What will you gladly pay extra for and what do you resent or refuse.

[Cruise Arizona]

I've been thinking about this for a couple of weeks. Cruise ships charge extra for all kinds of things, and some of us don't even bat and eye and others wonder why they feel they have to charge extras.

 

(Sorry about my bad Grammar)

 

So here is what I don't mind paying extra for:

 

Tips on beverages, (no biggies, service is usually anticipatory, and I'd pay this at home)

Tips to recommended list ( If I feel like I've had great service, then the employees and thier bosses have earned my tip.)

 

 

And here's what I hesitate to pay extra for:

 

Laundry or Dry Cleaning. (I do all the families laundry, and hate too send it out to anyone when I normally do it my self and the whole proces is 90% automated.)

 

Specialty Restaraunt ( This is more of a DH hang-up than me, but he understands that the fee is in part to keep the damand in line with the supply, but he also feels like his food in included in the price he has already paid, so he doesn't want to pay extra for the specialty restuarant.

 

I'll also go ahead and put a balcony on this list, but not because DH and I would not ever want one, but becauee we felt like it is much safer with kids to be in an Ocean View than a Balcony if you plan onleaving the kids in the room at bed time.

 

I'm sure there are others who feel this way about one thing and not the other. It would be so interesting to see what you would pay extra for vs. what I would. I'me sure things are very much different from Pax to Pax.

[Leela]

Although I don't expect them to do my laundry for free, I do feel really weird about sending it out! I've travelled for years doing underwear and shirts in hotel bathrooms :-) Finally, this summer, I sent my laundry out. Wow, it was so nice to have it magically re-appear in my room all nice and clean. Still, I think I'll only do it on special trips (two weeks or longer).

 

Also, I never understood why you have to pay on the ship for fountain soft drinks. They've already got self-serve tea and juice in the buffet, how hard can it be to also have a couple of self-serve soda fountains? I used to work at a burger joint so I know how cheap syrup etc. is. I can understand them charging for drinks still in the cans or bottles, but Coke out of a fountain spigot might as well be included in the cost of the cruise.

 

Everything else I'm basically fine with.

[Karynanne]

I really gave this one some thought, and I've come to realize that I don't mind paying extra for what X supplies and I really don't resent what they do charge you for.

 

My reasoning: If I had taken a land vacation (other than a Club Med, or any inclusive type vacation), I would have to pay extra for all the meals and entertainment. And then if I decided to move to a different location each day, that also would be an extra charge.

 

Simply put, I feel Celebrity Cruises is a for profit business. Our cruise fee includes room, entertainment, meals and some beverages. The big bonus is that we wake up in a different location each day, getting to experience what that location has to offer.

 

All the extras that are for a fee are purchased by choice. If one resents paying for the extras...just say no thank you...

 

Karyn

[Arubalisa]

don't like to pay extra for...Ice Cream or cappuccino, but if I really want it, dh will pay for it :)

[Jim_Iain]

Really interesting topic.

 

Opposite to Cruise Arizona I don't mind paying for the Speciality Restaurant. I actually book it as early as Captain's Club allows. On the other hand I resent and would never pay for the expensive water they leave in your room.

 

We really enjoy an afternoon Cappuccino at Cova each afternoon even though we could have one for free in our suite. I do resent what they charge for e-mail and internet access.

 

It is really interesting to see how we each place values - Thanks for a fun topic.

[Cruise Junky]

I refuse to tip people I've never met.

[masterbaker]

I don't mind paying extra for bar drinks, speciality restaurants, internet, laundry or spa services. I do not agree with the prices charged for onboard photos, specialty coffee, icecream so I just don't buy those items. This is what makes cruising so great, everyone has different priorities and we can each choose the things that make our vacations enjoyable and purchase those things.

[CaptData]

A little twist here. I'm glad that they do charge extra for somethings. I do not want to pay for other people's drinks. I can not drink much due to medical so paying for everyone else would upset me. I also hate coffee but love the new frozen type one now.

 

Would I pay extra for some things, yes. I like the supper clubs I have eaten at and yes I realize that more care is taken with these so I do not mind paying for the service. I agree that the Coke fountain drinks should be included in the price but since I drink diet coke I guess I will pay for this too. I like the fact that I am in a photo sometimes (I travel alone so I can't take pics of myself to easily).

 

This is terrible I sould like I am the most important person going using I all the time. Very bad english here. Self-centered to boot.

[Schplinky]

I dislike paying tips to people I will never meet, also. If the argument is that the supervisor is the one making the employee I actually appreciate do their job well, then I guess we should be tipping all the way up the line. Just seems silly to me. A spervisor should be paid a supervisor's wage and should not be introducing theirselves on tip day.

 

I dislike paying for soda, since this costs them next to nothing and the prices are a real money-grab. I dislike paying for coffee drinks and so I don't.

 

I don't mind paying for the specialty restaurant because it limits the number of people who go. I think it would also be depressing if anyone could go for free, since then some folks would go and eat half their meals, the way it seems to happen in the buffet, where food is commonly left on plates uneaten.

 

I cheerfully tip the bar people but wish the amount as not automatically added on. Some simply don't deserve it. Luckily, there are very few who would fall into this category.

 

I don't mind tipping the porters but I admit I do so because I'm grateful for their help AND because I'm afraid my luggage will fall into the ocean if I don't.

 

I find the cost of the spas to be nearly out of reach, compared to at home or in another resort setting so if I do choose to go, what I dislike is the hard-sell they do for buying extra products. You shouldn't have to have your guard up or be firm during an experience that is expensive and meant to feel like a treat.

[cavkc]

The cost of the photographs winds me up - this must be due to what 90% wastage.

 

In this day and age, why can't they use digital pictures, which you could view on your cabin tv, then decide if you want to purchase them. Surely this would save the cruise $$ in wasted photo paper. It would free up the large 'gallery' room and save you searching through hundreds of pictures to find out that dh had his eyes shut!!

[cavkc]

The cost of the photographs winds me up - this must be due to what 90% wastage.

 

In this day and age, why can't they use digital pictures, which you could view on your cabin tv, then decide if you want to purchase them. Surely this would save the cruise $$ in wasted photo paper. It would free up the large 'gallery' room and save you searching through hundreds of pictures to find out that dh had his eyes shut!!

[cavkc]

The cost of the photographs winds me up - this must be due to what 90% wastage.

 

In this day and age, why can't they use digital pictures, which you could view on your cabin tv, then decide if you want to purchase them. Surely this would save the cruise $$ in wasted photo paper. It would free up the large 'gallery' rooms and save you searching through hundreds of pictures to find out that dh had his eyes shut!!

[Queenk2]

I don't mind paying for most items, however the cost of cappucino bothers me...especially in the diningroom. They offer coffee anyway...why the up- charge?

[esther e]

I would be willing to pay a little more on the fare and have water, soft drinks, etc. included at no charge. Radisson does this--although it is a more expensive line--and includes gratuities. I rather like having everything taken care of in advance.

[Happy ks]

Suzanne, you should sweet-talk your DH into going to the specialty restaurant one night, just the 2 of you, then he'll understand. Yes, you have paid for food in the main dining room, but the food is cooked to order and just soooo much better in the specialty restaurant.

 

I'm probably the only one who doesn't mind the soft drinks not being "free". We had the lovely experience of 2 boys at the pool, refilling their cups with "free" iced tea and trying to douse each other. Unfortunately, their aim was not always so good and several people ended up with a mess on their clothing. They were stopped by an officer, no parents in sight. I can only imagine how much waste, mess and shenanigans kids (plus some adults) would create with "free" soda all day. I guess it could be included with dinner, however. I don't drink soda, so it's not all that important to me.

 

I'm not really unhappy with any of the extras onboard a ship, I can choose what I want to spend money on and it keeps the overall cost of cruising more affordable for us. We have cruised enough to know we don't need to purchase photos (one is plenty) we don't bother with souvenirs that will just go into the trash, we don't gamble much, we just put up with bad coffee and accept it as part of the travel adventure!

 

I'm not even too unhappy with the high wine prices, I just wish the choices were better.

[dmk]

Have they started to charge for ice cream? If so, I am very disappointed.

[SS Cruise Lady]

The cost of the photographs winds me up - this must be due to what 90% wastage.

 

In this day and age, why can't they use digital pictures, which you could view on your cabin tv, then decide if you want to purchase them. Surely this would save the cruise $$ in wasted photo paper. It would free up the large 'gallery' room and save you searching through hundreds of pictures to find out that dh had his eyes shut!!

 

Cavkc, I think this is an excellent idea :)

[Schplinky]

Have they started to charge for ice cream? If so, I am very disappointed.

 

Ice cream on RCL at Ben and Jerry's is for a cost but regular ice cream is still free.

[SS Cruise Lady]

Capt Data, I agree with you about drinks. I would rather pay an additional charge for the drinks we order than subsidize the heavy drinkers. When our daughter had her Bat Mitzvah years ago, we were given a choice of a higher price per person for each adult, which would include all drinks, or to just be billed for alcoholic beverages that were actually consumed. Knowing that most of our friends and relatives were not heavy drinkers, we chose the latter option, and it wound up costing us much less.

[cavkc]

I really do not mind paying the extra for the speciality restaurant. You are getting a meal which far surpasses the 'normal' restaurants on board.

 

I appreciate some thoughts that you have already paid for your food so why should you pay again, however, in dining in the speciality restaurants, you are getting a meal that you would normally pay 5 times more for in any city.

[cruiseyguy]

I would pay extra ($50-$75) in order to choose my specific table in the dining room for the duration of the cruise. Location (as well as tablemates) makes a big difference, especially on a longer cruise.

[pennstater]

Just a thought - I read somewhere that the additional charge for the specialty restaurant was actually the 'tip' for the servers there, because they don't get the regular tips from all the passengers. Does anyone know if this is true?

[SS Cruise Lady]

Just a thought - I read somewhere that the additional charge for the specialty restaurant was actually the 'tip' for the servers there, because they don't get the regular tips from all the passengers. Does anyone know if this is true?

 

I was also told that the additional charge for the specialty restaurant was a service charge/tip.

[trcori]

Photos -- after a few cruises we started just saying "no thank you" to the photographers and letting them move on to someone who MIGHT buy the picture eventually.

 

Bottled water onboard -- we think the shipboard water, in restaurants & in the room carafe, tastes just great.

 

Sodas more than once or twice a cruise -- With every glass costing what a 12-pack goes for during grocery store sales, just not worth it, and our son likes the free punch drinks anyway.

 

Stuff from the minibar -- haven't even cracked it open in six cruises.

 

Most shore excursions booked through the ship -- Luckily CCers clued us in from the start that these can usually be booked privately for much less $. The only one we have taken so far was in the Dominican Republic, as I couldn't find online evidence at the time of a reputable guide who could also take us on a "countryside tour."

 

Spa treatments besides the T-pool -- Most prices I have seen are just outrageous compared to the same cost "back home," and the thought of fending off a product pitch just makes my skin crawl.

 

Gift shops onboard -- unless there is TRULY something we could not EVER get ashore, at home, etc. Like Celebrity-logo stuff (hubby usually wants a new hat, and I have picked up a mug or two).

 

We also don't buy a lot of drinks -- hubby has his daily 5 pm martini; I have a couple specialty-coffee drinks in Cova during the course of a cruise, and keep an eye out for when Tequila Sunrises are on special -- but we're not big drinkers anyway.

 

Even with all of the above, we still manage to spend a few hundred bucks on the shipboard account. (Getting some credit by booking the last couple cruises onboard has helped.) And yet I guess that's still considered low -- when I was in line for a bingo card on the second-to-last day of our Mercury cruise in August, some loud guy behind me was telling his friend he was already up to $1300 and his wife hadn't even finished her afternoon at the spa yet. (I won $1K at bingo that afternoon and ran downstairs to plunk it toward our deposit for the next cruise :) ... so I became a Big Spender for a moment too) -- TR

[wieslaw]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pennstater

Just a thought - I read somewhere that the additional charge for the specialty restaurant was actually the 'tip' for the servers there, because they don't get the regular tips from all the passengers. Does anyone know if this is true?

 

 

I was also told that the additional charge for the specialty restaurant was a service charge/tip."

 

Hi,

I got to know some of the people that work in the specialty restaurants and was told by them that the 'charge' per person that we pay for 'dining' there is used to pay all the 'service' people that work there.

 

Wes