Travel agency who has bought many tickets with a cruiseliner will be more willing to negotiate to a better discount. And that will bring us to tip no.8.


Tip #8: Befriend your travel agent. Travel agency is a good source for last minute booking. Cruise liners have no means of advertising their free remaining rooms as departure date draws nearer as to not upset their full-fare customers. They rely mostly on travel agencies to sell their tickets and being a pal to your travel agent will almost guarantee you a spot.


Tip #9: Go direct to cruise liners' websites. This seemed obvious but not checking with travel agents will put you in the dark about what discount you can get. The trick here is not to secure tickets that is cheaper than those offered by travel agents, but some websites offer their members daily, weekly and even monthly price quotes for your considerations.

Now that you booked yourself a great cruise at a steal, you are doing half of what is required to have a fabulous bugdet cruise. Yes, that's right. Half done. In your excitement and laid back mood when cruising, it is easy to completely burst your budget on board. Watch out for following culprits if you do not want to have an unpleasant surprise after your cruise, in the form of your credit card bill.


Budget Bomb #1: Shopping. When you stop at different destination, the natural thing to do is shopping. Shopping can be expensive especially if you are a tourist and your guards are down but your moods are high.


Budget Bomb #2: Drinking. You will be charged extra for alcholic consumption on board. Don't even go for soft drinks. They are not free either.


Budget Bomb #3: Short Additional Tours. On-shore additional tours are great and will deeply enhance your travel experience. Plan wisely and see if it is justifiable to include a short tour as these do not come cheap.


Budget Bomb #4: Think you can binge as much as you want onboard since all the food are paid for anyway? You'll get into more serious trouble in case you fall sick, or have indigestion. Medical service on board is not inclusive in your cruise package and this could set you back on budget.


Budget Bomb #5: Think cruise and you'll think of pampering yourself and living like a king for a change. Cruise companies know that too. That's why they charge you an arm and a leg for pampering services such as spa, beauty treatments and manicure.


Budget Bomb  #6: Tipping. Make sure you have some small bills handy as tipping is an expected gesture in exchange for good service received on board. This can easily add up especially if you are having a long vacation.


Now that you've covered all the bases and not leaving anything to chance, your budget cruise vacation is properly set. Enjoy your honeymoon minus the initial guilt and the headache afterwards, and give yourself a good pat on the shoulder for being a smart and savvy cruise traveller.