15 Luxury Cruise Hacks Savvy Travelers Swear By!
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After sailing on many cruises, we thought we knew every luxury cruise trick in the book – until a dinner with friends proved us deliciously wrong.
Turns out, you never stop learning creative ways to cruise smarter! And between swapping stories (and plenty of laughs), we picked up clever new ideas to add to our own playbook of luxury cruise hacks.
Luxury cruises are a whole different world from the big mainstream ships. The fare often bundles perks like complimentary wine and cocktails, free WiFi, specialty dining, prepaid gratuities and sometimes even shore excursions.
But a little advance planning – plus the right insider cruise tips – can turn that into an even more indulgent pinch-me experience!
Here’s how to dial up the pleasure, spend more wisely and squeeze more joy out of every day at sea.
🚢 How to make the most of a luxury cruise? 5 Easy indulgences
- Linger onboard on port days for peaceful pools, spa specials and a ship that feels all yours.
- Score elusive specialty dining reservations even when they’re “all gone.”
- Sip premium wines you didn’t know you could.
- Claim your own balcony lounge chair for ultimate sea-day bliss.
- Book an air deviation to fly your way, not theirs.
Onboard cruise secrets and port day tips
1) Own the ship on port day
One of our favorite cruise port tips is surprisingly simple. If you don’t feel like going ashore – maybe you’ve been there before, you’re tired or the port doesn’t grab you – just stay on the ship!
Port days are the perfect chance to enjoy the ship almost to yourself. The pool deck is blissfully quiet, there are no chair hogs in sight and the spa often tempts with discounts (more in #6 below).
On a Seabourn cruise of the Canary Islands, I (Janice) met an English couple who rarely disembarked. They’d splurged on their usual plush suite with a huge veranda – and were perfectly content to sip champagne and savor endless caviar, while everyone else went ashore on tours.
Their philosophy? Why leave when the ship itself – an elegant haven – is the destination!
2) Pack folding bicycles to pedal around each port
Here’s one of the best cruise secrets – pack folding bikes!
Our friends Louise and Keith swear by this. They’ve pedaled around New Zealand and the Caribbean on folding bikes, sometimes clocking 30 miles a day, burning off cruise calories while exploring beyond the tourist trail ashore.
Many luxury river cruise lines (like AmaWaterways, Scenic and Uniworld) actually carry or provide complimentary bikes to use ashore. On our Seine River cruise with Scenic in France, we loved cycling along riverside paths to museums and storybook villages.
But if bicycles aren’t provided, some ocean lines (including Cunard and Windstar Cruises) let you bring your own folding bike.
Keep in mind these points
- Bicycles must be stored in your suite or stateroom (per Cunard policy – they can’t block the door’s opening arc for safety).
- You can’t ride your bike around the ship.
- Bikes can’t be taken on tender boats.
If you want to bring your own two wheels on your cruise, be sure to check with the cruise line before booking.
3) Double your adventure with two back-to-back cruises
Flying internationally? A big chunk of your trip cost is the airfare (especially if you go business class).
So why not stretch that expense by booking two back-to-back cruises covering two different destinations? You could pair an Eastern Caribbean cruise, say, with a Western Caribbean one.
Most luxury lines discount the second cruise if booked together (sometimes called a “Collector’s Cruise”).
We’ve sailed with Windstar Cruises several times, and on our wish list now is one of their Star Collector Voyages.
These combine two or more itineraries (13+ days) into one epic trip – like Vietnam to Japan – with little to no port overlap. Perks include daily laundry and lower fares compared to booking separately.
You could also sample two different cruise lines. We know people who’ve sailed on Ritz-Carlton’s newest yacht Luminara, then followed that up with a Med cruise on Explora II (from Explora Journeys).
Or mix river and ocean!
If you’re eyeing a Western Europe cruise starting or ending in Venice, add a Po River cruise between Milan and Venice. You’d experience more of northern Italy and could take in the opera in Verona. Bellissima!
4) Snag a lounge chair for your balcony (shhh… it’s possible!)
Unless you’re in one of the poshest suites, balconies usually only come with two chairs and a table (even on luxury ships) – not so great if you want to actually stretch out and snooze in the sea breeze.
Here’s the insider move – ask guest services. If your balcony has the space, they’ll often bring you a full-length deck chair.
We’ve read in online forums that some guests email ahead to request one. We’re testing this ourselves for our next Crystal cruise (our 107-square-foot balcony should fit at least one lounger) – stay tuned!
5) Craft your perfect day ashore
When it comes to exploring ashore, you’ve got options – from curated ship excursions to designing your own day with a driver or local guide.
Booking through your cruise line is the stress-free choice.
If your mini-coach or Mercedes SUV breaks down, the ship will wait for you. You also get priority access ashore, which is gold in tender ports like Santorini.
For flexibility, hire a private driver/guide for a bespoke itinerary – many luxury lines offer this.
To kick it up a notch, look at curated VIP excursions. The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, for instance, arranges private catamaran sailings in St. Lucia with your own chef, crew, guide and even a photographer to capture the day.
Or you can DIY. Tap trusted outside operators for smaller group (or private) tours and more creative itineraries.
We’ve booked a private transfer in St. Lucia on our Crystal cruise to spend the afternoon at Reduit Beach. It costs $96 USD roundtrip for two, with our choice of pick-up and drop-off times (11:00 am to 4:00 pm).
By comparison, the ship’s excursion (sold out anyway) is $125 p.p. and includes a buffet lunch we don’t really need.
Our favorite alternatives to ship excursions
- WithLocals – This site connects travelers with local guides, offering private personalized experiences. We booked a private WithLocals guide to visit the Topkapi Palace and Basilica Cistern in Istanbul – she whisked us to the front of entrance lines and shared brilliant insights.
- Viator – It’s one of our go-tos for high-quality, well-reviewed excursions worldwide.
- GetYourGuide – Another favorite of ours, this day tour site is especially popular in Europe. On our Windstar Star Pride cruise, we booked a top-rated “Pirates Route” sea kayaking adventure through them in Rhodes, Greece (a tour the cruise didn’t offer). Coincidentally, while waiting for our pick-up, we met a fellow Windstar passenger who’d also booked the same excursion on their own.
Insider tip: We only book outside tours when we’re overnighting in port or have a long day ashore – always leaving a generous safety buffer before the ship sails.
6) Indulge in the spa on port days for bliss and bargains
On a luxury cruise, the spa’s hydrotherapy pools, saunas and steam rooms are usually yours to enjoy whenever you like. Viking’s ocean ships all have lovely Nordic spas, with a real snow grotto where you can actually chill!
Massages, body wraps and facials, though?
They come with a hefty price tag. The trick – book them on port days. With most passengers ashore, the spa is serene and treatment prices often dip.
Look for port-day specials in the daily planner, or stop by the spa to ask about deals. Booking more than one service at a time can unlock extra savings too.
Food, drinks and service tips
7) Score specialty reservations like a pro
On luxury cruises, specialty dining usually comes with no extra charge (unlike mainstream ships). But online advance reservations can sometimes be tricky – higher-category suites often get first dibs, so you might find your preferred times already taken.
Don’t worry, though.
There are plenty of ways to snag that table!
- Check in right away – As soon as you board, ask the maitre d’ or your butler to help with reservations. On our recent Viking Saturn Med cruise in November, Manfredi’s (the line’s popular Italian restaurant) was fully booked for our preferred nights and times. But…
- Keep checking back – Persistence pays off! Two days later, we spotted the reservation desk open at lunchtime and scored a prime 6:30 pm table for that night.
- Try a walk-in – Many times you can just wander over, especially after 8:00 pm, and get seated. That’s how we ended up sampling every food venue on our November cruise (including Viking’s second specialty resto, the Chef’s Table) and scoring not one but two dinners at Manfredi’s.
- Go for the “off nights” – The first and last nights of the cruise are usually easier for getting a specialty dining reservation.
8) Bring a special bottle
Ultra-luxury cruise lines include a stellar selection of wines in their fares.
Seabourn, for example, is known for its free-flowing French champagne, while Explora Journeys pours Moet & Chandon on the house. With that kind of bounty, you may not feel the need to bring anything extra.
But on other (still very nice, but more affordable) deluxe lines, the perks vary. Viking includes house wines but charges for premium labels. Oceania (delicious food!) and Windstar generally charge for all alcohol, though their fares are lower to match.
Happily, most luxury lines let you bring wine or champagne aboard.
Even better, many don’t charge corkage – Viking, Seabourn and Silversea among them. When we’ve brought our own bottles to restaurants on Viking, the wait staff served them in full style – complete with an ice bucket for our chilled white.
Some lines do add a modest fee. Azamara, for example, charges a $10 USD corkage fee.
Bottom line?
Slip that favorite vintage into your suitcase or pick it up ashore. Bringing your own special bottle turns an affordable luxury cruise into a true 5-star (6-star?) experience – all for just the unmarked-up cost of the bottle.
9) Turn your balcony into your private restaurant
How to feel truly spoiled? Enjoy breakfast or a romantic dinner on your balcony!
Room service is one of our favorite ways to make the most of a cruise. Few things beat waking up to a frothy cappuccino on your veranda, as your ship glides into port!
At night, most luxury lines let you order from the main dining room menu. Your room service steward (or butler) will serve each course, restaurant style – and there’s no extra charge.
On Seabourn and Silversea, for instance, you can enjoy a full multi-course feast set up in your suite or out on your balcony, each dish arriving as if you were seated in the dining room itself. (Pajama dinner party for two under the stars? Yes, please!)
10) Ask for off-menu wine and dishes
Don’t just settle for the “wine of the day.”
Sommeliers usually pour one white and one red as the complimentary options (offering different selections each evening).
But behind the scenes, they’ve got a whole cellar’s worth of bottles waiting to be uncorked.
If you want to sample a crisp Sauvignon Blanc instead of Chardonnay, or a bold Syrah in place of Cabernet, just ask. They’ll often be delighted to bring you a different varietal.
On my Seabourn cruise, I dined with a couple who only wanted champagne with their meal – no problem at all!
And while you’re at it, chefs often go off-script too.
If you’ve got a hankering for something not on the menu, say a juicy rib-eye or a particular dessert, speak up. Often, the kitchen will happily make it happen.
11) Tip early for exceptional service
Even if your fare already includes prepaid gratuities, a little extra kindness goes a long way.
Slip the maitre d’ or bartender an extra $10 or $20 USD at the start of your cruise. You’ll be remembered – and never have to wait for a wine or martini refill!
For your room steward or stewardess, we suggest leaving a small thank-you (say $5 or $10 USD) on the first day, so they know you appreciate their care right from the start. (Then, at the end of your voyage, add perhaps another $10 per day of the cruise, along with a handwritten thank-you note.)
In our experience, tipping early sets the tone for truly exceptional service throughout your sailing.
Booking, planning and value-added luxury cruise hacks
12) Reserve early to get the suite you want
The top suites are like catnip for repeat cruisers – and they’re the first to vanish.
On Silversea, returning guests snap up the Silver Suites, prized for their prime mid-ship location and separate bedroom and living area.
Meanwhile, on Azamara (which straddles the line between premium and luxury cruising), the 414 sq. ft. mid-ship Club Spa Suites are the gems – complete with sea-facing spa tubs, walk-in rain showers, unlimited premium drinks, free laundry, thalassotherapy pool access and more.
So what’s the best time to book a luxury cruise?
For peak sailings or back-to-back cruises (where you don’t want to pack up and move), grab yours 12 to 18 months out. You’ll usually lock in the lowest fare, and most lines will honor any sale price that pops up before final payment.
Other tips when choosing your suite:
- Pick one with staterooms above and below to avoid pool, lounge or dining noise.
- Steer clear of connecting rooms, elevators and stairwells if you value peace and quiet.
13) Arrive early, linger longer
Flying from afar?
Build in a couple of nights at a hotel before you board. You’ll dodge jet lag, ease into vacation mode and make the most of your cruise from day one.
Luxury lines often sweeten the deal.
Regent Seven Seas regularly bundles two- and three-night programs (sometimes at no extra cost); Concierge Suite guests get a free one-night pre-cruise hotel.
Silversea includes pre and post-cruise hotel stays on select voyages.
14) Get airfare your way
When you book a cruise-plus-air package, the line picks the flights – usually the cheapest and not always the most convenient.
But for an air deviation fee (from $50 to a few hundred dollars p.p.), you can request your preferred airline, premium seats or a custom route. You could even tack on a pre- or post-cruise city stay or build in a one-week stopover somewhere fabulous.
Even better…
If your line offers either to book your flights (say with business class seats) or give you a flight credit, take the credit. That way you’re not stuck with bargain-basement routings and long layovers.
15) Book your next cruise while on board
One of the smartest cruise travel hacks? Book your next voyage before you even disembark.
The onboard cruise specialist can offer reduced fares, shipboard credits and perks you won’t find once you’re back home. (And don’t worry – your travel advisor still gets the credit, so you can save without cutting them out.)
If you’re not ready to choose a specific itinerary, you can usually put down a small deposit that can be applied later when you’ve made up your mind.
You’ll also boost your loyalty perks by booking with the same cruise line.
Some frequent sailor clubs to know
- Seabourn – After your first cruise, you become a member of the Seabourn Club. You earn points each night you sail, climbing from Silver to Diamond level, with rewards like excursion discounts, free spa treatments and free laundry – and even complimentary cruises after key milestones.
- Regent Seven Seas – With the Seven Seas Society, you get $250 USD savings off your very next cruise, plus growing discounts and perks the more you sail.
- Explora Journeys – As a member of the Explora Club, enjoy up to 50% off in the boutique, spa savings and complimentary suite upgrades, depending on your status.
- Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection – Earn Marriott Bonvoy loyalty points on your cruise fare (plus nights toward Elite status) and redeem for future cruise savings.
Do you like cruising?
Now it’s your turn…
We’d love to hear your go-to cruising tips on how to make the most of a luxury cruise! Drop your advice in the Comments below.
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Our top travel tips and resources
→ General trip planning: TripAdvisor is a helpful starting point, offering loads of user reviews on hotels, restaurants and things to do.
→ Hotels: Booking.com is our go-to for scoring a “wow” hotel – or at least a decent one – often at lower rates than the hotel’s own website. (We especially like Booking’s flexible cancellation policy!) You can also find great discounted rates on Expedia, especially for hotels in the U.S. and Mexico.
→ Vacation homes, condos and rentals: We prefer and use Vrbo (Vacation Rentals by Owner).
→ Flights: For the cheapest flights, search on Google Flights or Expedia. (Just be aware Expedia tickets are often non-refundable. If you want more flexibility, it’s usually worth booking directly with the airline, even if it costs a bit more.)
→ Airport lounge access: We love (and have) Priority Pass for comfy lounge seats, free snacks and drinks, complimentary WiFi and sometimes even showers and spa services!
→ Tours: For the best local food, walking and other guided tours, plus skip-the-line tickets to attractions, check out Viator (a TripAdvisor company) and GetYourGuide.
→ Car rental: Renting a car is often a great way to explore off the beaten path. Discover Cars searches car rental companies so you get the lowest rates.
→ eSIMS: Stay connected affordably with Airalo eSIMS covering 200+ countries and trusted by 10 million+ users, including us! (No more huge roaming bills!)
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Photo credits: © 1 Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection
About the authors
Royal Caribbean does allow bikes if stored in your cabin. I have a letter confirming this and I am bringing mine on my next trip in 2 weeks
Thanks so much for letting us know! We’ll update the post to reflect this :-).
Have a fabulous cruise!
We went on our first cruise last year and I absolutely love these little touches and ideas you have suggested. It never would have occurred to me to book two back to back cruises in different destinations or to try and customise the trip but that’s such a good idea! And I am totally with you about the dining on the first night tip – we went with Celebrity and did exactly what you mentioned here – went to the specialty restaurant on night 1 and got a great and heavily discounted meal!
So perfect to hear that our tip about dining in the specialty restaurant the first night worked out great for you in real life!
These are some great ideas, Janice. I am not a big fan of cruises, but sometimes they are the best way to explore a new area. I like the idea of taking two cruises since you are already paying for international airfare. I should try that. Not that I am a big fan of biking, but how heavy are these foldable bikes?
Great question! Folding bicycles range from 22 pounds (light) to 35 pounds. We just did a quick Google search, and here’s a 2016 article in the U.K. “Independent” newspaper on 10 best folding bikes: http://www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/outdoor-activity/best-folding-bike-under-500-raleigh-brompton-tern-bobbin-8683766.html
These are fantastic tips! We have never been a on a cruise and I know that there are some insiders tips that would help us! Love the folding bicycle idea – Very Clever!
Oh, you’ll HAVE to try a cruise! You’re sure to find one that will suit your style :-).
Great tips! I never thought I was a cruise person … until I did a cruise! Now I’d jump at the chance. Another tip is to always opt for active shore excursions if possible, that way you can work off some of those cruise ship calories. Unless, of course, you fall off your bike like I did in Barcelona …
Not all cruises are the same, that’s the big thing to know, right? We’re with you on doing the active shore excursions – we always like the guided walking tours or the ones where you can go snorkeling (or riding a bicycle – sorry you fell of yours!). You can even go ice-climbing on a glacier in Alaska! And some cruises are so non-cruise like. We’re going with Un-Cruise Adventures soon to Costa Rica and Panama – we’ll be completely pooped by the end of it after all the morning-to-night hiking, snorkeling, kayaking, etc. We’ll be doing TONS of active things with them :-).
Great tips especially the ones I would have never thought of (like taking a folded up bicycle)! I’ve never been on a cruise myself but I’m sure I will one day!
We thought the idea of taking your own folding bicycle was a really great tip too! It was our friends who told us about that :-). We’d never have thought of that ourselves…