How to Avoid That End-of-Cruise Bill Shock!! Cruise News, Cruise Life, Cruise Tips, Cruise Update,

First, pre-pay your gratuities. Some people go to guest services to argue or remove them, but that doesn't hurt the cruise line. It hurts the crew.

Third, you don't need specialty dining on your first cruise. The main dining room and buffet are included and honestly, the food's better than most people expect.

Fourth, set up a cash account. You don't need to link a credit card at all. Go to guest services, put down a cash deposit, say $500, and spend from that.

And last, don't swipe your C pass card in the arcade. That's one of the biggest surprise charges people forget about, especially if you're cruising with kids.