When you first look at pricing for a cruise, you may be shocked at how inexpensive it seems. Cruises can be very budget friendly, but there are many extras involved with a cruise that travelers don’t always consider. Here are a 5 things to keep in mind when planning your cruise…

1. Get a Drink Card – Alcoholic beverages almost always cost extra on cruise, but most ships will offer a pre-paid drink card to help you keep track of your spending. This is an excellent way to make sure you cut yourself off before you lose all sense and spend your entire budget on booze.

2. Stay off the Internet – Yes, most cruises these days have Internet access. That’s a great way to stay in touch with your company or your family while you’re away…but it will cost you. You can expect to pay around .50 cents per minute for access to the Internet, so you’ll want to keep your connection time to a minimum.

3. Data Roaming will put you in the poor house – I’m sure that after reading #2 some of you thought “I’ll just use my cell phone for email and stuff”. That could end up being a HUGE mistake. Data Roaming charges are unbelievably expensive for travelers. When the iPhone launched last year there were reports of people getting bills from AT&T for thousands of dollars for having their data roaming on while traveling. If you have any question about whether or not you will be charged for data roaming turn it off. If you can’t turn it off – don’ launch your web browser or check your email on the phone.

4. Don’t forget the tip – Gratuities can be a very large expense that isn’t factored in when you buy your ticket. Many cruise lines encourage tipping throughout your trip, and some, like Norwegian Cruise, will actually include a 10 percent gratuity on your bill at the end of the cruise.

Many others will include a 15 percent gratuity on a bar tab as well.

5. Souvenirs…everyone buys souvenirs – One of the things most people do plan for are souvenirs…but often times people will under plan for this. You know your own purchasing habits, so don’t lie to yourself when planning your trip. If you’re going to 3 ports, and you know you’re going to spend $50 at each one – just bring the $150. The best thing to do is treat your souvenir money much like a drink card. Take only the amount you have budgeted when you leave the ship, so that you can’t over spend when you hit land.