Totally FREE things you can do on most cruise ships!
Today, we’re talking money. No, not money you’re going to have to spend once you board your cruise - money you WON’T have to spend onboard!
Over the years, I've been really surprised at how many ‘extra’ things I can add to my cruise bookings after booking, and before I board the ship. These 'optional extras' can range from restaurants, to shore excursions, to bespoke production shows, to bottled water or champagne in your cabin on embarkation day, and so many more variations! Believe it or not, I've actually cruised with a line that offers you the luxury of a reserved lounger on the top deck in the morning, for a fee! I'd never found this one before, so really did smirk at my computer when I saw it!
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In this post today, I'm going to highlight a number of things that you can do for FREE on almost every cruise ship out there - it really doesn't need to cost you a fortune while you're onboard these ships! This list is just a small sample - don't worry - there are so many more things you will have totally included in most cruise fares! These tips should apply to most cruise lines, but always be sure to check with your specific cruise line before your cruise, or while onboard!
Up first, you’re not going to have to pay for sun loungers or towels on your cruise!
You know the feeling - you arrive at your hotel swimming pool to find that you need to pay to rent a pool towel for your lounger, or you arrive at the beach and have to pay for the luxury of even sitting on a chair. The good news is that you're not going to find that on your cruise! Yes - most cruise ships will have sun decks on the ship you can pay to access (for example, 'the Retreat' on P&O Cruises, or 'the Sanctuary' on Princess ships - most lines will have their version), but most open deck space on ships is totally free of charge for passengers to enjoy! That's right - go grab your favourite cocktail (these usually won't be included - sorry) and make yourself at home in the sunshine - you're on vacation now!
Point to note - don’t always assume that ‘adult only’ areas come with an added fee - this is often not the case! For example, if you’re cruising with Carnival, they have entire parts of the deck dedicated to adults, where no children are permitted. I know - BLISS!
Next, you can attend an art auction onboard your cruise, and it’s totally FREE!
Lots of first-time cruisers don’t expect there to be art galleries onboard cruise ships, but the reality is that you’re going to find galleries on the majority of mainstream cruise ships out there!
Whether (like me) you're a complete novice in the art world, or (not like me) you're a seasoned collector, you might want to think about attending an art auction onboard. These events will usually be held when the ship is 'at sea' all day, and are a really fun way to spend an hour or so - you never know, you might find something that you fancy buying to take home with you. You'll often find a huge range of art for sale onboard the ships - from small pocket-sized 'take home' pieces, to larger wall-hanging pieces, through to much larger sculptures - they'll usually offer global shipping, so don't worry about carrying it off the ship with you on your final morning!
Personally, I've never been a huge fan of art shopping on cruise ships (I always think it's really expensive...), but I do enjoy the free glass of fizz that you'll often receive when you attend the auction. Be careful though - don't let this free fizz relax you to the point you start submitting lots of bids - remember you'll need to actually pay for whatever you buy...!
Some art auctions even offer you a 'free gift' for attending. To confirm, this probably isn't going to be a Picasso masterpiece, but you'll sometimes get a really nice little keepsake to remember your time onboard! Here’s a shot of the art gallery onboard Queen Mary 2, the ocean Liner from Cunard Line:
Another FREE things you can do on most cruise ships is enjoy an evening in the Main Dining Room onboard!
Ok, you've checked your online portal and there's lots of options to book restaurants for your upcoming cruise. Don't worry - you're not going to have to pay every time you want to eat on the ship! I meet so many people cruising for the first time who were surprised to learn there's an ‘included’ Dining Room onboard, as they thought they could only enjoy the buffet if they didn't want to pay extra. Every ship I've ever cruised on features some sort of 'included' Dining Room offering - this will usually be in the form of a relatively grand 'Main Dining Room' or, on some of the newer ships, in smaller venues that all offer the same food each night. I found the latter onboard my recent Costa cruises!
It’s worth adding that food quality in onboard dining rooms can vary massively, and it’s usually useful to do some research before you board your cruise. Since you’re on my website already, you’re doing this - so keep going! Here’s some examples of ‘included’ food I’ve enjoyed on my cruises, and these range from examples onboard Cunard Line, Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises and MSC - can you guess which is which?!
Another FREE thing you can do on lots of cruise ships? Play the tables in the casino!
Hear me out on this one - did you know that on lots of cruise ships, you can actually play the casino tables FOR FREE? No, you're not going to be able to win real money doing this (that would be great, wouldn't it?), but you'll be able to try your hand at some of the popular table games! For example, Virgin Voyages will usually open their gaming tables for 'passenger training' on embarkation day before the ship leaves port - this means that the casino will be closed, but passengers can get familiar with how to play. Think about it - this is a really clever move from the cruise line - why wouldn't you want to get your passengers comfortable with playing the casino tables before the cruise? You never know - they might just come back on a couple of nights and try to win 'real money'...!
If you do choose to take your chances here, good luck, and always remember to gamble responsibly! Also, be sure to remember that cruise lines offer casino loyalty programmes to reward their most loyal gamers. To check out an example of such a programme, from Virgin Voyages, check out another of my articles by clicking here!
Next up, go to a deck party!
This one will look VERY different depending on which cruise line you choose! In short though, most cruise lines will have some form of event up on the top deck of the ship, at various ports, or on various evenings of your cruise. For example, if you opt to cruise with Royal Caribbean, then you can expect to head up to a deck party as the ship sails out of port, where you'll be listening to a live band offering a really chilled vibe up on deck. However, if you choose a Carnival cruise, you'll have the option of loud (and busy!) deck parties when the ship sails out of port, and also at night as part of the evening entertainment! Here's a couple of examples below - one from my Royal Caribbean cruise onboard Rhapsody of the Seas as we cruised from Santorini in Greece, and the other from Carnival as we cruised along the Mexican Riviera!
It's not just these cruise lines that offer deck parties - Princess cruises offer a fabulous sailaway party from your embarkation port (where you first board the ship), as do so many others. My top tip - on embarkation day, check your daily schedule and make sure you book the time into your diary - they're usually so much fun!
Another totally FREE thing you can do on your cruise? Take your own alcohol!
You know the feeling - you're on holiday, and you just want to take your favourite drink away with you to save both the hassle of ordering to your room, and also the cost with doing so! Well, sometimes you can! It's important to note that not all cruise lines will allow you to, but you can sometimes take your own alcohol with you when you cruise!
Be sure to check the individual alcohol policy for your chosen cruise line before you head to the port, and you can check out my article by clicking here, where I summarised the position of most cruise lines out there!
Next, go and see a show!
Before my first cruise, I did know that most cruise ships had shows every night, but what I didn’t know was that some of them can be of an incredible quality! Infact, I’ve seen some shows for FREE on a cruise ship that I would happily pay money to go and see on the West End, or on Broadway! Now, it’s important to realise that this isn’t the case for all shows - some will be large-scale production shows, but others will be much smaller affairs with a couple of singers and dancers on stage, or maybe even just one or two musicians. If you’re cruising with Royal Caribbean, for example, you can expect a pretty big production on their larger ships - here’s a few photos from Hairspray, which I was fortunate to experience onboard Symphony of the Seas!
Go on an art tour!
Ok, we spoke about onboard art galleries earlier in this post, but did you know that cruise ships are crammed full of interesting pieces of art? Think about it - there are so many walls on there that need decorated - cruise lines will have a fortune tied up in onboard art assets!
So, why not go on an art trail - try and find as many interesting pieces of art while onboard as you can! Most cruise lines will have the ability to print you a copy of what they have onboard the ship if you ask nicely at Guest Services - you can then use this list to tick off the art you find on your way around - the perfect way to kill a few hours on a sea day!
Finally, sit back and relax, while enjoying the views!
This one’s so important - people spend so much time and energy on experiencing the ship that they often forget about what’s going on outside. I met people onboard a recent European cruise who didn’t watch us sailing out of Naples as they wanted to try Ice Skating, and others who didn’t see us arriving into Genoa as they wanted bagels from Central Park. Yes, you can see these place another time, but my biggest word of advice to you is to find time to chill out, relax and enjoy taking in what you’re seeing outside the ship. After all, one of the huge benefits of cruising is that you get to see the world, so remember to enjoy it! Here’s a few shots of some stunning place I’ve visited by ship to give you a flavour for what I’m talking about…
Hopefully you’ve enjoyed reading about some of the FREE things that you could try doing on your next cruise! If you have enjoyed this post today, why not sign up now to see so much more? Wherever you are in the world, thanks so much for being here today - have a great day!