As spring and summer come around, many people start planning and taking their vacations. One of the most popular vacations is a cruise. A cruise is great in many ways: you have unlimited food, around the clock entertainment and activities, there are great activities for everyone to enjoy, and you can see multiple, interesting ports of call. It's also a great way to take a vacation if you are a family or in a large group since you're all together in one place (there's only so many places you can go on the ship) and it's easy to find something everyone will like to do and eat.
However, just because you're on vacation doesn't mean you should just take a vacation from your sense of financial responsibility. Most all cruise lines give you a passenger card, which lets you back on the ship from a port of call, but also essentially is like your credit card while on board. All too often, passengers just give their passenger card to buy a drink at every event on the ship, thinking "It's easy, just give them this card and I'll get a drink" or "Hey, I'm on vacation, I deserve it!" Yes, you do deserve some of it, but just realize that you have to pay $10 for that mixed drink you had during the ship orientation when you get your final bill the morning you leave.
Another area on the ship and at ports of call that you may be tempted to spend a lot is shopping. Although many of the shops on board will tempt you with "Great Deals," most of these deals are no better than deals you might get during a good sale at your local department store. Try to limit your purchases to rare and unique items that are low to moderately priced.
The best advice is try to limit your purchases with the passenger card, and ALWAYS, ALWAYS keep track of how much you have spent with the card. Keep all receipts you get, so that way when you get your final bill on your morning of disembarkation, if there are any discrepancies, you can show all your receipts to the front desk as proof of what you spent. Although it's rare for the billing to be off (unless your passenger card was stolen), mistakes do happen, and it's your responsibility to make sure everything is accurate.
Finally, do enjoy your cruise and your vacation. Cruises can give everyone in your group a great time, and when you get back home, you can feel good that you had a great time without blowing your budget. Have fun!
However, just because you're on vacation doesn't mean you should just take a vacation from your sense of financial responsibility. Most all cruise lines give you a passenger card, which lets you back on the ship from a port of call, but also essentially is like your credit card while on board. All too often, passengers just give their passenger card to buy a drink at every event on the ship, thinking "It's easy, just give them this card and I'll get a drink" or "Hey, I'm on vacation, I deserve it!" Yes, you do deserve some of it, but just realize that you have to pay $10 for that mixed drink you had during the ship orientation when you get your final bill the morning you leave.
Another area on the ship and at ports of call that you may be tempted to spend a lot is shopping. Although many of the shops on board will tempt you with "Great Deals," most of these deals are no better than deals you might get during a good sale at your local department store. Try to limit your purchases to rare and unique items that are low to moderately priced.
The best advice is try to limit your purchases with the passenger card, and ALWAYS, ALWAYS keep track of how much you have spent with the card. Keep all receipts you get, so that way when you get your final bill on your morning of disembarkation, if there are any discrepancies, you can show all your receipts to the front desk as proof of what you spent. Although it's rare for the billing to be off (unless your passenger card was stolen), mistakes do happen, and it's your responsibility to make sure everything is accurate.
Finally, do enjoy your cruise and your vacation. Cruises can give everyone in your group a great time, and when you get back home, you can feel good that you had a great time without blowing your budget. Have fun!
