1. Excursions
The first rip off to watch out for is excursions. Cruise lines like to charge inflated prices for trips when you are in port.
An example of this is the RIB excursion in Hellesylt, Norway for which P&O charge £105 per person. However if you book directly with the company which P&O uses (RIB Hellesylt), the price comes down to £45! Thats a whopping £60 mark up on the P&O excursion!
The main benefit of booking via the cruise line is that the ship will wait for you if the excursion is running late.
Alternatives are to book directly with the excursion providers, or if visiting a big city, use the hop-on hop-off buses such as Big Bus.
2. Photos
Official photos provided by the cruise line can be extremely expensive and can cost upwards of £20 per photo!
Photos are generally taken on dress up nights in the atrium area of ships. There are always plenty of spots were you could get your own photo for free via a selfie or asking a passer-by. Alternatively if you really want that atrium photo wait for a port day and visit during the day when it will be quiet.
3. Bottled water
A 330ml can of water costs £1.95 onboard a P&O ship however, water from the tap or served in the buffet/restaurant is perfectly safe and free!
Alternatively, you are able to take water in your luggage though it is recommended to limit it to 2 x 1.5l bottles.
4. On-board shops
Don't board a cruise ship expecting to purchase a chocolate bar for the normal price. Onboard P&O a Cadbury chocolate bar can cost £4!
Some duty free prices can be good value especially if there is a daily offer.
If you need that chocolate fix, like we do, buy some before you board and pack it in your luggage.
5. Wi-fi
Cruise lines often overcharge for use of the Internet via wi-fi.
On P&O Cruises wi-fi starts at £12 per person per day totalling £84 for a 7-night cruise and thats just for the basic access!
There are some cruise lines which offer wi-fi included in the fare, such as Virgin Voyages, however, this is the minority.
6. Transfer buses
Some cruise lines charge similar amounts to what it would cost for a taxi to get from the port to the town/city centre.
Sometimes there may also be a free alternative such as the Alter Elbtunnel which you could use to cross the river and get to Miniatur Wunderland in under an hour all for free. Versus the €18 per adult charge for the transfer bus on MSC.
7. Hot drinks
Do you really need that vanilla latte for £3.95? Coffee shops onboard cruise ships can charge excessive prices for hot drinks. Some charge £2 or more for a tea so why not take some of your favourite tea bags onboard for a fraction of the price and grab a mug of hot water in the buffet?
P&O, MSC, and other cruise lines, offer kettles in their cabins with coffee/tea included. There is also coffee, tea, milk, water, and juices (breakfast only) available in the majority of buffets.