How much do you spend on your Sea Pass?

[Hondu]

Last November's 13 night transatlantic my bill at the end was $16.00. Although that's not usual for us. Just didn't find anything to buy, we don't gamble and the drinks were free in the evening. :)

 

That's my way of controlling the budget too. On our recent 10 day Alaska cruise our final bill was $285 but we had $300 in OBC and the tips for 5 were charged to our account.

 

So lets see here. With Princess charging an automatic $10 per day, per person for tips which comes to $500, that means we only did $85 of frivolous spending.

 

We had a GREAT time.

[Lawrence22]

Been reading this thread to try and gather how much money I will have to set aside for next years cruise.:confused: I am none the wiser as the amounts vary so much. Anyone know how much a beer is on explorer? This will help me get an idea;)

[Inshape]

I have been hearing people at the end of the cruises really dumbfounded at seeing their final bills...but these were the same people I saw with a drink in their hands every time i saw them. That adds tons to the cost. We keep costs down so we can cruise yearly. If we spent another 1000 on frivilous stuff we would not go yearly. I think the spa is overpriced and we have spas nearby at a fraction of the cost. I do have a few drinks, but nothing much. We usually buy a picture or two since the kids are with us and this is the yearly pictures we collect. We do some excursions on our own, not with the ship and we do spend some money there, but that is what makes it a bit fun and adventurous. When the kids were younger we just rented a car to go to the beaches. Now we do jetskiing with them, tubing, and will be doing the pirate ship in st maarten.

[mamawolf]

Just back from the Liberty. My final SeaPass bill was around $2000 for myself and my teenage son. We had pre-paid gratuities and excursions, so those were not part of the figure. It consisted of soda packages, a few drinks, spa treatments, several games of BINGO, onboard jewelry shopping, Internet minutes (had my laptop), photos, Casino credits (only about $100) and the arcade. The arcade cost alone was $500 (thanks to DS) - luckily there was an RCI enforced $70 maximum per day, otherwise, who knows what the total would have been!

[lovemylab]

Under $500 for the two of us including tips. We don't buy a lot of drinks onboard and neither one of us are gamblers.

 

I am also surprised with the number of people who are shocked by their bill. You can easily monitor your seapass account using the TV in your cabin.

[Jax129]

We like wine with dinner and hubby loves his beer (me too;)). I'm planning on $100 a day for alcohol, $300 gambling, and $400 for whatever. Plus excursions. I'm basically taking the price of the cruise and doubling it but this will be our first cruise and I don't want to have to worry about what I'm spending each day.

[TahoeBob]

On The Monarch last Dec. not counting tips Our bill was $45.00 we don't drink very much, and living at Lake Tahoe the casino holds nothing for us.

[angelsil]

Usually around $1000 for two of us for a 7 night cruise. I like the spa, we both like wine, and we put our excursions and gratuities on there as well.

[Johnny789]

Our last bill for Majesty of the Seas was for $313.00 that include $78.00 tips and another $100 was buying cigarettes for relative. On the bus to the airport the people in front of us has at least 3 pages of items on their bill.

[GLITTER24KT]

On my last cruise 7/20/08 I spent more than I should have but I had fun. Most of it was spent in the casino. $2,100.00. I will not go to the casino too much on my my next cruise in July, 2008.

[dirsa]

Hey Kewlguy, What cruiseline gives you free drinks in the evening? I've never heard of that before. Maybe because it was a transatlantic cruise?

[sgttami]

Hey Kewlguy, What cruiseline gives you free drinks in the evening? I've never heard of that before. Maybe because it was a transatlantic cruise?

 

On RCI the Concierge Lounge has "free" drinks for about three hours in the evening..(Diamond members and suite guests!!)

[OHCruisinDad]

No wonder they are so happy to see us come back on board!

 

Our family of four averages around $1,600 to $2,000 for our 7 day cruises. This includes tips, kids coke cards, two or three hundred at the casino, prepaid gratuities, lots of drinks and wine, kids arcade, bingo, a few pictures, other onboard "finds" in the shops (my DW and DD), alternative dining and DW'a trip or two to the spa (on port days when there are specials!). And that range is net of $300 to $400 in OBC's we have for each cruise.

 

The way we look at it, it is vacation and if we are on land, we will spend about the same, so we enjoy ourselves! :)

[3redheads]

WOW! Lots of responses while I was on the cruise.

 

Ended up spending $1100 for DH, DD (14) and DS.

 

Prepaid tips

One visit to spa

arcade

soda cards

 

The little amounts DO add up! Johnny Rockets, Ben and Jerry's, internet, mini bar.

 

Next time, I'll prepay the seapass account so we save some money.

 

Love hearing all the responses!!!

[EmpressofPurple]

Some of you may find this useful; I am a frequent Princess traveler (tho' I also have cruised RCCL) so the names, prices, etc. are more geared to Princess offerings... but you can create a similar chart for yourselves.

 

I created this chart for friends who are new to cruising, or unaware of all the extra things one can spend money on a cruise. People unfamiliar with it tend to think of cruising as "all-inclusive" -- which it is, to a certain extent (as evidenced by the number of people on this thread who spend very little onboard) -- but there certainly is a lot to plan for in advance.

 

I do my own chart, writing down what I plan to spend in each area, what will be billed in advance, what goes on an outside credit card or cash (private port tours, port shopping; room service tips, laundry, etc.)

 

Hope it's helpful!

 

LIST OF EXTRA CHARGES ON CRUISES:

FOOD/DRINK:

· Fountain Soda at bars and in dining rooms (Soda card available for $3.95 per day for length of cruise plus tax/tip; 7 days = $27.65). Also Canned Soda / Bottled Water ($1.50/ea plus tax/tip; can bring onboard at embarkation and port stops) – have your cabin fridge emptied out by steward; better to buy a package.

· Drinks (alcoholic or non-alcoholic), anywhere on the ship (buffet, dining room, pizza place, trident grill, café, bars, shows, pool deck, room service, etc.) I gather there is a “wine package” for wine drinkers.

· Specialty ice cream near the pool and in International Café (available for free in Horizon Court Buffet from 3:30-4:30 pm and at dinner)

· A few items at International Café (chocolate covered strawberries, fondue, caramel apples, truffles); a few Room Service items (tray of canapés, soda package, etc.); Sushi at Vines

· Specialty coffee at meals, in International café (coffee card for $24.95 covers 15 drinks plus unlimited brewed coffee at Café).

· Specialty Dining Rooms ($20 pp Sabatinis; $25 pp Crown Grill) and Special Dining Experiences (ultimate balcony dining, Brooklyn lunch, Chef’s Table, Wine Flights/Tastings, etc., etc.)

· Any meals in port (duh)… except where included at “private island” stops (Princess Cays cookout)… plus rental of beach chairs, loungers, cabanas, umbrellas, kayaks, etc; any drinks, taxis, tips, etc., etc., etc.

ACTIVITIES/PURCHASES:

· Port Tours / Shore Excursions ($20-$200+ per outing, privately arranged or thru cruiseline).

· Gambling / Casino (as you will… be sure to bring on cash or be charged a service fee for taking out cash on your ship card) + Bingo ($10-20 per game… and now $1.50 for a bingo marker!)

· Art Auctions (can be very pricey if you buy; they often offer free champagne at preview and sale)

· Shopping / souvenirs / gifts / necessities (cosmetics/perfume/jewelry/clothes/trinkets/etc.) onboard or in port (Port “Discount” shopping books sold onboard, w/coupons for free/discounted items in port = $25)

· Spa treatments / Salon Services ($60-$180 per treatment – massages, wraps, facials, tooth whitening, ionithermie, manicure/pedicure, haircuts, etc.) + any Salon Products (Steiner/Lotus Spa/etc.) – expensive!

· Sanctuary ($15/half-day – quiet, shaded area with deluxe loungers and drink/food service, outdoor massages and sunset Yoga classes available)

· Thermal Suite ($130/couple for the cruise – indoor heated stone loungers, aromatherapy steam rooms)

· Some exercise classes ($10/ea. 55-min. Yoga, Pilates, Spinning, plus personal training and fitness/ metabolism testing, and they ask for tips on top of fees. The shorter, 25 mins. stretching and aerobics classes are usually free, as are the machines and jogging track, plus sales presentations)

SERVICES/GRATUITIES:

· Some classes including Computers@sea, digital photography instruction, materials for some scholarship@sea programs (ceramics, etc.); port lectures and other programs often have no fee.

· Photographs taken by the ship’s photographers ($10-25 per photo); developing disposable cameras/film; having prints/CDs made from your digital camera.

· Internet time (.75/min. unless you buy a package, then it can drop to .50/min – much cheaper in port) and Telephone (Yikes! Look at those costs… if you can use your cel, beware of international roaming charges)

· Laundry / dry cleaning / pressing through the ship; Self-serve laundry (I think it's $1 for washer, $1 for dryer, $1 for soap; there’s an iron there, too); tux/formalwear rental, floral purchases

· Golf simulator and Scuba Training (no idea about these, just know they cost extra)

· Gratuities ($10pp/pd automatically added to your bill or can handle separately)

· Tips on drinks at bars or for room service orders

· Any needed medical services (doctor visits charged to your account).

· Cruise Insurance (to cover medical services rendered, emergency evacuation, repatriation, lost/stolen/damaged baggage, camera, cellphone, laptop, etc.)

· Future Cruise Credit (FCC) – deposit to be used on future cruise, usually results in OBC (onboard credit).

· Babysitting and certain special children’s activities.

· Transfers/parking/taxis to and from ship before and after cruise; Tips for baggage handlers, drivers, etc.

What’s Included:

· Cabin, TV movies, cabin service, toiletries, fruit delivery, safe, refrigerator (can fill with own drinks) and of course transportation to all ports of call

· Breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner in dining rooms, at 24-hr buffet, pizza place, trident grill, most items at the International Café, room service (except for tips)

· All entertainment (production shows, singers/musicians in bars, show lounges, nightclub, movies, trivia, dance classes, poolside games, Princess Pop Star, port tour/shopping/some educational lectures).

· Special events such as champagne waterfall, pool buffet, captain’s party; several presentations such as culinary arts, galley tour, bridge tour, spa wellness (i.e. sales) presentations.

· Use of library, pools/hot tubs, gym (including some classes such as stretch and aerobics), ping-pong, shuffle­board, sports court (bball/vball), putting green, kids program (babysitting extra).

[Coco Loco]

The arcade cost alone was $500 (thanks to DS) - luckily there was an RCI enforced $70 maximum per day, otherwise, who knows what the total would have been!

 

 

Wow I didn't know that about the arcade. Kinda good tho, kids can get carried away. Our tally with everything including tips on the Liberty last week was $2450.00. A third of that was the spa and I will never do that again. I will never, never, never book another spa appointment nor let my dh either.

[3redheads]

Some of you may find this useful; I am a frequent Princess traveler (tho' I also have cruised RCCL) so the names, prices, etc. are more geared to Princess offerings... but you can create a similar chart for yourselves.

 

I created this chart for friends who are new to cruising, or unaware of all the extra things one can spend money on a cruise. People unfamiliar with it tend to think of cruising as "all-inclusive" -- which it is, to a certain extent (as evidenced by the number of people on this thread who spend very little onboard) -- but there certainly is a lot to plan for in advance.

 

I do my own chart, writing down what I plan to spend in each area, what will be billed in advance, what goes on an outside credit card or cash (private port tours, port shopping; room service tips, laundry, etc.)

 

Hope it's helpful!

 

LIST OF EXTRA CHARGES ON CRUISES:

FOOD/DRINK:

· Fountain Soda at bars and in dining rooms (Soda card available for $3.95 per day for length of cruise plus tax/tip; 7 days = $27.65). Also Canned Soda / Bottled Water ($1.50/ea plus tax/tip; can bring onboard at embarkation and port stops) – have your cabin fridge emptied out by steward; better to buy a package.

· Drinks (alcoholic or non-alcoholic), anywhere on the ship (buffet, dining room, pizza place, trident grill, café, bars, shows, pool deck, room service, etc.) I gather there is a “wine package” for wine drinkers.

· Specialty ice cream near the pool and in International Café (available for free in Horizon Court Buffet from 3:30-4:30 pm and at dinner)

· A few items at International Café (chocolate covered strawberries, fondue, caramel apples, truffles); a few Room Service items (tray of canapés, soda package, etc.); Sushi at Vines

· Specialty coffee at meals, in International café (coffee card for $24.95 covers 15 drinks plus unlimited brewed coffee at Café).

· Specialty Dining Rooms ($20 pp Sabatinis; $25 pp Crown Grill) and Special Dining Experiences (ultimate balcony dining, Brooklyn lunch, Chef’s Table, Wine Flights/Tastings, etc., etc.)

· Any meals in port (duh)… except where included at “private island” stops (Princess Cays cookout)… plus rental of beach chairs, loungers, cabanas, umbrellas, kayaks, etc; any drinks, taxis, tips, etc., etc., etc.

ACTIVITIES/PURCHASES:

· Port Tours / Shore Excursions ($20-$200+ per outing, privately arranged or thru cruiseline).

· Gambling / Casino (as you will… be sure to bring on cash or be charged a service fee for taking out cash on your ship card) + Bingo ($10-20 per game… and now $1.50 for a bingo marker!)

· Art Auctions (can be very pricey if you buy; they often offer free champagne at preview and sale)

· Shopping / souvenirs / gifts / necessities (cosmetics/perfume/jewelry/clothes/trinkets/etc.) onboard or in port (Port “Discount” shopping books sold onboard, w/coupons for free/discounted items in port = $25)

· Spa treatments / Salon Services ($60-$180 per treatment – massages, wraps, facials, tooth whitening, ionithermie, manicure/pedicure, haircuts, etc.) + any Salon Products (Steiner/Lotus Spa/etc.) – expensive!

· Sanctuary ($15/half-day – quiet, shaded area with deluxe loungers and drink/food service, outdoor massages and sunset Yoga classes available)

· Thermal Suite ($130/couple for the cruise – indoor heated stone loungers, aromatherapy steam rooms)

· Some exercise classes ($10/ea. 55-min. Yoga, Pilates, Spinning, plus personal training and fitness/ metabolism testing, and they ask for tips on top of fees. The shorter, 25 mins. stretching and aerobics classes are usually free, as are the machines and jogging track, plus sales presentations)

SERVICES/GRATUITIES:

· Some classes including Computers@sea, digital photography instruction, materials for some scholarship@sea programs (ceramics, etc.); port lectures and other programs often have no fee.

· Photographs taken by the ship’s photographers ($10-25 per photo); developing disposable cameras/film; having prints/CDs made from your digital camera.

· Internet time (.75/min. unless you buy a package, then it can drop to .50/min – much cheaper in port) and Telephone (Yikes! Look at those costs… if you can use your cel, beware of international roaming charges)

· Laundry / dry cleaning / pressing through the ship; Self-serve laundry (I think it's $1 for washer, $1 for dryer, $1 for soap; there’s an iron there, too); tux/formalwear rental, floral purchases

· Golf simulatorand Scuba Training (no idea about these, just know they cost extra)

· Gratuities ($10pp/pd automatically added to your bill or can handle separately)

· Tips on drinks at bars or for room service orders

· Any needed medical services (doctor visits charged to your account).

· Cruise Insurance (to cover medical services rendered, emergency evacuation, repatriation, lost/stolen/damaged baggage, camera, cellphone, laptop, etc.)

· Future Cruise Credit (FCC) – deposit to be used on future cruise, usually results in OBC (onboard credit).

· Babysitting and certain special children’s activities.

· Transfers/parking/taxis to and from ship before and after cruise; Tips for baggage handlers, drivers, etc.

 

What’s Included:

· Cabin, TV movies, cabin service, toiletries, fruit delivery, safe, refrigerator (can fill with own drinks) and of course transportation to all ports of call

· Breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner in dining rooms, at 24-hr buffet, pizza place, trident grill, most items at the International Café, room service (except for tips)

· All entertainment (production shows, singers/musicians in bars, show lounges, nightclub, movies, trivia, dance classes, poolside games, Princess Pop Star, port tour/shopping/some educational lectures).

· Special events such as champagne waterfall, pool buffet, captain’s party; several presentations such as culinary arts, galley tour, bridge tour, spa wellness (i.e. sales) presentations.

· Use of library, pools/hot tubs, gym (including some classes such as stretch and aerobics), ping-pong, shuffle­board, sports court (bball/vball), putting green, kids program (babysitting extra).

 

What a fabulous resource! I'm saving this. Thanks so much.

[ccxnola]

For us, we maintain independent accounts and then what is charged is not subject to review and comment by the other!! This 'system' was arranged after our 3rd cruise - due to some minor difficulties and concerns about expenses on those 3 cruises!

Now, all is fine, everyone is happy and there is not a lot of explanation needed for SeaPass card expenditure items!! Don't ask - Don't Tell!! :D

[reeric]

It seems that for this last cruise we spent about $200 a day. That's just the sea pass though taking out money for gambling and off the ship stuff. We were free with our money since it was vacation, we weren't on a strict budget. The Crown and Anchor coupons really helped too though!

[DUBIDUB2]

I never look look at it :) Seriously, I try to look at it a few days after I'm home. It 10 years there's never been an error.

 

Just looked at last weeks cruise, 2 adults, 2 kids and it's $2000. I won $2700 in the casino, my older son won $700 and my younger son won at Bingo $209.

 

Now, that's not too shabby :)

[raina*faith]

We have given our girls 50.00 each on their cards and that's their limit. We usually have a $400.00 tab at the end of the cuise.

[EmpressofPurple]

3redheads, I'm so glad you find this list useful. I have used it to develop very focused spending plans for myself and my traveling partners. It really helps to plan ahead and know what you want to budget for, and not feel "I can't afford anything extra" onboard -- or conversely, charge every little thing and then feel overwhelmed by the total costs. I am very pleased that this list may help others to plan a successful and relaxing cruise experience!

 

Best to all,

 

-D

[Shanafan]

Very curious to find out how much people spend and on what. I don't think we'll prepay tips this time, but do wonder about what our final bill will be. I hope it's really, really low. Hoping to get ideas.

 

What do you normally spend on your sea pass?

 

I will report on Tuesday. Just Hubby and I doing a 3 nighter. If we keep it under a grand I will be happy!

[Spike in FL]

So, if I want to make the cruise more affordable for the kids and grands, I need to purchase beverages before the cruise and check them and order a couple of bottles of wine delivered to the staterooms. The grands won't need soda cards and the kids won't have to pay for the wine they like so much, aaaand.... they'll be able to have a glass before dinner and bring the bottle to dinner with them.

 

A 4 night cruise sounds like a 4 bottle trip to me.

 

I like the prepaid tours and excursions too, which will help with the Seapass expenses.

 

This way the kids can pay their own expenses and some of the grands and not be stretched too thin by our gift of a cruise.

 

We have suites 1020 and 1032 on Sovereign of the Seas for May 5-9, 2008, to Coco Cay and Nassau, Bahamas. It is only August, 2007, and I'm already having lots of fun planning for this cruise, thanks to THIS forum. The MOST fun thing I get to do is make "cruise knapsacks" for the kids with their insulated cups, walkie-talkies, sunscreen, etc. in them. I've already stumbled across things for those packs, like little hand sanitizer bottles that clip onto a belt or bag handle.

 

They'll get them the night before the cruise, so they should be **really wound up** come cruise time.

 

It is so much fun to be a Grandma and afford the fun stuff!

[mikey10]

Well with a family of five like we have you are going to spend quite a shiny penny. On our last cruise on Freedom in November we managed to rack up a bill of about $2000.00. When you are paying $5.00 for a bottle of beer what can you expect. That was even without tips. The drinks and pictures, Bingo, wine, and birthday cake really adds up.

 

Whats the difference you are on vacation. When you really look at it any other vacation would be about that much when you add up transportation, food(eating and beverage), entertainment, and lodging. Cruising in my mind is an affordable vacation for everyone. And it is a very LARGE bonus that they are the vacation of a LIFETIME.