If you are going to take the time and effort to book a cheap cruise in order to save money, you should also be certain that you are being cost effective in you pre-trip preparations. Here are several tips for keeping your costs down as you prepare for your cruise.

First, shop your own closet.

You already have all of the clothing you need for your cruise. Unless you have nothing that fits, or all of your summer clothing is threadbare, you don’t need to buy anything new. Wear your regular bathing suits, shorts, and summer dress clothing that you would be wearing at home. You are just going to relax and unwind. You aren’t going to interview for a job with a fashion magazine.

Same for luggage, use what you have. Nobody cares what your luggage looks like. Brand new sexy leather luggage isn’t going to impress anybody. You’re on a boat. Just go with a casual duffle or regular bag. You’ll look less like you are trying too hard this way too.

Use cash, rather than plastic.

While you should probably bring your credit card with you on your cruise, consider it for emergency use only. For spending money, set a budget ahead of time for things like souvenirs and put this amount aside in cash or traveller’s checks for your cruise. This will keep you from over-spending and help you avoid the “charge it” syndrome once you are on board.

Stock up on film before you leave.

Of course, no cruise would be complete without taking tons of pictures of your trip to share with friends and relatives upon your return. Film prices on the cruise ship are notoriously expensive though. Stocking up on cheap rolls of film from your local discount store will save you a bunch of money.

Keep your frugality consistent. Since you’ve gone to the trouble to find the best cruise deal, you want to save money on the cruise preparations as well. If you are careful, you can be frugal during your prep and have more fun money to spend. Have fun!

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