How much do you spend on board?

[stevebeme]

We are planning on going to the mexican riviera Jan 2009 (yeah I like to start early) and from what I see on the brochure the ship will be the Sapphire.

 

This is time to set my goals for the next year and one of them is to fund this trip. If I don't have anything to work for I won't go to work and my Wife won't let me stay home.

 

I was wondering how much do you usually spend on board? I know this varies from person to person but hopefully I can get some kind of idea what is available and at what cost?

 

Thanks

[Pam in CA]

I don't spend a whole lot because I don't get the coffee card (I find the coffee on the ship perfectly fine) and I don't do massages/spa or the ice cream card (I'm never near the pool so I'm fine getting ice cream at lunch or dinner). I frequently book Princess tours but those aside, I have the $10.50/day for tip; $3.95/day (+15% gratuity) for the soda card; perhaps a drink in the evening at about $6. Maybe a few items from the shop. Every now and then a glass of wine with dinner. So, I average about $25/day for just myself, not including tours. Oh, and as an Elite member, I get my Internet and laundry free, which really holds down costs. :)

[sunlover2]

Yes the answers will vary (alot). First of all...how many people are we talking? Assuming just 2...as in husband and wife...we usually spend a good $ 700...sometimes a bit more or less. We do some excursions with the ship, we drink alcohol throughout the day not just at night. We order wine for dinner. We play in the casino. We buy "stuff". It really all depends on you and your lifestyle. My husband works very hard and lots of hours so when he vacations, he does not hold back much. There are so many ways to cut down too...bring your own booze, limit casino visits, do your own excursions... My parents (in there early 70's) only spend about $220. I'll be interested in viewing some answers. :D

[newmexicoNita]

Yes the answers will vary (alot). First of all...how many people are we talking? Assuming just 2...as in husband and wife...we usually spend a good $ 700...sometimes a bit more or less. We do some excursions with the ship, we drink alcohol throughout the day not just at night. We order wine for dinner. We play in the casino. We buy "stuff". It really all depends on you and your lifestyle. My husband works very hard and lots of hours so when he vacations, he does not hold back much. There are so many ways to cut down too...bring your own booze, limit casino visits, do your own excursions... My parents (in there early 70's) only spend about $220. I'll be interested in viewing some answers. :D

We too figure about $100 per day for 2 of us, that in including tips, drinks and my casino money plus a few other things like a few bottles of duty free booze to take home. We normally do our own tours and rarely buy photos. I think anything between $50 and $150 per day for two is about average.

 

Nita

[lynwar]

Hi

We spend TOO much-but it's usually in one area-The Casino! As much as we discuss how much we should stay out of there-that's where we end up, DH, especially, and I've been joining in at intervals on the last couple of cruises and that pushes it up. I will spend up to $100/night sometimes ($20 a pop) but he's been known to do double or more-the cards in the machines now make it much easier-especially if you have a shipboard credit-so beware.

Also, the prices of the photos have gone up. My first purchase of the embarkment pictures cost $54-I was unaware that they were $20 each (now 8x10,not 5x7 as they used to be) so that was $40-plus a free album-but then DH wanted the frame that has the ship lighting up and that was $14.95. Ca Ching. WOW. We didn't take the formal pictures and I only bought one from St. Thomas. However-in lieu of the FORMAL (not dining room pix), I opted to buy the ship video--with a $10 coupon discount, it was $34, but I can show it at work for my residents and it's a souvenir.

We do not do excursions, buy coke cards, buy a lot in the boutique, so the biggest expense other than the casino, and perhaps pictures is the beer tab and an occasional diet coke or ice cream cone.

Good luck--save for where your intersts lie-if you know you're going to be in the Casino-try to budget or at least acknowledge that is your entertainment. With an "offer" of $929 in shipboard credit for changing our cruise date-that was bait-for the slots. We were WAY over budget this year.

Lynne

[paul929207]

I would say we spend about $25/day/person plus tours.

[karen_g]

I budget about $50 per person per day. That includes the $10.50 per person per day for gratuities. We are not big drinkers - probably just 1 drink per day, but we do have the occasional soda or ice cream. We do not spend any time at the casino, but we usually do buy a few photos (those really add up fast) and usually a sweatshirt/t-shirt/etc. from the onboard shops. We do like to go to the specialty restaurants once or twice during the cruise. We do not *usually* use spa services, but if you like visiting the spa, plan accordingly... the spa is VERY expensive. In my experience, shipboard spa services cost at least twice what a land-based spa costs. I did indulge in a massage last time I cruised (not on Princess), and it was about $200 for a 1-hour massage. :eek:

 

The above was just for on-board spending. Then you need to set aside money for tours, shopping, or just taxis for when you are in the ports.

[jean s]

On our last two Caribbean cruises our bill was around $700 for the two of us. That included the daily tips and ship sponsored excursions in two ports. We don't buy a soda card or coffee card. My husband loves to gamble and probably donated about $300 to the casino. I found that our Alaska cruise was more expensive because we went on more expensive shore excursions.

[BJS]

We spend about $20 pp/day (includes $11/day hotel charge) + shore excursions on a 7 day cruise. That includes a couple of $20 Bingo games and wine for me (DH rarely drinks any). No casino, no photos, no flowers, no coffee cards, no soda card, no spa, specialty restaurants, and don't buy things on the ship in the shops.

 

Using FCC or booking on board onboard credits gives us an addition $7.14/ day on a 7 day cruise that we don't have to spend.

 

Because we are Elite we don't have to pay for: sodas or bottled water (trade in mini bar and that is all we need), wine tasting, internet, or laundry/dry cleaning.

 

If it is a longer cruise with more sea days the per day goes up because of more Bingo, horse races, wine, and drinks.

 

.

[monakayk]

As for your question concerning "spending on board" the ship: Not including tips (which are automatic) and excursions (which are optional), we do not spend much at all. In fact, we bring our own wine and do not drink soft drinks. DH drinks the ship's coffee...me tea...so no extra $$ spent there. We do not buy anything on board the ship in the stores but make all our purchases at ports of call, so we can 'bargain' better. We only buy a few cocktails from the bar. I do not use the salon/spa services (unless I have FREE on board credits, which I did on this cruise and used for a hair appointment) On our last cruise, we spent 'on board the ship' about $120.00. This money was mainly used in part of our tips that the OBC did not cover and a few cocktails and some gambling that the DH did.

 

If you keep a close record of when/what you spend each time you purchase anything...then you will be more incline NOT to overspend. Keep your receipts and LOOK them over each evening..then you can figure up just how much you ARE spending. Keeping this record in your head will help you not to spend so much that you are SHOCKED :eek: when your final bill is given to you.

 

Have fun!

[50cruiser]

I average $75 per dayper person on cruises. That includes most tours on shore days. and cassinos on sea days . CARL:)

[SusieS]

Hi- We usually spend about $1000 for our family of 4. We usually do about 2 excursions per trip, as well as taking advatage of the cruise photographers for our annual family pictures. Drinks are pretty minimal for us. We leave on the Golden for Mexico on Jan. 19th, & am counting the minutes!!

[suelou]

Not including the casino (I came out ahead), I spent about $700.00, my hubby about 900.00 (he got his teeth whitened).

We did our own excursions so these costs are not included in the above., except for the banana boats at the Cays. We drink, played bingo daily, ordered wine at dinner, got a few of the photos...

 

sue k