Tips for Cutting Costs:

• If you can't fly directly to your ship cheaply, try to get to a nearby airport and then take a discount or commuter airline to get you the rest of the way there. 
• Weekend rate: If you have to fly to your port, think about going over the weekend to get the lowest fare possible. Saturday travel is usually the cheapest. 
• Check what cruise prices and packages are being offered from Canada (they are usually far less expensive than similar packages leaving from the US.) and price the necessary airfare to see if you'll save. 
• Be sure to investigate senior discounts if you think you may be entitled. 
• If you are leaving from an airport, take a cab because parking will at least equal the cab fare and it will expose your car to theft or damage. 
• Island hopping - every time you leave the ship it costs money. Depending on the ports of call, you may be assessed a port tax. But spending all your time on the ship is also a waste of money, so just be sure to build those additional expenses into your travel budget. 
• If you have arranged to rent a car at the port, before you pick up the car, ask the other rental companies if they can beat the price. 
• Keep in mind that nearly all cruise ships charge for soft drinks but they don't charge for fruit juices. 
• Be sure to pack enough of your own toiletries. Your favorite shampoo may be unavailable or hideously expensive in Bora Bora. 
• Bring laundry soap to wash your underwear and socks in the sink. This way you can dodge the ransom fees most cruise line laundries charge. 
• Look for low cost restaurants on land. A good place to search is near open-air markets, because these restaurants can get cheap, day-old perishables and usually have known the vendors for years. Also, if they look clean, try the food counters at markets themselves.

You are going to want to bring a camera on the cruise. If you use a digital camera instead of traditional film camera, you can put 40 images on one floppy. When you get back and want to send photos to your friends and family to make them jealous, all you have to do is upload the images and email it to everyone in your address book. (We are not responsible for the envious, resentful mail you will get back.)