The true cost of cruising

[footzz]

Dollar for dollar cruise vacations remain one of the best value for travelers, despite a slew of additional fees.

 

The cruise lines may have not increased their fares, but they have been building more expensive ships filled with more amenities, more activities and more options, some of them unheard of a decade ago. And many of these optional amenities and features come at a cost to the consumer. Below (in no particular order) is a list of some ways cruise lines have come up with to generate on board revenue.

 

Pictures - Shore excursions – Alcoholic Beverages – Non Alcoholic Beverages - Casinos - Specialty coffee drinks, pastries and ice creams – Spa services – Flower Sales – Photography - Food/wine tasting - Upscale dining options – Internet - Ship to shore communications - Laundry service - On board shops - Cruise sponsored shopping – Bingo - Medical services - Mandatory tipping – Airline bookings – Transfers - Art auctions - Corkage fees - On board activities (wave rider, zip lines, etc.) - Behind the scenes tours - Specialized fitness classes

 

Have I missed any? And, in the future, what amenities do you think the cruise lines will add or charge for to keep the basic fares low?

 

[shof515]

since ticketmaster has it, it wont be long before other company's follow them into making us pay 2 or more dollars to print the ticket info ourselves

[lizpdfb]

At certain times they have fuel surcharges, as well.

[Bobby_Mac]

The extra fees are kinda like my feelings on taxes. I don't mind so much paying for what I use, but I don't like paying into the general fund for things I don't use or benefit from. Taxes are one of the big reasons I moved from VA to FL.

[dan40]

Dollar for dollar cruise vacations remain one of the best value for travelers, despite a slew of additional fees.

 

The cruise lines may have not increased their fares, but they have been building more expensive ships filled with more amenities, more activities and more options, some of them unheard of a decade ago. And many of these optional amenities and features come at a cost to the consumer. Below (in no particular order) is a list of some ways cruise lines have come up with to generate on board revenue.

 

Pictures - Shore excursions – Alcoholic Beverages – Non Alcoholic Beverages - Casinos - Specialty coffee drinks, pastries and ice creams – Spa services – Flower Sales – Photography - Food/wine tasting - Upscale dining options – Internet - Ship to shore communications - Laundry service - On board shops - Cruise sponsored shopping – Bingo - Medical services - Mandatory tipping – Airline bookings – Transfers - Art auctions - Corkage fees - On board activities (wave rider, zip lines, etc.) - Behind the scenes tours - Specialized fitness classes

 

Have I missed any? And, in the future, what amenities do you think the cruise lines will add or charge for to keep the basic fares low?

 

All the items in red have been extra costs as long as you've been alive, unless you're more than 70 years old. And probably even if you are older.

And since this is the Carnival board, there is NO mandatory tipping. Auto-tipping is a great convenience for the cruise passenger. Those with servere reluctance to part with a penny don't see it that way, but that is what it is, a convenience.

 

Of the rest of the items, upscale dining I have used and I find the Carnival Steakhouse a SAVINGS not a cost. I cannot match that meal on land. The internet, I also have tried. Haven't used it for the last couple of cruises and won't be using it on the next cruise.

[salty dingo]

Dollar for dollar cruise vacations remain one of the best value for travelers, despite a slew of additional fees.

I have to agree this is true.

 

Also true is that the cruise lines have moved to a business model of cramming more and more people into smaller and smaller places on bigger and bigger ships, which have more extra fees for extra services.

 

HOWEVER ... the pre-Dream class ships will be around for a long time, and I can avoid a Dream class ship for a long time. While some cruisers will pay a premium for the latest ship, I get to sail older ships at lower fares. So I'm still quite happy.

 

And we can at least HOPE that these larger new ships will not be financially solid vehicles in the long run, and the pendulum will swing back to more basic, more all-inclusive, and smaller new ships.

[salty dingo]

And since this is the Carnival board, there is NO mandatory tipping. Auto-tipping is a great convenience for the cruise passenger. Those with servere reluctance to part with a penny don't see it that way, but that is what it is, a convenience.

I do strongly disagree with the "no mandatory tipping" policy, because I think people with a "severe reluctance to part with a penny" should be helped to save even more by not cruising at all! Maybe the mandatory tip policy would push them over the economic edge. We can hope so!

[firefly333]

This is a copy and paste of the same thread you started on the general boards .. any reason for a new thread??

 

Since its generic and some applies more to Carnival, some not at all ... maybe it could be made more Carnival specific .... Carnival is not offering as many fee venues as some others.

[dan40]

I do strongly disagree with the "no mandatory tipping" policy, because I think people with a "severe reluctance to part with a penny" should be helped to save even more by not cruising at all! Maybe the mandatory tip policy would push them over the economic edge. We can hope so!

 

Mandatory tipping, jumbo shrimp, military intelligence, and honest politician are all oxymoron's. Those 2 words, mandatory and tipping cannot co-exist. If you want a service charge, say that. However a service charge just changes the complaint, it does not end it. NCL and their 'service charge,' gets numerous complaints. And I can see complaints about service even increasing when the cheap screws cannot just quietly remove the auto-tips. Cheap is cheap, flowery language won't change cheapos, and service charges don't stop them from cruising. They're like bugs under a rock, just part of life.

[dstone]

There was a special on t.v. not long ago about how cruise lines make their $$ -- they are very dependent on alcohol sells, gambling, and then photo sells!! Hmmm, they must hate to see me book!! Next was the specialty dining and excursions. Hmmm, they still hate my booking!!

[Uncle Doug]

As most are optional for the cruiser it makes sense to pay only for the service that you use. Most of those listed do not bother me as I do not use them.

 

It does keep the basic cruise rate low and that is what is important to me.

[jennmaybe]

Dollar for dollar cruise vacations remain one of the best value for travelers, despite a slew of additional fees.

 

The cruise lines may have not increased their fares, but they have been building more expensive ships filled with more amenities, more activities and more options, some of them unheard of a decade ago. And many of these optional amenities and features come at a cost to the consumer. Below (in no particular order) is a list of some ways cruise lines have come up with to generate on board revenue.

 

Pictures - Shore excursions – Alcoholic Beverages – Non Alcoholic Beverages - Casinos - Specialty coffee drinks, pastries and ice creams – Spa services – Flower Sales – Photography - Food/wine tasting - Upscale dining options – Internet - Ship to shore communications - Laundry service - On board shops - Cruise sponsored shopping – Bingo - Medical services - Mandatory tipping – Airline bookings – Transfers - Art auctions - Corkage fees - On board activities (wave rider, zip lines, etc.) - Behind the scenes tours - Specialized fitness classes

 

Have I missed any? And, in the future, what amenities do you think the cruise lines will add or charge for to keep the basic fares low?

 

I do agree that cruising is one of the best travel options expense wise. DH and I rented a 6 bedrm/5 bath beach house at Myrtle Beach, SC this past summer and paid $3000 for a week. That did not include food or entertainment. We booked our upcoming cruise (in 2 weeks) for $1400 for a balcony cabin! What a deal!!!

[donaldsc]

There was a special on t.v. not long ago about how cruise lines make their $$ -- they are very dependent on alcohol sells, gambling, and then photo sells!! Hmmm, they must hate to see me book!! Next was the specialty dining and excursions. Hmmm, they still hate my booking!!

 

I did a 35 day Maasdam tour this summer. The total on my ship account (not counting tips) was $55 - 2 extra cost dinners and 1 beer. Do you think that they made money on me?

 

DON

[fourwaystreet]

I do agree that cruising is one of the best travel options expense wise. DH and I rented a 6 bedrm/5 bath beach house at Myrtle Beach, SC this past summer and paid $3000 for a week. That did not include food or entertainment. We booked our upcoming cruise (in 2 weeks) for $1400 for a balcony cabin! What a deal!!!

 

While your price for the cruise is great, comparing a single balcony cabin to a six bedroom / five bath beach house is comparing apples to oranges.

[papilliontraveler]

While I agree cruising is a very good value for your dollar, I would put up an AI against it too.

 

The cruise we are going on in March, would cost(I had points to get it comped) $1,045 and then add in air, $800, hotel(night before and assuming it had a free shuttle) $100, lunch/dinner the day/night before, $50-$100, transfers back to airport, $30, trip insurance(if wanted) $150-$200and you are at about $2300.

 

We stayed in a 3-4 star hotel in Cancun last year for $2475(hotel, air, transfers, trip insurance). That included all food and drinks(alcoholic and non-alcoholic), non-waterized motorsports, snorkeling, etc.

 

Now, I know you can take cruises for much less, if you go in the off season, and you can also go to AI's for much less, if you downgrade some.

 

I personally favor the AI over a cruise, mostly because I feel much more relaxed and not as rushed, always watching a clock. What I do enjoy about the cruise is the variety of entertainment and all the ports. Really, they are two different creatures with pros and cons for each.

[jennmaybe]

While your price for the cruise is great, comparing a single balcony cabin to a six bedroom / five bath beach house is comparing apples to oranges.

I was just comparing the price of a vacation for a week, not the accomodations. When you add all the food and entertainment for a week (at the beach), it was way more than what we paid for our upcoming cruise this month. We like paying for the cruise and having the food and entertainment included.

[jennmaybe]

While I agree cruising is a very good value for your dollar, I would put up an AI against it too.

 

The cruise we are going on in March, would cost(I had points to get it comped) $1,045 and then add in air, $800, hotel(night before and assuming it had a free shuttle) $100, lunch/dinner the day/night before, $50-$100, transfers back to airport, $30, trip insurance(if wanted) $150-$200and you are at about $2300.

 

We stayed in a 3-4 star hotel in Cancun last year for $2475(hotel, air, transfers, trip insurance). That included all food and drinks(alcoholic and non-alcoholic), non-waterized motorsports, snorkeling, etc.

 

Now, I know you can take cruises for much less, if you go in the off season, and you can also go to AI's for much less, if you downgrade some.

 

I personally favor the AI over a cruise, mostly because I feel much more relaxed and not as rushed, always watching a clock. What I do enjoy about the cruise is the variety of entertainment and all the ports. Really, they are two different creatures with pros and cons for each.

We had some friends with us on our last cruise who ended up liking AI over cruising. They said they spent more on the cruise than they did in an up-scale AI resort in Mexico. Needless to say, they haven't cruised since then.....

[bcs819]

While some cruisers will pay a premium for the latest ship, I get to sail older ships at lower fares. So I'm still quite happy.

 

And we can at least HOPE that these larger new ships will not be financially solid vehicles in the long run, and the pendulum will swing back to more basic, more all-inclusive, and smaller new ships.

 

 

We paid $679 pp for an aft wrap on the Dream last week. That's not a premium price to me for a 7 day vacation, although I would happily pay more to sail out of Port Canaveral, it's about a painless a port as can be. Not a single penny on internet, bingo or casino. Our S&S was on one page - first time for that and we didn't sacrifice a thing. We found plenty to do on the larger ship that we didn't need to do those other things.

[dan40]

The only thing similar between AI's and cruises are that they're both vacations. A cruise is NOT a better value if an AI is what you really want to do. And an AI certainly isn't a better value if you want to be cruising. Do you compare a trip to NY to see Broadway shows to an AI or a cruse? Is a visit to the Grand Canyon comparable to any of the above?

Me and a couple of buddies did a "beer walk" across Bavaria one summer. Should we have done a cruise instead? My liver has not answered that question yet!:eek::D

[salty dingo]

We paid $679 pp for an aft wrap on the Dream last week. That's not a premium price to me for a 7 day vacation, although I would happily pay more to sail out of Port Canaveral, it's about a painless a port as can be. Not a single penny on internet, bingo or casino. Our S&S was on one page - first time for that and we didn't sacrifice a thing. We found plenty to do on the larger ship that we didn't need to do those other things.

That is a good price, but it is the low season... still a good price for an aft wrap. A real budget cruiser could probably find an inside for $400 - $500 dollars pp for 7 days without even trying on an older ship.

 

We usually have a one-page S&S as well. Bringing on the liquor and soda helps a lot. We almost never do a ship-sponsored excursion (except when it is the only choice, like the Behind the Fun tour) and eat in the specialty restaurant once. It's pretty affordable. We do spend some money on non-ship excursions in most ports but it is well-planned and budgeted. It does not show up on the S&S obviously.

 

Another way to save is to have strict casino limits. Our bankroll is usually $100 a cruise, and sometimes if we are really trying to save we eliminate that. If we have played a day or two in the casino and end up ahead at some point, we quit right there for the cruise, so we come home with small winnings as often as we lose the $100. That makes the casino affordable. So maybe on average we "spend" 60%-70% of the bankroll in losses to the casino. Not too bad. I am just glad we don't have a $1,000 bankroll :D!

 

My main gripe is that I have heard some of these big new ships have smaller cabins. Not sure if Carnival has gone this route but NCL sure has. That's terrible for the lack of space alone but it also allows more people on the ship, which means more elbows in the buffet, and more people in the places I want to go. More people = less good on a cruise.

 

Maybe my views will change someday, but my view now is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." There was nothing wrong with the Spirit and Conquest class ships from my viewpoint. From Carnival's viewpoint, they probably were not making enough money. I'm not going to willingly go along with their idea of how they can make more money :D!

 

I can't wait until the next Mickey Arison comes along and starts a cruise line that gives the people what they want. I don't think what people want is a floating Disney World with a-la-carte pricing.

[bcs819]

 

My main gripe is that I have heard some of these big new ships have smaller cabins. Not sure if Carnival has gone this route but NCL sure has. That's terrible for the lack of space alone but it also allows more people on the ship, which means more elbows in the buffet, and more people in the places I want to go. More people = less good on a cruise.

 

Maybe my views will change someday, but my view now is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." There was nothing wrong with the Spirit and Conquest class ships from my viewpoint. From Carnival's viewpoint, they probably were not making enough money. I'm not going to willingly go along with their idea of how they can make more money :D!

 

I can't wait until the next Mickey Arison comes along and starts a cruise line that gives the people what they want. I don't think what people want is a floating Disney World with a-la-carte pricing.

 

We only do the aft wraps now, so the cabins are all different sizes based on the ship. I will say that I did not find the Dream to be as crowded as many reviews claimed. We do not cruise during peak season on purpose, did two summer cruises and I won't spend extra to have to put up with misbehaved kids. We take our vacations in May and September now, and are able to find what we want at a better price. No ship excursions for us either, and I don't search out bingo. If they were still doing it before the shows, I would certainly play as we sit there for a good half hour waiting for a show to start, but their loss on that. As far as the internet, checked cell phone once daily for emergency messages from home and then turned it back off. We never do the spa, or shop on board. Sometimes will play in the casino, but it's usually a boredom thing. Was very excited about the movie screen over the pool, but didn't watch it at all. Some god-awful Alicia Keys thing when we first boarded, and nothing else piqued our interest.

[papilliontraveler]

We had some friends with us on our last cruise who ended up liking AI over cruising. They said they spent more on the cruise than they did in an up-scale AI resort in Mexico. Needless to say, they haven't cruised since then.....

 

My wife and I were just discussing this last night. We are very curious to see how we like/view the cruise this time. We haven't cruised in two years(been doing the AI's) so we will see how it goes. We have always enjoyed cruising but since doing the AI's, we really like them.

Bad thing(well, not really) this time is, we have an oversized balcony, so it may be an unfair comparison, as we have never had a balcony before. :)

[jennmaybe]

My wife and I were just discussing this last night. We are very curious to see how we like/view the cruise this time. We haven't cruised in two years(been doing the AI's) so we will see how it goes. We have always enjoyed cruising but since doing the AI's, we really like them.

Bad thing(well, not really) this time is, we have an oversized balcony, so it may be an unfair comparison, as we have never had a balcony before. :)

Oh, how you will love the balcony!! DH took me on my first cruise before we were married (became totally addicted to cruising) and we only had an OV room. Our next cruise was our honeymoon, so we splurged and got the balcony! Now, I won't cruise without the balcony! I just love being able to get up in the mornings and sit out on the balcony while eating breakfast or just having a drink during the day and relaxing.

 

Whichever vacation you choose, just always have fun and stay safe!

[papilliontraveler]

Thanks and you too!

[hazeleyez3]

Dollar for dollar cruise vacations remain one of the best value for travelers, despite a slew of additional fees.

 

The cruise lines may have not increased their fares, but they have been building more expensive ships filled with more amenities, more activities and more options, some of them unheard of a decade ago. And many of these optional amenities and features come at a cost to the consumer. Below (in no particular order) is a list of some ways cruise lines have come up with to generate on board revenue.

 

Pictures - Shore excursions – Alcoholic Beverages – Non Alcoholic Beverages - Casinos - Specialty coffee drinks, pastries and ice creams – Spa services – Flower Sales – Photography - Food/wine tasting - Upscale dining options – Internet - Ship to shore communications - Laundry service - On board shops - Cruise sponsored shopping – Bingo - Medical services - Mandatory tipping – Airline bookings – Transfers - Art auctions - Corkage fees - On board activities (wave rider, zip lines, etc.) - Behind the scenes tours - Specialized fitness classes

 

Have I missed any? And, in the future, what amenities do you think the cruise lines will add or charge for to keep the basic fares low?

 

 

The things you are listing are not things you HAVE to do. I don't see a problem if the cruiselines aren't raising their prices.

 

Shops and gambling (casinos and bingo), auctions, and medical services will cost money wherever you go.

 

You do have some non-alcoholic drinks included -iced tea, coffee, hot tea, milk, lemonade, and juices in the morning.

 

The rockclimbing wall, flow rider, and zip line on Royal are all included in the base fare.

 

For me the cost of cruising is the risk that you will make it to ports, and the limited time you have there. I have finally talked my husband into doing a land vacation next year so we don't have either to deal with.