AARP Rewards Online Community Cruise Contest 2024

My husband and I will be going on a cruise for our 40th wedding anniversary in June.  I have found that I usually overpack, and need to do better on this upcoming cruise.  I always appreciate how AARP can help me save money on my daily purchases with sweepstakes and online deals.  This way I can go on more cruises!

Often you can earn a free play credit at the casino if you attend the learn how to play event.

It's safe to drink the tap water. It's either distilled sea water or reverse osmosis filtration is used.

Don't wait until the last minute to visit the onboard gift shops. They are only open on sea days.

Consider "What kind of person is going to like this cruise?" before you book your trip. Spring Break might attract a college crowd. A ship that advertising water slides and a gocart track might attract families. People with full time jobs might not be able to choose sailings greater than 7 days because of work obligations.

I always go to the city of departure the night before. It cuts down on my frustration with the airline and their proclivity for tardiness.

Watch youtubes about your ship to familiarize yourself before boarding.

Purchase the AARP gift cards to pay for cruises. 
Share internet access with others in the cabin to save, but only one person can use at a time.

Use disposable shower caps to pack shoes and keep soles covered in suitcase. 
Put a dryer sheet in your suitcase to keep clothes fresh and static free. 

DEFINITELY hop on Expedia for AARP to book!  We used it for our last trip, got the bundling discount and got a $50 Visa prepaid card a few weeks later!  And if you need a hotel before/after cruise you can get a discount too!  

Use AARP gift cards to pay for the cruise, drink package, excursions and specialty dinning and souvenirs. Book an inside cabin and keep fingers crossed for a call from the upgrade fairy. Store dirty laundry in your suitcase under the bed.

On Princess Cruise get a main standard cabin add await for state rooms to go on bidding if they do not book them all and then place your bid for one with a balcony. It saved us hundreds of dollars then paying for it up front. 

The best thing I can think to do is if your a first time cruiser, jump in, take a short cruise to see if you like it. On our last Royal Caribbean cruise we booked the key club, it amazed me how much easier it was to board and disembark. There are also other features and amenities with the Key Club that made our cruise more enjoyable.

The best advice is when cruising CARNIVAL, use a Carnival PVP. They have all the CORRECT answers to your questions. When looking on line both you and A travel agent can not see ALL OFFERS or Rooms that may be available to you. Also they can take your money and post it to the account as you speak to them. You get a conformation before you end the conversation. It will show on your booking. Also they have current info on all the perks and requirements for your selected cruise. These are just a few of the things I have learned in 20 yrs of cruising with them.