How Can I Afford A Viking Cruise?

The last few years have seen a dramatic dip in the cost of Viking cruises, and they have become affordable for almost everyone as a vacation solution. But many of you could afford to cruise more than once a year if you could just cut down on all the extra onboard and on-shore costs, above and beyond the actual cruise fare.

No upscale buying in Viking cruise

You can cut your expenses by restricting your spouse’s spending habits. It is very easy to get caught up in spending a lot of time and money in the ship’s onboard shops. You can buy everything from a mobile phone to an expensive watch on a Viking cruise. But it’s worth asking yourself if these shops, with virtually no competitors in the fray, are really the ideal place to make upscale purchase.

Cost of shore excursions

Forgetting the expensive watch and diamond set, it’s almost as simple to add digits to your onboard expenses by loading up on cruise line signature wear, T-shirts, and various other designer product sales. In that scenario, it is advisable to wait for the last day, when the cruise line is required to get rid of its merchandise because the cruise is almost over.

Keeping aside the cost of the cruise, and the possibly exorbitant bill for all the drinks you consume, the biggest extra expense you face will likely be the cost of shore excursions. The cruise lines have an agreement with a number of tour companies in all their ports. They just increase their own profit margin, and then sell the tours to you. In a majority of cases, a representative of the cruise line staff will escort the tour group, to help you and the tour guide what find you both want.

Choose your tours carefully

The pivotal aspect you must take into perspective is to choose your tours very carefully. In ports where you’re interested to spend a whole day at the beach and want to do some souvenir shopping, more often than not there is no requirement to book a ship’s excursion. Local transportation like taxis or buses can be your best bet, since it not only saves your money but will also give you a complete feeling of the place. If you plan to deviate from a set route, it’s your responsibility to make sure that you negotiate your rate in advance, and don’t pay until you have reached the final destination, or return to the ship, if that was part of your contract.