How to make your cruise a success

Savings plans and luggage list for your adventure at sea

Cruises are one of the most popular forms of travel. Guests travel in comfort on the impressive ships across the world's oceans and discover new cultures, people and landscapes in many harbours. The cruise ships themselves offer a huge range of facilities. Swimming pools, fitness programmes, all-inclusive catering, evening entertainment, dancing, concerts and much more keep passengers happy and entertained between destinations. You will also find almost everything your heart desires when it comes to shopping. Food, clothing, sporting goods and even gifts and technical equipment are available in the many stores on board. If, by chance, you need something, you should be able to find it in the nearest harbour town. If you are not travelling on the Hurtigruten in Scandinavia, the weather is almost always summery and sunny. But there is hardly a more expensive way to travel. Read the iQ UV blog to find out how you can save money, what's important and what you shouldn't forget under any circumstances.

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Save on your booking 

It starts with the booking. Look for cheap package deals with travel, flight or train. The all-inclusive prices are cheaper than putting together your own individual trip. The cruise ships have a fixed number of seats. Also look out for last-minute trips, as cruise lines sometimes drastically reduce their prices just before departure. You can also travel more economically in the low season. Another rule of thumb is that older cruise ships are cheaper than the latest ones advertised. This does not mean that comfort falls by the wayside, but demand and therefore prices fall.

The general rule on the ship is: everything that is not included in the cruise price is expensive. So book all-inclusive and make sure that your preferences are covered. For example, if you want to do a lot of sport on deck, book this in and not just on the ship. It's also better to book drinks flat rates in advance than to pay for every drink on board. 

You are spoilt for choice when it comes to the cabin. Of course, everyone wants their bunk with a view out of the ship and not inside the ship's belly. But that costs accordingly. Sometimes there are so-called lucky cabins where you don't know in advance where you will end up. But the price is unbeatable. If you want to go on holiday at sea in a group or with the whole family, book shared rooms instead of lots of individual cabins. You'll only be sleeping in the bunk anyway.

Save on the land day trips

The cheapest option is not to go on any shore excursions. If this is not part of your travel idea anyway, you can save twice: book a transfer cruise before or after the peak season. The ships are then taken from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean or vice versa, for example, and are almost exclusively on the water. If you prefer to be on the ship anyway, soaking up the sun, doing sports and partying in the evening, this is the ultimate cheapest cruise idea.

If you absolutely want to go on excursions and disembark in every harbour, plan your excursions yourself. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, you won't be travelling in a crowd of hundreds of passengers, and secondly, you can go wherever you want, stay as long as you want and only then will you have the chance to meet "real" locals. However, as time is limited, you should plan your individual tours well in advance, have a map and a travel guide in your luggage and at least know your first port of call. It is also helpful to know whether there is public transport, how much a taxi costs or where you can hire an e-bike. The German globetrotter Alexander von Humboldt first headed for three destinations in every city: firstly, the highest point, for example the church tower, to get a perfect overview. Secondly, to visit a lively pub with lots of locals to strike up a conversation and find out where the best place to be is. And thirdly, the church to experience the art and culture that characterise this city. Maybe that's a good start for you too.

Save on luggage

A cruise is a challenge for your luggage. It should be cosy in the cabin, sometimes sporty, sometimes comfortable on the excursions and definitely chic in the evening. However, with the large number of guests, there is no reason to put your clothes on several times. Take a hand wash with you so that you can quickly clean something if necessary and make a plan for each day. In addition to your clothes, it is important that you pack a few items that you will need on a cruise and that you don't want to buy on board for cost reasons.

Here is the ultimate checklist for your perfect two-week cruise:

Travel first-aid kit

• Get a ready-made one from the pharmacy 
• Don't forget a remedy for seasickness 
•  Mosquito repellent is super important at the mooring