You found a “deal.” At under $250 each, you can grab a quick vacation in the Caribbean for 5 days. That’s cheaper than staying home and cooking….so
YOU GRAB IT
Ahh…the sunshine, the food, the fun, the drinks…and you did it all for under $500 for the two of you!
NOT SO FAST
If you’ve never cruised before you may be in for a rude awakening (especially when they slip the bill under your door). You’ll be running down to guest services faster than you can say “Anchors Away.”
HIDDEN COSTS
Some of them are not hidden at all, but like all vacationers we choose to ignore them. On board a ship there’s no pulling out your wallet, and no paying cash, it ALL goes on your cruise card. Here are both the charges you’ll know about in advance, as well as those you never really thought about.
1. Port charges, fuel charges and taxes.
Let’s take an Eastern Caribbean 5-day cruise as an example. I usually estimate port charges & taxes at about $115 per person. Sometimes it’s as low as $70 other times it’s over $200. It depends on where you’ll be docking for the day. While a lot of the lines have dropped the fuel surcharges, others still have them. If you are cruising on one that still tags that gasoline onto your bill…expect to pay an extra $10 per day per person.
$500+$230+$100 = $830
2. Tips
Your cabin steward, bartenders, cruise director, and waters don’t work for FREE. Most cruises tack on an extra $11-$12 per day per person for tips. You can adjust this amount when you pay your bill at the end, but think about all of the work they went through to keep you happy before you decide to knock it down. Figuring a short 5-day cruise…
$500+$330+$120=$950
3. Drinks!
If you’re good with some hot coffee, tea, water (and if you’re lucky lemonade) for your trip, you can ignore this. If you are a soda drinker, you’ll want to keep reading.
Soda – if you NEED to have that bubbly soft drink by your side, your best bet is with a soda card. That will tack on an extra $6 per day per person (plus a 15% tip added). Mr. S is not a soda drinker so, and I probably have one per day at $1.95, so we don’t bother.
Adding a soda card for ONE person for your trip – $500=$130+$120+$34.50=$784.50 (and $819 for two)
Alcohol – Here’s where I run into trouble. WINE, beer and alcoholic beverages. I drink Zonin Prosecco and it’s about $8.25 per glass. I usually get 2 or 3 per evening. If I want a frozen drink during the day, that adds even more. Most ships now offer a flat rate alcoholic beverage card for $49.99 per person per day, plus 15% gratuity.
Let’s do this with the alcohol card INSTEAD of a soda card.
$500+$330+$120+$287.44=$1237.44 for one, or $1524.88 for the two of you.
4. Excursions
Yes, you can stay on the ship, or you can just walk around town, but after the first port you’ll realize that they all look EXACTLY the same. Same stores, same Starbucks, same….well, you get it. Excursions and extras can be as inexpensive as a cab ride to the city for $25 to a $200 per person trip around the island including lunch, shopping, snorkeling, or what have you. Let’s just average it at $99 per person and you’ve got 3 stops on that 5-day cruise.
$500+$130+$120+$574.88 (with alcohol)+$594+$60 tip for your guide=$2178.88
5. Alternative Restaurants
These are actually a STEAL in my book. I’m not one who usually enjoys the food on most ships, so upping to the alternative restaurants is usually a good bet for me. Add to that a cone of ice cream or gelato, or a piece of decadent pastry from the patisserie along with a cappuccino and you’ve upped your bill even more. Most alternative restaurants average $25 – $99 per person, but the average tends to be in the $30-$35 range.
$500+$130+$120+$574.88+$654+$70 (once)= $2248.88 or twice for $2318.88
6. GETTING THERE
Thankfully I live close to 3 major ports, so for Mr. S and I it’s simply the parking fee at $15 per day. If you fly, you’ll have to figure that in as well.
+$500+$130+$120+$574.88+$654+$70+$75=$2393.88
7. ETC.
- Gambling – you may just WIN enough to pay that bill, if you lose…well, only you know how much more it could cost you.
- Spa – This is MY weakness. I usually try to get a deal at the thermal suites for a few days, or a facial or a massage. The average massage on most ships tends to be in the $150+tip area.
- Internet – I spent an extra $200 on a 3-day cruise and wasn’t even online that much, so be prepared to either TUNE OUT THE WORLD for your vacation, or shell out the money. Oh and your cell phone company is going to CHARGE YOU for international and cruise calling. Check the rates before you go, so you don’t come back to a $700 bill from your mobile company because you left your phone on roaming.
- Laundry – It’s the same as any laundromat on land.
- Souvenirs – for the kids, a new ring or bracelet for yourself, or that watch that was a real steal for him.
8. Learn more
For more tips as well as to learn how I extend my cruises to make them much more relaxing, read my recent post in the Florida Buzz Report: All Aboard… 9 Tips for Planning a Florida Cruise Getaway
I still love cruising, and I’d tell you to GO FOR IT in a heartbeat. Just be aware that the extras can add up quickly. I’ve found that we have a great time and actually never spend all that much, but it’s because we know exactly what’s important to us and what isn’t.
It’s actually easy to cruise for VERY little money, and I’ll give you some great hints and tips in 2015.
For more cruising posts visit:
- http://champagneliving.net/a-day-on-the-carnival-dream
- http://champagneliving.net/what-to-pack-the-cruise-carry-on
- http://champagneliving.net/5-secret-disney-cruise-hacks
Nancy D. Brown says
Great cruise tips, Zippy! No need to be surprised on your next trip.
Zipporah Sandler says
Thanks Nancy. Seeing the shock on people’s faces as they line up at Guest Services on their final day of the cruise as they realize just how much they spent always makes me cringe.
Suzanne Fluhr says
This is a very helpful post for those contemplating a cruise. Yep. Extra charges can add up quickly on a cruise. Our last one (on Azamara) started in Hong Kong. We live in Philadelphia on the east coast of the US, so the cost of getting there was significant. The highest end cruise we have ever taken was on Azamara. One of the things I liked best about it was not being nickled and dimed. (I guess that’s a very US based idiom.) All alcohol was included (you could pay extra for higher premium brands), but we’re just wine with dinner types and we were quite satisfied with the wines they served and they pretty much made sure your glass was never empty. Tips were also included and there was a 25% discount for pre-booking land excursions. We booked an inside cabin which we found quite comfortable and we weren’t hit with a big bill at the end of the trip. In fact, the per day expense ended up being comparable to a Celebrity cruise. (Both Azamara and Celebrity are Royal Caribbean products). We’ve never done one, but repositioning cruises are also often a good value.
James Hills says
Great tips, but I would add the counterpoint, that with the exception of charges like the port fees, taxes, and gratuities (which are typically disclosed up front), everything else is discretionary and honestly not that worse than going to a land based hotel / resort … especially when you consider the fact that your sometimes $50 / day fare includes unlimited food and entertainment as well as transportation between ports.
Certainly though, the cruise lines hope that you’ll find ways to spend your money (I can’t believe you missed Bingo!) , but if you want to be frugal, cruising is a great way to travel for a tiny fraction of what it might cost you to go to a hotel on the beach … even if you do choose to grab a Miami Vice or a BBC or two 🙂
Isabella says
Wow! Didn’t have any idea about that. I only used ferries for short trips (eg. Helsinki-Tallinn), but never been on a cruise. Great calculation BTW, thanks!
Dale says
I’ve never really been interested in taking a cruise at this part of my lifetime where wearing a backpack seems too much a part of me to dislodge right not, but I must admit there’s a part of me that thinks experiencing it in the future should be something I could consider, especially after reading about some vegan cruises this year.
Zipporah Sandler says
Suzanne, I recently returned from a Viking River Cruise and there is NO nickel and diming there either (with the exception of some alcohol). It was a pleasant surprise.
Zipporah Sandler says
While that’s very true, if you’ve ever stood by guest services on the night before your cruise ends you’ll see a huge LINE of passengers all up in arms. I always go and watch them.
Zipporah Sandler says
It’s always good to know in advance. As James said above, you CAN do it for just the price of the cruise, taxes, port charges & tips….but MOST people just spend, spend, spend when cruising.
Zipporah Sandler says
I prefer land over cruising as well, as I’m a SLOW traveler…getting to know a place before moving on. My husband prefers cruising because you only have to unpack once the entire time. So, we do a little of both.
Kristin Henning says
I’m not an experienced cruiser, and may never be. But I do know now what to expect. Thanks for the thorough accounting.
Charles McCool says
My family has been on two week long cruises and we have avoided most of the alcohol and beverage fees. Excursions, activities, and even wifi were expected. The gratuities, though, were shocking. Great to inform people prior.
Carole Terwilliger Meyers says
I haven’t cruised in a while. What happened to the all-inclusive thing? Guess it’s gone. Thanks for the info!
Tara says
yes, it’ s always good to keep in mind, but I consider those all extras that you’d spend on any vacation ie activities/excursions, tips, meals, etc. PS: I love Princess cruises, just got back from one.
Anita @ No Particular Place To Go says
We are looking forward to our first “destination” cruise in April, 2015, which actually turned out to be cheaper than purchasing one-way air tickets to Europe. While I was Skyping with the agent I was checking off my questions list of what’s included/what’s not and many of your points were covered. I’ve bookmarked your post so that we can use it to refresh our memories and try to avoid any costly surprises!
Mark and Kate @vagrantsoftheworld says
Wow, I went broke just reading this. Will most definitely read the fine print before a cruise. Great advice.
Zipporah Sandler says
You’re very welcome Kristin. Don’t let that deter you from a cruise, but rather keep it in the back of your mind when you make your plans.
Zipporah Sandler says
That’s JUST what we do as well Charles. I have found that by booking the excursions directly rather than through the cruise you can save, or even BETTER find more interesting things to do. Better yet, grab a cab or hop on a bus & go on your own.
Zipporah Sandler says
It’s still all-inclusive – SOMEWHAT. They’ve added better restaurants, upgraded desserts, etc. While they are usually good, the food in the main dining room can be just as good.
Zipporah Sandler says
Princess is our favorite as well. I was on one two months ago, and it’s Mr S’s fave. It’s a VACATION and you expect to spend more than normal, but we have a bad habit of seeing a deal and saying “let’s go this weekend.” Truthfully, when we do that, we usually sit on our balcony & order room service and watch the world float by. Sometimes we don’t even get off the ship in port.
Zipporah Sandler says
LOL – not everyone drinks like a fish, needs to be carted around on excursions, or has a penchant for spa visits. It can be done VERY inexpensively (especially compared to a land vacation).
Zipporah Sandler says
Smart thinking Anita! I just got back from a river cruise where pretty much EVERYTHING (except the tips) were included. As long as you ask in advance you’re good. HAVE A GREAT TIME!!!!!
Betsy Wuebker | PassingThru says
LOL Zippy – Your alcohol profile and mine are a match! Let’s get together! This was an eye opener as we have never cruised. We’ve had family members among those who were quite surprised at the number on the bill slipped under the door the last morning, though. We’ve been considering repositioning cruises as a travel strategy, but my fear is lack of reliable internet would have us both drinking even more than we normally do. 😉
Zipporah Sandler says
Betsy – If you buy an hour of internet, you probably spend at least 45 min of it TRYING TO CONNECT. It’s worse than the old aol dial-up, and less reliable.
Irene S. Levine says
Your post points out the importance of figuring out what’s included and what’s not when you book a particular cruise. Luxury cruising that’s more or all-inclusive may turn out to be a better deal.
Marilyn Jones says
Excellent advice!! If you know ahead of time you can accurately budget; if not, as you wrote, SURPRISE!! I love to cruise and as much as there are extra charges, it is still a heck of a good deal most of the time!