Avoid the upsell
If you are interested in podcasting, don’t miss the PodcastCon Cruise on December 4,2009. Check out the wiki for more information.
Continuing on with suggestions from this article about getting even with the cruise lines, the next suggestion is to avoid upsells.
I don’t really consider buying drinks or photos as upsell, but nevertheless, there are definitely ways to save money. If you planned your budget before booking the trip, you should definitely stick with it, but be sure to include any extras. It is definitely possible to spend nothing other than your cruise fare and service charge on a cruise. If that makes it possible for you to cruise in the first place, congratulations on being able to budget such a trip.
You can have a very enjoyable vacation without eating in a specialty restaurant, buying drinks, going into the casino or purchasing photos. Some people have vacation money and spend it differently than they would on a ordinary at-home day. That’s part of the fun of vacation. And who wants to deny themselves as drink or photo on vacation? When they travel on land, do they not pay for a meal, drinks or souvenirs?
My suggestion for those who want to buy drinks, photos, souvenirs or eat in the specialty restaurants is to book the least expensive cabin and use the money saved for your indulgences.
Certainly the cruise lines benefit from guests who buy all the extras and have large bar bills, but they also reap benefits from any passenger who has a good experience, no matter what their final bill says. Happy passengers tell their friends and in the end, the cruise line benefits.
Sail Away