Now that my friend is good and married, they’re in the process of saving up for a honeymoon. They decided that they would wait a year and take an Alaskan cruise once they could afford it. Personally, I think that’s a great idea since anything they decided to do would have been put on credit. At any rate, my friend and I were doing some research on how to honeymoon on the cheap and here are some of the top tips we discovered.

# 1 – Set Your Priorities

In many cases, you may not be able afford to do absolutely everything that you want to do – story of our lives, right? So, the best you can do is prioritize what it is you want to accomplish on this particular trip. So let’s say you’ve saved $1000 for the honeymoon. You probably can’t afford to take an extended trip AND expect the total pampering that comes with elite spa type services. So, decide which is more important.

Do you want to get away from everything and everyone to spend time with your new spouse? Or, do you want to be pampered? If the former, spend the money on a trip away. Maybe you want to go light on the pampering services so you can afford to go somewhere you’ve always wanted to go. If the latter is your goal, then find a nice spa close by where you can spend the weekend indulging in couples massages and various other activities.

# 2 – Consider a Honeymoon Registry

This is actually one that I recommended to my friend and she didn’t listen. Basically, you can set up a registry with a travel agency or online to go towards the honeymoon. In some cases, guests can even choose to sponsor a specific event. The travel agent my friend is considering for their trip next year had a package where guests could contribute to a day trip for whale watching – something my friend wants to do.

In any event, if you’re like my friend who has everything under the sun in the way of household items, then a honeymoon registry is a great way to avoid getting unwanted items as gifts.

# 3 – Book In the Off-Season

This should come as no surprise, but if you book your trip in the off-season, you’re likely to get a better deal. My friend is dead set on an Alaskan cruise, so unfortunately, there’s not a lot of off-season times for that. Alaskan cruises run from May to September, with July and August being the warmest so in the most demand. That means that in order to get a cheaper rate for her cruise, my friend will need to plan on May or September. She’s planning on May.

# 4 – Book Early

In general, when planning any sort of trip, experts recommend that you book early. This is especially important for cruises. Most ships release their itineraries 10-14 months in advance, so if you book early enough, you can snag one of the cheaper rooms and save up to 55% or more, depending on the cruise liner. Of course, it’s also good to have a travel agent in place because when a ship is underbooked, they give pretty steep discounts on cabins to get them filled. Either way can be advantageous for someone planning a honeymoon.

# 5 – Consider Alternate Airports and/or Modes of Travel

Flying into a name brand airport is going to cost more than if you flew into a lesser known, nearby airport. The same holds true for flying out. For example, when I travel, I try to find flights out of Killeen airport as opposed to Austin’s. It usually saves me some money. That being said, you’ll want to make sure cab fare won’t eat up what you’ve saved in the flight by going to a different airport. You should be able to check with your hotel for that information.

Likewise, remember that flying isn’t the only mode of transportation available. There’s also the train or bus, or even an old-fashioned road trip. What’s great about these options is that, even if you have a long distance to go, you can break it up with sightseeing opportunities along the way. You know you’ve always wanted to see the world’s largest ball of yarn…admit it!

# 6 – Frequent Flyer Miles

Now, this is MYC and we do advocate the responsible use of credit cards – at least, I do – so naturally this was going to make my list. If you use credit cards with frequent flyer miles, what better time to cash them in than your honeymoon? And if you used those cards to pay for the wedding, at least get your honeymoon’s worth out of them in frequent flyer miles! Watch out for blackout dates and other program exclusions, though. See your card carrier for details.

# 7 – Consider the All-Inclusive Trips

Most of these trips are exactly what they say, all-inclusive. That means room, meals, drinks, activities, entertainments, tips, taxes, and transportation to and from the airport. Some may require that you buy your own alcoholic drinks, though, so do watch out for that. But, for one flat fee you can have a grand vacation and not have to worry about any hidden expenses (provided you’ve read the disclosures and stick to what is covered under your flat fee….make sure you read the disclosures!).

# 8 – Ask About Packages

Packages and bundles are generally designed to save you money, so take advantage of them on your honeymoon. Whenever booking, look for package deals or just ask for them. You may already know that when booking a flight, you can potentially save money by adding the hotel room to the deal. The same goes for entertainment amenities.

# 9 – Sleep Cheap

Unless your plan is to stay holed up in your hotel room with the new spouse – and who’d blame you? ;) – then there’s not much reason to spend a lot of money on the room. You’re probably only going to be sleeping there, ok that’s not true, but all you need for that is a clean room, right? So, get the cheapest room at the swankiest place you can afford. That way, you’re still getting a great room, but the bulk of your money isn’t going to it.

# 10 – Don’t Be Shy, Brag!

Make sure you tell people this is your honeymoon. Don’t just accept the first quote they give you, try and negotiate it a little. Plus, by letting them know it’s your honeymoon, you may even be able to score some free stuff. Maybe it’s just a bottle of champagne in your room, maybe it’s a free room upgrade. Either way, giving people the good news could work to your advantage.

Ok frugalites, what other tips can you give the honeymooners on keeping it cheap? And let’s be realistic, too. No one wants to stay at home for their honeymoon. So don’t use that one, mmkay. Let’s give them creative options that let them save money and do the things they want to do!

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