Stressing about the budget!

[Aussie Aloha]

Hello all,

 

I am just over a week away from my cruise and I am starting to stress about my budget. I have more than enough saved I think but am starting to stress about whether or not I have enough! I don't have a credit card to back me up if needed, which adds to the stress.

 

How much do most ppl spend on their cruises? Not being rude in asking, just hoping to put my mind at ease a little...

 

AA

[rkmw]

Hello all,

 

I am just over a week away from my cruise and I am starting to stress about my budget. I have more than enough saved I think but am starting to stress about whether or not I have enough! I don't have a credit card to back me up if needed, which adds to the stress.

 

How much do most ppl spend on their cruises? Not being rude in asking, just hoping to put my mind at ease a little...

 

AA

hi AA, it all depends on a lot of things....do you drink, smoke play the pokies or go on shore tours, play bingo....some people say a figure of $100 per day...but it all depends on what you do

 

rkmw

[Megagirl]

Hi Aussie Aloha

 

My husband and I have been on heaps of cruises so we don't do shore tours much anymore.

 

We usually spend about $1000 on a 10 night cruise, which is only $100 per night for both of us. We drink wine at dinner every night :eek::eek: and maybe 2 or 3 cocktails a day and a couple of beers. We probably buy 2 photos per cruise and a couple of soft drinks and maybe an ice cream a day.

 

We're probably at the lower end of the spending cause it's not a novelty to us anymore. We're usually on a tight budget so if you need to be, you can certainly enjoy yourself without spending a heap of money.

 

Jenny

[Aus Traveller]

Someone mentioned $100 per day. I think that is a reasonably generous allowance.

 

It is possible to spend nothing on a cruise and it is also possible to spend a lot more than you paid for the cruise. It is up to you. The items that can cost a lot are shore tours, alcohol, gambling and even photographers photos. As you are concerned about your budget, maybe you could set a limit per day. You need to decide what you like to do so you will enjoy your cruise. It is easy to do the shore tours yourself and that is a big saving compared with booking on the ship. Have friends or people in your group take photos on your own camera rather than buying the candid ones taken by the ship's photographers. However, you might decide to have a special portrait done. They are pretty good value. Tips of $7.50 per person per day are added to your account, but you can go to the Purser's Office and vary this if you wish. Your choice.

 

I strongly recommend you get a print-out of your on-board account from the Purser's Office (reception desk) every few days. Then you can see how you are going.

 

Have a fantastic cruise and don't stress about the budget. :)

[Sandielle]

That was a great reply Aus T - well thought out. :) We got a printout every few nights to keep a track on our spending. We saved all our change for months before we cruised - it's surprising how it mounts up. In the end, without really thinking about it, we spent around the same amount as we had saved for our cruise booze - er spending - fund.

 

One thing, though, if you want to use the internet, beware. :eek: We thought we didn't need much time on the net as we just wanted to email family and check on correspondence, so opted for the 75c a minute option, thinking we wouldn't use all the next package - $55. Haha! what with the slow speed and our provider occasionally dropping out, we spent more than that.

[macca46]

We spent $100 a day each, so a 3 night Cruise was $670.

We did go overboard a little because it was a special occasion and we let our Hair down.

 

Drinks are roughly $6.00 a Beer, $8.00 a Spirit and $9.00 a Cocktail.

 

The Photos are way over priced at $30 each or deals like buy 5 and get one free.

The Gift shops have some reasonable buys but mainly the sort of watches on sale cheap that you would find at a Market.

If you cherry pick the stuff in the shops for souvenirs you can get some reasonable buys, T shirts for $15.00 etc.

 

The Lotus Spas look like they are for wealthy people or those that want to pretend to be.

The Shore tours look like a Stitch up in most cases and some internet homework can save you as much as 50%

 

We loved our Cruise but you have to watch where you spend your money, as others have said.

You can buy a Coffee for a few bucks or you can go to the Buffet and get one for free, same with the Juice.

 

I agree with Sandy about the Internet, for the speed and frustration it should not be 0.75c a minute they should pay you that amount for wasting an hour of your Cruise.

 

 

Ian

[Aus Traveller]

It's good that Sandy and Ian both mentioned the internet. I didn't think of that because we don't use it. We reckon if there is an emergency at home our family will contact us on the ship. :)

[macca46]

It's good that Sandy and Ian both mentioned the internet. I didn't think of that because we don't use it. We reckon if there is an emergency at home our family will contact us on the ship. :)

 

Which Cruise are you on AT?

[Aus Traveller]

Which Cruise are you on AT?

We cruise a fair bit. Our last cruise was the inaugural cruise on the Pacific Jewel.

[macca46]

We cruise a fair bit. Our last cruise was the inaugural cruise on the Pacific Jewel.

 

OOPs sorry I meant AA the original poster my mistake.

[Aus Traveller]

Aussie Aloha's signature has the Pacific Dawn cruise 10th April to Noumea, Lifou and Vila.:)

(I hope you don't mind my answering the question.):)

[Skyrules]

Like anywhere, you can spend as little or as much as you like on your cruise.

 

We normally allow $100 per person per day for our on board spending and then a bit extra beyond that for spending at the ports - at o/s ports we normally take local currency out of an ATM. We aren't heavy drinkers; a bottle of wine with dinner and a couple of cocktails after dinner.

 

The most expensive thing you pay for on a cruise are shore tours.

[macca46]

Aussie Aloha's signature has the Pacific Dawn cruise 10th April to Noumea, Lifou and Vila.:)

(I hope you don't mind my answering the question.):)

 

Not at all Mr Holmes.

:)

[rugbypopsie]

Stop stressing the good thing about cruising is it is all under your control...as long as you check every couple of days and work out your budget in advance you will be fine....stay away from pokies, photos except for a boarding photo (gotta have those), shore tours and limit the drinkies.:D

 

Dont get your photos processed onboard take spare batteries for your camera and absolutely no internet...if you want to mail home use internet cafes on shore.

 

As other posters have said some people manage to not spend hardly anything..personally makes me wonder why... that's half the fun but you can have a great time on a limited budget...in fact write when you get back and tell us how you got on?

 

[fishtaco]

$50 pp per day is ample if you dont gamble and you drink your smuggled booze with just bought mixers from the bar!

 

We had 2lts of vodka and 750mls of mojito vodka on our last 12 night cruise,bought my smokes duty free before we left and we saved heaps!

 

I bought beer Tracey bought soda water:D

 

Have as many photos taken as you possibly can and then just buy a few,its good to have a big choice! Also the more they have to throw away will maybe give them the hint that they are now way too expensive!

 

Take off your auto tips and just tip staff as you feel it necessary,i guarantee your individual tips will be a lot less than auto tips!

[Aussie Aloha]

Thanks for all the replies.

 

I do like to drink...cocktails and wine. Plan to enjoy those. I think that could be my biggest spend. Won't gamble, not too worried about the photos. Plan on doing a few shore tours. I do like to shop though. Not that I am sure what there will be to buy really? The markets sound interesting. What's the duty-free shopping like onboard? Or on the islands?

 

I've budgeted about $300 a day. So from reading above I feel better.

[oysterfiend]

Thanks for all the replies.

 

I do like to drink...cocktails and wine. Plan to enjoy those. I think that could be my biggest spend. Won't gamble, not too worried about the photos. Plan on doing a few shore tours. I do like to shop though. Not that I am sure what there will be to buy really? The markets sound interesting. What's the duty-free shopping like onboard? Or on the islands?

 

I've budgeted about $300 a day. So from reading above I feel better.

$300 a day is alot,

Depends on shore tours etc and if you don't drink, you can get way quite cheaply,

Watch out for the photos,

On our first cruise I bought way to many which were not that great anyhow, can spend $100s on photos and never look at them again if they are not good ones

only buy them if you look great and put the others back.

If buying drinks like a bottle of wine, you can hold it over to the next night if you haven't finished it

[bazzaw]

$300 per day :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

 

Have you considered not throwing your hard earned money about quite so much on this cruise - and taking a second cruise instead??? :p

 

 

Barry

[Surf_Chick]

ok well i went on the 7 night week fantastique in 2008 and i spent $1000, i didnt do any shore tours or hire snorkelling gear, main costs were.

 

* Spirits & cocktails (majority of my costs hehe)

* duty free (bout $300 there on gifts and cheap guess jewellery)

* smokes

* 2 professional photos.

* pizza bar a few times ($7 per pizza)

 

hope that helps, im worrying i wont have enough for my cruise, i prefer to have more then enough so i can go all out and have a FANTASTIC time :) the memories are what lasts the costs of it are what fades.

[Surf_Chick]

$50 pp per day is ample if you dont gamble and you drink your smuggled booze with just bought mixers from the bar!

 

We had 2lts of vodka and 750mls of mojito vodka on our last 12 night cruise,bought my smokes duty free before we left and we saved heaps!

 

I bought beer Tracey bought soda water:D

 

Have as many photos taken as you possibly can and then just buy a few,its good to have a big choice! Also the more they have to throw away will maybe give them the hint that they are now way too expensive!

 

Take off your auto tips and just tip staff as you feel it necessary,i guarantee your individual tips will be a lot less than auto tips!

 

hey fishtaco, i was trying to find if i could PM you regarding your smuggeling hahahahaha.... is there a PM thing on here, i would like to hear how you did it and tips etc :) cause that would be my biggest saving, taking my own :p

[rugbypopsie]

hey fishtaco, i was trying to find if i could PM you regarding your smuggeling hahahahaha.... is there a PM thing on here, i would like to hear how you did it and tips etc :) cause that would be my biggest saving, taking my own :p

Cruise with Princess..no need to smuggle they have a very sensible policy of allowing you to bring on a reasonable amount of alcohol at every port.:D

 

If you want to check the threads you will find plenty of comments re alcohol.

[Starved]

We started out saying we wouldn't buy much but that got out of hand quickly.:rolleyes: Our biggest expense was the shore tours, we did one in each port and I think the dearest one was $285 each. Including the daily tip amount we spent $2900 on a 14 day cruise, so the rest was alcohol:eek: and the odd icecream and I did get one massage.

Enjoy your cruise - we would spend it all again in a heartbeat!

[fishtaco]

hey fishtaco, i was trying to find if i could PM you regarding your smuggeling hahahahaha.... is there a PM thing on here, i would like to hear how you did it and tips etc :) cause that would be my biggest saving, taking my own :p

 

Its simple! as long as its in bottles that dont look like Booze bottles!

 

It no good for people who like to display their drink in the cabin in the nice bottles though!

 

carry a "Pump" style water bottle with you and when you order a mixer/mocktail you just give it a shot or two!

 

Do a search on the net for "Rum Runners"

 

contact lens saline solution bottles are very good!

 

Non clear 1 liter mouthwash bottles (forward planning needed) are great but it takes time as you first need to use the mouthwash then it needs to be cleaned to get rid of minty smell with denture cleaner or similar then rinsed with bi carb a few times!

 

The xray machines are looking for bottles that resemble booze bottles or wine bladders in your cases so as long as its in appropriate containers and packed with the relevant items ie mouthwash with toothbrushes,saline solution with contact lens stuff etc!

 

Security staff cannot collect and hold at the pursers desk every case that contains bottles or containers or nobody would get their luggage!

 

 

be warned though! More than once on a cruise i have woken with the "dry horrors" and took a few big gulps from what i thought was water lol.

 

I travel overseas at least 4 times a year so we always have plenty of duty free to smuggle which makes it quite cheap!

 

I will possibly get blasted for telling you this but in my case i rarely drink at home but do so on holidays so this info is for people like me "Only"

 

P&O have used "responsible drinking aboard" rules to gain profits and its as clear as day once you are aboard!

 

On my last cruise it was a bit of a boozy one and people late at night were falling all over the place! some cards were stopped for 12 hours but mostly the drink kept flowing $$$$$!

 

We never got drunk once but as a smoker i tended to nip upstairs for a quick puff and witnessed just how drunk some were on P&O booze later in the night!

 

If I was allowed to take wine then I would just take a couple of bottles of good wine between us like you can on Princess (same company) and i then would be happy to purchase their alcohol.

 

A total BYO ban to curb irresponsible drinking by the few is a total insult to responsible adults and yes P&O is a company entitled to make their fair share of profits,but they should announce it as such and not in the guise of a safety issue!

 

On all my cruises the cabin staff were well awhere of our smuggled alcohol that were in odd bottles with glasses,mixers and slices of lemon next to them, not once did they ever move bottles to where they should have been like they do other stuff, so they would be smart enough to report "irresponsible" drinkers doing the same and i dare say they do all the time!

 

With the recent increase in smokes on board it wont be long before they ban BYO duty free smokes because it will impact on their profits!

 

Once most smokers realize you can purchase duty free smokes on land weeks before you cruise with your ticket and passport and take them on board at less than half P&Os,price then they will ban it as well!

 

Giving up smoking though its a better option for all smokers in any situation!

[wombat50]

surf chick, it is quite easy to take your own booze on board i usually take one of those refillable esky bricks. i saw them awhile ago at bunnings for appox $4 for a 2liter container i think, they are only about 20mm thick, easy to fit anywhere in your suitcase. you can also check-in or carry on board a cartoon of soft drink cans, so your drinking habits can work out quite cheap.

[fruitloop12]

 

Giving up smoking though its a better option for all smokers in any situation!

 

 

 

Yes that would be the best plan (!) BUT.... how would one go about buying duty free smokes (in Auckland) BEFORE the cruise to take on board with us?

 

Thanks in advance!