Cruise ships are very good at making you want things.

A fancy coffee here.

A souvenir there.

Maybe a specialty dinner because apparently the three-course meal you've already paid for isn't quite enough.

And before you know it, your cruise card has been getting more exercise than you have.

But after you've cruised a few times, you start figuring out which extras actually make your vacation better...and which ones you can happily live without.

Here are seven things I no longer feel the need to spend money on.

You know the ones.

You're walking to dinner when suddenly you're posing in front of a fake sunset wondering what to do with your hands.

The photos can be fun, but with the cameras on our phones now, I'd rather take my own.

Bonus: I can take 47 of them until I find one I actually like.

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I'll happily pay for a specialty restaurant if there's somewhere I REALLY want to try.

But every night?

No thanks.

There's already plenty of food included in the cruise fare, and I've had some pretty great meals without paying anything extra.

I'd rather make specialty dining feel like a treat than another nightly expense.

Cruise ship shopping has a strange effect on people.

Suddenly something you'd walk straight past at home becomes:

"Well...I AM on vacation."

I've learned to give myself a little time before buying anything.

If I still want it later, fine.

Usually, I don't.

I'm not a big drinker, so a beverage package has never really made sense for me.

I might have a cocktail by the pool or a drink with dinner, but definitely not enough to get my money's worth.

I'd rather just pay for a drink when I actually want one and put the rest of that money toward something else.

Like another cruise.

We talked about this back in Issue #0078.

Cruise Wi-Fi has gotten much better, but that doesn't automatically mean I need it.

Sometimes being unreachable for a few hours is actually one of the nicest parts of being at sea.

The internet will still be there when I get back.

Unfortunately.

There are absolutely times when booking an excursion through the cruise line makes sense.

But I don't automatically assume it's the only way to see a port.

Sometimes I'll explore on my own, take local transportation or simply walk around near the port.

The important part is doing your homework first and leaving yourself plenty of time to get back to the ship.

Because watching your ship sail away without you would be one VERY expensive way to save money on an excursion.

This is one of those small purchases that doesn't seem like much until you keep doing it.

I prefer bringing a reusable water bottle and filling it where permitted onboard.

And it's useful off the ship too, especially on those hot port days when you realize you've been walking for two hours and haven't had anything to drink.

Amazon Cruise Find: A good reusable water bottle is one of those things I actually will spend money on before a cruise because I can use it again and again instead of continually buying bottled drinks.

Look for one that's leak-resistant and not too bulky, because nobody needs a water bottle taking up half their carry-on.

I'm definitely not suggesting you should board a cruise determined to spend absolutely nothing.

Although, as we discovered in Issue #0080, it can be done.

The point is that you don't have to buy every extra just because it's offered.

If specialty dining makes your vacation better, book it.

If you love having Wi-Fi, get it.

If you spot a souvenir you absolutely love, buy the thing.

But I'd rather skip the extras I don't really care about and save that money for something I do.

Like another cruise.

Because somehow THAT purchase is always easy to justify.

Thanks for reading,

Tara

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