nkuzy

Is that including gratuities, port charges and transportation to the departure point? I think many get caught up in the advertised discount rate and ignore all the other costs.  We just went on an off season 2 back to back 5 day cruises.                                     This is how ONE of them  adds up. $98 cruise price  for each of us.. $138 in port fees and taxes x 2 . $14.50 per day in gratuities x 2 .  $150 in gas round trip to get to Florida departure point, $100 for parking. (++ Add in any  excursions , packages, gambling ect. if desired.)  $722  for 2 on a "$98 each advertised cruise fare" was actually   $72.20 a day each, which is still a great value for room and board and entertainment on a daily basis                                                                                                                                         *I used accumulated credit card  points to pay for the hotel the night before the first cruise left and just had to pay a $35 resort fee at the hotel in Ft. Lauderdale. *My annual travel credit also kicked in on that card so I got a credit of $300 which brings cruise #1 down to $42.50 per day each for the whole shooting match on cruise #1. Note Without the travel credit it was $75.70 a day including the hotel stay the night before.  *we spent slightly more on a day excursion on our own to a beach in Cozumel to do some snorkeling $20 each for the beach passes which included snorkel gear , $20 for a bucket of beers and $12 for cabs to and from which we split with another couple.  I believe had we done this excursion through the cruise line it was $120 each but included "all you can eat and drink" at a crowded beach with other cruisers.  We were off the beaten path at a relatively quiet little private beach.  My point is not to get all caught up in advertised fares as you need to look at the big picture when pricing these things because adding a drinks package and a couple excursions and transport can easily add up to BIG BUCKS. 

My understanding is Winter cruises tend to be pricer.. and shoulder season less expensive. I could be wrong but was told that if you book and prices go down the cruise line will adjust your fare if you request that so keep an eye on it. 

On 5/28/2019 at 7:47 AM, lifes-a-beach said:

-You should change the title to “Don’t buy any artwork onboard”.  Then start another one titled “Don’t buy any jewelry onboard”.  Then a third “Don’t buy any watches onboard”.  Then you can branch out and say “Don’t buy any [whatever] at [whatever port].  Somebody’s going to say you’re wrong, and somebody’s going to say they got some item they love, and bla bla bla.  People do what people do.  They’re careful and they’re careless, they’re smart and they’re stupid, they’re victims and they’re volunteers.  

For a cute inexpensive memory of the trip I picked up the little charm bracelet in the ship gift shop with 5 charms included for 10 dollars. The idea of course is to get you to buy the additional charms at a marked up price, but for a nice little gift for a niece or grandchild this is not a bad deal. We were on RCL and they had an area in the mid ship that had shops and vendors. I found the vendors prices for hats, t-shirts, tote bags, costume jewelry and swim cover ups to be comparable to inexpensive shops on land. We went back to back on RCL then Norwegian and I didn't pick up anything on the first cruise expecting similar situation on NCL but it wasn't on NCL.  So for those ladies looking for a swim cover-up in off-season RCL has you "covered", pun intended 🙂

3 hours ago, SRF said:

 

So far, I have only sailed in full suites.  So there is plenty of room, and while we don't spend the majority of our time in the room (or on the balcony), we spend more time than those in inside cabins, just because it is not a bad place to be.

I didn't think the inside cabin we had was "a bad place to be" in fact on the Norwegian ship recently renovated it was quite cute and tastefully decorated. I just didn't "need" more square footage because  all the other activities and the rest of the ship were the reason we chose to cruise.  We can certainly afford a suite,  my point was a suite or extra space in the room on board  has no value to us personally.  We  travel spontaneously at the last minute and in the run of the ship room for the most affordable price. This creates the opportunity to  cruise  more often to more destinations.  We are more interested in  excursions or Spa services than our cabin interior. For what it costs to upgrade to a balcony or ocean view one might get 2 massages on the ship or 4 off on an excursion in Mexico. Its all personal preference as to what "value" constitutes. ie we just went on 2 back to back cruises in inside cabins and cruised for ten days. We could have gone on one 5 day cruise in a suite with a balcony but "the value" to us was the 10 days of cruising and the destinations we visited. Similarly the all you can drink package has 0 value to us. We drink maybe 2 x a year Xmas and family gatherings. The idea of consuming an "unlimited amount"of booze while on vacation isn't even on our radar.  

10 hours ago, crystalspin said:

Our rule of thumb is FOUR days for trousers, two days for shirts. Barring spills! If trousers or leggings bag out faster than that, they don't belong in the suitcase! Dr'spin wears mostly synthetics that don't absorb odors (for travel), and I sometimes have to force him not to wear a shirt a third time!

 

My experience with humid/tropical conditions is -- the above rule is null and void. Things especially tops get "sweat up" in one day (or less). Fortunately gauze and other thin tops take up less space so I can take a few more of them and still maintain carry-on-only luggage. Or at least I hope so -- we shall see with a 28-day So.Pacific cruise and a 3-week So.Caribbean cruise booked!

 

Lenny, in cold NY weather (which I grew up in) -- you probably have at least one layer between you and the flannel!

I agree for women the really super thin synthetic shirts I had bought for summer wear took up less space for 6-7 shirts than one normal weight cotton T shirt. They look nice enough to wear in the evening to dinner and didn't wrinkle. I imagine although I didn't try it that they could easily be rinsed out in the sink and hung to dry and would actually dry in the ship cabin because they are so thin. It seems in tropical climate and inside the   ship bathing suits and heavier covers did  not dry overnight hanging so this is why 2 bathing suits and 2 suit covers. 

3 hours ago, SRF said:

 

 

On 11/16/2019 at 7:19 AM, SRF said:

 

The cabin class YOU HAD may have little space.  Other cabin classes may not have this limitation.

 

We have never run out of space for storage.  But we probably cruise in a different cabin class.

   We  found on the last trip we tend to over pack hence the advice to pack lite and think about an outfit for each day instead of perhaps cramming the cases with everything "just in case."  My observation was there are  a large number of passengers schleping multiple suit cases for a relatively short period of time.   There are only so many days on the cruise and so many times one would change clothes practically regardless of the amount of cabin space or type of cabin.  We also found cabin class to be of almost no value to us personally as the only time we were spending in the cabin was when we were sleeping, changing or showering. 

Just got back from 2 back to back cruises. PACK LIGHT. Pack half of what you originally plan to pack.  The rooms are not that big and drawer hanger space is at a premium.. you can store luggage under the bed but its a pain to drag out. If you plan thoughtfully you can hang one outfit for each evening and use the drawers just for t's and undies.  Advise pick an outfit for each day/evening of the trip. Bermuda is warm. halfway through your first cruise day you will be in warm water/weather . I would think a light jacket or hoodie will be all the warm gear you will need if that. The same outgoing NY outfit will get you back the day you enter back into the cooler air on the return.  Stay inside on the first half of the first day in the observation deck outside will likely be windy and cool and who needs a head cold on vacation? Most of the cruisers nowadays travel in very casual clothing. Even on the "formal nights"  it wasn't that dressy. If you plan to eat in the dining room most meals which I highly advise make sure the men have collared shirts no golf shirts tie necessary and for ladies advise nice dress or pallazo pants and a handful of blouses for evening wear. Ladies 2 or 3 pairs of capri's , a pair of jeans for the NY ends of the trip.  I found it quite chilly inside after dinner and especially in the shows.. I had a sweater but wished I had a nicer evening wear type of sweater. We did back to backs on a whim and when we got off the first ship we literally ditched 60% of what we packed.  Swimsuits, swimsuit cover if you plan to spend lots of time at the pool you may want more than one. *They sell the  ladies swim suit covers very pretty on the ship and in port quite inexpensively so don't fret if this time of year you can't find anything in NY easily. ..I did not see swim suits on the ship and didn't look for them in port.   If it rains in tropics its usually only a quick sprinkle.. we were at the beach when it rained and didn't need umbrella's and rain gear

On a whim we decided to do a last minute Cruise on Majesty of the Seas. Booked 3 days prior to sail and caught the last inside cabin. Deck 2 room 577. My first thought when the travel agent said it was right behind the elevators was "darn" its going to be noisy and annoying. It actually was not right behind the elevators but around the corner and it turned out to be great. No noise from the elevators, and bonus right around the corner from the elevators made finding the room a breeze. We are not "drinkers" and didn't do any beverage package. The biggest benefit I found from the close proximity to the elevators and being on the same end as the buffet although 10 floors down was two fold;  in the morning I am up early so getting out of the room I could shoot right up to the buffet grab a coffee and juice and walk right out on the pool deck or bring a cup of joe to the spouse. Bonus as we were on the bottom floor the elevator was never too packed when it hit our floor to jump in. No long hallways to wander down and since we were in a short alcove behind the stairs there was no "traffic" past our rooms in the evenings or daytime to speak of.  We enjoyed the cruise so much we booked a back to back and got off Majesty and drove to Miami and got right on Norwegian Sky for another 5 day trip. We were also around the corner from the elevators on the Sky in an inside room on the 8th floor. Again super easy access to the room, a short jot to the Pool/Buffet deck and no noise issues. I'm sold on close proximity to the elevators and INSIDE cabins and last minute bookings. No time to obsess about the trip or create expectations or do research and exceptionally affordable.  We just jumped on the ships and enjoyed the ride!