Enhance your dining experience and save at the same time by booking a multi-bottle package. On Carnival Cruise Line, for instance, three-bottle packages are priced from $77, or you can upgrade to a deluxe package ($97) or a premium package ($114), where you start getting into some French and Tuscan wine options. Tip: If you don’t finish a bottle, you can have it corked and enjoy it the next night.

You’ll feel like a VIP with your own open-air space, decked out with cushy furnishings and views. Attentive crew will fetch drinks and deliver such niceties as a cooling spritz of Evian. Prices start at $45 a day on port days for a cabana in The Retreat on the latest Holland America Line ships; $50 for a half-day for a cabana at the adults pool on the latest Princess ships.

Head to the spa early in your cruise to inquire about passes to the spa retreat, a private relaxation area decked out with steam and sauna rooms, scented showers, and heavenly heated ceramic beds, plus sometimes a heated pool with jets. The number of guests are limited, and the staff will try to sell you a weeklong pass (from $119 per person) but you can ask if any day passes are available (from $30 per person).

Hire someone to introduce you to a new exercise routine — and, best of all, show you what you’re doing wrong and help you improve your form and technique. Rates start at $85 an hour, and specialized training sessions may also be available that involve a boxing ring (on Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean) or a Kinesis Wall.

Food lovers can indulge in their chef fantasies by taking lessons from an experienced shipboard or visiting celebrity chef. Holland America Line offers hands-on classes from $29 and, on the new Koningsdam, these take place in a special test kitchen.

You can splurge on this extraordinary dining experience on a variety of ships, and the chefs will show off their skills and talk food with you and a small group of fellow guests while you’re served. Wine pairings are typically included and sometimes so is a tour of the galley. Prices are $75 on Carnival Cruise Line, $85 on Holland America Line, and $95 on Royal Caribbean. Just be sure to book as soon as you get onboard, as these experiences sell out fast.

Regardless of the line you’ve chosen, you can prebook treats such as a bottle of champagne or a plate of strawberries, and have them waiting for you and your travel companion. Or, do something completely different and order cabin decorations (from $25 on Carnival, $49 on Royal Caribbean). It may sound cheesy, but welcome banners are sure to put a smile on the face of your cabin mates, especially the littlest travelers, and the signs on the door will help you find your cabin all week long.