How much do you spend on board ?

[sarahmouse]

Just trying to work out how much OBC to allow for a TA,

 

Thanks for any help

 

sarah

[garigoun]

Just trying to work out how much OBC to allow for a TA,

 

Thanks for any help

 

sarah

 

Sarah, I have found that, by and large, all things being equal, taking everything into consideration and as a general rule, one's onboard spend depends to an enormous extent on one's appetite ( and capacity) for gin.

A Tanqueray Gari

[Host Sharon]

This is impossible to answer. Do you like to go to the spa, have your hair done, gamble, drink alcoholic beverages, spend on souvenirs etc?

 

I am sure between us all we can give you prices of these things. All the spa prices are on the Cunard website. Then you can estimate what you might think you will need.

 

Have a great time.

[balf]

Too much, far too much.

 

David.

[bluejay55]

Sarah,

Are you going to get the favourable exchange rate Cunard are giving if you go through your TA? I have just called Cunard and got a rate of $1.887 for my OBC.

Jimmy

[VirginCruiser II]

Just trying to work out how much OBC to allow for a TA,

 

Thanks for any help

 

sarah

 

As much as you can squeeze out of Cunard!

Seriously though Sarah, it all depends on what you like doing:

all of your entertainment and food (apart from the supplement for the Todd English restaurant) is already paid for. Drinks and cocktails in the bars are very reasonably priced, wine prices in the restaurants are fair, gift shop prices are very good.

You will register a credit card when you board and this is all charged to your cc a/c at the end anyway.

[north east girl]

Just trying to work out how much OBC to allow for a TA,

 

Thanks for any help

 

sarah

Hi Sarah,

 

We have just returned from our first TA, got a good rate from cunard and had $1000.00. We did go overboard on photos, which we spent $300 on and a lovely massage and treatment in the spa for just over $300.

 

Drinks were very resonably priced. Bought a few prezzies also spent over the credit but not by much. It really does depend on what you like to drink, with it being our silver wedding I wanted lots of photos to put in an album which I also bought on the ship.

 

Did have a great time, loved it so much.

 

Catherine

[rjm1cc]

I think you have to set a daily on board budget. Do the same for port side spending.

[hansol1966]

I think we are on the same trip so just a few thoughts on expenditure.

 

Tips (room charges) $11 per day per person,

Maybe 4 or 5 pictures $100- 125, Cunard album+1 free ship picture $35 (looks good and is worth it considering all the future Cunard photos you will collect).

Spa.. who knows, a BIT pricey, maybe try something on the Spa flyer (special offers) that comes with your daily programmeevery night for the next day. Or try the spa pass which gives you access to the spa facilities for 1-3-5 days.

Its $40 for 1 day..$75 for 3 days...$95 for 5 days plus 15%tip.

For drinks allow $5-6 per drink per person

Children can purchase a soda card on the first day for $4 plus 15% tip per day

(must be purchased for the whole trip..6 days) for unlimited soft drinks across the ship say $30.

Todd English speciality restaurant..$20 for lunch per person.. $30 for dinner per person.

Duty free shopping at the shops onboard (very good prices for alchol and cigarettes)

Speciality coffees $3-4 each.

Internet use (pricey)

oh and i forgot...INCH OF GOLD and last day sales in the Cunard shop.

Add a contingency and you are there..simple!

Hope this helps a bit.

Fred & Sian.

[NomDePlume]

The soda card is indeed an excellent suggestion--I found I break even if I have just two sodas per day. It is not restricted to children, and only available on the first (and sometimes second) day.

Nice list Fred!

[hansol1966]

Thankyou NomdePlume, you are right it is for adults as well and very good value.

13 days to go cant wait...Wheres my INCH OF GOLD membership discount loyalty reward card Helppp.

Fred & Sian.

[HARLEY 2003 FATBOY]

i average 150 for my 7 day cruises Jeff

[Alycidon]

i average 150 for my 7 day cruises Jeff

 

$150 per day is very little. Well done.

[sarahmouse]

Thanks for all the info, will buy some OBC asap !!!

[Buddy604]

Depending on how much I hit the casino, I'd budget $100-$150 a day. You could easily get by on $50 a day if you don't gamble or do the spa or drink a bottle of wine with dinner.

[SueOverend]

We've bought $1000 for our TA in November. This should cover our tips, a bottle of wine at dinner every night, 4 or 5 bar drinks each per day, a visit to the Champagne bar, a spa treatment each, and a few meals in the Speciality Restaurant. We're unlikely to buy any photographs, but I'll probably buy some perfume and duty free. We're hoping this is enough, but it may not be!!

 

At home we don't eat or drink out, saving all our money for our holidays, so we do tend to splurge a bit!

 

Sue

[Steamrunner]

My wife and I really don't drink much in the way of alcoholic drinks (except for the odd port or Baileys), so this soda card sounds like just the thing for us! I just have a few questions I hope someone can answer...

 

• Where do you get one?
  
• We're on the Autumn Sojourn in a couple of weeks, so does that count as one trip, or do we have to buy a new card for each "leg" of the trip (TA, up & down the US, TA)?
  
• Can we use it for drinks with our evening meals in the Britannia restaurant? I know, Pepsi with the fois gras is going to get some funny looks, but we just don't like wine!
  

 

Also, whilst I'm in a question-answering mood, I'm planning on buying a couple of the Cunard dressing gowns as useful souvenirs. One of the earlier posts mentioned last-day sales - would that include the gift shop stuff, and again, are they on every leg of the voyage (e.g. last day of both TA cruises etc)?

 

Cheers!

[capnpugwash]

The soda card is $3.95 per day and any bar will sell it to you on the first day.

I think that it works at dinner provided the drink purchased is supplied by a hose gun.

Regarding sales, Deck 3 is reminiscent of an Arab Souk except for the lack of camels with all the tables set up daily throughout the voyage selling all kinds of tat.

[cinta]

If I thought too much about what we spend, I would go into shock!!:eek:

 

But what a lovely way to spend money :D

[miz66]

We did our first TA at the end of August, apart from the $66 I only bought a couple of t-shirts, so was a happy bunny when I got back to my credit card bill. I was going to get my hair done one day but as a hairdresser thought it too exensive so did it myself in 10 mins.

We don't drink so no money was spent there, like people say you can spend as much or as little as you wish really it's all up to you.

Have a great time, we did;)

[Bugslyboo.com]

Our personal experience has seen the "extra" costs usually coming in at around the same level as what one of our cruise fares cost. For us it has worked out like this for translatlantics, carib. and med. cruises. I'm guessing we are probably on the lower end of the extra costs scale as we don't buy a lot of pics. or do spa sessions. Most of the costs are for drinks, tips, excursions (...they're really cheap on the transatlantics...) an occasional Todd English meal and small purchases onboard.

Hope this helps.

[SeaMatesNYC]

Our personal experience has seen the "extra" costs usually coming in at around the same level as what one of our cruise fares cost.

 

Same here. It's when it's getting towards 1.5 times you know it's time to lighten up on the booze, else the multiplier effect of 10 days at Betty Ford upon disembarkation really sets one back.:eek:

 

I remember one cruise where we met a lady who was so proud of the fact that she had spent only $13.65 over 10 nights (she'd had the auto-tip removed). And that was for bandaids and anti-bacterial ointment from the sundries shop (she had cut her foot very slightly on a rocky shoreline) and she was taking 95% of that purchase home. Now that's budgeting!

[NomDePlume]

The soda card is $3.95 per day and any bar will sell it to you on the first day.

I think that it works at dinner provided the drink purchased is supplied by a hose gun.

 

It works everywhere, anytime, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even G32... But be sure to show your card when ordering.

[garigoun]

It works everywhere, anytime, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even G32... But be sure to show your card when ordering.

 

 

 

 

G32. What a sad waste of space that place is. In use only three or four hours a night and then, according to a member of the staff , only by a very few people except on the four day booze cruises.

 

 

I did venture in once, when the Queens room was very crowded and we’d waited ages for a waiter to take our order. I can’t say it was a life enhancing experience.

 

 

There were five or six people downstairs and a few smokers upstairs. We must have entered during a hiatus in the proceedings because as I peered wide eyed into the silent, chthonic gloom of the Post Industrial Apocalyptic decor a sudden burst of cacophonous discord was unleashed. This din which was operating under the alias of music was projected, I will not say played, into the room at a volume high enough to set up sympathetic resonance in one’s internal organs. No sooner had this assault on the tympanum begun than several young men, sans jacket, sans tie and with shirt sleeves rolled up jumped up and began flailing about like a bevy of electrocuted octopi. Gentle reader this chronicler must confess that it was all too much for his frail and sensitive constitution. Offering a silent but fervent prayer of apology to Euterpe and Terpsichore for the evil that was being perpetrated in their names that night I slipped silently away and made my way up into the serene ambiance of the Commodore Club where I sank gratefully, if not gracefully, into the comforting embrace of a very large brandy.

 

 

 

An Old Fashioned Gari

[heywood]

G32. What a sad waste of space that place is. In use only three or four hours a night and then, according to a member of the staff , only by a very few people except on the four day booze cruises.

I did venture in once, when the Queens room was very crowded and we’d waited ages for a waiter to take our order. I can’t say it was a life enhancing experience.

There were five or six people downstairs and a few smokers upstairs. We must have entered during a hiatus in the proceedings because as I peered wide eyed into the silent, chthonic gloom of the Post Industrial Apocalyptic decor a sudden burst of cacophonous discord was unleashed. This din which was operating under the alias of music was projected, I will not say played, into the room at a volume high enough to set up sympathetic resonance in one’s internal organs. No sooner had this assault on the tympanum begun than several young men, sans jacket, sans tie and with shirt sleeves rolled up jumped up and began flailing about like a bevy of electrocuted octopi. Gentle reader this chronicler must confess that it was all too much for his frail and sensitive constitution. Offering a silent but fervent prayer of apology to Euterpe and Terpsichore for the evil that was being perpetrated in their names that night I slipped silently away and made my way up into the serene ambiance of the Commodore Club where I sank gratefully, if not gracefully, into the comforting embrace of a very large brandy.

An Old Fashioned Gari

 

 

so... it's not your kind of place then, Gari?