Help me understand the actual cost

Hi Guys! I'm 100% new to cruises. I used to be a world traveler, but my spouse is someone who has asthma and would much prefer to sleep in the same room with consistent amenities. I'm thinking a cruise might be the right choice for us - I get my day(s) in an exotic locale and swimming onboard, he gets his Air Conditioning, television, toilet and a clean bed. He eats alot so I love giving him the freedom to go to the buffet as often as he needs to, without requiring me to prepare a meal or drive him somewhere which is a big drag on our vacations.

I have a ton of questions after weeks of reading this website, other sites, and looking through NCL's cruise guide. I've narrowed it down to 2 cruises which I'd be most likely to take. Both are on the Norwegian Gem from NYC to the Carribean, one is on January 23rd and the other second option is on February 3rd.

This is the first place where I began getting confused: pricing.

I knew the price was likely to be higher than was stated or shown. When I first started looking it said the price would be as low as $549 per person, and that additional guests cost less. I was thinking $1100 plus some fees along the way and some spending money would make the trip close to $2000.

I chose the cheapest possible room (Inside, no windows) which for my dates started at $849 (SO now I'm thinking $1700) and then I read about how internet isn't included, it's a premium by-the-minute thing or $25 a day. I'd need to work on the days when we were "at Sea" minimum, and I know my spouse would want to use the internet when I wasn't using it, so we're talking 5 days at sea times $25 or $30 if the time isn't long enough = $150. So now we're up to $1850. Then I saw that not all food is included, that I'd have to pay if I wanted the Brazilian Steakhouse which is definitely part of my joy! So let's add another $100 for this. We're up to around $2000, $250 of which is add-ons. Then I saw that only some beverages are included. We're not drinkers, but my spouse will definitely drink sodas. That easily uses up the other $50 I didn't account for above in my $2000 estimate.

The point is, I can't tell how much this will ACTUALLY cost. I tried booking the trip to see how much it could potentially cost, and they collect service charges, trip protection, and taxes on top of it that made the total price $2600. I figure that with the wifi, soda, and additional eating the cost will be $3000 plus anything you spend offboard. Is that a reasonable guess? I just want to make sure I have enough money before I book.

Other questions:

-if you don't take excursions at the destinations, how much might you spend onshore?

-are the free things onboard super busy all of the time? i.e. will I always fight for space in the swimming pool? Can I go swimming alone if I wait till 3 AM?

-how big of a difference will the specific ship make in my enjoyment?

-are all of the cabins air-conditioned?

-how many bags can you take with you?

-is the paid internet good enough to use for working? I find that many of the hotels I stay in have wifi technically, but the connection is so shoddy that it can't be relied on to do much

-what's the TV like?

-is there any benefit to booking through someone else vs. the cruiseline directly?

-Will I get to enjoy several beaches, or is this something better done from a hotel on land? Or do you need to sign up for an excursion? I want to enjoy crystalline waters for several hours on multiple days.

-When you go on excursions, do they use up your entire time at port? I'd like to snorkel and see turtles, but I don't want to use up my entire time.

-How long do you actually have at port when it says you arrive at 8 am and depart at 5 pm? If you had to be back two hours before departure and couldn't leave the ship until 2 hours after arrival, you'd actually have 5 hours instead of 9, hence my question.

-Is there time to really explore at port, or do you need to hang out near the ship?

-is there anything else I should be considering? Anything I failed to Ask?

-Would you consider cruises a better deal than traditional vacations?

In my mind, that $1300 price point was what got me thinking this was feasible, and a better price than the other options available for us. But it sounds like we're actually looking at 3x that amount. Is that true? Should I be looking at a different cruise line for our needs? We're coming out of NYC and I really do need to work via interrnet when I'm at sea.

Thanks in advance for considering my questions. Apologies if I should have formatted this differently.

Hello and welcome to Cruise Critic. There are a lot of things that are different about cruising than a land vacation. My suggestion is to read some of the articles here to get a feel for what you feel you would like to know. Yes, all the cabins are air conditioned. If you need to work via internet while you are at sea please know that it will probably be in the hundreds of dollars for unlimited internet access and sometimes it is not reliable. A good guess for an inside cabin for two after taking into account basic charges, insurance (highly recommended), specialty restaurants, shore excursions, transportation to and from the port (unless you are lucky enough for someone to drop you off) would be around $1500 pp. Of course you can do it for less with careful planning and get lucky with lowered prices closer to sailing or it might be much higher.

K. Don't think I can hit all your questions. To start with:

Pricing - NCL offers 'perks' on most of their cruises. Pretty much anything except a 'sail away' category will include 1 perk for an inside. So balance out your priorities; that 1 perk could be Internet (not unlimited) or free specialty dining, or a free drinks package. Now if you do the dining or drinks you will have to pay a service charge to cover the gratuity, but it's still a good deal.

You will have plenty of included food and drinks - all ships will include the main dining rooms where you can get a sit down, multi course, meal with a rotating menu; most ships have an Irish pub call o'sheehans with included food, many ships have a Chinese restaurant with included food, plus they all have buffets. You'll also get tap water, lemonade, iced tea, hot tea, and coffee at meals free and the buffet has a selection of flavored waters.

As far as port costs - can be hundreds of dollars for an excursion or $15 taxi fare to a free beach, can't say without knowing which ports you are going to.

Swimming pools have hours of operation, but there's always room in the actual pools; it's just the deck chairs near them that get busy. But go up a deck and there will be plenty of chairs.

Cabins are air conditioned

No limits on baggage

Tv is bad. It's got a few news and sports channels plus a few channels that play repeating movies and tv shows. That's it. I load up my phone/iPad before we go with things we like yo watch

The 2 hours only applies to when you get on the ship at the first port (embarkation). Because they have to get a manifest to homeland security. In the actual ports you can get off immediately and need to be back by 'all aboard' time which is 30-60 minutes before the time listed.

IMO you are going about this backwards. I take it you have a time frame of when you want to go and an idea of where you want to go. Try some search engines that search multiple cruise lines and look for one that is in your budget. Then you can start dealing with add ons. Virtually all cruises will have the price listed plus $100-$200 pp in fees/taxes, $13 pp pd in gratuities. And add on internet/drinks. So use that information to work backwards to find a budget and then find a cruise to match. I think cruises are a great value but we are selective and try to pick ones that are a good deal.

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I agree with the above post. Our family of 5 has done 6 cruises and we leave for our next one very shortly. Most of our cruises have been with NCL, and we usually budget for $2000--$2500 each. We take into consideration, actual cruise fare, gratuities, on board spending ( specialty coffee, a few drinks, the special show which costs extra), taxis, admission to beaches ( chairs, umbrellas), excursions, parking at home , one night in hotel evening before and flight to cruise port.

All that being said, we love cruising and became addicted after our first one!!! Most have been with NCL and we have never been disappointed. Great ships, service, food and entertainment. Lots to do if you want to yet spots around ships for quiet time too.

Good luck planning.

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First the cheapest room might not be the cheapest room if you want Internet and speciality dinning.

With NCL the higher the grade of room the more perks you get. If you got an Ocean view room you could pick a perk e.g. Internet or speciality dinning.

With NCL they have lots of included dining (not necessarily steak). Which you can decide on the day. These are sit down restaurants to bar food to the buffet.

You get basic coffee, tea, water (not bottled), flavoured fruit drinks and milk included in your fare. The drinks packages are really expensive unless you are going to drink 6 to 8 drinks per day. Drinks on boars are expensive a coke might be $2.50, while a beer $6.00, basic spirit and mixer $10.00 cocktail $15.00. You will be able to find list of drink prices on line. You have to buy the package for both of you for the entire cruise I think the current price $79 per person per day. Of course you can buy your drinks singularly.

It's really up to you how much money you spend. I typically spend $200 on all the extras.

If the ship docks at 8am you are usually given to all clear to go on shore with in the hour. The all a board for port days is 30 min not 2 hours (embarkation day only).

Yes the pool deck will be crowded. The pools are tiny compared to hotels, they are basically there to cool down. You certainly could go swimming at 8 pm to 10pm and be fairly empty or early morning 6 to 9.

I was on the Gem and didn't find it particularly busy or crowded to me.

You do not have to stay near the ship when in port. But remember the ship will not wait for you if you are late getting back. But lots of people do independent tours with no issues. There's plenty of pages her that give advice on ports.

I love cruising, the up front cost of the cruise can be pricey depending on when you are going, port of departure, cruise line and length of cruise. But it really is up to you how much you spend. My family spend very little on board, but others might spend thousands on board.

I would recommend getting a cruise agent (specialists) who can help guide you through your first time. We are not allowed to recommend anyone on here. So maybe ask friends or co-worker for a recommendation.

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If you don't drink alcoholic beverages, then don't pick the unlimited beverage packages. The packages don't include much for nonalcoholic drinks and NCL unlike all the other cruise lines adds an 18% service charge on the so called value.

We don't pick the beverage packages due to the crappy choices for wine and the service charge.

I think that is a great price for a 10 day cruise!

The price they initially show is the cheapest price and if you look at different departure days you will find it.

You have some great ports and great island beaches so what you spend is up to you. I usually budget 100 - 200 a port but we have had 0$ at some and 300$ at others. I never buy souvenirs!!

Go to you tube and watch ship tours , I get a lot of info from people video taping there cruise.

You will get better wifi on the islands. If you stop on a beach and have a drink or some food they will let you hook up to wifi. I don't know how secure that would be for work or banking

I think you would have sticker shock if you priced out a nice all inclusive for 10 days.

Find a local travel agent who is a Certified Travel Consultant. They can walk you through the process and answer questions for you.

The one added expense I always have is travel insurance. I just had some friends have to use their insurance a couple of days in Alaska. Some insurances including Medicare and some of its supplement insurance carriers do NOT cover anything outside of the United States (like the Caribbean).

Unless work only entails email, I would not plan on getting much done. Connection is slow and prob won't stay connected to a VPN reliably.

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Looks like many of your questions have been answered. Some advice:

1 - For your first cruise, not sure if I would do 10 day. Chances are you will love it, but if you don't? You will note we have take 2 week and longer cruises and love it, but just a heads up.

2 - I think you have covered most of the costs.

3 - It looks like maybe you have read up some here, but I would suggest you scan through posts from the past few weeks. Some of your questions are answered often - like you only have to return the ship 30 minutes before departure.

4 - Also read some of the reviews from past cruisers.

5 - Internet - will be better than dial up, but not like at home, for sure. Even web browsers tend to not bother while on a cruise. In some ports you can find wifi at a good rate. Did not see it mentioned, but phone calls are also expensive onboard.

6 - Some people NEVER eat at speciality restaurants. Just a thought.

Good luck.

Sachertorte, you're taking me back to when I first booked a cruise--it was before you could go online and find information so I had to rely on my TA, and she didn't do a good job preparing us for the cruise so I think it's great that you're asking so many questions!

Many of them have been answered, and I'll share some thoughts as well. I love cruising and find it to be a great value and a great way to travel. My ex is much like your husband in that he's a creature of habit. Cruising was the type of vacation we all enjoyed--I got to see different places and not work hard on vacation making sure the family was taken care of and he got to sit in the cabin as much as he wanted!

Kee in mind as you're looking at pricing that you don't have to purchase everything that's available. There are plenty of restaurants that are included in your cruise fare. If you want to eat at Moderno, yes it will be an extra charge (if you don't have a dining package) but it won't be $100. The unlimited internet may be $25 per day, but you will have to purchase a package for the entire cruise and not day by day. As was mentioned, if what you're wanting to do is email, you shold be fine, but it will be very slow to download any files or send large files. I've had worse service in hotels and far, far better service as well.

The different beverages that are included are mentioned. Since you and your husbad aren't drinkers, the UBP (Ultimate Beverage Package) likely wouldn't be a good perk for you, but if your husband drinks a lot of soda, then you might consider purchasing him a soda package--it's unliited soda for something like $7 or $7.50 per day.

Some responses below on your other questions:

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-if you don't take excursions at the destinations, how much might you spend onshore? That's very specific to the individual. Think about what you generally spend when you travel. If you like to shop then it'll be more, etc...

 

-are the free things onboard super busy all of the time? There is a lot to do on board that doesn't cost any thing extra. As far as being super busy, well, you're on a ship with a few thousand other people. There will be crowds, but it just depends on what you're wanting to do as to how busy an activity may be. You mentioned swimming, and I won't comment on that because I don't swim on a cruise.:)

 

-how big of a difference will the specific ship make in my enjoyment? This is another thing that is very individual. The ship is important to me, but not nearly as important as the itinerary. I cruise for the ports. For many people, the ship is the destination or a least really important. I suggest you think about your land vacations--how important is the hotel to you? It's not that simple because a ship offers much more than most hotels, but if your lodgings are extremely important, then the ship will likey be important to you. For me, the most important thing is being able to find a nice quiet place to read. :)

 

-how many bags can you take with you? As many as you'd like. I believe the NCL website may indicate a limit, but I don't think it's enforced. I always enjoy the rare cruises where I can drive to port so I don't have to be concerned about airline baggage fees. :) You'll be able to slide the suitcases under the bed for storage.

 

-is the paid internet good enough to use for working? I find that many of the hotels I stay in have wifi technically, but the connection is so shoddy that it can't be relied on to do much Responded above.

 

-what's the TV like? Not certain what you're asking. If you're concerrned about your husband having shows to watch, then you or he will likely be disappointed. The last thing the cruise line wants you doing is sitting in your cabin watching TV and not being out in the public areas! There will be some movies and news, but not a lot of interesting TV available.

 

-is there any benefit to booking through someone else vs. the cruiseline directly? There can be. Many TAs will give you a discount or onboard credit. In your case, finding a good TA who knows a lot about cruising would be helpful--I think you'd feel more confident making a decision if you were in the hands of a really good TA.

 

-Will I get to enjoy several beaches, or is this something better done from a hotel on land? Or do you need to sign up for an excursion? I want to enjoy crystalline waters for several hours on multiple days. Since you're going to the Caribbean, you should have ample opportunity to go to the beach! It can be as simple as taking a cab to the beach. You don't typicaly have to book an excursion if all you want to do is go to the beach.

 

-When you go on excursions, do they use up your entire time at port? I'd like to snorkel and see turtles, but I don't want to use up my entire time. That depends entirely on what you book. You can book an excursion that takes as little as an hour or one that takes up your entire time in port or anywhere in between.

 

-How long do you actually have at port when it says you arrive at 8 am and depart at 5 pm? If you had to be back two hours before departure and couldn't leave the ship until 2 hours after arrival, you'd actually have 5 hours instead of 9, hence my question.You can typically get off the ship pretty quickly after the arrival time and if you come in early, you may get off before the time you were scheduled to arrive (though I haven't experienced that very often). As was mentioned, the two hours before sail away time is only for embarkation day. The rest of the ports, it's usually 30 minutes before sail away that you need to be on board. DON'T be late! The ship can and will leave without you.

 

-Is there time to really explore at port, or do you need to hang out near the ship? Pay attention to the time and plan accordingly. I don't book excursions through the cruise line, but I make sure I book with reputable vendors who will get me back to the ship with time to spare. I love exploring and wouldn't cruise if I was restricted to staying near the ship!

 

-is there anything else I should be considering? Anything I failed to Ask? I think someone mentioned gratuities...you can either prepay the DSC (Daily Service Charge) or pay it at the end of your cruise. It's about $14 per person per day.

 

-Would you consider cruises a better deal than traditional vacations? Again, an individual decision. If you mean does it cost less, then is could or it could be much more expensive. It depends on how you travel on land and what cabin you book on a ship and what you do. Like any other vacation, you can reduce expenses or you can spend a lot. I love cruising because I love being on a ship and seeing so many different places.

 

In my mind, that $1300 price point was what got me thinking this was feasible, and a better price than the other options available for us. But it sounds like we're actually looking at 3x that amount. Is that true? I've never spent 3x the price of my cabin on a cruise! The only additional that you actually need to pay are the port fees and taxes and the added gratuity. I've prepaid my gratuities on cruises and walked off the ship having not spent another dime on board. I do spend money in ports because I go on tours in most ports, and I like to shop! But, those costs are up to the individual. You don't have to spend money in the ports unless you want to.

 

Good luck with your planning!

Unless work only entails email, I would not plan on getting much done. Connection is slow and prob won't stay connected to a VPN reliably.

Has this been your experience with VPN? I always use VPN and I don't recall ever being disconnected using the ship's internet.

Has this been your experience with VPN? I always use VPN and I don't recall ever being disconnected using the ship's internet.

Yes my experience has been unbearably slow to where it was too frustrating to work, maybe not to the point where it disconnected but have heard stories of that.

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One thing I didn't see anyone suggest is a dining package. If I remember correctly a 3 meal package is about $85 a person. A little higher then the $100 you talked about but you can also go to two other specialty restaurants.

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The Gem is 1 of the 2 NCL ships based & sail out of NYC year round, the Breakaway is the bigger, mega-ships and it is convenient, even our unpredictable winter & storm, blizzard, etc. The weather is typically warm enough to be outdoors (with a windbreaker or fleece jacket) on the open deck by afternoon of day 2 ... in addition to the (small, heated) adult pool, the hot tubs are nicely heated as well (go early or late during dinner where everyone else are loading up their calories).

As a first time cruiser and mindful of budget ... being frugal, you might wish to book an oceanview stateroom (a little more than "insides") - midship on the lower deck, for excellent stability or minimize motion sickness. With some of the extras mentioned,you would get your choice of 2 "Free At Sea" promotions instead of 1 for "insides" - that could cover your internet usage with a 250 minutes plan (for light use, checking email, etc. while at sea ***) and $50 shore excursion credit per day per stateroom (that's $50 x 4 port days = $200 equivalent (non) cash-back)

There are lots of local travel agencies that specialize in cruises, an agent can walk you thru the steps & process, and often give you extra bonuses (OBC or Onboard Credits) & other promotions - you would lose the advantage of dealing with NCL directly, like some of us do ... as experienced cruisers. T/A can help with selecting a deck & location, tips to the ports and working up a plan within your budget.

We don't cruise for specialty dining, the MDR food is edible, good enough - not gourmet or 4 stars, and buffet is open for as much as 15 to 18 hours a day, and there's O'Sheehans with comfort food - 24/7 all week ... and there's complimentary light (cold) breakfast in your stateroom, free from 6:30 to 10 AM. You spend as little or as much extra as you wished - so you don't need to factor in another 18% for auto gratuities for these add-on meal extras.

Other questions will come up, like laundry & fitness center, etc. - do look at some of the reviews here, specific to the Gem and also ones written specific to the ports (Old San Juan, PR and USVI, etc.) There are also numerous, many Youtube videos with visuals about the ship, the ports & some of the tours, etc. plus tippings about packing & what not to bring, etc.

Let's say, your 10 days rounded up to $3,000 for 2 of you - that's $300 a day, room/boarding, all meals (AYCE) and tipping/service charges, ship entertainment & shows, port excursions & escorted tours, and incidentals on board. Besides drinking soda & spending $$ on bottled tap water, unsweetened ice tea, flavored water, coffee & tea, milk, and juices in the morning for breakfast - are all included & available for no extra charge.

Some of the ports are very easy to walk around as D.I.Y. - there are useful info here on CC under Destination forum; and, don't forget to find & join the sailing's Roll Call, you get extra info & tips on what others are doing or their strategies, etc. Brew a cup of coffee, sit back & start browsing here.

P.S. If you have Google Movie & TV or Amazon Video, etc. - download a few movies or concerts and you can sit back, enjoy & relax on the ship ... doing nothing when there isn't anything interesting over satellite TV's channels, several of dedicated to infomercials.

Prices for those winter/January sailings tend to change & often drop as it get closer, especially when many can't or don't have time-off from their jobs yet in a new calendar year (that don't allow carry-over) - beware of cancellation penalities & deadlines.

Hi Guys! I'm 100% new to cruises. ... the NorwegianGem read about how internet isn't included, it's a premium by-the-minute thing or $25 a day. I'd need to work on the days when we were "at Sea" minimum, and I know my spouse would want to use the internet when I wasn't using it, so we're talking 5 days at sea times $25 or $30 if the time isn't long enough = $150.

-is the paid internet good enough to use for working?

... I really do need to work via interrnet when I'm at sea.

 

I have not seen where anyone has corrected your misinformation about internet pricing. The price per day on the unlimited plan is for EVERY day of your cruise. So if your cruise is 7 days that 7 x $30 = $210. You don't get to pay for just some of the days. Both of you can use the plan, but only one at a time.

You do not have to purchase the unlimited plan. You could purchase a 250 minute package for $125 + $3.95 activation fee. The 250 minutes can be spread over your cruise, so if you only want to use the internet on your five sea days that would allow 50 minutes each of those days.

As others have said, internet is very slow, like old-fashioned dial up. You are sharing the satellite server with hundreds of other people each time -- unless you sign on when others are sleeping.

Yes my experience has been unbearably slow to where it was too frustrating to work, maybe not to the point where it disconnected but have heard stories of that.

 

 

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I hadn't heard that. I'll be on the Epic in a month so hopefully my luck will hold I wo't be disconnected! :D

I have not seen where anyone has corrected your misinformation about internet pricing.

I did, but my post was very long so not surprised if anyone but the OP reads it. ;):D

Hi,

You can cruise for only the cruise cost and gratuities. WHat you add is up to you, $50 soda card, Moderno is only $24.95 per person, so less than $50! DO you really need the internet? There is so much to do on the ship, we really try to disconnect to make it real vacation. If you have to have it, you can get a smaller package and just check it every so often. It really can become annoying because internet is usually much slower than on land. You also have to plan for excursions on port days. Excursions do cost money, so figure out what you want to do and add it into your budget, or you can just get off the ship and walk around the port, thats free!....Don't forget, if you were home, you would be spending money on groceries and gas, so I always take what it would have used for my grocery budget and gas for the week and subtract it from what i'm spending on the cruise.

Relax, you will love it! I could go and not even get off the ship or spend 1 extra cent, and enjoy myself! someone cleans for me, they cook for me and my family, free entertainment, nice pools, excellent food, you will meet some great people on the ship, and some may become good friends. It's like going to a 5 star hotel, and everything is free, I don't have to pay an extra penny, unless I choose to! I love knowing exactly what i'm going to spend before I go, it really helps with my stress levels!:D

The Getaway used to reliably kick me off a consumer VPN (PIA) every few minutes. I seem to recall it didn't do it as badly after the "upgrade".

[quote name=Quilting_Cruiser;53848628

I did' date=' but my post was very long so not surprised if anyone but the OP reads it. ;):D[/quote]

I went back just now to re-read your post to see how I missed it. Yep, it was in a paragraph about dining and I guess I hadn't read the entire paragraph. :rolleyes:

I went back just now to re-read your post to see how I missed it. Yep, it was in a paragraph about dining and I guess I hadn't read the entire paragraph. :rolleyes:

Well, I was rather verbose! It's always nice to help someone who's new to cruising. It usually doesn't spiral into pettiness so I enjoy helping out--as shown by my word count on that post! LOL.

Cruising is not "cheap"...and the cabins are not as spacious as hotel rooms.....not by a long shot. BUT...you don't NEED to eat in the "specialty" restaurants....plenty of food is included in your fare. Only Disney includes sodas in the price. ALL cruise lines (except the "luxury" lines) charge tips on a per person, per night basis. Alcohol is ALWAYS extra, as is internet. TV sucks on ships...same shows over and over and over....but you aren't there to watch tv......

A cruise is simply a vacation. You may be happier at a land-based resort, where it's truly "all-inclusive", and there will be pools, and fun!

@Sachertorte -

The Jewel is one of our favorites, having done 3 cruises with her. We are looking at the March 6 departure to celebrate my 83 birthday. When our cruises take us to St. John, we like to walk to the local McDonald, have a cool drink and up- and download a week's worth of email. We have our iDevices with lots of reading and listening material, we do not need Wi-Fi or TV.

Wow, thank you so much for the informative and thorough replies! I have read through all of them. I really would love to try this and this may be the year where I do so...

Wow, thank you so much for the informative and thorough replies! I have read through all of them. I really would love to try this and this may be the year where I do so...

Just to add, there is a lot to learn but the important thing is that for the most part, cruising is what you make it. You know better than anyone what you like and don't like. Although they may seem to be the same, cruise lines are different. Cruise ships within each line are different. Staterooms within each ship are different. Restaurants are different. It can seem overwhelming but if you take your time and absorb as much info (from cruise critic ;)) as possible, you will inevitably be happy with your choice..can't guarantee great weather, though (many people are dealing with that issue at the moment).:(