8 Ways I Saved Over $2,000 on My Recent Royal Caribbean Cruise

There are a few proven strategies I always use to save money on a cruise vacation, and my recent cruise was no exception. After cruising over twenty times on a budget, I’ve learned how to stretch my vacation budget during every aspect of the process, from booking my cruise fare to planning shore excursions.

On my most recent cruise on Brilliance of the Seas—a 10-night sailing to the South Pacific from Sydney, Australia—I saved thousands of dollars by using a few of these travel “hacks”. Not only was this itinerary the longest cruise I had ever booked, but it was the furthest from home I had ever traveled for a cruise. Wanting to make the most of my trip to Australia, I tried to stretch my budget as far as possible. Here are the eight ways I saved thousands of dollars on my recent cruise vacation.

All prices are in US Dollar (USD) unless otherwise noted

I booked an interior cabin

For my ten nights on Brilliance of the Seas, I stayed in an interior cabin. While staying in a windowless, closet-sized cabin is nothing luxurious, it’s definitely a money saver. While booking my cruise, I compared the price of an interior cabin to the more spacious ocean view and balcony cabins, but higher cruise fares kept me from booking these rooms. I paid $2,018 total for the cabin, or $1,009 per guest. If I had booked an oceanview or balcony cabin instead, my cruise fare would have increased by hundreds of dollars.

Related: Why you should book a cruise ship inside room

In most cases, I prefer to stretch my vacation budget as far as possible. Saving a few hundred dollars on my cruise fare gave me a bigger budget for other aspects of my vacation, whether the scuba diving trip I booked prior to the cruise or shore excursions in the South Pacific. Additionally, there is not much scenery (aside from the ocean) when sailing to and from ports in the South Pacific. If I had booked a cruise to New Zealand, on the other hand, I might have decided to splurge on a balcony.

I booked my cruise a year in advance

When it comes to finding the cheapest cruise deals, it’s almost always better to book far in advance rather than at the last minute. Booking your cruise one or two years in the future can save hundreds (or possibly even thousands) of dollars compared to waiting until just a few months before the departure date.

Of course, it’s not always possible to book cruises so far in advance. It might be difficult to plan vacation days, school schedules, and other responsibilities years in the future. Fortunately for me, my biggest responsibility is my dog, so I was able to book my cruise a year in advance without worry.

Related: The best time to book cruises by day, month, and last-minute

Booking my cruise a year before the departure date not only offered a lower pri