11 STRANGE (But True!) Cruise Tips Most People Don’t Know

What’s the significance of August 20th in cruising? How can three feet save you thousands of dollars? And what’s the secret message in the hallway carpet that most people will never notice?

I’ve come up with some cruise tips that are a bit strange and frankly, most people have no idea about them. But they are all true, and you don’t want to miss them.

That said, let’s start with one that I’ve never been able to make sense of…

Dozens of Sites… With All the Same Prices

If you search online to buy a cruise, well you’re going to be shocked at how many websites are out there selling the cruises. But go and check their prices and they are the same price as what you find on the cruise line’s website.

In other words, you could spend hours searching dozens of websites for a deal, or save yourself a ton of time and just go to the cruise line directly and pay the same amount. I get working with a travel agent to plan things, but if you’re just going to book your cruise yourself online, it makes the most sense to go direct.

Given that the prices are the same, I’m not sure how all these other websites make money. Given the amount of them out there though, it seems clear that they do.

Adult Movies on a Family Cruise?!

Want to get romantic on your cruise? Given the family-friendly nature of cruising, it might seem weird to you that at least some cruises offer “visual aids” to help set the mood.

Now, if you were sailing on Virgin Voyages, which is adults-only, having some adult films available to rent might not seem out of the ordinary. In fact, that cruise line has some room settings that include “Get It On” that turn the lights pink and play a sexy tune to get things started.

But at least on some Royal Caribbean ships I’ve been on, there are adult movies that you can rent on your stateroom TV. It’s for a charge and well, they don’t last very long. I figure if the kids are sent to go play in the kids area or to go do the waterslides onboard that parents don’t need too long to get in a little romance while the room is empty.

Three Feet Away From Ritzy Cabins for Drastically Less Money

If money were no object, we’d all sail in the fanciest rooms on the ship. But money is a factor for most cruisers. At the same time, the cruise lines want to put as many cabins as they can on the ship.

That leads to a weird situation. You can pay thousands for a fancy balcony room or suite in a prime location on the ship, and lots of people do. They are great rooms, but have a hefty price tag as well.

But because cruise lines want to take advantage of space, there can be an interior cabin literally three feet across the hall that’s just a fraction of the price. Now, in no way are these the same rooms or experience. But if you’re someone that’s concerned about location of your cabin on the ship, you can be literally feet away from some of the best cabins for much, much less.

Strange Traffic Patterns Onboard to Use to Your Advantage

If there is one thing that I’m seeing more and more people complaining about when it comes to cruising, it’s that the ships have gotten so large that there are simply too many people onboard. With upwards of 7,000 passengers — not to mention crew members — yeah, it’s a lot.

But over the years, I’ve noticed that there are some strange traffic patterns you can take advantage of to keep clear of the crowds. For instance, I find it strange that people cannot wait to be the first on the cruise ship… but they also can’t wait to get off the ship at the end of the cruise.

That’s why I try to show up later to board when possible. Not only are the crowds smaller, but if you board early, you may be unable to get to your room for hours while they are being prepped for new passengers.

I’ve also noticed that despite only a short amount of time in port, people definitely take their time to get off the ship at ports of call. For instance, I was on the first tender to Catalina during a recent cruise and was able to explore for a good hour or two before it started to fill in.

“Sales” That Never End

I’m signed up for all the email marketing lists from the cruise lines that tell you about the latest sales and offers to book.

After years of this, I can tell you that it’s strange how cruise lines — literally all of them — always have sales. Often they threaten to end soon, only to be extended. Or they do change, but in a way that’s really negligible.

It’s obvious that they use this tactic because it works. But if you’re a veteran cruiser, then you know to just ignore the sales. If a cruise line needs to fill rooms, it will adjust the prices on a specific sailing, not offer lower prices across the board.

Why You Should Bring an Old Card With You

Whenever you cruise, one strange item to throw in your bag is an old gift card or an old room keycard.

Many ships — though not all — have implemented an energy saving feature that honestly, I find a bit annoying. Instead of just a normal light switch in the cabin, they have one that’s operated by a card.

You insert the card and then you can turn on the lights. If the card isn’t there, the lights only stay on for a short time before turning off to save electricity. It’s designed so that you put your room keycard in there when you enter. But it’s way too easy to have the card in, walk out the room and have the door lock behind you.

Instead, you can bring an old card, put it on the holder on the first day and not worry about it for the rest of the cruise.

The Best Spa Deal That’s Barely Mentioned

Now I will admit, I’m not really a spa guy. But that is changing and one reason for that is that I never knew about an offer that cruise ship spas have because it’s not heavily advertised.

If you look around, you’ll see lots of mentions about spa services. They are on the phone app, mentioned in the daily planner, and you can head down to the spa for details and price lists.

What I didn’t know for a long time is that the spas also have day passes and they are one of the cheapest services there. Frankly, I think they are one of the best deals. Strangely, they usually aren’t listed on the services and you just have to ask.

I’ve paid about $40 for a day pass that gives you access to the thermal loungers, steam rooms, fancy showers, and more. Considering that a massage can easily run $150 for an hour, paying a third of that for all the time you want to relax is an awesome deal.

Strange Superstitions That You Need to Know for Getting Around

With cruise lines being massive, multi-billion corporations that have tens of thousands of employees, publicly traded stocks, and make corporate plans up to a decade in advance… it comes across as a little funny they can still be superstitious.

And if you’re going around the ship, knowing about that superstition can help you from getting lost. Or if you’re a dad like me, it can help you to play a joke on your kid.

On many ships you will find that they don’t have a 13th deck. Deck numbers go from Deck 12 to Deck 14. So when you tell your kid that the arcade is on Deck 13, it can cause all sorts of confusion.

Some ships take the superstition even further. Icon of the Seas doesn’t have room numbers that end in 666 or those ending in the number 13.

Why August 20 Is an Important Date in Cheap Cruises

What significance does August 20 have to cruisers? Well, I’d guess most people have no idea that it’s a major date for finding cheaper cruise fares to the Caribbean.

It’s pretty well known that if you book a cruise that sails when school is in session that rates are much lower. With fewer families able to cruise, prices drop to generate demand.

I’ve looked at prices during the month of August and that drop actually starts early in August but prices seem to reach their lowest point around August 20. That will vary based on if that’s a weekday or weekend and the length of the cruise. But if you’re wondering when cruise prices are officially low compared to the height of summer, look at this date as a rule of thumb.

Navigation Clues That Aren’t Widely Known

One thing that many people don’t know is kind of strange to me because it’s there to help passengers but the cruise lines rarely — if ever — talk about it.

I’m talking about navigation clues around the ship. Now, I’ve covered how door markers have hidden meanings or signs that can help you tell forward from aft. NCL, for instance, often just has carpet with arrows or fish pointing forward. In a windowless cabin hallway, you can go in the wrong direction easily if you’re not careful.

But beyond that, cruise lines use other clues. For instance, Virgin Voyages ship uses different color schemes around the stairwells and elevators to differentiate between forward, mid, and aft on the ship.

On many ships you can also look at the carpeting. The cabin hallway will have one type of carpeting, but then the ship has a different type for elevator bays that bleeds into the hallway. So if you’re walking and wondering where the elevators are, the carpet will tell you.

How to Get $0 Cruise Fare

If you sail solo, you pay for double occupancy. So a person sailing alone pays the same price as two people sailing together, except for the port fees.

But add a third or fourth passenger in the same cabin? They can sail for practically nothing. In fact, sometimes it’s literally $0 in cruise fare (though taxes and fees are charged). Some of the prices for an additional passenger can be so low that I’m not sure how it covers the cost of food.

Now, cabins are small, so I don’t blame you if you wouldn’t want to sail with a third person in the room, but if you do, you can save some serious cash when the cost is spread across three passengers.

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