5 Ways to Save Money on Your Next Solo Cruise

I wish I had an endless pile of money I could use for cruises. But, alas, that’s not the case. You’re probably in the same boat (pun intended).

But that doesn’t mean a cruise is out of reach for you. In fact, cruises are among the most economical ways to travel, especially if you want to see multiple cities on your next trip. Check this – next year, I’m taking a 15-night cruise that will take me to NINE ports covering THREE countries for $1700! And that’s a solo room. My travel partners are sharing a room and paying closer to $1100 for their trips. No way could you do a trip like that with lodging + meals for the same price without staying in some dodgy places.

Anyway, if that’s still not enough to convince you that cruises are the best way to travel solo, here are five things I’ve learned about saving even more money on cruises without feeling deprived.

1. Travel during off peak periods

A great thing about remote working while you cruise is that you don’t necessarily need to travel when you have set days off. So, you can take advantage of off-peak periods when cruises are less likely to sell out and more likely to offer deals. Don’t believe me? Do a quick price check for cruises in December. You’ll notice a stark contrast between the first few weeks and the last two, when everyone is on vacation. I’m taking a cruise the second week of January, after everyone disembarks from the New Year’s one, for less than $500 per person.

2. Check your prices often

With Royal Caribbean, you are only locked into the price 90 days before your cruise. That means you can call them daily and ask them to re-check your price and lower it if the current deal is better than the one you have. I’ve so far dropped over $300 on a cruise that I have booked for March of 2026 this way! (I check online first, I don’t just call them without knowing if the current deal is better. But you totally could, and they wouldn’t mind.)

You can get any alcoholic drink as a mocktail, and it’s included in the refreshment package! Skip the hangover and save some $$

3. Rethink the alcoholic drink package

ESPECIALLY if you are planning on working. On Royal Caribbean, the Refreshment package is usually about 60% less than the Deluxe and includes everything except alcohol. So, all the lattes, bottled water, soda, and mocktails you could want. You can also bring a bottle of wine on (one bottle per adult). My cruise math tells me that saving a few hundred dollars every cruise this way adds up to at least one extra cruise a year. Right? Don’t check my work on that.

4. Get a thermal suite pass instead of a massage

I like to relax after work, and I have found that the thermal suite is just as relaxing as a massage, but without the high-pressure sales pitch. Sadly, not every ship has one of these. But if yours does, check it out. It’s relatively inexpensive. For my upcoming 15-night transatlantic cruise, the thermal suite pass is just $200 for the entire trip! (Ok, so that’s not factored into my $1700 total).

My favorite place to be after a morning of remote work is the Thermal Suite on Serenade of the Seas.

5. Look for cheap excursions

I’ve found out the hard way that trying to explore a city on your own can end up costing more in taxi fare than just doing an excursion with the ship. If you want to explore the city but aren’t up for a 9-hour adventure, look for short and inexpensive excursions as you get closer to your destination. I booked my Ensenada bus tour the night before for $29, and that included a snack, plus wine and a margarita! (I didn’t say I don’t drink alcohol at all; I’m just cheap about it.)

Let me know what other tips you have in the comments or on Instagram!