Surprise! It costs money!

[LNLisa]

Was there any one expense that caught you by surprise? Either you didn't know about it going in or it was just more than you expected?

 

Some basic expenses that I'm factoring in:

• Tips (By following the posted guidelines, I'm hoping to have an appropriate amount already set aside)
  
• Excursions
  
• Drink Card
  
• Deposit for next cruise

Uh...yup, that's about it.

 

I'm trying to work out a budget ahead of time, and I don't want to be stuck trying to pay for something I hadn't planned for, so any info would be helpful. Thanks!

[cruisingtodive]

On my first cruise, I didn't know about the tip charges until right before the cruise, or that we could prepay....

• My daughter's non-alcoholic foo-foo drink bill:p
  
• Taxi from FLL to Miami pier, plus once around the block because the driver didn't know where he was going.
  
• Those darn Cozumel restaurants where the price is listed in Pesos, not dollars.
  
• Second the deposit on the next cruise

[jettaleea]

I think my biggest shock was how quickly shore excursions can add up, especially if there are 2 of you traveling together! So study them carefully and decide what you really want to do. When we first started cruising we felt it was important to take an excursion in every port. Now we're more judicious. We also check out what is available locally instead of from the cruiseline.

 

I've never booked my next cruise while I'm on a cruise. I wait til I'm home and get that email for a once-in-a-lifetime deal (they arrive every day you know!). My next cruise is a 16-night Transatlantic for only $449 a person.....plus we get $125 shipboard credit apiece for owning stock! Wouldn't find a deal like that while on the ship!

 

jettaleea

[firefly333]

Mine was on the Princess Grand, we went to the shopping lecture and they told us they only had 200 books so we had to sign the card, as if we would want too many I thought?

 

4 of us took the shopping discount book. Boy were we surprised to be billed $20 for each book. I heard if I had gone into the lecture and listened the price would have been made clear to me, instead I skipped out, but the other 3 listened from the back row. One lady left hers behind, didnt want it. They didnt put a price on the card they had you sign at the table going in either.

[firefly333]

Well, the large bottle of water that someone forged my name to a charge slip on the Caribbean Princess as well was a surprise. We THINK it might have been the room steward, we did not have a bottle of water in the cabin when we entered the cabin, and probably should have so maybe they assumed we drank it and forged my name. Thats the only explanation I could come up with why someone would forge my signature on a charge slip.

[mountaingurl]

Where in the heck did you find that trans deal?!?!?!?!?!

[henepup]

I think my biggest shock was how quickly shore excursions can add up, especially if there are 2 of you traveling together! So study them carefully and decide what you really want to do. When we first started cruising we felt it was important to take an excursion in every port. Now we're more judicious. We also check out what is available locally instead of from the cruiseline.

 

I've never booked my next cruise while I'm on a cruise. I wait til I'm home and get that email for a once-in-a-lifetime deal (they arrive every day you know!). My next cruise is a 16-night Transatlantic for only $449 a person.....plus we get $125 shipboard credit apiece for owning stock! Wouldn't find a deal like that while on the ship!

 

jettaleea

We never book for the next cruise on board. The price they quote is never good on board. The last cruise with airfare and hotel stay was $3000, they offered us the same ship and airfare for $4000 with no hotel stay. No deals for past guest on board.

[montekat]

We never book for the next cruise on board. The price they quote is never good on board. The last cruise with airfare and hotel stay was $3000, they offered us the same ship and airfare for $4000 with no hotel stay. No deals for past guest on board.

 

 

All you have to do is book something on board and then transfer it when you find a cruise time and price you like better. That way you keep the onboard credit and get a better price. We are waiting for the Fall prices to open up so we can transfer an 11 night cruise we booked for Panama. Gives us $200 onboard credit and I can take my time and pick exactly what I want.

[serene56]

We get the embarkation photo and one formal night photo. There is no obligation to buy them. We get the photos taken and buy one of the best ones. that pic costs $20.00 bucks.

 

Bingo-- that could get expensive..depending on the cruiselines. usually 10 bucks a game per card and a discount if you buy 3 for 20 bucks.

[redlef]

On our first cruise --

 

Wife and I were at the lido deck buffet after just embarking and a waitress came over and asked if we'd like a drink. She had a tray of pina coladas in the cute Carnival glasses.

 

"Sure!" we exclaimed, assuming this was some type of "Welcome aboard gratuity." The drinks were something like $7 each.

 

There's not a lot of free drinks on a cruise.

[serene56]

On our first cruise --

Wife and I were at the lido deck buffet after just embarking and a waitress came over and asked if we'd like a drink. She had a tray of pina coladas in the cute Carnival glasses.

 

"Sure!" we exclaimed, assuming this was some type of "Welcome aboard gratuity." The drinks were something like $7 each.

 

There's not a lot of free drinks on a cruise.

 

 

my favorite past time -- watching those waiters take advantage of newbie cruiers who have no idea those are not free- the way they present the tray of drinks is that the look for free-- untily ou take one and take a sip then ask for your sign and sail card. (its done on Royal and Princess also.)

[Rauld]

We always sign up for a "ghost" cruise. We give our $200 down payment o a future cruise. When we find the deal we want we do not have to pay anything down until the final payment, get a shipboard credit from Princess and whatever credit you get by booking on line or with your agent. This is a really good deal!

 

On our cruise to Hawaii our travel agent is giving us a $100 cabin credit plus we will get a $100 credit each from Princess. We start our with $300 credit (this will take care of tips).

[SC LTC]

thats pretty good, how long can you keep this on-board credit for

[Creeks]

thats pretty good, how long can you keep this on-board credit for

 

Our Princess credit is good for two years

[LNLisa]

These are great! I'm remembering now how it's always the little things that get me in trouble. I can totally see myself ordering a "non-alcoholic foo-foo drink" or three and not realizing how quickly they add up. And the shipboard photos would be another stumbling block for me. I'll definitely need to budget for souvenirs.

 

Please, keep the ideas coming! These will help me be alert and aware of my spending!

[serene56]

thats pretty good, how long can you keep this on-board credit for

 

 

Ours is good for 4 years. We also get it back if we dont use it within that time

Does it depend on when it was purchased for you to only have 2 years-- or is 2 years the amount that is left?

[PhoenixCruiser]

 

Bingo-- that could get expensive..depending on the cruiselines. usually 10 bucks a game per card and a discount if you buy 3 for 20 bucks.

 

The cost is $35 per session on Royal Caribbean :D

 

###

[cruzmax]

I noticed on our last cruise - the frozen drinks in the RCI glasses are $1 more than if you ask for a plain glass. They add up after a week!

[montekat]

I noticed on our last cruise - the frozen drinks in the RCI glasses are $1 more than if you ask for a plain glass. They add up after a week!

 

If you get the drinks in the RCI glasses, you get to keep the glasses.

[cruizinwithkids]

my favorite past time -- watching those waiters take advantage of newbie cruiers who have no idea those are not free- the way they present the tray of drinks is that the look for free-- untily ou take one and take a sip then ask for your sign and sail card. (its done on Royal and Princess also.)

 

But you don't just have to watch. After they put the souvenir glass down that they I like to pick them up to begin my collection.:D

 

DH doesn't let me bring glasses home anymore.

[dinoman]

I see from the Celebrity website about non-alcoholic beverage prices, they only quoted soft drink (in glass & can), water (bottled?) and drinks purchased in souvenir glass. They also specified that coffee, tea, and milk are complimentary. I wonder if juices and non-bottled water are provided for free as well, pls would anyone can tell me?

[mollyeilis]

The cost of pictures was pretty high, but then we'd just gone through our wedding, so we knew how much photogs make ya pay through the nose, and it actually was a "deal" compared to how much our wedding photog charges for prints!

 

We didn't find, on our cruise with RCCL, that there was any surprise about being charged for drinks. Either we just never expected anything free, or they were up-front about the charge...

[cruisinbuddy]

my favorite past time -- watching those waiters take advantage of newbie cruiers who have no idea those are not free- the way they present the tray of drinks is that the look for free-- untily ou take one and take a sip then ask for your sign and sail card. (its done on Royal and Princess also.)

I watched a couple people get "caught" with this back in Jan. on the Liberty.

[lorr]

We go on our 1st cruise, on RCI, in June. TY for telling me those "Welcome Aboard" drinks aren't really free drinks. :eek: :cool:

[TravelerThom]

We go on our 1st cruise, on RCI, in June. TY for telling me those "Welcome Aboard" drinks aren't really free drinks. :eek: :cool:

The champaigne that Celebrity hands you as you get on-board IS free - or perhaps included in your price is more accurate. But they do the same scam with the not free sail-away drinks on deck.

 

I have just read the Carnival 2006 stockholders report. The category that includes bar, casino, excursions, spa and shops [including photos] has a profit margin of 455 per cent!!! [no, there is not any decimal in there, income is over five and a half times expenses, yielding a profit margin of 455%] That category has over 85 per cent of the entire corporate profit. AND you get to have a gratuity automatically added to that inflated drink price.