Huge amount of $$$

[MCC retired]

11 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

You really need to find a good "cruise specialist" TA.

 

This OP needs one for sure . Not just an order taker by a real good Cruise Specialist very familiar with Princess .

No need to book their next cruise once onboard , just purchase Future Cruise Certificates and decide at leisure without Onboard Sales pressure.

[1025cruise]

Alaska is expensive to begin with.

I think you made a good choice with Princess, but yes, a mini suite will be expensive. While I enjoy a mini suite, a balcony will also work. That should shave a little off.

You don't "need" a drink package. You also don't "need" specialty dining. 

With regards to excursions, yes, they can be pricey. If the one's you booked are what you want to do, then its probably worth the cost. Maybe review what you booked and decide if its a must do or not.

[paul929207]

You could decide how much you want to spend and then start eliminating things until you get down to that number.  Just about everything on your list can either be done without or done cheaper.

[Hlitner]

18 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

Next to World Cruises, Alaska cruises have one of the highest per diem rates and the shore excursions are also among some of the most expensive.

 

Many different cruises are available to the needs of most people. Personally we spent about 35 years with Princess, but our 2015 cruise with them will be our last. In our opinion, their standards have dropped below what we are looking for and the constant nickle and diming was ridiculous.

 

Our preference is for smaller ships, better quality meals, no kids, no casino, more space per passenger for less crowds. The mainstream lines like Princess don't offer these, so we only consider premium/luxury lines - Viking Ocean is our current preference. We also considered Oceania.

 

After you cruise, I suggest reviewing what worked for you with Princess and more importantly what didn't work. With a good TA and/or own research you should be able to find a cruise line that meets your needs. Might still be Princess, but lots of other alternatives are available.

 

With respect to the Ruby Princess. Princess developed a fairly decent class of ship, starting with the Grand Princess. However, starting with Caribbean Princess (2004) they added an additional deck of cabins (about 500 pax), but did not change the hull. These are known as Super Grands. The Ruby Princess is a Super Grand and we found them rather crowded compared to the earlier Grand Class.

Agree with much of what you say, except each traveler/cruiser needs to look at their own budget versus the cost/benefit of  various lines.  There is no question that Princess is simply a mass market cruise line with all that means.  Viking is certainly a step up...however you might find that some cruisers would prefer Princess over Viking for simply the reason that Viking does not have an onboard casino.  In simple terms there are pros and cons to each cruise line (we have cruised on 15 lines with a 16th coming up in July).  Those that spend years with a single cruise line have no good way to compare the competition.  We still like to cruise Princess...but we also like plenty of other lines (both mass market and luxury).  Because we cruise on many different lines we are always getting a fresh perspective including different menus, alternative restaurants, completely different entertainment, etc.  

 

The tendency of some folks to be "loyal" to a specific cruise line never made a lot of sense to me..since they were eliminating so many other options.    We have the same opinion regarding cruise/travel agents.   We are "loyal" to our favorite 3 agencies to the extent that they can offer us the best overall financial deal (and we are always shopping around among their competition).  On some of our longer cruises the overall price differences (when factoring in OBCs and amenities) between agencies can run into the thousands of dollars (for a single cruise).

 

Hank

[navybankerteacher]

On 1/16/2019 at 9:04 AM, MCC retired said:

Not a typical total expense at all ,very excessive.

...

 

 Whomever sold OP this booking should be ashamed .

 

 

 

 

No one forced OP to buy anything - this just sounds like someone got caught up in an unthinking spending frenzy.  Just a matter of wanting every option available.  Hopefully, this touch of buyers remorse is not hitting too late, and OP will be able to adjust.

[GottaKnowWhen]

22 hours ago, DeAnna from Oregon said:

Wow! I’m so overwhelmed by everyone’s great insight and feedback which is truly invaluable when booking a cruise for the first time. ... Thank you all so very much, what a great welcoming site, I feel like we’ve joined a whole new culture so does my husband, we were just hoping to bring the kids next time!

A few more thoughts. Looking ahead to your next cruise (cruises) ...

1. Look way ahead. Today I booked a cruise for October 2020. Which is not that far out. 12 nights. Starts in Boston (no international travel.) Ends in Fort Lauderdale. (no International travel.) 

2. Carefully consider why you want to cruise where. Alaska is a high dollar region. The Galapagos are a high dollar destination. Venice & Greek Isles can be pricey. I’ve been to all three, paid a lot, but had decided ahead that the value was there for us. Our example October 2020 cruise is much cheaper, goes to less exotic places, but we like the ship, we like the destinations along the way, and we like the multiple sea days. 

3. Watch for good packages. Our October 2020 trip intrigued me two weeks ago. I passed, price was a bit high, no perks included. Today the price per person was $150 lower, and drink package, gratuities, and OBC were all now included. And the stateroom I had wanted was still available. Easy decision. Booking made. 

 

Enjoy!

 

[Hlitner]

57 minutes ago, GottaKnowWhen said:

A few more thoughts. Looking ahead to your next cruise (cruises) ...

1. Look way ahead. Today I booked a cruise for October 2020. Which is not that far out. 12 nights. Starts in Boston (no international travel.) Ends in Fort Lauderdale. (no International travel.) 

2. Carefully consider why you want to cruise where. Alaska is a high dollar region. The Galapagos are a high dollar destination. Venice & Greek Isles can be pricey. I’ve been to all three, paid a lot, but had decided ahead that the value was there for us. Our example October 2020 cruise is much cheaper, goes to less exotic places, but we like the ship, we like the destinations along the way, and we like the multiple sea days. 

3. Watch for good packages. Our October 2020 trip intrigued me two weeks ago. I passed, price was a bit high, no perks included. Today the price per person was $150 lower, and drink package, gratuities, and OBC were all now included. And the stateroom I had wanted was still available. Easy decision. Booking made. 

 

Enjoy!

 

You mention "no international travel" but your cruise will still require a valid Passport.  It is actually a pretty decent itinerary although we would like it better if they had the extra hours in Aruba rather than Bonaire and Curacao.  We also noticed that repo cruise (we have often done the Regal Princess from NYC to Ft Lauderdale) and have some interest.  But we would not consider booking that cruise for at least another year :).  That might also be nice if combined with a prior Canada/NE cruise.

 

Hank

[GottaKnowWhen]

I could have been clearer! My “ no international “ is about cost of travel to from. I’ve had at least one valid U.S. passport since I was 3 years old, that’s a long time ago, and I am committed to maintaining that tradition! No passport worries.

This is clearly a repo cruise and for repo cruises  they never offer perks. Except here they did. I won’t argue with them. And I did think about the b2b  possibility, but we’ll be a month in Alaska ending in early-mid September and our time back home in between Alaska and this cruise would be too short. 

[brillohead]

I pay roughly $100/person/day for a Caribbean cruise for cruise fare, typically an inside room but sometimes an ocean view (window) or "interior balcony" (Central Park on Oasis class with Royal).

I book my own excursions or get around on my own in port (like going to a beach).

I don't get the booze package (although I do get the soda/pop package).

I don't eat at specialty restaurants. I have NEVER gone hungry on a cruise ship.

My typical bill on the ship at the end of the week is just my daily gratuity/service charges for the week.  Maybe the occasional room service or laundry/pressing fee if my son is with me.

I book a reasonable Airbnb or hotel the day before and use Uber for transportation to the port. Never even close to $200.

With a $10K budget, I would manage 3-4 cruises in the Caribbean.  But then again, my tastes aren't as obviously high-end as yours are. 

I'm happy being on a ship and eating normal food and not being drunk off my arse the whole week.  I use my room for sleeping and showering, so I don't need a huge room with a balcony -- I have the entire ship's pool deck for my balcony.     

[Toofarfromthesea]

On 1/16/2019 at 4:48 AM, DeAnna from Oregon said:

Hi all, we (husband & I) are first time cruisers,  Princess Ruby Alaska September 2019, after purchasing our tickets paying for the all inclusive drink packages, paying for excursions, booking specialty restaurants, and all the other extras we are already paying nearly $10,000, is this pretty common for cruises, or is this typical cost of a cruise? We are in a mini-Suite but it seems to me that after this amount of money we should be Captains Circle, I believe that is what they term it, I’m just wondering if this is typical or not? Here is the breakdown of costs:  We spent $1500 each per excursions, $1000 on our drink packages, and $5000 for our tickets, the remaining $1000 is specialty restaurants (2), hotel and parking costs, and incidentals. Thanks again for your thoughts.

Yes, it is very typical that if you do things the most expensive possible way it ends up costing a lot.

And don't forget grats.

[samiam0403]

On 1/16/2019 at 9:48 PM, DeAnna from Oregon said:

So, when considering cruising again and booking on the ship for next cruise, what I’m wondering is are most cruises comparable to an Alaska cruise, or is Alaska in a different type of cruise...I totally understand we don’t have to take excursions, but on a cruise let’s say to Mexico is the price around $10,000, or are there more reasonably priced excursions and cabin options...

 

DeAnna - generally (as mentioned previously), Alaskan cruises are more expensive than Caribbean/Mexican cruises. You could spend the same amount as your Alaskan cruise (in a full suite on a major cruiseline, for example), but typically you'll spend much less. The amount of ships available to choose from sailing to the Caribbean is higher, and depending on the time of year, you can find some great deals. (November - February is usually the least expensive, and luckily my favorite time of the year to cruise!) There are also plenty of websites (that can't be named here) that will allow you to search your preferred dates and ships to give you a good idea of costs - don't always just check directly with the cruiseline. Excursions are generally much less than Alaskan ones as well. There are a lot of ports where you can just head to the beach and spend hardly anything. Good luck with your searching, and I hope you have an incredible time on your Alaska cruise!

[Texasramblinreck]

On 1/16/2019 at 3:48 AM, DeAnna from Oregon said:

Hi all, we (husband & I) are first time cruisers,  Princess Ruby Alaska September 2019, after purchasing our tickets paying for the all inclusive drink packages, paying for excursions, booking specialty restaurants, and all the other extras we are already paying nearly $10,000, is this pretty common for cruises, or is this typical cost of a cruise? We are in a mini-Suite but it seems to me that after this amount of money we should be Captains Circle, I believe that is what they term it, I’m just wondering if this is typical or not? Here is the breakdown of costs:  We spent $1500 each per excursions, $1000 on our drink packages, and $5000 for our tickets, the remaining $1000 is specialty restaurants (2), hotel and parking costs, and incidentals. Thanks again for your thoughts.

I will be more blunt, yes you are paying too much.  About $1,000 too much for mini-Suite, drink packages are not worth the price and are usually around $300 a piece, excursions are usually high in Alaska, speciality restaurants are around $50 - $100 for two per night   Suggest you go to Norwegian Cruises, current offer is $200 OBC, Premium drink package, 3 nights Speciality restruants, $50 per port for excursions, Internet.  We are booked August 24 on Norwegian Joy with all these extras.  We are booked in the Haven deck in Courtyard Suite, most desired area on ship for just over $7,000.  Joy is a large ship 2 years old unlike the Ruby.  Can’t speak about hotels, they are expensive in Seattle.  Alaska Airlines has good flights in.  Hope this can be some help.  Since you are first time, suggest you contact Norwegian or other cruise lines, even Princess, book a cruise with amenities and then cancel this one, you get your deposit and other items back before final payment.  Airfare can be changed also, most let you rebook with credit.  Might be around some date as you have already booked.  Good luck

bruce   

Edited February 15, 2019 by Texasramblinreck

[rmurray847]

On 1/16/2019 at 2:48 AM, DeAnna from Oregon said:

Hi all, we (husband & I) are first time cruisers,  Princess Ruby Alaska September 2019, after purchasing our tickets paying for the all inclusive drink packages, paying for excursions, booking specialty restaurants, and all the other extras we are already paying nearly $10,000, is this pretty common for cruises, or is this typical cost of a cruise? We are in a mini-Suite but it seems to me that after this amount of money we should be Captains Circle, I believe that is what they term it, I’m just wondering if this is typical or not? Here is the breakdown of costs:  We spent $1500 each per excursions, $1000 on our drink packages, and $5000 for our tickets, the remaining $1000 is specialty restaurants (2), hotel and parking costs, and incidentals. Thanks again for your thoughts.

We are going on our first Alaskan cruise in May, on Norwegian Bliss.  We've cruised 8 times before, so here are MY thoughts on what you've posted.  You've already learned that everyone has a different spin on this stuff.  Few, if any are invalid...they just show you how different the wants/needs of each cruiser are.

 

1)  This is the priciest cruise we've done.  By quite a bit.  Alaska is just more expensive.  We always sail in a Balcony Cabin.  I don't know what the Mini Suite on Princess is, but on NCL, it's basically the same as a balcony cabin with a slightly larger bathroom.  If that's the case for your trip, might you still have time to "downsize?"  (I'm assuming you're having sticker shock and wondering if you can claw back some of what you're paying! )

2)  My wife and I booked NON-ship excursions, with a private tour operator.  Smaller groups.  Lower price.  Still expensive, since it's in the US, but cheaper than the ship.  We spent $1800 total for one expedition in Juneau, 2 in Skagway and 1 in Ketchikan.  Includes a floatplane and a helicopter...so we weren't skimping in particular.

3)  Drink packages are pricey.  But so are individual drinks.  I assume you did some math and decided you would drink enough to be worthwhile (usually I calculate about 6 drinks per day as a rough break-even point).  If you suddenly realize there's no way you'll drink enough, you should be able to cancel for a refund.

4)  I do have to say that spending $1000 on specialty restaurants seems like A LOT!  Are you dining in one every night?  Another opportunity to scale back?  The "Main Dining Rooms" are usually, IMO, much more than adequate, and we usually just treat ourselves to perhaps 2 specialty restaurants per 7 day cruise, and enjoy the MDR for the other 5.

 

Having said all that...I think cruising is still a pretty great bargain.  Your hotel moves with you, so only unpack/pack once!  You see so many cool places, both while onboard and while on land.  You get great entertainment.  You'll enjoy LOTS of food and drink!  You can be lazy when you want, and you can be very active and busy when you want.  The service is usually pretty stellar.  And if you love it, there are so many other options out there, and you'll find many of them to be lower cost-per-day.

 

ENJOY!

 

[Texasramblinreck]

Rmurray847 has some good points and as you have heard, it various a lot depending on a lot of factors.  First mini-suites are a class above balcony and larger.  We started our cruising in Princess mini suite, and worked our way up to suites after retirement.  Mini suites come in various configurations, some with large balcony and of course you pay for location.  I think it’s the excitement of the first cruise and going all in.  In DeAnna defense, if you are going to book a cruise, do it right.  There are those, who book inside cabins, spend their whole trip in the buffet lines and spend their port times in the port window shopping.  Alaska, like any other US city deals with our standard of living, so everything is more expensive as compared to Caribbean islands where people live on less than $100 per month.  We are going in late August and have great excursions in 3 of 4 ports, not much time in Juneau, and will spent $1,500 for the two of us.  We have 3 speciality restruants with our package and that’s more than enough, we get tired of eating toward the end of cruise.  Drinks are included on our cruise, but we would never buy the drink package.  Also have Internet, which is something I could care less about.  You go on a cruise to relax and get away,  

DeAnna, you have the right mindset for your first cruise, just might have gone overboard on some of the things.  Don’t forget, you pay gratuities onboard and cruise insurance before.  If they were included it doesn’t seem too high. You will find Caribbean cruises a lot less, but New England cruises expensive as well.  I already suggested you look at NCL, because they have some nice perks this summer, but if you can’t change from Princess, you can reconsider somethings.  If you plan to drink a lot, everyday, the drink package is for you.  Most cruises have speciality Dinning for 3, 5 or 7 nights, just remember it’s also a lot of rich food and toward the end, might get saturated.  Alaska is beautiful, never thought I would love it so, very clean, fresh air, people are warm and friendly.  You will also find the overwhelming majority on the cruise ship to be the same and once you have your first cruise, you will be planning your second.  Back to excursions, Alaska has the best in the world, with a great deal of variety.

Seattle is an expensive city, this will be the first time we are able to fly in on the day of the cruise and not have to spend the night, I figure that alone will save us $500 or more.

Enjoy your cruise!

[DeAnna from Oregon]

Thank you! I think it’s going to be spendy but certainly worth it, and I love that each month I can pay for an excursion or dining etc, in the cruise personalizer, really helps that everything will be paid for before we even get on-board!

[Hlitner]

When it comes to travel and cruises it sometimes seems like budgets are made to be broken :(.  But keep in mind that most cruise line excursions are somewhat overpriced when compared to the other options (private tour or Do It Yourself (DIY)).   Doing some port things on your own can save an awful lot of money (sometimes hundreds of dollars in a single port) so do not dismiss the idea of looking at other options.  A good starting place is on the CC Ports of Call boards where you can usually get lots of ideas regarding both private tours and the DIY options.

 

There are also some relatively painless ways to save money...once onboard the ship.  Cruise lines actually rely on "maximizing onboard revenue" as an important part of their business (profit) plan.  Do you really need to buy things in the shops?  How bad do you want those cruise ship photo packages as compared to simply take your own pictures.  BINGO can be fun, but it also costs money (and the winner is the cruise line).  Drinks can be a major expenditure and one should carefully look at the options vs your own drinking habits.  Paying $60+ per passenger day for a drink package (often built into an inflated cruise promotion) is not a good investment for many who buy these packages.  Remember, these drink packages are based on you paying for every day of the cruise....so you are paying for drinks on those port days when you are hardly on the ship and might be going to bed early to get ready for the next port.  That is why some cruise lines do not offer drink promotions on their long Transatlantic cruises (passengers drink more on those lazy sea days).  And since you are going on Norwegian, keep in mind that you do have a choice whether to pay more money for your meals, or simply dine in the included (free) venues.

 

Hank

 

[Texasramblinreck]

Hlitner,

i agree with several of your points.  We started cruising in 2010 and allowed as much for excursions, on board drinks, pictures, etc as the cost of the cruise, a mini suite at the time.  We will be embarking on our 15th this August and have watched, especially in recent years, as cruise lines have inched expenses up.  The bulk of the travelers are still the inside cabins and binge eaters at the buffets, and the deals are still there for those.  After our 3rd cruise, we went to the suite life and enjoy the extra pampering that goes with it.  For us it is truly a vacation to explore and enjoy.  Excursions depend on where you are going,  Caribbean ports usually offer reasonable priced excursions to a lot of places and as you said if you do private you can save a lot of money, but it can be a risk.  If you know what you are purchasing you can also get good deals, mainly because of the depressed cost of living.  Alaska has some really good excursions and yes they are expensive, but if you truly want a cruise to remember, do something special.

One of the cruise lines big money makers is charging so much for pictures and most can’t resist getting them, including my wife, but since most have gone to digital and only price them after you pay for them, the prices have come down, still pricy.  Also we quit dressing for formal nights many years ago, we have enough pictures in tux and besides it’s a pain in the ass to dress up.  This has always been more for the cruise lines and most, like Norwegian have gone away from it.  Drinking package are always a rip off even when you get them as part of package.  Restaurants make their most profit off of the drinks, not the food.  Speciality restaurants have gone up a lot in price, but it’s still nice to go to one 2 to 3 times while onboard.  

[DukeASUGirl]

On ‎2‎/‎15‎/‎2019 at 2:52 PM, Texasramblinreck said:

I will be more blunt, yes you are paying too much.  About $1,000 too much for mini-Suite, drink packages are not worth the price and are usually around $300 a piece, excursions are usually high in Alaska, speciality restaurants are around $50 - $100 for two per night   Suggest you go to Norwegian Cruises, current offer is $200 OBC, Premium drink package, 3 nights Speciality restruants, $50 per port for excursions, Internet.  We are booked August 24 on Norwegian Joy with all these extras.  We are booked in the Haven deck in Courtyard Suite, most desired area on ship for just over $7,000.  Joy is a large ship 2 years old unlike the Ruby.  Can’t speak about hotels, they are expensive in Seattle.  Alaska Airlines has good flights in.  Hope this can be some help.  Since you are first time, suggest you contact Norwegian or other cruise lines, even Princess, book a cruise with amenities and then cancel this one, you get your deposit and other items back before final payment.  Airfare can be changed also, most let you rebook with credit.  Might be around some date as you have already booked.  Good luck

bruce   

We loved NCL for our Alaskan cruise. 

 

We did a lot of excursions on our own. Actually, I don't think we did a single NCL excursion (although if I ever go on an itinerary with Tracy Arm Fjord again, I'll do the boat excursion that allows you to get up close to the glaciers instead of watching from the ship). 

 

By doing our own thing for excursions, we saved at least $100 per day, which over the course of the week was some real money. We also didn't have a drink package because we won't drink enough to warrant it. Alaska cruises are port-intensive, so you won't be sitting around all day drinking. Just pay a la carte for any booze. I can almost guarantee it will come out way less than the package.

[olemissreb]

We went to Alaska 6 years ago and it was an expensive trip.  We did a week inland and then a week cruising.  There were 5 of us and I booked a Grand Suite with an adjoining Concierge Cabin so we could have 2 showers.  It was nice to have all of that room. For the 5 of us and the 2 cabins was about $10K...of course I booked it about 2 years out.  We had the drink packages, and because we drink a couple specialty coffees in the mornings, like to take a bottle of water with us on excursions, have a drink or 2 with dinner and then 1 or 2 after dinner - and maybe even one after returning to the ship from an excursion, it was well worth it for us.

 

All of our excursions were DIY. I got the Alaska Tour Saver book and one other Alaska coupon book (can't remember the name) and was able to save a little bit of money using those.  I found all of our excursions either here or on CC's sister site, Trip Advisor.  And while they weren't that much cheaper than the cruise lines, they were so much more relaxing since they were small groups or just our group.  We got to sit and watch a baby whale practicing his breeches (for about 20 minutes) and there wasn't another boat it sight - just us and our tour guide (who also was the owner of the boat).  It was WONDERFUL and about the same price as the cruise line excursion.

 

As others have said - if you are looking to go all out for your first cruise, you have more than succeeded. If you are looking to save some money, then these boards (the Alaska boards in particular) will be a tremendous help.  My first cruise was on Princess almost 30 years ago. We were in a balcony cabin and I've been spoiled ever since - I can't sail in anything less. I just love sitting on the balcony watching the world go by.  This year, I get to sail in my first aft cabin and I'm so looking forward to sitting on my wrap around balcony and watch the wake while have a glass of wine (that I got with my beverage package 😁).

 

[cruzin4us]

On 1/16/2019 at 1:48 AM, DeAnna from Oregon said:

Hi all, we (husband & I) are first time cruisers,  Princess Ruby Alaska September 2019, after purchasing our tickets paying for the all inclusive drink packages, paying for excursions, booking specialty restaurants, and all the other extras we are already paying nearly $10,000, is this pretty common for cruises, or is this typical cost of a cruise? We are in a mini-Suite but it seems to me that after this amount of money we should be Captains Circle, I believe that is what they term it, I’m just wondering if this is typical or not? Here is the breakdown of costs:  We spent $1500 each per excursions, $1000 on our drink packages, and $5000 for our tickets, the remaining $1000 is specialty restaurants (2), hotel and parking costs, and incidentals. Thanks again for your thoughts.

Oh gosh, I have a lot to say 

Here's what I would do.....

1.  Keep the mini suite

2.  Dump the drink package....I promise you will never drink enough to make it worth the price.  You are in port quite a bit and it's cold by the glacier (another whole day) thus you won't be drinking as much as say you were in Mexico.   I've bought the drink pkg in the past, and we NEVER came close to make it pencil out in our favor....and we drank.  ☺️  My suggestion is this.   Buy onboard credit in the amount of the drink package.   What you don't use you cash out or use toward something else.  Bet you don't drink $500 in drinks 🙂  

3.  Excursions - Look online for private tour operators.   Try Trip Advisor to get some ideas.  You will save up to 50% or more...Just do your research and make sure they have lots of favorable reviews.   Ketchikan is a fun town to walk around in.   Walk up the path to the hatchery and you can see the salmon swimming up thru town.   Really cool and it cost me "zippo".

4. Specialty Restaurants - I only eat in them too....no more main dining room for this gal.  I suck it up and pay the $.

 

Hope this helps....you still have a bit of time to change your alcohol pkg. and excursions.

 

Edited March 27, 2019 by cruzin4us
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