My wife and I recently celebrated our 20 year wedding anniversary by taking an Alaskan Cruise through the Inside Passage. Simply put, we loved going to Alaska and immensely enjoyed the cruise itself.

^[2] Although we’ve been on several Caribbean cruises with Carnival Cruise Lines, we chose Princess Cruise Lines this time. We were “kid-less” and wanted a more mature and laid back cruise experience ^[3] and Princess delivered. I’m planning a more in depth article about what we did and where we went but while I was on this cruise vacation, you just know I couldn’t help but spot ways to save money!

Cruise vacations aren’t necessarily cheap, but for us, cruising is a very pleasant way to get away. There is a distinct advantage to unpacking once, but getting so see so many different ports and destinations. Done right, a cruise vacation can be a great value and there are some specific ways you can keep the expense of setting sail from getting out of hand.

^[4] When you arrive, you’ll be given a “cruise card” that will act as your room key, your get-on/get-off key, and your onboard charge card. It will be tied directly to a major credit card ^[5] and any charges you incur will be billed to your credit card ^[5] automatically at the end of the cruise.