What cruise lines offer all inclusive prices including tips?

[southerngal479]

Are there any cruise lines that have all inclusive packages including all tips so I don't have to worry about anything once we board the ship?

 

Also, are there shorter than 7 day cruise to Alaska?

 

Your input is appreciated. Thanks!

[cherylandtk]

I know the luxury lines include alcohol and tips, try Seabourne and SilverSea. But excursions are mostly still extra (although one or two are usually included in the price.)

 

Total price is still going to be less using a mass market line and paying for drinks, excursions and tips as you go. You can pre-pay tips if you like. Carnival will let you do it as part of your final payment, others you just put that money down in your account upfront.

 

No short cruises to Alaska, it is a big state, and takes several days to traverse. Combine that with PVSA laws that don't let you start in one US port and end in another US port and you just cannot get there and back in less than 7 days.

[Shorex]

Are there any cruise lines that have all inclusive packages including all tips so I don't have to worry about anything once we board the ship?

 

Yes, some of the luxury lines such as Silversea are all inclusive for alcohol and have a "no tipping" policy. You will pay up front for the privilege.

 

Also, are there shorter than 7 day cruise to Alaska?

 

Cruise West offers Alaska cruises as short as four days (round trip Juneau or Anchorage.) One of the advantages of Cruise West is that they have permits to cruise where the larger ships cannot. They may be other smaller lines that do as well.

[cruiserking]

Are there any cruise lines that have all inclusive packages including all tips so I don't have to worry about anything once we board the ship?

 

Also, are there shorter than 7 day cruise to Alaska?

 

Your input is appreciated. Thanks!

 

There are no "All Inclusive" cruise lines. Some of the very exclusive lines like Silversea charge a very high premium and include alcohol.

 

You don't have to worry about tips. Once you check in your credit card is swiped and all of your onboard charges are added to it for the duration of your voyage.

 

Generally, an additional $10 to $12 is added daily for your onboard tips. Your cruise price includes your cabin and all meals in the main dining room. You will be charged extra for liquor, shore excursions, bingo, gift shop items. You can certainly budget yourself and try to limit yourself on certain onboard expenditures.

 

None of the traditional cruise lines operate anything less than a 7-day cruise in Alaska. A company called Cruise West features 5-day voyages aboard very small ferry sized vessels.

 

If you are looking for a short cruise there are dozens of four and five day trips offered on Carnival, Royal Caribbean, NCL and Celebrity to the Caribbean or Canada/New England.

 

Jonathan

[Marie51]

Crystal gives you shipboard credit, $500 for short cruises and $1000 for longer ones. You can use this for tips, spa treatments, drinks, anything you want. Also you get complimentary soft drinks and bottled water, and there is no charge to eat in the specialty restaurants.

[Cobraman]

Regent also discourages tipping for service. We enjoyed the Seabourn cruise experience, don't even try tipping while on board their ships.

 

If you follow the lead of some; tipping above the standard service fee, tipping for each drink, tipping for coffee, tipping each room service delivery, all the specialty restaurants, wait staff, etc. you will spend half your time managing your supply of cash on the cruise that boasts a cashless system. Someday they will wake up and just charge what it costs to deliver on their promise of a true cashless system.

 

You will pay more to cruise with Seabourn, Regent and Silversea, but you will get more without feeling you constantly need to reward someone for doing their job.

 

Don't get me wrong, we tip as we go on Princess and Celebrity cruises, just don't enjoy the process.

[Cobraman]

Not aware of shorter trips to Alaska, but there are a few itineraries off the west coast, 3-4 days to Mexico.

[karinad]

A friend of my husbands goes on a RCC, I think it's the Explorer, every yr., that they include everything(booze, tips, transfers from our town to the port that's in NJ) I think they do a group thing, and probably a TA arranges the whole thing with RCC. If you're a drinker, I guess it's worth it, otherwise, I can't see paying for booze that you won't drink. Even at the AI Resorts, like Sandals, and we were to Sandals many times, they don't include the tours. We did tend to drink more. We were younger, and I loved the milkshake drinks and trying drinks that I'd take a sip and didn't like it so I'd just get a different one. We'd get up in the morning and go to one of the bars. It's a different kind of vacation. We very seldom do a tour. We really enjoyed the beauty of the resort and relaxing, so I do feel that we got our moneys worth paying fo an AI vacation.

[kitty9]

Seabourn, Silversea, Sea Dream and Regent include tips and all beverages. For that, you'll pay at least 3 to 4 times the price of a mass market. It's impossible to do an Alaska cruise shorter than 7 days.

[dfb]

Meeting your criteria of tips inclusive and less than 7 nights in Alaska is Cruise West.

http://www.cruisewest.com/alaska-cruises

 

Debbie

[EmTeeNesters]

I also have seen group cruises set up by a TA that included alcohol (there was fine print like "not top shelf", etc.) - the price was definitely considerably higher than regular, but if you imbibe - I'm sure that it was a good deal as there would not be sticker shock when that final bill comes in. ;)

 

I wonder what the review of those types of cruises would be? - either very excellent or very disappointing, I guess. :eek: Go figure.

[mtwingcpa]

You can do a cruise in Alaska for less than 7 days aboard the Alaska Marine Highway ferry system. But the airfare to and from departure points might kill you - and full fare passage including cabin and meals isn't necessarily cheap. :-)

 

Since the Alaska ferries are operated by the state, tipping is OFFICIALLY prohibited. (But, in my experience, tips will be gratefully accepted.)

[southerngal479]

Thanks for all your input, I will check them out.

[ailuro]

Thomsons in the UK have packages that have tips included and a reasonable charge to upgrade to an all inclusive drinks package.

 

However they don't cruise alaska, just the Med and the Nile, so if your question only relates to Alaska then sorry.;)

[klfrodo]

You can do a cruise in Alaska for less than 7 days aboard the Alaska Marine Highway ferry system. But the airfare to and from departure points might kill you - and full fare passage including cabin and meals isn't necessarily cheap. :-)

 

Since the Alaska ferries are operated by the state, tipping is OFFICIALLY prohibited. (But, in my experience, tips will be gratefully accepted.)

 

:D That's a good one. I can see it now " Honey, I booked us an Alaska cruise. Pack your bags". She'd be soooo excited. Until we got on board. I'm not sure it would be safe for me to fall asleep after that. :D

[smeyer418]

Azamara also now includes base tips and some drinks/soda in the fare. But as others have said for the most part the mass market lines for a similar room will be much less if you pay the auto-tip and buy your own drinks. Only the high end lines include everything(except shore excursions)....but you will pay for this anyway in the per diem(sometimes on sale it can be less expensive)...

[wg6530]

Many cruise lines will allow you to pre-pay your tips. They will charge your credit card ahead of time so you won't have to "worry" about them on board.

[mtwingcpa]

:D That's a good one. I can see it now " Honey, I booked us an Alaska cruise. Pack your bags". She'd be soooo excited. Until we got on board. I'm not sure it would be safe for me to fall asleep after that. :D

 

Well, to each his own! :-)

 

Here is my review of one such Alaska Ferry trip:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=806341

[ehfl]

Almost all the lines allow you to prepay tips. Unless you have extras such as drinks, excursions, etc., then there should be no additional charges.