When I went on my first cruise, I did 5 things to save money without cheapening the experience

• Last year, I signed up for a chance to win a free trip with Princess Cruises.
• I won, and my friend and I selected an Alaskan cruise worth more than the prize voucher’s value.
• To save money, we booked an interior cabin and our own excursions, and also minimized shopping.

When I received an email stating I’d won a cruise sweepstakes last year, I almost deleted it. After all, winning a free cruise is one of the oldest scams out there, and I didn’t even remember entering a contest.

Then it hit me: several months prior, I attended a street fair and signed up for a chance to win a free trip with Princess Cruises.

After I called the company directly to verify the email wasn’t a scam, I received my $2,000 voucher and invited one of my long-distance best friends to join me on our first cruise.

We chose an Alaskan trip with a visit to Glacier Bay National Park, which was a bit more expensive than the sweepstakes value.

Since we paid out of pocket for the additional cost, we were determined to keep our additional expenses low while still making this experience as fun as possible. Here’s how we did it.

We booked an interior cabin

Although I read online that many travelers recommend booking a room with a balcony to enjoy the views, we chose to stay in an interior cabin instead. These cabins don’t typically have a view, and are smaller and cheaper than other room types.

However, our cabin had everything we needed — two twin beds, a desk with a mirror, nightstands, a closet with a cabinet and a safe, and a bathroom. We saved hundreds of dollars and didn’t miss having a view because we were out on the deck and exploring the ship most days anyway.

On our July trip, not having a window actually proved to be an advantage. Since Alaska gets so much sunlight in the summer, it was nice to sleep in a fully dark cabin.

Opting out of the cruise packages worked in our favor

Princess Cruises offers two package upgrades: Princess Plus at $65 per person/day and Princess Premier at $100 per person/day if purchased pre-cruise.

Each provides different perks, such as WiFi access, specialty dining meals, and drinks (including alcoholic beverages, specialty coffees and teas, bottled water, and more).

Still, we opted not to buy either one. We wanted to take advantage of the limited internet access to really be in the moment and enjoy the experience. Plus, we were still able to use our phones at port and only had one full day at sea, so we weren’t without internet for very long.

We also weren’t concerned about not having access to unlimited drinks. Since we only bought specialty lattes in the morning and didn’t drink any alcohol, having a package didn’t feel like a good value.

Eating at the restaurants included in our fare helped us save money, too

Similarly, we prioritized eating at restaurants on the ship that were included in our fare. We had a variety of options, including a buffet, a grill, a pizza oven station, a soft-serve ice cream station, and more.

Other dining options, like an Italian restaurant, a seafood restaurant, a wine bar, and a gelato bar, were only accessible if you paid extra per meal or bought a package, so we avoided those.

On the days we stopped at a port, we made sure to eat a large breakfast so we were fueled for hours before heading out. Although we did eat some meals while at port, we mostly returned to the ship for dinner.

We didn’t book any excursions through the cruise line

During our trip, we explored three ports: Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan. Rather than booking excursions through the ship, we decided to select activities upon arrival at the ports.

For example, we chose to go on a whale-watching tour in Juneau, which cost about $140 per person. If we’d booked through the cruise, similar experiences would’ve cost over $200 each.

Then, we opted to explore the other two port locations on our own. In Skagway, we checked out the town and hiked to a beautiful lake in the mountains for a few hours before grabbing food at a brewery and heading back to the ship for the evening.

And in Ketchikan, we did the Salmon Walk, a 1.5-mile loop along the creek with several spots to see salmon swimming upstream. We also enjoyed getting coffee and visiting local shops.

It was easy to keep our shopping to a minimum

I brought all my own toiletries on the trip, which helped me save money by not needing to purchase anything additional on board or at ports.

I’m also not big on souvenirs (I like to treat photos as my keepsakes), so the only one I purchased was a pack of salmon treats for my dogs.

Our decisions helped us save money without dampening the fun

Before going on my first cruise, I didn’t really know what to expect and felt a bit underprepared. However, looking back, I really wouldn’t change a thing about the cost-cutting measures my friend and I took.

Although it’s hard to quantify exactly how much money we saved, I know we had an amazing time without breaking the bank.

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