Let's Talk "Turkey" ~ The "Real" bill when we get home (Shipboard Accounts)

[HeatherInFlorida]

Let's be honest: When we talk about cost of cruising a lot of it has to do with how much we spend when we're actually onboard ship. Seeing EKerr's post about her recent cruise got me to thinking.

 

Our total shipboard bill on our recent Oosterdam cruise came to only $280!!! $140 of that was the "gratuity", $40 for a manicure and $15 for the thermal suites plus 4 pictures for $44. So we're pretty cheap dates:rolleyes: ! (It probably helps that we don't drink:D ).

 

So without getting too personal, here's a poll about shipboard accounts. Just for fun, play.........:) .

[AlexandNessa]

Our previous cruises were before tips were auto-added to your shipboard account.

 

I actually saved our statements: March 2003- Zuiderdam $1104.60. And, we had $300 in shipboard credit.

 

January 2004 - $964.82. We had $380 in ship board credit this time.

 

HAL must love us. We use the spa, shop on the ship, and drink freely!

 

Can't wait to see what we manage to do on our 10-day Mexican Riveria Cruise in April. :)

[HeatherInFlorida]

Just realized I cheated a little because we paid for our tours, Pinnacle and cabana before we left so I have to add $265 to my figure bringing it to $545.

Also, this is a private poll so no one will know what you checked. Don't want anyone to think I'm poking;)

[Pudgesmom]

Would you include prepaid charges, i.e., shore excusions, cabanas, Pinnacle, gifts to room, etc.?

 

 

beth

[Pudgesmom]

OOps, looks like we posted at the same time! I'm not 'fessin up here, but I'll vote on the poll!:D

 

Beth

[localady]

It also hinges on how long a cruise you have taken. I know on our 17 day cruise we spent in excess of 500$, more like $500 per week. I can say for 7 days though we spend right about $500 onboard per week generally.:cool:

 

I know HAL would like us to spend more, but that would mean less cruising:eek: ;) !

[tomc]

During the year (I cruise once per) I put aside any odd money that comes my way -- unexpected $$ -- maybe gifts, or discounts, or something I planned to pay for that turned out to be free. That goes into my "cruise" account. It adds up. This year, it paid for my Internet use and (as you all know) I get a kick out of sharing my experiences online, since I travel alone. I also keep in touch with my foreign brother and close friends back home via e-mail. You may enjoy a few drinks during the day, or a shorex; I enjoy communicating (which is probably why I'm in broadcasting and print).

 

So, I really don't "pay" for anything when the Visa bill comes, as I have already accumulated the money in advance. This year, I only used half of my "found money" and have hopes of finding more before my June/July '05 b2b 14-day NE/C.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Tomc, you are making me laugh so hard because you sound like my DH. He has what he calls "found" money, too. He goes to the dog track and he always tells me he's not using OUR money, he's using his found money!Beth, you're giving yourself away!!!:D BTW, I wasn't suggesting there's anything wrong with spending an absolute fortune on the cruise if you want to. But when I book a cruise I always think about how "cheap" it is and often don't stop to consider the "after" charges. When DH later tells me the cost of the cruise, I always say "no way"!!!!!:o

[elmorejj]

We usually spend on average, $100 per day. This mostly goes on drinks, wine with dinner and maybe a small purchase or two in the duty free shop. Our children always chip in and send us about $500 in Cabin credit so that offsets it a lot. In Dec. on our BtoBs we have a total of $300 in HAL cabin credit, so along with what the kids send, we should do OK......jean :cool:

[jhannah]

We're under $500 actual onboard ... over if you count the shore excursions that are paid for in advance. We're not big spenders onboard, which I'm sure HAL would like to change. ;)

[cruisinjudy]

We spend very little on drinks. I mostly drink iced tea. Maybe one drink in the bar per night, or less. Never go to the spa, but we spend on laundry and internet. We also buy pictures. Last trip we had medical bills so 12 day cruise came to $2000.

[Bfson]

If you "buy" one hundred dollars worth of chips in the casino, does that go onto your bill and get treated as any other purchase? (Or is it treated like a cash advance on your credit card)?

[HeatherInFlorida]

If you "buy" one hundred dollars worth of chips in the casino, does that go onto your bill and get treated as any other purchase? (Or is it treated like a cash advance on your credit card)?

:) There are no real "rules" to this game ... but I don't think we should count what you win or lose in the casino. I don't even think you should count when you buy jewelery onboard (but that's just me ... I don't "count" a lot of things;) ).

[tomc]

Judy--

Last trip we had medical bills so 12 day cruise came to $2000.

Doesn't count; it has to be something fun.

[Krazy Kruizers]

On our last 21 day cruise we had $450 in shipboard credit. It went very quickly considering that $420 was for the tips. That left $30 to spend over 21 days.

By the time we booked a few shore excursions, went to the Pinnacle for lunch and dinner a few times, bought some Panama t-shirts and other Panama stuff on the ship, bought only 1 picture, had drinks in nearly every bar at one time or another - our bill was nearly $800. And we didn't use the spa or salon.

[Orcrone]

We got off dirt cheap. I booked diving at HMC and a clamshell ahead of time, so that was prepaid. On Antigua we booked private excursions. St. Thomas and St. Martin we took a cab to the beach and we just walked around Old San Juan and went to El Morro.

 

Our total bill was just under $250 (including $200 in prepaid tips) and we had a shipboard credit of $100. So our total bill at the end of the ten days was just under $150.

[Peggy Sue]

Last year, spent a little over 700..can't remember all we did, but I seem to recall spa of massage for dh, manicure for me, wine, photo's etc.

 

this year, it was a little over 1000. We both did several spa treatments, and enjoyed happy hour, and wine with dinner. We dined at the Pinnacle 3 nights, purchased some pictures and purchased a few things in the gift shop.

 

It adds up quickly..we had a $200 ship board credit, plus we ended up with a cabana rental credit.

 

Of course that doesn't include the cash tips given and what we "donated" to the casino...

 

Heather..you're right..when you stop to think about it the shipboard expenses can really add up and could easily exceed the cost of the cruise!!

 

Peggy Sue

[RuthC]

Last cruise was over $500, but not by much. That includes 3 packages of internet time ($303.95), on-board purchases, and service charges ($340). It does not include additional tips or shore excursions. If you add the shore excursions booked on-line the bill was significantly higher.

I thought the bill was quite reasonable.

When I travelled with my husband the bill was easily $100 per day, plus tips. Shore excursions were always booked on board in those days.

[HeatherInFlorida]

It's interesting, though, when you think about it because we always consider cruising so reasonable in comparison to many other vacations, but when you start to add everything all together, it's really not as cheap as it may seem when we book it.

 

My mind still lives in the time of "all inclusive" which it is and it isn't:rolleyes: . It does include food, but that's about it.

Not that I'm complaining!!! You know I don't do that (well, hardly;) )

[RevNeal]

We could have booked and taken another cruise for what we spent aboard ship.

 

On the Zaandam, Sept 25-Oct 16 (21 days) our total bill, for two people, came to $2286. If figured by the week, that comes to about $762 for TWO. That's not bad, actually. But that huge figure LOOKS horrible. It's even worse when one realizes that my wonderful congregation gave me an onboard credit of $400, and we had a total of $175 in onboard credit from other sources. So ... just push that cost up to 2861, if you like.

 

Included in the bill were the following significant charges:

 

Shore Excursions for two: $918

Internet Charges: $200

Soda Package: $55

Salon (a massage and other services): $156

Photograph Purchases: $192 (includes cruise memories video)

Wine Packages (2 of them): $250

Pinnacle Grill (for 2): $40

Various onboard shop purchases: $101 (hats, t-shirts, duty free liquor)

 

Total: $1912.

 

The rest of the total ($2286+$400+$175=$2861-$1912=$949) is made up of 2 things:

 

1. auto-gratuity: $210x2=$420

2. Christopher's Cocktails and the 15% auto-gratuity on these: $529

 

In thinking about it ... we didn't do too badly for 2 guys on a 21 day cruise. It could have easily been a WHOLE LOT WORSE.

[xeena]

i am ashamed to say we had one cruise that had a bill of 6$...that was "2/fer' drinks one day at the pool ! that's it ! we had a blast too.....Last time we spent all of our $200 shipboard credit.....(this is not including tips of course)

 

talk about cheap dates ! we did not feel dperived and did all we wanted to do !

[Pudgesmom]

Next year we will try a cruise on Radisson, which is supposed to be more inclusive price-wise. It will be interesting to compare a per diem price at the end to see if it really is more expensive than HAL for us.

 

Beth

[RevNeal]

Beth,

 

Let us know what the result is. I would find that helpful. I've always wanted to try Radisson, but their prices are always so sky-high.

[Pudgesmom]

rev neal,

 

I will, I will. We're taking the kids on this one, so it won't be quite apples to apples as we tend to do more shore excusions with them than without. But I will post and let you know how the price turns out.:)

 

Beth

[SHayesShip]

On a 7 day my expenses are always under $500.

 

Steve Hayes