kirtihk

That's what I do for last 10 years or so prior to each cruise!

So much agree: I used to say "Every hour counts on a cruise"; my mantra changed over years substituting "hour" with "minute". So, typically, I stay up until 12:30 am on average around the ship (that's why I posted my previous comment - # 64), then some reading in the cabin, and back on a journey at 6:20 am next day.

Just need to be careful to navigate it at midnight after 15-20 drinks.

We are ALL set - my entry (# 188) addresses and covers your "Wow" concern in full. Feel free to drop a few more quarters for officers, engineers, a cruise director, a chef, hotel director, spa manager, a sailor, security, a nurse - the choice is yours!

To pay a captain's salary would be nice ... then, perhaps, a cruise fare would be reduced. It's only $0.25 per person per day ($0.25 x 3,000 passengers per ship = $750 per day or $273,757 for a year - sounds about right). So, it's just an extra quarter per day, and the "whole" captain is at our discretion!

Correct; however, what the difference (in efforts) for any above when serving $10 glass of wine vs say $200 serving of something? Is it really 20 more work involved? If that's true, then if for $10 serving it takes say 10 min of total work then it would be almost half of entire 8-hour shift for $150 serving. It sounds about "right".

Embarkation - shmarvocation; virus - shmirus; Covid - shmovid …

When it’s not specified, it’s typical to assume a price per person (the way it’s listed on cruise lines’ and agencies’ web sites.

I think it’s my way of expressing myself (most people think of my statements the opposite of what I mean each time including you now - I was ironically tried to show what fun is to read the majority of complaints). I was born and lived for the first 31 years in a country where one should use a special language to hide a true meaning of their thoughts. I stopped using this language in 1991 when I came to US, but starting about 3 years ago I feel like using it once again (survival instinct prevails I guess).

Our 10-day Beyond cruise in April 2024 is 332 per night per person (a half of yours). Our 7-day Ascent cruise in April 2025 is even less per day - $257.

Let's remove the following entities: casino, spa, sauna/steam room, pool, buffet, hot tub, theater, bar, lounge, specialty restaurant, because each of them doesn't attract every cruiser. In fact, I hope a LOT of people feel that way and abandon any cruise line. Then... cruises will get cheaper, definitely less crowded, and so roomy! - just bunch of cabins, 1 main restaurant, and the rest of a ship is all yours to wonder around in (like a private ship).

Or pay for EVERYTHING on the ship, because the cruise fair you paid on booking is just a grant (privilege) to entry/access/embrocate the ship.

It's true, neighbor. Chasing and begging a room attendant (I cannot believe I'm turning into political correctness program) for what used to be standard) cleaning is not a pleasant game during what is supposed to be a total relaxing and cleared mind holiday.

They will shortly substitute dinner altogether.

Oh, good catch - 88% was actually % up from the lowest of 2 values.

Not so great - it all depends. There is no direct formula or tend: we booked Aqua category on Beyond (booked in March 2022) for April, 2024 (10-day) and on Ascent (booked in January 2023) for April 2025 (7-day) - a good comparison (it is for the same month and cabin category). A month later after we booked Beyond, the price was increased by 44%; recently (a few weeks ago) the price went down but still 15% higher than our price. Our Ascent cruise is 25% less (not more) than the price we booked for our Beyond cruise (I calculated both cruises per day in case someone will question it) and 88% less than the price for our Beyond cruise that was 1 month after we booked it. So, here we see a swing in almost 200% (196% to be exact: 108% higher in the first post I comment on + 88 % in my post).

Norwegian now is very nice - $20 up to balcony.

It’s around $300 per person (for 7-day cruise) with 20% mandatory tip.

Everyone is not happy with missing meats choices. Hello, where are scotch lovers’ complaints?! The classic list is getting uglier with every passing year… We have to survive on Pino Grigio lately.

Wait a second… just food, yes, but not a special one. I can easily and seriously “survive” on 6 pieces of bread 3 time a day (I came to US 32 years ago from a country where it was common “practice”); it doesn’t mean, however, I would like to be served that way on the cruise when paying $$ thousands (for $200 total for 7-day cruise, perhaps, I would be fine with just bread - just a thought).

That was a reply - you missed irony in it. I meant the opposite of what you think of my statement that was on par with what you wrote.

Do you daily eat food prepared by chef at home, shows, entertainment, cleaned pool? If not, then there is no need for it on holiday.

During our cruise in 2017 a captain introduced the Edge class stating that 4 ships are officially coming and then with a pause he whispered - “a little secret - actually, there will be 5 ships coming up).”

You may also do Regent for $7,000 14-day (if you remove included air price option) cruise where the entire ship is your Retreat area so to speak and excursions are included in each port (average $150 per person per tour - $1,200 worth for the 14-day cruise if say you have 5 sea days). So, in the end it's like $5,800 only ($7,000 - $1,200) making around $400 per day.

The arithmetic is the same and simple: say, you pay $1,000 per stay (a week) in the resort and then pay $100 as tip, and the wage of a person who get your tip is $30,000 per year or $2,500 per month plus your $100 tip making it total $2,600; now, instead you pay $1,100 per stay (including tips invisible to you) - in the latter case, the wage of a person (who would get $100 tip in the former case) would increase by the same amount which is $100 per week bringing it to $2,600.