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

[ColoradoJuli]

I haven't made it off a ship for under $800 so far. That includes tips. We somehow end up in the gift shop and buy stuff. We usually have a bottle of wine each night and other drinks along the way. We always do our own shore excursions so this isn't included. DH has ended up in the art auctions a couple times. He goes for the free drinks and then before he knows it he 'found a great deal' This time the 'great deals' will have to stay on the ship. I don't have any room left on my walls.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Hi Everyone, We just got home and I have unpacked all the suit cases. This is really the first thread I have read and since my ship board bill is fresh from this morning I can give you the total. Drum Roll......... The total is $1072.50. That includes champagne everynight, numerous beers for Tom, ship goodies like t-shirts and new coffee mug for work. New photo album for small pictures, and of course a few formal pictures and Pinnacle. Of course our auto-tip or yes, we also ordered the Suite Bath Robes with our names embroidered on the robes for both of us. Could of saved $225.00 if I knew my Swarovski collection better. I usually purchase a new piece of Swarovski which I did only to find it was a piece I already had:mad: And one last thing was the $15.00 to spend a day at the Spa and also had a massage.

[localady]

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

You couldn't use another kid on that cruise could ya?????This one would even clean up after herself;);) :cool:

 

Sounds like a great time! :D

[Lokalona]

My balance sheet is right in front of me..$1.569.33 we spent $385.00 at the spa, most the rest was Lido bar, Sports Bar, Piano Bar, Iternet cafe, Sea View bar, Crows Nest, Image Photo, Shope Conssesion, Oh and Gratuities...we had prepaid the shore excursions, and we also had $100.00 ship board credit! My mom's bill was $300.00...we did buy most of her drinks or wine service..I never drink unless I'm on vacation so I was "catching up" The only time I felt like I'd had a real drink was in Tortolla and drank 2 painkillers waiting out a storm at Purssers....otherwise the umbrella drinks on ship tasted like there was no alcohol in them...The rough day at sea was NOT my imagination nor was it inhanced by a few drinks :)

[kryos]

:) 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;) ).

I had an onboard bill for slightly over $500 for a 14-day (b2b) cruise that took place during hurricane season.

 

This did not count prepaid shore excursions. However, most shore excursions were cancelled anyway and almost the whole first week's worth wound up on my shipboard account as credit. The second week's excursions ... since the cruise was shortened (due to the first week's cruise being extended), were all applied as a credit to the card they were charged on, and pax were told to just rebook those excursions in the remaining ports they wanted to do. We also received something like a $150 shipboard credit for the reduced second week cruise.

 

So, I would guess that a net bill of about $550, covering two weeks, and allowing for two excursions in the second week that were charged to the onboard account ... I'm not doing too bad. :) Of course, the nice letter from HAL, giving me about a $165 credit on a future cruise as compensation for the shortened second week, is nice too ... especially when you consider that I actually got the whole 14 days since I was on a b2b. :)

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Vicar]

Last cruise I took, the bill came to not quite $1600.00 for the two of us.

 

that included tips, shore excursions, drinks and a few souveniers and a couple of photos. Probably what added up the most was that we were with several other couples so every night we hit a bar and everyone takes turns buying rounds. Just like on shore THAT REALLY ADDS UP

[Krazy Kruizers]

Gee - it sounds we don't spend much on a cruise - nearly $800 on a 21 day cruise.

[RevNeal]

I pulled out an older bill ... 7 days on the Volendam. This bill was for one person:

 

Shore excursions: $142.75

Soda Card: $38.50

Pinnacle Grill: $20

Total wine purchases (I bought a bottle, and the rest by the glass): $48

Total Bar Bill: $42

Spa (a massage): $99

On Board Shops (coffee mug and other trinkets): $36.50

Photos and cruise memories video: $62

 

Total: $488.75

 

This was before tips were added to our onboard accounts.

I had an onboard credit of $100 and my congregation gave me $200 as a gift to my account. So .... my credit card was charged with $188.75.

[cruisinjudy]

Tom, you are right, I will skip the medical bills in my count. They weren't any fun! Also we will hopefully get that back with insurance!

At least the doctor at our table didn't charge a consultation fee for his visit to my husband in sick bay after dinner on the final night.

[estj]

Heather...final bill was $500 MORE than the cost of the cruise! Good thing you don't drink! But that did include several spa services and about $100 worth of charges in the ship's stores.

[airlink diva]

I'm like the majority of the people on this thread. I'm not a big spender on the boats. On my recent 7 day trip, I brought by water bottle and three large bottles of water (my room steward kept one bottle at a time in ice for me :) :) !! I allow myself two drinks a day (I loved the lemon drops :) !!). And only did minor purchaces (a water proof holder, played bingo two days). I purchaced two shore excusions on the trip also (I also did independent excusions also).

In all, I spent about $250. If you count the daily tips and the tip I left my room stward, add another $100. My total, around $350 to $375. About $53 a day, not bad at all!!!

[HeatherInFlorida]

Cass!! Wow! Usually I get into trouble in the ship's shops, but not this time. I was terribly disappointed in them. Perhaps I was spoiled from the shops on the Celebrity Millennium which are amazing. I also didn't like the way they're laid out on the Oosterdam ... kind of choppy. But just as well because it kept my bill down:D !

[Krazy Kruizers]

Heather

ALL the shops on all HAL ships have gone downhill the last couple of years.

Do agree with you about the 'choppy' layout of the shops on the Oosterdam.

[ekerr19]

Well, we always spend alot - and quite a bit of it goes to drinks. DH & I like to have wine with dinner and would just as soon order it on board than bother ahead of time anymore. We also buy drinks for friends, etc. and usually end up with a decent bar tab. When the kids are with us, it is less - but then we spend more on other (kid related) things. :)

 

I don't worry about it anymore - I have a pretty good idea that we will spend about $100 - $150 per day and it's ok by me. The last thing I want to worry about while on vacation is money! :D

 

Good thread Heather!

[peaches from georgia]

Interesting results. With 50% of the pax spending less than $500 on board it's no wonder HAL is looking for new revenue-generating activities and amenities. And that bringing on liquor for consumption on ship has been stopped.

[RevNeal]

[QUOTE]And that bringing on liquor for consumption on ship has been stopped.[/QUOTE]

Now, now ... we all know that it hasn't really been stopped ... not so long as there are passengers who disregard the rules and justify such by saying that everybody breaks some rules, so no one should have any business taking another to task for breaking whatever rules one might wish to break.

No names mentioned ... just an observation. If the shoe fits, wear it. If you'd rather not engage in self-condemnation, then keep silent. I'd rather we all did the latter.

(Let's see, where did I leave my Deflector Shield? I've not needed it for weeks, so it may need recharging).

[RevNeal]

[QUOTE]ALL the shops on all HAL ships have gone downhill the last couple of years.[/QUOTE]

With apologies to good friends who work for the Line in the "Shops Onboard", that would be my observation as well. I normally buy only ship and cruise-line branded items -- coffee mugs for each ship of the fleet I've cruised on, hats, t-shirts, polos, etc. I also review the watch sales ... sometimes they have a nice citizens or Seiko to buy. I've bought my last four watches aboard HAL ships.

[peaches from georgia]

[quote name='revneal']Now, now ... we all know that it hasn't really been stopped ... not so long as there are passengers who disregard the rules.........
[/QUOTE]
While maybe not stopped completely, I would think bringing on liquor has decreased now that openly carrying it on is no longer allowed. Not everybody who brought their own on before is willing to put bottles in their checked luggage. Whether principles of honesty or fear of breakage is the reason we will never know.

However, the point is HAL will continue to play revenue games if on-board spending is this low. Remember that article in Fortune I posted a long time ago- the cruiseline's profit comes from pax spending on the ship, not from cabin fares. :eek:

[Krazy Kruizers]

[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=blue]There was a time when I used to buy quite a lot from the shops on board - they used to have some really lovely items. Now that HAL has a new company buying the shop goods, I don't see anything really worth buying.[/color][/font][/b]
[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=#0000ff][/color][/font][/b]
[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=#0000ff]Maybe this is why we don't spend so much on board while on a cruise?[/color][/font][/b]
[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=#0000ff][/color][/font][/b]
[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=#0000ff]Could be.[/color][/font][/b]
[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=#0000ff][/color][/font][/b]

[Krazy Kruizers]

[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=blue]Oh yes - on our recent 21 day cruise on the Statendam, there was a table set up by the on-board gangway (on the ship) with a BIG warning that alcohol bought in port would be confiscated and returned to you on the last night of the cruise. No one was there to collect the alcohol. And after the first couple of ports people were buying alcohol, bringing it on board, and taking it back to their cabins.[/color][/font][/b]
[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=#0000ff][/color][/font][/b]
[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=#0000ff]Stupid us - we obeyed the rules - drank in the bars on the ship and ordered a bottle from the bar for our cabin.[/color][/font][/b]
[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=#0000ff][/color][/font][/b]

[ekerr19]

I've seen the table when we were on the Maasdam, on the Noordam they weren't even checking (or asking!) - maybe because it was the final voyage they just gave up! :D

[HeatherInFlorida]

[quote name='ekerr19']Well, we always spend alot - and quite a bit of it goes to drinks. DH & I like to have wine with dinner and would just as soon order it on board than bother ahead of time anymore. We also buy drinks for friends, etc. and usually end up with a decent bar tab. When the kids are with us, it is less - but then we spend more on other (kid related) things. :)

I don't worry about it anymore - I have a pretty good idea that we will spend about $100 - $150 per day and it's ok by me. The last thing I want to worry about while on vacation is money! :D

Good thread Heather![/QUOTE][font=Franklin Gothic Medium][size=3][color=navy]Thank you, Laura! I started it because it's been verrrrrry quiet here for the past few days. You were the one who put the idea into my head (if you saw the first post). It got me to thinking because I always view it as 2 separate things: Cost of the cruise and then cost of the cruise:rolleyes: . DH lumps it as one and I always say "nooooooooooo ... no way it was that much". We spent less than usual this time because I paid for so much up front. Not drinking makes a huge difference in the total. Back when I drank, it was very cheap onboard; about $1.50 per drink. And wine was more than a fair price. But times have changed:( [/color][/size][/font]

[font=Franklin Gothic Medium][size=3][color=#000080]Revneal, you trying to "stir the pot"? I think all the troublemakers are either cruising or lying low.;) [/color][/size][/font]

[Slinkiecat]

[quote name='HeatherInFlorida'][font=Franklin Gothic Medium][size=3][color=navy]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.[/color][/size][/font]

[font=Franklin Gothic Medium][size=3][color=navy]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.[/color][/size][/font]

[font=Franklin Gothic Medium][size=3][color=navy]Not that I'm complaining!!! You know I don't do that (well, hardly;) )[/color][/size][/font][/QUOTE]
Well, we choose to cruise for the fun of it, the exotic ports and the luxury of this type of vacation.

If we wanted a cheap vacation we would stay home and rest, as we do most of the year once we retire. A cruise is a chance to get away from the mundane, to see more of the world, and to forget about pinching pennies. Of course we still do it - tradeoffs here and there. Some relish the massage in the spa, others do it as partners for each other. Some of us have high-maintenance hairdos, others have to have their nails done often. Some worry about the cost of alcohol so much they smuggle it aboard in their luggage, while others sit for hours in the lounges every night. Such choices we get to make all the way. If we want to pinch pennies we just take the 3-day ones from the closest port on a long weekend, but if we want to enjoy a great cruise, we pick our itinerary, our ship, our dates, and we GO!

We figured we have made enough trips around the sun that we deserve one fantastic trip around the earth. Just have to prove it is really round. :)

Slinkie

[BorderLady]

[quote name='Slinkiecat']Well, we choose to cruise for the fun of it, the exotic ports and the luxury of this type of vacation... If we wanted a cheap vacation we would stay home and rest, as we do most of the year once we retire. but if we want to enjoy a great cruise, we pick our itinerary, our ship, our dates, and we GO! :) Slinkie[/QUOTE]Right on! People should just do what feels good (and not whine about it afterward) or stay home.

I don't understand the point of this poll. Who cares what someone else spends?

[HeatherInFlorida]

[quote name='BorderLady']Right on! People should just do what feels good (and not whine about it afterward) or stay home.

I don't understand the point of this poll. Who cares what someone else spends?[/QUOTE][font=Franklin Gothic Medium][size=3][color=navy]Oh me, oh my:o . I knew if I just waited long enough someone would come along and ask a question like this.[/color][/size][/font]

[font=Franklin Gothic Medium][size=3][color=navy]For the record, in the poll or elsewhere I NEVER ASKED WHAT ANYONE SPENDS!!!! People chose to do so on their own which is their right. The boards were very quiet when I posted this and if you notice it has remained at the top of the board for many, many days. So obviously most people got a kick out of it.[/color][/size][/font]

[font=Franklin Gothic Medium][size=3][color=navy]I purposely worded the poll so it wasn't about the AMOUNT, but rather about how our onboard charges do add on to the cost of the cruise. There have been many threads discussing whether a cruise is a good value as compared with a resort vacation. There is no doubt that the base price of a cruise is very reasonable and that you get an enormous amount for your dollar (IMHO!).[/color][/size][/font]

[font=Franklin Gothic Medium][size=3][color=navy]The "point" (if there is one and I didn't know there needed to be a "point" to a poll based on my experience of CC polls) might be [i][b]if someone is coming new to cruising, and has questions as to the cost of cruising, it's important for them to know that the "upfront" cost is not the cost of the cruise as the cruiselines would suggest when they say "all inclusive".[/b] [/i]So now that I think about it, I believe the thread has some value after all.[/color][/size][/font]

[font=Franklin Gothic Medium][size=3][color=navy]BorderLady, I don't understand the "point" of your post (if there needs to be one). Never did anyone suggest that they were whining about the cost of their cruise or that it didn't "feel good". [/color][/size][/font]

[font=Franklin Gothic Medium][size=3][color=navy]As everyone knows, there is certainly no requirement to participate:) .[/color][/size][/font]