catsea

Too much in terms of money, or too much time/effort?

 

Roz

Both. Since I am still in college I can't spend too much time or money right now.

Are you sure they don't combine? They have in the recent past.

 

 

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I didn't think they did. I see that they have now replaced the Balcony promo with the Super Splash Sale (same thing but I guess you don't need to get a balcony?:')). This one explicitly states the offers can be combined with Free at Sea, however, when you go through the choices upon checking out you are only given the option of two offers so I'm really not sure what's going on.

Crystal is not offering nearly as good a deal for solo cruises as it used to.

 

You can find cruises with low or no single supplements. It helps if you have flexibility about when and where you want to cruise, and even the cruise line you are considering. We can't post an URL to a competing travel agency to CC, but I use one frequently that lists bargains on single supplements which is abbreviated VTG.

 

You may also want to look at booking through some of the travel companies that specialize in no single or low single supplements, such as Road Scholar or Grand Circle or Vantage.

 

Also, if you are considering a river cruise, take a look at Vantage, Gate 1, and AmaWaterways. I recently took a river cruise with Ama, and they waived the single supplement.

Thank you! I'm shocked at how cheap AmaWaterways is! Unfortunately flying there and back would be too much right now, but I'd love to do that someday and I'll definitely keep their name in the back of my mind until then!

C

Not sure what you are looking for. Are you thinking in terms of everything (cruise cost, transportation to/from port, etc.) or just what you would need on the ship? Are your tips included in your fare cost? Do you plan to use cash for your onboard account or a credit card? If you plan to use a credit card, you do not need cash on the ship. Everything will be placed on your account and it will settle to your card at the end of the cruise. I tip baggage handlers at the ports so I have cash for that (3 - 5 $ per bag depending on the bag). I like to get coffee in my room in the morning so if there is no coffee maker and I order room service, I tip the steward (a buck or 2) when the coffee is delivered. If I had an exceptional waiter or cabin attendant, I tip extra at the end of the cruise, your call to do it and how much. If I order drinks around the pool, that is charged to the shipboard account and the tip may or may not be included for the attendant. Check your cruise line for that. Off ship, while in ports, I like to get a bite to eat and a local drink so I have cash for that but it can be charged to a credit card in most places. Any gifts to take home or T-shirts can go on the card in most places. You said 2 ports and $200 and that would be plenty. I carry a little cash and a credit card. I have not used an ATM but your bank will tell you what the fee will be. Remember though, there might be a local fee to use the ATM, a foregien currency fee if that is involved, a hometown bank fee, and a cash advance fee if that is how you draw your money. There will be a safe in your room so you do not have to take all your cash when you visit the port so taking cash is easier for me. Now, is all of that clear as mud?:D

Thank you, that does cover most of it! What did you mean when you said "use cash for your onboard account or a credit card?" I didn't even know cash would be an option in that case. How would that work?

If you use a drink package that's prepaid and order a drink while still at port, you could be charged the sales tax on the drink. But if you're not taking any shore excursions and not eating/drinking beyond the included taxes you can absolutely finish the cruise with no additional charges.

 

Factors to budget:

 

*Parking or getting to/from the port (plus any meals you may encounter while traveling, like at an airport)

*Small bills to tip porters at the port

*Your cruise fare + prepaid tips/DSC + 18% gratuity on the included "perks"

*Any pre-cruise prep shopping you decide to do - such as binoculars, new bathing suit, etc.

*Trip insurance (I don't if it's under 4 days and my home port, I add on if the kids are coming or any airfare is required to embark)

 

You do NOT need cash on the ship at all. There are many Cruise Critic members that will at times tip on top of the prepaid gratuities, but it is not a requirement. You may decide that you've had above and beyond service from a staff member that you'd like to reward with extra tip. You can do this in cash, or through your shipboard account.

 

If you decide to add on shore excursions, they can be variable in price. Caribbean cruises are easy to find much less expensive third party operators. Alaska excursions are more expensive and the price differential between booking through the cruise and independently is less, although still there.

 

Something else to consider is communication. Personally I cruise to be "offline" and put my phone in airplane mode and forget it. If, for some reason, you need to be in communication with home, you'll want to research calling cards/prepaid phones/internet packages on the ship.

I noticed the insurance, does it ever really come in handy? I do not have to fly and it's only 3 nights so I'm thinking of not doing it but it makes me nervous only because they pointed it out. I guess that's how they make the money though. How do you tip through your account? I read somewhere that NCL doesn't even give you a receipt to sign for drinks if you have the beverage package so, in that case, would I need cash if I wanted to tip a specific bartender?

You might save money by not purchasing the beverage package, depending on what you like to drink and how much of it. My husband found it cheaper to purchase one specialty coffee per day (this was on Carnival) and skip the soft drinks. The package for alcoholic drinks is priced to make the cruise line money - I think you break even around six drinks per day on Carnival, for example. There will be stores on the ship - I once bought flip flops to wear to the pool. And you might want to buy the photographs they take of you at dinner, at boarding, whenever. And depending on the cruise line there might be an internet or social media package to purchase.

NCL has a deal right now where you are able to get the beverage package free for up to 2 of your guests! All you pay is the 18% gratuities which comes out to only $40 or so. I might have to purchase a small amount of internet time just to contact my family, do they sell it in time increments like hotels used to?

I am also happy they extended the Balcony Bonus Week. Still trying to figure out which week will work best.

Also wondering if prices will drop when it becomes less than 90 days before sailing.

In the past, there would be some additional drop in fare. However, I think NCL has changed policies and not sure if there will ever be another drop in cruise fare.

Absolutely! I was looking more into it last night though and it looks like the offers do not stack, so if you are looking at a cruise that already has the Free at Sea promotion to choose 2 offers it looks like the Bonus Week will only give you an extra hundred or so onboard credit, so it might actually be worth it to wait just in case.

Does anyone know how long the Balcony Bonus Week promotion is going on for? It says extended but I don't see anywhere when it will run out! Is it actually only a week long? It's a great deal and I don't want to miss out but I need a few days at least to plan it out and get everything in order!

Also does anyone know how the offers work? I see the disclaimer that says the beverage and dining packages only apply to the first two guests but in the FAQ it says the rest of the guests do not need to purchase the beverage package? Can I not use 3 of the offers to cover drinks for 3 people and, if not, is it possible to order drinks for another person in your party?

Thanks!

- C

Room service does incur a $7.95 fee per order EXCEPT for a continental breakfast order until 10 am.

Oh wow! Thank you that's definitely good to know.

Parking at the port is expensive. In fact, we've found that by staying at a hotel that has a Park 'n Cruise deal, we can stay overnight at a hotel where they offer a free shuttle to the port and they let you leave your car at the hotel, it's cheaper to book the hotel.

Is it usually more than $20 per day? If I drop my car off at a friends it would be max $30 each way in a taxi from her place.

Don't forget to budget round trip flight costs If you need to fly into your embarkation port. Also, it is recommended that you arrive at least one-day early so you need to budget your over night hotel stay

Luckily I'll only be about an hour away from the port, so driving is possible. Do you know how much it costs to keep your car parked usually?

The 18% on the beverage package will be built into the cruise fare so you aren't really spending anything for that on board. IF you are looking at an NCL cruise you aren't even signing for drinks.

So you really don't need to spend on anything else, unless you are ordering room service. IF you find a bar tender who is taking care of you a dollar tip for a drink every now and then is appreicated, but you have already covered any gratuity in that original "fee" with the beverage package.

 

Just an aside, since you are doing a 3 day cruise it will be a party boat rather than a real cruise. Bachelor/Bachelorette parties, and people with a booze cruise mentality.

The one I am looking at is NCL. Is room service not included or are you referring to tips? I think I've heard somewhere that room service is not included during regular hours, but I'm not sure how that works.

That's a good point, I'm also pretty sure it coincides with Spring Break. It should be fun to get a feel for cruising before doing anything longer in the future.

Not sure where you are coming from. If we limit your question to just while on board, your cash requirement will almost be nil if you don't drink alcoholic drinks. Your daily gratuities can be paid in credit card, and if you do shore excursions. It's really a matter of how you want to enjoy your cruise.

I'm referring more to necessary expenses, not add-ons like gambling/shopping/excursion money. Like what kind of expenses are not covered in the price of the room that you should definitely plan on spending? I'm planning on getting the beverage package, so with that and not dining in specialty restaurants, food and drink should be covered. I've read that there is also an 18% charge with that package, so does that cover tips? Who should be tipped that is not covered already and is there anything that you need cash for that cannot be paid for with a card? I've never been on a cruise before where I was in charge of the finances, so I'm trying to figure it all out well in advance as to not be blindsided with unexpected charges.

If you've got drinks and tips prepaid you really can get away without anything more.

 

In fact you don't even need drinks if you are happy with coffee, tea, limited juice options, and American Style Lemonade, sometimes iced tea.

 

We have had a final bill as low as $8, we've also had one in the thousands.

 

The one proviso I'd add is check what ports your line charges for shuttles.

Wow, that's quite a big gap! I am not planning on doing any excursions, but I'm setting aside somewhere around $200 just in case I change my mind. It's only 3 nights and 2 ports so I'm not planning on doing anything on shore. Are all of the expenses mostly in port? Are there any common expenses on board that aren't covered in the price of the ticket?

Hi all,

I'm trying to set a number to save up for a cruise next year, but I'm not really sure how much to aim for. If you don't eat at the specialty dining options and with the beverage package food and drinks are included in the price as well as most of the tips, so what would not be included that you usually expect to spend money on? I know you should definitely set some aside, but I'm not sure how much. Also, do you usually carry much cash? Are there ATM's and are the fees bad?

Thanks a bunch

- C

How would you compare the NCL card to other, more generic cards for travelling? I was looking into the Discover Miles card, which seems like a good one. Is it better to get something like that so you can redeem it on any line instead of getting a card for a specific line and just using it for cruises through them?

Is this promotion something that will be going away any time soon? I'm not sure if I want to book yet but I definitely don't want to miss out it's a great deal.

Thanks! I had taken a look at HAL but they didn't have anything that fit into the week I can take off. I'll have to look into Cunard.

18% of the cost of the beverage package

 

As to what one is best - personal choice but if you drink virtually at all, the beverage package will likely be the most bang for the buck.

 

Myself I would never bother with the wifi package - when I am on vacation I want to unplug. But others may like it so you have to weigh what is important to you

I agree it seems like an obvious choice to go for the beverage package, regardless of the fees. One of the best parts of being on a cruise is not having wifi or service, but I'm trying to plan my first solo cruise which would be the only reason I would consider wifi - so I could get in touch with my family if necessary. Still I doubt it would cost as much as drinks would.

Anyone know of deals or of any lines that have better pricing options for solo cruisers like how NCL has the Epic studios?

Thanks!

- C

18% is what you are charged for the beverage package when you pick your perk and this is for "tips" for the drinks. This is different than the daily service charge which is charged to you per person per day on the cruise that goes toward the room steward, etc ...

 

For the beverage package, everything $15 and under is included. If you go over the $15 per drink cost, you'll be charged the difference between the $15 and the cost of your drink.

 

Does that make sense?

Yes thank you! Do you have any idea how much the 18% comes out to? Is it 18% of the cost of the beverage package if you were to buy it outside of the offers?

If you take the promo (SDP/UBP), you can choose to tip in the restaurant or at the bar but it is not required. You are charged 18% before you board the ship but are not charged anything while on-board as long as you don't order anything outside of the promo.

I am confused about this 18% that everyone is talking about. 18% of what? I was thinking you meant 18% of what you drink but that wouldn't make sense and you say they charge you before? And that is separate from the $14 per day service charge, right? Also, what would be outside the promo and is it easy to order something like that on accident or is it all obvious or marked as such?

It depends on the port.........where are your going? Some tours are quite reasonable in price (depending on the port)

 

As for sharing a cabin, Holland America used to offer that many years ago. I have never heard of other cruise lines doing it

but you would need to call NCL and ask them directly although I would never share a cabin with a stranger.

I'm looking at just a 3 or 4 night for the first time so it's not too long, so there'd only be 2 ports. It looks like Nassau and then either Great Stirrup Cay or Coco Cay depending on the line. I think the private islands usually have the within walking distance so that seems like it would be okay.

I've done 3 solo cruises. Loved them all (have 2 more booked). I must admit, I do mostly book ship excursions when in port (I just feel more comfortable with a group). Never had an issue on the ship. People are great, the staff are always so friendly. You are only alone if you want to be.

Sounds great! Unfortunately, I don't think I have the funds to do any excursions this time around, but I also would like to do something in port close to the ship. Do you have any suggestions, or is everything usually pretty far?

Hi,

 

i am traveling alone and loving it. Will be on the Epic next week in solo cabin for the first time. Saved your thread and will give you an honest review after return .

There are a few solo reviews already here maybe these will be interesting for you.

For my first solo cruise i did one in Europe (i am german ), in case i would have hated it, it would have been relativly easy to go home at any point if the trip - never happened 😉

Thank you and I look forward to hearing how it goes! Hope you have a great time! :)