Here's How a $350 Cruise Turns Into $1,100!

[plasticpen80]

Our seapass bill, and what a pleasant surprise it always is, is always about $1500. This includes our wine package, gifts bought aboard, excursions, and of course alcohol, required tips. This is always more than any first time cruiser would expect. The price up front always looks good. ( the crusie only) If you plan on getting on the ship and NEVER spending anything else..it can be done. BUT you will not have that much fun..I hate to say..this time around we've pre-paid all of our excursions, paid for our wine to be delivered to our room and dining room. All we'll have to pay for are the tips for the fantastic service we'll receive, our alcohol beverages we consume, and any spa or gifts we buy. We're planning on $500 for a 7 night cruise and I have a feeling may be more near $700. So first timers...over budget or plan on paying on your credit card for a while...LOL

[jpg1747]

I cruise solo and always get an OV cabin so I know upfront that will be pricey. I expect to spend $100/day one way or another and plan for that much. That plus airfare and other incidentals usually results in a 7 day cruise running around $2000. I try to pay things out in advance as much as possible so I don't have a big credit card bill to pay off afterwards.

 

I'm currently planning 4-5 days at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. That will cost me more than a 7 day caribbean cruise.

[Momof2angels]

I found a cruise (which I have booked my Mom on) for mid $300's in April. By the time you look at flight etc. it'll probably cost about $1500.

The OP had the hotel listed as free. In most cases I have a night or two, whether it is before or after a cruise, that could cost anywhere from $100-250 per night.

First time cruisers NEED this info, just to get past the surprise of it. Once you know, you can govern yourself accordingly.....then plan your next cruise!:)

[Ben James Ben]

This is one of the best topics that I've seen on the board. Thanks for posting it. I'm currently trying to cost out a possible cruise vacation, and the numbers are very sobering. My conservative estimates:

 

Travel-related costs:

$974.36; cruise package: cruise, port charges, taxes, fuel charges

73.50; tips, automatic ($10.50 x7 nights)

400.00; airfare, round-trip, MHT to FLL

111.00; travel insurance

90.00; airport parking ($10 x9 days)

102.89; hotel near FLL ($89.99 plus 14.33% taxes)

6.00; tips for free hotel shuttles, airport to hotel to port

15.00; meals and incidentals, pre-cruise

6.00; porter/skycap tips

 

Pre-cruise purchases:

$100.00; passport

3.00; meclizine

20.00; swim attire

8.00; neck wallet

3.00; sunscreen

 

On-ship purchases:

$ 30.00; tips, extra

45.00; upcharge dining ($25 + $20)

30.00; upcharge activities, wine tastings, etc.

25.00; photos

300.00; beverages

 

In-port purchases (4 ports of call):

$150.00; excursions, including tips

10.00; coconut monkey heads

80.00; food and drink

 

$2,582.75 total

 

I could cut some of the discretionary expenses to get a more frugal figure, but I think that the reduction would be just $400 at the most.

 

(By the way, that "3x cost of trip" rule seems pretty accurate.)

[rgreatlyloved]

I keep all of my receipts and every couple days I go over what I have spent. I am one who is usually on a pretty tight budget, and if I go over I will be doing dishes on the ship....lol :p

[pakmount]

This could be a visa/Mastercard commercial....."Having a wonderful family vacation: PRICELESS" just kidding - this is a great excercise to see where all the $$ goes.

[Roz]

Glad everyone seems to have found this thread useful. I'll be cruising again at the end of the year, and intend to post my final costs when I get back. Doing this is helping me to budget better for the next cruise.

 

Roz

[Roadtripster]

The cruise lines must not like people like me.

 

We are lucky if we spend an extra $10 a day for 2 people. We don't drink, we drink the "free stuff" (LOL), will not gamble, don't drink coffee or eat at the speciality bars, will not pay the prices for the Spa.

 

My cost is pretty much what we have paid up till we sail. Excursions I prepay and book. Not the ships tours.

[Hellolost]

Ok I have to admit this post made me sick to my stomach...

This math means I will almost pay $4000

It was totally worth the cost until I did that math.:eek:

[Roz]

The idea behind this thread wasn't to make people sick, it was to help people PLAN beforehand for all the potential costs they may face.

 

Roz

[Hellolost]

When I woke up this morning I remembered this thread and realized that my $4000 estimate was per person. OUCH

[Vettebuf]

Hellolost, You booked a balcony, didn't you? We haven't been to Alaska yet but I definitely would follow the recommended advice an book a balcony for that cruise. The price is high though because it's a summer cruise. We've paid around $800-$900 per person plus tax and fees for a balcony in the Caribbean in the fall.

[Hellolost]

Nope. Inside cabin to save on cash. That price included excursions we have booked. Currently for two of us we are at 3,462 ish (total) and we haven't even gotten on the boat!!

This is our first cruise so we booked an excursion in each port.

Regarding the cabin we figure we are going to end up sitting on a deck somewhere with a drink maybe watching the world go by. We plan on sleeping in the cabin lol.

[Vettebuf]

Oh, I saw the $4K per person and didn't even think about excursions. I agree that taking tours is the way to go in Alaska.

 

We don't do inside cabins because we like natural light in the cabin when we wake up but we do book Carnival 1A's if they have portholes or the really nice ones are available.

[Hellolost]

To move to an partially obstructed room would be an extra $300 per person. I figured that would be better spent on our excursions. After all we may never go here again. And this is our first vacation in almost 9 years!!

[Smokeyham]

Thanks so much for starting this great thread! I do a rough budget before a trip, so I know what I'm generally in for. I love the "take basic cruise fare X3" rule!

 

I keep track of all of my expenses in Quicken, so I can figure our the complete cost of my whole vacation once it is over. This has really helped me to accurately guage what future trips will cost.

 

In 2007 I did a three night repo cruise, with a basic cruise fare of $498 (solo cruiser - for the cabin). Total cost of the trip was $1,166. One nice thing about the repo. cruise was that there were no shore excursions!

[Smokeyham]

To move to an partially obstructed room would be an extra $300 per person. I figured that would be better spent on our excursions. After all we may never go here again. And this is our first vacation in almost 9 years!!

 

Assuming you haven't made your final payment for your cruise yet; keep an eagle eye out on the your cruise line's website. If they fare for your class of cabin goes down, then contact them immediately to see if they will reduce your fare.

 

Also, sometimes they will offer you a free upgrade, but you often have to let them know that you want to take advantage of that possibility, so you might want to contact the cruise line to discuss this.

 

Have a wonderful vacation!

[KnJTexas]

Our first cruise in 2007 on the conquests we went all out bal/rm veranda deck 759.00 pp

We paid soda card 40.00 pp ( 2 people)

all tips and other things like that where paided up front it was like 70.00 pp then not to include we ended up giving our stewart an extra 80.00 in cash.

I got a manicure, pedicure, and facal plus bought products from the spa. This ended up being around 450.00

We took the 99.00 pp tours on all 3 ports plus shopping at each port. GC we had a hamburger frys and a beer on this beach it cost us over 40.00 with tip.

Super club for 2 was 25.00 pp

Drink of the day was 6.00 add that up over 7 days it was around 800.00 in just drinks LOL and found out on the last day we could have re used the glass and got them cheeper :rolleyes:

 

Shopped on the ship and did not know if we just waited there was sale days all over the ship spent way to much money on all the wrong days.

 

We stop adding up the bill on our TV in the room after it hit 2000.00. We took 300.00 cash each to gamble but then took out another 500.00 at the ATM on ship then at the Players club won back about 800.00 in poker so that worked on ok I guess.

Yep it was our first cruise and we enjoyed every minute of it ... would be do it different NO WAY :D

 

Our next trip in Sept I have CC set aside just for this trip so we can have a total blast on the Victory ship.

[Hellolost]

Assuming you haven't made your final payment for your cruise yet; keep an eagle eye out on the your cruise line's website. If they fare for your class of cabin goes down, then contact them immediately to see if they will reduce your fare.

 

Also, sometimes they will offer you a free upgrade, but you often have to let them know that you want to take advantage of that possibility, so you might want to contact the cruise line to discuss this.

 

Have a wonderful vacation!

 

I already have saved $200 per person by keeping an eye on my cruise :D

But I will be calling to see about the free upgrade avantage lol

[jnc411]

Hi , I think we were on the Carnival Liberty together last May. Our CC group met at sailaway at the aft bar, am I right is that you ?? We were the couple DH is 6'6" and I am 5'2" tall , we are hard to miss. We don't have a cruise planned right now , but I sure am looking. Your spread sheet is right on the button, but I always figure all these little gotchas in ahead of time , but we have cut back on the bingo considerably. Hope to cruise with you again some time.

Cori

[Mesquito]

Also, don't ever book a shore excursion onboard. It is much higher for exactly the same tour. Do your homework and use a tour company where you are going. DO NOT use a company like Port Promotions out of Plantation, Fl. They advertise on Travelocity and other travel sites. Their ads are deceptive and misleading and you don't get what you want. Book shore excursions yourself, just don't use Port Promotions.

[Roz]

Cori,

 

Sorry, I've never been on Carnival Liberty, must be another Roz. :D Maybe we'll meet some day.

 

Roz

[jnc411]

ROZ: Yes I guess it was another Roz, hope to cruise with you sometime also. The Carnival Liberty is a nice ship. Take care and happy cruising. :)

Cori

[Sherri1]

Roz,

After reading one of your responses, it occured to me... Maybe you have someone you could trade off pet sitting services with. They go on

vacation or out of town and you take care of their pets. Sort of a reciprocating arrangement like people with kids do. ( I have none)

Had a wonderful little Corgi that has passed away so I don't have those

concerns now when we cruise. When she was alive, my sister & BIL live

right next door so the arrangement was perfect. Same when they went away and we watched her Corgi. Im not sure that I could have put her

in a kennel....

Sherri

[Roz]

Sherri,

 

Wish I could find someone to trade off with. Seems like when I go out of town, my neighbors do too! My cat does so much better when she can stay in her own house. Which is why I bite the bullet and pay someone to come in. To me the big thing is finding some you trust with your home and pet who's responsible.

 

BTW, I noticed you live in Warren. It's cold up there! :eek: My Mom grew up in the Clearfield/DuBois area, so I know all about Warren.

 

Roz