How to Save Money on Your Next Cruise Vacation Bar Tab

For many cruise ship guests, the bar tab can be the largest expense of the entire cruise vacation, for some larger than the cruise fare itself. A beer here, a glass of wine there, one or two drinks at the show. They will add up and when you go to pay your bill on the last day of the cruise, you may be in for a big shock. Following are some tips that will help save money on your next cruise vacation bar tab.

Wine

• Bring Your Own Wine - some cruise lines allow you to bring your own champagne or wine on board and will only charge a corkage fee. This is not the policy for all cruise lines, so be sure to check with your travel agent or the cruise line before showing up and expecting to bring wine on board.



• Preorder Wine Packages - save up to 25%.


• By the Bottle - if you drink more than 1 or 2 glasses of wine during a cruise, be sure to check the wine prices to see which will be cheaper, buy by the bottle or by the glass.
Note: whether you buy wine on board or bring your own, the cruise line will be happy to re-cork any unfinished bottle of wine and store it until your next meal. You just have to ask!

Cocktails

• Drink of the Day - many cruise lines will have a different "Drink of the Day" for each day of the cruise. Sometimes this drink will come in a souvenir glass. If so, ask the bar server if you can get the drink at a discounted price without the souvenir glass OR if you can get discounted refills if you reuse the souvenir glass during the cruise.
• Drink Specials - ask the bar server if there are any other drink specials. For example, sometimes they will offer a bucket of beers at a discounted rate... say 6 beers for the price of 5. If you drink that much beer, it will surely save money.

Free Alcohol Opportunities

• Art Auctions - sometimes offer Free champagne or sparkling wine.
• Captains Party
• Welcome Back Party for returning guests.
• Duty Free Strores - sometimes offer a Free Tasting Night

It will never be hard to get an alcoholic drink on a cruise. There's bar service around every corner and bar servers at every venue. Like any restaurant or bar, alcohol is one of their biggest sources of income. But with a little preparation and the willingness to ask, you can reduce your alcohol expenses and save money on your next cruise vacation bar tab.

 

 

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