Real cost of a cruise?

[vafoodie]

Once I got a email from royal Caribbean offering a 8 day cruise for 500 each if we could leave in 30 days. They were trying to fill their inside cabins. It was their smallest oldest ship but still a great experience. We met many people that got the same email.

Was this an email for previous RC cruisers, or for anyone who signed up for their emails? This is the kind of deal I'm wanting!

 

[vafoodie]

Been on one cruise and the "free" food was delicious. Yes, you can pay for other food but you've already paid for the "free" food and it's worth it.

Want to learn more about the best way to plan excursions without using the cruise ship. DW and I didn't want to risk missing the ship and booked via the cruise. The excursion to some "remote" beach was nice but a lot for the $$.

I am very curious about this excursion question too. I am wondering how often people REALLY miss the boat because they are late back from an excursion. the whole being herded onto a bus and on and off the boat is a big con for me in the whole cruise debate that I am having with myself. Then I see a friend's amazing pictures and go back to researching.

 

[Souschef]

I am very curious about this excursion question too. I am wondering how often people REALLY miss the boat because they are late back from an excursion. the whole being herded onto a bus and on and off the boat is a big con for me in the whole cruise debate that I am having with myself. Then I see a friend's amazing pictures and go back to researching.

If the excursion is booked through the ship, they will hold the ship. This happened to us on a South American Princess cruise.

We were told to be there by 11:30 AM, but when we finally got to the bus we were informed the bus would not leave until 12:45 PM. At 12:30 a ship’s representative got on the bus to inform us of a further delay and did not have enough sense to use the mike. People at the back of the
bus could not even hear about the delay. The bus had been rescheduled to leave at 1:45, which meant we would not have gotten back to the ship until 7:30 PM.
The ship was scheduled to leave at 5 PM, but they held up departure until the buses returned.
P.S. We were fed up and decided to cancel the tour and get a refund.

 

[Teacher Terry]

We had cruised with them before but I don’t know if it was limited to prior customers. It only happened one time.

 

[Sunset]

I am very curious about this excursion question too. I am wondering how often people REALLY miss the boat because they are late back from an excursion. the whole being herded onto a bus and on and off the boat is a big con for me in the whole cruise debate that I am having with myself. Then I see a friend's amazing pictures and go back to researching.

Frankly it depends where the ship docks, and how gutsy you are.

For example when the ship docks in Dubrovnik (coming into dock is a great scene) You can walk, or catch a cheap cab to the City (its about 1.5 miles). Looking on an aerial map shows how close it is. Then walk the city and the Wall, etc. Or you can pay the cruise ship $50 to do the same thing.

Some places you really need to take the cruise ship tour, others with planning you can do it on your own.

 

[Amethyst]

Yes. And how much you can glean about current conditions onshore.

On a recent cruise to South America, the ship docked at a small Brazilian town, known for fashionable boutiques. I could take a tender for an excursion which was just a bus tour, or I could get off the tender and shop on my own. I chose the latter.

Unfortunately, Argentina was playing in the World Cup, and all the shops were closed so people could watch the game. Oddly, the cruise director, who should have warned of this, was still prating about shopping the morning of the excursion.

I still enjoyed my walk, although frustrated by the sight of very pretty, reasonably priced clothes in the shop windows. I enjoyed myself more after seeing my fellow tourists go by, crammed into a small tour bus.

Frankly it depends where the ship docks, and how gutsy you are.

 

[FIYes]

If you want to find out about the best excursions not sponsored by the cruise line then sign up for the Cruise Critic forums and join the roll call for your cruise. Often folks will put together private excursions.

Now, if you are late the ship will not wait for you. Watching late folks run to catch the ship is a bit of a sport for some people. Seriously, do make sure that you get back on the ship on time. Missing the ship could be a costly mistake.

 

[Sunset]

If you want to find out about the best excursions not sponsored by the cruise line then sign up for the Cruise Critic forums and join the roll call for your cruise. Often folks will put together private excursions.

Now, if you are late the ship will not wait for you. Watching late folks run to catch the ship is a bit of a sport for some people. Seriously, do make sure that you get back on the ship on time. Missing the ship could be a costly mistake.

Just be careful with the join some folks for a tour thing, as some cruisers turned it into a business, and they make $$ off you for the "shared" tour. This isn't normally so bad, but 1 fellow, literally had one or more of his tours go bad, and didn't refund any money.

Alternatively, We've share the costs with a couple of other cruisers, who were like us, just wanting spread the cost of a taxi or van rental across 4 -> 5 people.

 

[brett]

They do seem more expensive but we only started looking lately. Currency fluctuations have an impact on our bottom line price.

Most of our cruises are late booking buys. More often than not purchased when we are on an extended land trip. More often European depatures.

We only consider the bargain balcony class fares on cruise lines that we enjoy. We have had 20 plus cruise. We can take them or leave them so we are not heartbroken if we do not snag one.