Real cost of a cruise?

[Dash man]

I did see one time, a person having an unexpectedly large bill at the end of a cruise. His bill was 4-5 pages long!
Turned out his wife was a drinker, and so they bought the drink package, but she liked drinks that were higher in price than the package price. The package covered drinks up to X dollars, but she ordered a lot of XX drinks and ran up many $100's of dollars in the bill.

I’ve seen casinos doing the same thing when one spouse keeps getting cash by charging it to their card. It can add up quick.

 

[Aerides]

Alas, some of us have to pay through the nose. Our first cruise was on a big ship and we hated it. The ship only accommodated 1,400 passengers, which is considered small these days, but it was about ten times too many for us, so we said never again.

Subsequent cruises have been on actually small ships, and we've thoroughly enjoyed them, despite the cost.

I'm paying through the nose for our first cruise next year. 198 cabins. Absolutely all inclusive. I know already it will spoil me for any future larger options, but that's ok.

 

[YVRRocketSurgery]

I've never heard of this before, have you previously done it Do you do it on boarding day once on board ?

Yes we've attempted it 3 times and got upgrade offers twice but the missus was too stingy to take the offers. But I think they were reasonable offers for upgrades; something like $400 to upgrade from inside to veranda IIRC (??). And instead of paying for the upgrade per person, you just pay a flat rate for the cabin upgrade.

When I first heard of the initial version of this years ago for RCI, people (on cruise critic) were talking about finding the "pier coordinator" at the pier after checking in but before boarding and and talk to them about getting a discounted upgrade. They had specific upgrade rate sheets too like Inside to Outside is $x, while Inside to a Veranda is $y.
After a few attempts during our early cruises, we could never find where this pier coordinator person was. Then people said to just ask about it at the front desk/guest relations when embarking. It's a bit of a gong show though because guest relations is always busy during embarkation. We just leave our name, current cabin number, and what type of cabin we were interested in upgrading to. One time they said the ship was full. The other 2 times, they left us a voice message with the available cabins and at what price but the missus didn't feel the need to upgrade.

IIRC the theory behind it is that prior to departure, all the sales being generated for cabins, drink packages, excursions, etc are assigned to "head office". Once the ship leaves port, they are their own profit centre trying to generating sales that are counted towards the profitability of their ship/sailing (instead of head office). All the ship resources are at their disposal to generate a profit. Got an empty suite? Offer it as an upgrade prize for a bingo drawing to increase bingo card sales. Or sell it as an upgrade.

There's one new wrinkle though. X somewhat recently started soliciting bids for upgrades pre-cruise similar to what some airlines are doing soliciting bids to upgrade from economy to prem economy/biz class. So I'm not sure how that will impact our ability to try for an upgrade while onboard. I haven't cruised in a few years so I'm anxious to try it again and this time convince the missus to take the upgrade if we get a decent offer.

 

[Librarian]

It's possible but not necessary

Talking with a friend about an upcoming 6 day cruise to Bermuda. The list price was $798. There were some taxes added. He and his wife are going. He said he ended up paying between 3-4k. He hasn’t even gone yet! How is this possible
If anything, I thought that list price would go down with senior discounts and for being a resident from where the ship departs. So are the list prices just come-ons? I have never taken a cruise, so I am doing my homework.

You WILL have to pay port taxes which can vary depending on port & length.
You WILL have to pay tips, about $15pp/day.

You MAY have to pay for transportation to the city you sail from.
You MAY need a hotel room the night before the cruise (HIGHLY recommend)
You MAY need to pay for transfer to the port from your hotel (as well as airport to hotel).

OPTIONAL expenses:
(NCL, Princess & Celebrity offer packages including drinks, internet and possibly tips that are generally good values if you have a few drinks/day)
Internet
Drinks
Specialty dining
Spa
Shopping
Casino (including Bingo, etc)
Photos
Shore excursions

It appears your friend added alot of extras to the cruise before sailing--perhaps tips, internet, drinks, dining, excursions. Plus air & hotel. That total is not out of the realm of possible AT ALL. $1500-2K pp?

Example: (prices may vary by line)
$798 fare
$160 port taxes & fees
$90 tips
$1050pp MINIMUM

MAYBE ALSO:
$60 internet
$400 drink package
$100 Shore excursion or 2 (prices vary widely depending on the excursion)
$1610

See how this is already over $3K/2 with just a few things?

Even the fare, port fees & tips plus air/hotel & you could easily hit $3K without extras.
(no idea if he is including air or not)

 

[Souschef]

Librarian,
That is a very easy way explain it. Thank you for taking the time to post.

 

[Librarian]

Check out this site

Try booking one with a Single Supplement! Unfortunately, I don't know anyone who shares my extravagant travel budget with whom I'd want to share a stateroom.

Cruiseplum.com

It is not a TA but a list of recent price drops & excellent solo deals.

I retired in May & DH has multiple golf leagues...I wanna travel more than hime during golf season so I found some excellent solo deals (NO solo supplement) on NCL in August.

We are currently looking at a transatlantic in April...he wants to be back May 1 for golf league...I am looking at MSC transatlantic back. 16 days $1350 for fare & fees, balcony w/ $500 on board credit (for $975 you could get interior w/ no credit). Damn good deal for 1.

 

[Librarian]

We went on a 13 day cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to Quebec City ca

We paid $4400 for a balcony and the extra on the final bill was $573
this was tips, specialty coffee, casino, drinks, and shore excursions

we usually book excursions on board.

spending 3 to 4 k before a cruise seems really high to me

Tips alone would be $325-375.
So you are pretty cheap cruisers!

 

[Librarian]

This would be highly improbable (tho NOT impossible)

I did see one time, a person having an unexpectedly large bill at the end of a cruise. His bill was 4-5 pages long!
Turned out his wife was a drinker, and so they bought the drink package, but she liked drinks that were higher in price than the package price. The package covered drinks up to X dollars, but she ordered a lot of XX drinks and ran up many $100's of dollars in the bill.

We have cruised 25 times over 20 years.
We typically get drink package, usually as part of our booking.
Max drink price on regular packages is $9-15, depending on line.
On Celebrity I do pay for premium package for wine choices.
On NCL & Princess I just pay the per glass upgrade if I want.

She would have to be buying VERY TOP end drinks, to rack up hundreds of dollars in overages--without dying! Most options are just a few dollars over the max.

 

[gayl]

I’ve seen casinos doing the same thing when one spouse keeps getting cash by charging it to their card. It can add up quick.

Fortunately they've clamped down on this. If the person cashes out their casino account, the account is blocked.

 

[athena53]

I just read a news item about how some cruise passengers take food from the buffet back to their rooms so they have it to enjoy on excursions- saving the cost of restaurant food when on-shore.

You start to understand why port cities have a love/hate relationship with cruise ships.

 

[Souschef]

I just read a news item about how some cruise passengers take food from the buffet back to their rooms so they have it to enjoy on excursions- saving the cost of restaurant food when on-shore.

You start to understand why port cities have a love/hate relationship with cruise ships.

That always amazes me-you spend thousands on a cruise and try to save a few $ on a meal.
We love to eat our way through a town

 

[Koolau]

That always amazes me-you spend thousands on a cruise and try to save a few $ on a meal.
We love to eat our way through a town

I guess old habits die hard.

 

[athena53]

I just saw this today- a good itemization of the extra costs you may incur depending on the cruise line.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/ti...A12Qbd3?cvid=af60ddf725b14ca6a885c0cc574d6a8f

They don't mention excursions, probably because they're so variable, but the fastest Internet can cost $16/day, a week-long pass to ride the go-karts can be $199 and a drinks package with top-tier drinks can be $168/day. IIRC, some lines require every adult in the cabin to buy a drinks package if one does, so they don't resort to sharing.

The cheaper the sticker price, the more likely they are to try and turn you into an income stream on board.

 

[brett]

We have done 20 plus cruises.

I really do not see what the issue is around 'hidden' cruise costs. Nothing is hidden in our experience.

Read the details of your passage. They are very clear. Cruise cost consists of fare plus taxes. Plus a daily fee for gratuities (which some people apparently have reversed). In one or two instances this charge has been included in the cruise fare that paid in full prior to boarding. In some instances 90 days prior.

After that you are on your own. Most of the mass market cruise lines that we have cruised on have these items clearly indicated in their verbage.

Of course you will have to pay for alcoholic beverages, tours etc that are selected at your discretion.

Surely these items and charges are common sense. Moreover you can get a daily readout of your on board charges any time that you wish.

It comes down to understanding what you are buying.

The other costs like transportation to the port, pre or post cruise hotels are completely seperate.

Bottom line....how much you spend on board is entirely up to you. Casino, bars, retail outlets, excursions, extra cost dining venues. None of them are compulsory....they all require you to make a buy or a no buy decision.

The goal of the cruise line is to get you on board. Once on board their goal is to make you spend as much money as possible. No different than most hotels, resorts, etc.

 

[Dash man]

We have done 20 plus cruises.

I really do not see what the issue is around 'hidden' cruise costs. Nothing is hidden in our experience.

Read the details of your passage. They are very clear. Cruise cost consists of fare plus taxes. Plus a daily fee for gratuities (which some people apparently have reversed). In one or two instances this charge has been included in the cruise fare that paid in full prior to boarding. In some instances 90 days prior.

After that you are on your own. Most of the mass market cruise lines that we have cruised on have these items clearly indicated in their verbage.

Of course you will have to pay for alcoholic beverages, tours etc that are selected at your discretion.

Surely these items and charges are common sense. Moreover you can get a daily readout of your on board charges any time that you wish.

Bottom line....how much you spend on board is entirely up to you. Casino, bars, retail outlets, excursions, extra cost dining venues. None of them are compulsory....they all require you to make a buy or a no buy decision.

The goal of the cruise line is to get you on board. Once on board their goal is to make you spend as much money as possible. No different than most hotels, resorts, etc.

+1
I don’t understand people who reverse the gratuities. The crew members work hard and rely on the gratuities for most of their income. It’s only a few dollars per day. We typically pay an additional amount for excellent service on top of the standard. We’ve always had excellent service.

 

[brett]

The real culprit in the 'so called' hidden costs of cruising is the cashless on board system. Your sign and sail card.

Novice cruisers who sign for everything without truly understanding that a reckoning is coming at the end of the cruise in the form of an on board spending account.

Not much different than people who treat their credit cards the same way on a day to day basis.

 

[Sunset]

I just saw this today- a good itemization of the extra costs you may incur depending on the cruise line.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/ti...A12Qbd3?cvid=af60ddf725b14ca6a885c0cc574d6a8f

They don't mention excursions, probably because they're so variable, but the fastest Internet can cost $16/day, a week-long pass to ride the go-karts can be $199 and a drinks package with top-tier drinks can be $168/day. IIRC, some lines require every adult in the cabin to buy a drinks package if one does, so they don't resort to sharing.

The cheaper the sticker price, the more likely they are to try and turn you into an income stream on board.

I think for some folks the extra costs, mean people don't pay for stuff they don't use, so it becomes a user pay system.

We have done both, all inclusive and the basic cheap cruise where we pay for what we want added.

Frankly for us, the all inclusive is made up of "hidden fees" charged in the single price. Example DW doesn't drink, but I do, so when we were on that cruise we were basically overpaying for her as she got no value out of the free booze part. I might not even have gotten my value either.

As for tips included or paid at the end, we give our room stewards extra tips in cash, and up the amount if they've been extra good. I also watch to see if it's 2 doing our room, as sometimes happen, and make sure I get both. I think people who reverse the tips without incredibly strong reasons of service are being really cheap.

 

[mystang52]

On warm weather cruises such as the Caribbean, one can pay minimal additional $$$ and have a great time. Eat at the provided dining room or buffet, limit your drinking, don't go to the casino, and at each port go to a beach, or even stay on the ship.
If you enjoy casino gambling, then that's part of your vacation budget, not a "hidden cost." Just like on land, alcoholic drinks are a big profit for the cruise line. DW and I are casual drinkers; at home I have maybe one drink on Saturday night. When we cruised, or on any vacation. I would drink a bit more, like 4 or 5 over course of a week. Again, not exactly a hidden cost. And from what I've seen, these drink packages are major rip-offs: you have to drink a lot, every day, just to break even. Keep in mind they add gratuity to the drink package and as mentioned elsewhere everyone in the cabin must buy drink package. Better to pay "a la carte."

 

[Dash man]

Better to pay "a la carte."

I agree totally. IME the drink prices on a ship aren’t any higher than in any vacation spot on land. The prices are fair.

 

[BeachOrCity]

Anyone else noticed how much more expensive cruises are now than in 2019?

Crazy much more!

I speculate the reason is all the fcc credits being used and prices are artificially inflated until they are used up?

Any other thoughts?

 

[Dash man]

Anyone else noticed how much more expensive cruises are now than in 2019?

Crazy much more!

I speculate the reason is all the fcc credits being used and prices are artificially inflated until they are used up?

Any other thoughts?

We have two RC cruises booked this winter. They seem to be about the same price as we paid pre-Covid. A cruise we booked for last January and cancelled was much cheaper. It all depends on what you’re comparing it to.

 

[athena53]

On warm weather cruises such as the Caribbean, one can pay minimal additional $$$ and have a great time. Eat at the provided dining room or buffet, limit your drinking, don't go to the casino, and at each port go to a beach, or even stay on the ship.

<snip>
And from what I've seen, these drink packages are major rip-offs: you have to drink a lot, every day, just to break even. Keep in mind they add gratuity to the drink package and as mentioned elsewhere everyone in the cabin must buy drink package. Better to pay "a la carte."

The trick is finding a cruise with a price that includes most of what you want and little of what you don't. I do like a little predictability.

And yes, the alcohol packages are exorbitant, probably because the people who buy them are planning to get their money's worth! I do drink more on a cruise but start only at the cocktail hour before dinner. If I overdo it I end up with migraines and/or bizarre dreams so I exercise moderation.

 

[YVRRocketSurgery]

I really do not see what the issue is around 'hidden' cruise costs. Nothing is hidden in our experience.

I wouldn't necessarily characterize the issue as "hidden" costs. But I can see it start getting confusing for a new cruiser because of (1) multiple rates classes, some with bundling and (2) to a lesser degree cabin tiering benefits.

X for example had a "perks" (internet, gratuities, drink packages, and OBC) marketing campaign pre-covid where you could select 1-4 perks depending on a variety of factors (itinerary, cabin type, etc). After the relaunch, they had an all-inclusive type campaign. However, they also had basic rates without any perks (currently marketed as Simply Sail) that weren't necessarily heavily advertised.

You're also now seeing different tiers of cabins with different benefits and amenities to appeal to a broader range of customers. X suite guests for example, have perks automatically included, 24x7 complemetary room service, etc.

Anyone else noticed how much more expensive cruises are now than in 2019?

My perception is that yes, overall prices are more expensive but there are still deals to be found.

 

[athena53]

I wouldn't necessarily characterize the issue as "hidden" costs. But I can see it start getting confusing for a new cruiser because of (1) multiple rates classes, some with bundling and (2) to a lesser degree cabin tiering benefits.

Well, it was a clickbait article so they had to call them "hidden"!

When I was on a wedding planning board years ago (2003), one poster who was living paycheck-to-paycheck was asking about a cruise, which someone was giving them as a wedding gift. She'd been hoping that there would be be no extra costs and was very unhappy that tips were quasi-mandatory (yes, you can get them removed but only by complaining that the service was bad) and that there might be other extras. Someone suggested they might use wedding gift money for the extra cruise expenses and she said they needed that money to repair the transmission in one of their cars. So, for some people it really is a surprise.

 

[YVRRocketSurgery]

There's one new wrinkle though. X somewhat recently started soliciting bids for upgrades pre-cruise similar to what some airlines are doing soliciting bids to upgrade from economy to prem economy/biz class. So I'm not sure how that will impact our ability to try for an upgrade while onboard. I haven't cruised in a few years so I'm anxious to try it again and this time convince the missus to take the upgrade if we get a decent offer.

Just wanted to post our recent experience.
We sailed on X recently and took advantage of their bidding for an upgrade program. We had booked the cheapest inside guarantee cabin and about 2 weeks before the cruise, we (and a few others I had been chatting with on CC) got an email from X asking if we wanted to submit a bit for an upgrade. After doing some test bookings, we knew the ship was going to be at most ~60% full (In fact, it was more like 55% according to staff onboard.) so we knew there were going to be a lot of cabins available. We submitted the lowest acceptable bids for a veranda cabin and a concierge cabin and ended up getting the concierge cabin for about $195CDN per person. The lowest acceptable bids vary depending on what your original cabin class is.

Once aboard, we also asked Guest Services if there were any cabin upgrades available. There were but the quoted price was more than what I think we could have gotten them for via the pre-cruise bidding. However, I don't think the person we asked was on the ball. But since we were happy with our initial upgrade, we didn't push the issue.