Maximize Savings on Your Next Cruise

Discover Tenerife's sustainable sailing initiatives and tips to enhance your cruise experience. Explore Macaronesia as the next hot destination and check out Princess Cruises' new tequila offering while saving big on your journey.

Author

Jed Stafford
October 20, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

As cruise lines roll out greener practices and tantalizing new cocktail options, it seems like setting sail has never been more exciting—or tastefully indulgent!

Experienced cruiser Judy Schwartz shares eight money-saving tips for cruises, emphasizing cabin selection, understanding insurance, and researching drink packages. She highlights the importance of early returns to the ship and using a credit card without foreign transaction fees, aiding travelers in optimizing their cruise experience.

Tenerife recently hosted the inaugural visits of the Sun Princess and Oceania Vista, highlighting the port's growing significance in the cruise industry. Sun Princess's LNG bunkering underscores cleaner fuel initiatives, while Oceania Vista brought over 1,900 passengers, enhancing local tourism and economic activity.

Juneau residents rejected the 'Ship-Free Saturdays' initiative aimed at limiting large cruise ship dockings due to concerns over overtourism. Despite local support, strong industry opposition prevailed. This vote brings attention to the need for better management of cruise tourism's impact on the city and its residents.

Madeira Ports aims to establish Macaronesia as a new cruise destination, uniting five port authorities in a new association. This initiative seeks to promote the region's potential, akin to the Caribbean's status. Future plans include a general assembly to define next steps in this collaborative effort.

Cruise gratuity charges spark debate among passengers. While some lines include gratuities in fares for convenience, others mandate additional charges, leaving cruisers questioning fairness. Many argue these practices may shift financial responsibility from cruise lines to customers, complicating the tipping culture and ensuring crew compensation remains a contentious issue.