise can be a great deal if you’re already in the market for such a purchase. You must be willing, however, to give up part of your vacation to render the services you’ve promised, such as a lecture or two, guiding a tour, or being available for guest interaction. Your lecture, talk, or presentation could be focused on either personal or professional expertise. You could offer conversational Spanish classes on Mexican cruise itineraries.
Special Guest Lectures
Just head down to the dining room whenever you’re ready to eat, and they will find you a place to sit. It likely won’t be with your same waiter, but you’ll definitely get fed. Nearly every ship you sail on will have a place to get free pizza by the slice. This way you get exactly what you want instead of having to eat a slice of whatever is available. It may take a few minutes to get your pie made, so be a little patient.
It was an uncomfortable leap of faith, especially when they charged my credit card before the official authorization portion of the call took place. In mid-May 2017, I got the email confirming my interest in a free Royal Seas cruise, and just a day or two later, a representative called me about my free trip. But to be sure, there’s no “free” sale where you get on the ship without paying a dime. Instead, cruise lines will offer deals where one person pays full fare, but another person in the cabin can sail for free. If you play the game regularly and earn enough points, you can actually cash out the points for special offers, including free cruises or onboard credits.
Save money by looking for happy hour specials
Free cruises aren’t given as compensation very often though. Usually, it would only happen if the majority of your cruise has been cancelled while you’re on board, or something else that ruins your entire experience. A less pleasant way to possibly earn a free cruise is if you’re compensated with one as a result of a bad experience. Cruise companies are known to compensate dissatisfied customers with free cruises to make up for their negative experiences. It may not be the most desirable method, but it is a potential route to a free cruise.
Free Cruises Through Loyalty Rewards
Don't have time — or strong enough reading glasses — to search through all that fine print? Below, we list the most common "free" cruise booking perks you'll encounter and alert you to what you are actually getting and paying when you take that bonus offer. Other cruise lines sometimes have promotions where healthcare workers can cruise for free when accompanied by a paying guest. AmaWaterways offered this last year and Margaritaville at Sea currently also has this promotion. Well, I’m pleased to tell you that almost anybody can cruise for free these days! I’m lucky enough to enjoy free cruises from time to time, and I’ve met people on board who are cruising for free for all kinds of reasons.
Facial recognition at some ports matches with your passport can get you through quickly. When you are in port, you might notice strange symbols at the ship’s waterline that look like hieroglyphics. They are actually telling important information about the ship underwater. Hidden away primarily on the lower decks are spots like the engine room, crew quarters, service areas, and more. There are some “backstage” tours that you can take, but they are highly limited in the number of passengers that can go.
So the Free at Sea deal was actually $50 more per person — or $100 extra for a couple sailing together. So yes, the sale may change slightly, but some form is seemingly always offered. If the time isn’t quite right to book, you’ll most likely see something similar when you are ready. In addition to changing the number of perks included with the room you book, NCL also adjusts the actual perks themselves at times.
Open bar on a cruise ship is not like your college friend's debauched wedding. You don't get all the drinks for free; instead, you're gifted a beverage package. For heavy drinkers, that's still a huge perk, but be aware of what you're actually getting. Before you choose your favorite freebie or happily take them all, you will want to read the fine print and make sure your "free" bonus is actually worth what you'll be paying for it. When I cruise with my friends we often take advantage of these deals and have four in a cabin. Rather than some of us cruising for free, we split the fare between us all and cruise for half price.
At the end of the cruise, I still had my $200 and had earned 291 Club Royale points. Note that I earned points while breaking even by putting my winnings back into the machine; those 291 points required $1,455 to be run through the machine (at $5 per point). The point counter in the machine does not distinguish between your original money and the money it paid out to you along the way. On the ship, they often have staff photographers roaming and taking photos of passengers to remember their trip. You have to buy the photos if you want to take them home, but not if you don’t want them. To make things easy, just make sure your watch is set with the ship’s time as you get off in port.
On none of them were we able to find a sail away room available. While the option was shown for all cruises, the website labeled them all sold old — even for cruises leaving more than a year from now. Meanwhile, there were still options available with the Free at Sea perks included. First things first, while you can get all the perks included with your cruise, the number of freebies you can select may depend on the type of cabin that you purchase.
However, if you are a regular gambler, it does make sense to look into the cruise line’s casino rewards program to maximize your spend while on board. As with any casino, don't bet more than you can afford and if it stops being fun, stop playing. It may surprise you, but the vast majority of cruise ship enrichment speakers are not paid for their work. Some cruise lines such as Cunard, P&O Cruises, and Fred Olsen Cruise Lines make extensive use of lecturers and speakers as part of their enrichment program, usually on sea days.
Call as soon as you book and speak to a customer service agent. They can update you on food options and also make a note on your account to notify the crew. If dining at a specialty restaurant or hitting the spa, you might need a reservation. If so, don’t wait until you are on the ship to make reservations at restaurants or the spa. The best times will fill up quickly, leaving you with fewer options.
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