Surprise! It costs money!

[silkhair1]

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).

 

 

We do this too on NCL. We pay $250.00 for the next cruise we have to use in the next 18 months and we get a $100.00 ship board credit for the cruise we are on. Good deal in my opinion.

 

NCL also lets you bring soda and water on board, so we can save a little that way. I still get the kids a soda card, but I bring my own. The costs for soda cards are just amazing.

[tiyana4]

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

 

###

 

We sailed on RCCL this month and on the last day of the cruise, one gentleman was complaining about the cost of Bingo. His whole family had been playing all week - first to win the upgrade to a Suite jackpot, then for a Spa treatment, then for a free cruise, etc. Then the bill came at the end of the week, it was $2,572. Now i'm sure a great deal of it included shore excursions, bar bills and tips but i wonder how much was attributed to Bingo alone. That $35 adds up pretty quickly.

[dforeigner]

Here is an interesting article for those concerned about the extra expenses:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/ftc/articles.cfm?ID=64

[parklake]

Not sure if you drink but I would budget at least $150 for drinks on a five day cruise.Thats not but about five a day. 2 by the pool one wine with dinner and two in the lounge and you have hit that total. Also add $75 for mediterranean sea salt rubbing compound and bath oils that you will buy after the complimentary makeover session.

[TravelerThom]

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?

Note that X charges for any coffee other than regular and decaf [eg cappacino, expresso][these are available without charge on some other lines]. In addition to standard coffee, a fairly broad selection of bagged teas [and hot water] are available without charge in both the cafe and dining room.

 

Juices are free, but somewhat limited - orange juice is available in the cafe machines only during breakfast hours, replaced with lemonade and iced tea at other hours. They do have a rather good passion fruit/guava mix in the cafe machines most hours [and the cafe also has ice and water machines]. The juice selection in the dining room is rather broader than what is usually available in the cafe [eg grapefruit, V8, prune etc] and can be gotten as a starter with almost any meal [not necessarily on the menu, but available if you ask], but you can't really just wander in there to get a juice for the pool. It is a fairly short walk from the pool to the cafe, so you can wander in there and get whatever they are offering, and most of the ships have coffee machines, water machines and ice tea/lemonade machines behind a partition somewhere near the pool grill area [which BTW has GREAT french fries (included in your cruise)].

 

If someone wanders by your dining table and asks if you would like sparkling or still water, this will be a bar guy and he will be back for your ship card [$]; your regular bus boy or waiter will automaticaally fill your regular water glass. You can get iced tea with meals in the dining room, but generally iced tea will not be offered, you have to ask for it early and often.

 

Sushi is included at no addition cost at X's evening sushi bar [some lines have a charge for sushi]

[BILLP1]

We have been sailing Regent and it is not cheap but being all inclusive including any drinks and all tips included ,it sure makes for a more relaxed cruise. The food was great and we never felt pressured into any additional purchases.. Our final bill after 10 days was $50 for internet use.. Usually on Celebrity we spend $1500 on wine, speciality restaurants, Cova Cafe . I always have a pocket full of signed bar bill in my pocket.. Might I add that the drinks on celebrity are really getting expensive. I hold my breath when I order at the Martini bar, not to mention the 15% Tip

[TenerifeSharon]

You can get iced tea with meals in the dining room, but generally iced tea will not be offered, you have to ask for it early and often.

 

If you order iced tea at dinner your first evening onboard - and if you have an alert and super asst. waiter - you will never have to order it again. He'll have it ready for you every evening. At least that's been our experience on Celebrity.:D

[waiting4acruise]

If you order iced tea at dinner your first evening onboard - and if you have an alert and super asst. waiter - you will never have to order it again. He'll have it ready for you every evening. At least that's been our experience on Celebrity.:D

 

 

It was the same when I was on the Conquest last July. He also had my coffee for dessert every night without asking.;)

[penkitten86]

my biggest shock I guess was the total amount due at the end. I just didn't think I could rack up that big of a bill. And my friend and I didn't really do that much. I mean we really tried to be judious in what we did do and talk about what would be a good deal and what was a waste of money. I think I had maybe 3 drinks total during a 7 day eastern on Carribean Princess. I think I had more fun doing the free stuff.

really going to have to be judioius this go around.

Well, that was my biggest shock. Be enjoying reading other cruisers total bill shock.

[TravelerThom]

my biggest shock I guess was the total amount due at the end. I just didn't think I could rack up that big of a bill....

Remember that you can check your bill at anytime on the TV in your room, and you can get a print out from Guest Relations at any time by stopping by and asking. If you are concerned about the size your bill will be [or just curious] check it out. We always get a copy of the bill a couple of days before the end - last trip we had one bill from a bar we had not used - it was only for one drink, so no big deal, but if I'm buying you a drink I'd at least like to say hello. It was the second night of the cruise, so I suspect that either the customer or the server got the room number scrambled. For less than $10 I figured they would just write it off, but they had to get the original receipt from the bar, have us verify that it was not our signature and that we did not know whose signature it was, and have a bar manager approve deleting the charge from our bill - a process that took several days.

[Happy ks]

I think any time you travel, anywhere, you should count on it costing about 2-3 times more than you estimate. Things come up that you didn't expect, plus you don't want to bargain yourself into not being able to enjoy your time. I've had family members, who didn't do what they wanted because of the cost, regret that they didn't take an excursion they would have enjoyed. You do have to remember that you are travelling to places you possibly may not have visted before and you may never get back there again.

 

We've found that we can forego without being disappointed some things, other things are important to us. We enjoy wine with dinner and a few cocktails during the week. I might buy a few cosmetics onboard, you can save a bit of $ over what you would spend at home for the same thing.

 

We don't buy any photos until the final day, then we group them together choosing our favorite and buy only one, if at all. We avoid buying souvenirs, we've learned they just get put aside and eventually make it to the trash when we get home. I feel no obligation whatsoever to buy souvenirs for my co-workers or family members, we stopped doing that years ago.

 

Gambling or Bingo doesn't appeal to us, the "art" onboard is not any great deal, although they would have you thinking you are making an investment.

 

I think that if you just avoid believing the hard sell you get both on the ship and on shore, you can save a great deal of money. A person could really cruise for just the fare plus tips if they were really conservative.

 

Bottom line, think of travel experience instead of shopping, experience is worth a whole lot more than "things". Your photos will be more valuable to you in the years to come than some knick knack that found its way to a box in the garage.

 

Also, your pre-vacation expenses can be trimmed. I'm active on the fashion board here and cannot believe how many people go and buy a whole new wardrobe of "cruise clothes". I have to admit, I did this on our first cruise, it was an expensive lesson learned. Most of what I bought went to Goodwill a few years later, only worn once or never worn at all. Buy clothes that you will wear at home. Shop sales for formal nights and don't think you have to have a different pair of shoes for every outfit. Mix and match, wash underwear in the sink, conserve wherever you can. Not only will your budget thank you, so will your back since you don't have to haul heavy bags around.

[ddoll]

I think any time you travel, anywhere, you should count on it costing about 2-3 times more than you estimate. Things come up that you didn't expect, plus you don't want to bargain yourself into not being able to enjoy your time. I've had family members, who didn't do what they wanted because of the cost, regret that they didn't take an excursion they would have enjoyed. You do have to remember that you are travelling to places you possibly may not have visted before and you may never get back there again.

 

We've found that we can forego without being disappointed some things, other things are important to us. We enjoy wine with dinner and a few cocktails during the week. I might buy a few cosmetics onboard, you can save a bit of $ over what you would spend at home for the same thing.

 

We don't buy any photos until the final day, then we group them together choosing our favorite and buy only one, if at all. We avoid buying souvenirs, we've learned they just get put aside and eventually make it to the trash when we get home. I feel no obligation whatsoever to buy souvenirs for my co-workers or family members, we stopped doing that years ago.

 

Gambling or Bingo doesn't appeal to us, the "art" onboard is not any great deal, although they would have you thinking you are making an investment.

 

I think that if you just avoid believing the hard sell you get both on the ship and on shore, you can save a great deal of money. A person could really cruise for just the fare plus tips if they were really conservative.

 

Bottom line, think of travel experience instead of shopping, experience is worth a whole lot more than "things". Your photos will be more valuable to you in the years to come than some knick knack that found its way to a box in the garage.

 

Also, your pre-vacation expenses can be trimmed. I'm active on the fashion board here and cannot believe how many people go and buy a whole new wardrobe of "cruise clothes". I have to admit, I did this on our first cruise, it was an expensive lesson learned. Most of what I bought went to Goodwill a few years later, only worn once or never worn at all. Buy clothes that you will wear at home. Shop sales for formal nights and don't think you have to have a different pair of shoes for every outfit. Mix and match, wash underwear in the sink, conserve wherever you can. Not only will your budget thank you, so will your back since you don't have to haul heavy bags around.

 

Some great advice there, thanks! :)

[Law_Gal]

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

 

Tell me more about how you got such a great deal!!! Was the shipboard credit for owning Carnival, etc. stock? If that is the case, call me a broker! :)

[lazygal]

I saw that deal on Vacations to go and seriously considered it. In hindsight, I understand the weather was so horrible, Bermuda was cancelled and the pool deck was off limits. Transatlantics that low are a true bargain, but usually it is passage, no real ports o interest. A great deal if you have plans on the other end. Your airfare back is the trick.

 

The stock deal is through Royal Caribbean. 100 shares will get you the credits.

 

My worst experience was my first cruise with Carnival, when the cabin steward kept putting things on my son's bed like disposable cameras. My son, quite young, would rip it open thinking it was a gift and wham, the fine print got us a camera for $20 that I wouldn't want for $1.00. The poor cabin steward said he had to do it, but we were furious with the way this was handled.

 

I guess that first cruise is always the most expensive in many ways.

[waiting4acruise]

the drinks in the fridge in your room.

[suzski]

When he looked at our final bill my husband was a bit (okay, a LOT!) taken aback by the total....gratuities alone $10 a day pp x the length of the cruise. I'd done the math beforehand so I was prepared...it's probably a good idea to actually do that in advance (since we're a family of 6 going on a 7 night cruise we're already into it $420 and we haven't even boarded the ship!) .... then, of course, the drinks which are very overpriced, the soda cards, etc.

 

I did notice that, although the drink special of the day is "value priced":rolleyes: , if you get it from one of the waiters walking around with a tray of them, you usually end up with a very watered down drink. If I do drink specials in the future, I'll get it straight from the bar...in a regular glass....my Carnival souvenir plastic glasses are gathering nothing but dust in the kitchen cabinet.

[Barkingowl]

The price of the pictures are a big surprise as is the outrageous fees that are charged for Internet access. The biggest surprise on the last cruise was how much we spent on art in the art auctions.

[suzski]

The biggest surprise on the last cruise was how much we spent on art in the art auctions.

 

 

.....oh yeah, forgot that part!:o

 

And art never even entered my mind when I booked the cruise!

[redlef]

.....oh yeah, forgot that part!:o

 

And art never even entered my mind when I booked the cruise!

 

"Art" - is that what they're calling it these days? When we were younger, didn't they call it "posters?" :D

[DBXX]

OK, so the key is if they are asking for my S&S card I am going to be charged? I am going on the Carnival Fantasy, are there any places to eat on that ship that charges? Is it posted, I mean before I eat, lol... So what they do is offer you something like sparkeling water and you think it is included then they ask you for your S&S card? What happens when you said "No, I thought that was included take it away?" I am going to be scared to take something that is offered to me now, lol..

 

Danielle

[cruisinwith2]

Everyone must be non-gamblers.. my budget (as a result of dh) sometimes gets blown in the casino.

 

[ladyamazon]

Where do you go onboard to book your next cruise and what kind of deals can you expect?

[The Installer]

Not sure if you drink but I would budget at least $150 for drinks on a five day cruise.Thats not but about five a day. 2 by the pool one wine with dinner and two in the lounge and you have hit that total.

 

$150 was our average per day for drinks on the last cruise we went on...haha!Good thing it was only a 5 day cruise.The next one is 7 days....better bring a few hundred extra!

[Happy ks]

I think if you can just tune out the constant hawking that goes on on most cruise ships, you will probably save some $$. I remember our first couple of cruises, there would be announcements in the hallways you couldn't hear in your cabin, so we'd go into the hall. It was always to tell you about the upcoming opportunity of bingo, art auctions, even the pool games, where you are bombarded by bar waiters.

 

The announcements made into your cabin are the only ones you really need to hear.

 

The cruise lines know what they are doing. The cruise fare is just a part of the cost of your vacation. They are depending on first timers who don't know any better, getting caught up in the excitement. And probably people who are collecting bar glasses, or need embarkation photos, or that chance at the big Bingo pot, where they sell 100-200 batches of game cards for $35 each, yet the pot is only $500, building up to a free cruise by the end of the week. You can bet the cruise lines are making a bundle off these things.

 

Thank goodness there are places like CC, where a first-timer can learn these things before boarding their first vessel :)

[linda_22003]

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.

 

Conde Nast Traveler has an interesting article in the current (July) issue that mentions "markups" on cruises. They mention the "selling" of items like this on cruises and said the selling was most intense on bargain cruises. The more upscale the cruise, the less selling (due to inclusive charges, generally). Essentially, the "bargain" cruise is least likely to be a real bargain!