HELP with our Budget!!!

[RudyBC]

We are taking the Alaskan 7-day Explorer in June 2011

 

I can book the cruise and airfare for $3100. I also know that we need to have $60 per person/per day for our onboard account, so I budgeted that in too!

 

We are doing one shore excursion at $136 per person and the couples massage in the Spa (for our anniversary) too.

 

Is $6500 enough to cover all that plus the little extras (shopping, etc) I think I am right in thinking that the spa and excusions will come out of the onboard account.

 

We have never cruised before, let alone taken a vacation! This is all new to us! Please lend us you advice!!!

[ybarber]

You have to allow for the hotel charge, which is $11 or $12 per person, per day. The $60 pp per day is what is held on your credit card, If you pre-book your excursion, you pay when you book, not on your on board account. Depending on how much shopping you do, it sounds like enough to me!

[serendipity1499]

We are taking the Alaskan 7-day Explorer in June 2011

 

I can book the cruise and airfare for $3100. I also know that we need to have $60 per person/per day for our onboard account, so I budgeted that in too!

 

We are doing one shore excursion at $136 per person and the couples massage in the Spa (for our anniversary) too.

 

Is $6500 enough to cover all that plus the little extras (shopping, etc) I think I am right in thinking that the spa and excusions will come out of the onboard account.

 

We have never cruised before, let alone taken a vacation! This is all new to us! Please lend us you advice!!!

 

Wow what a wonderful Anniversary trip..We loved Alaska & you will too..

For us $6500 would cover our expenses...We took a land tour in 2008 followed by a 7 day on the Veendam..

I did not book any ships tours but booked several land tours privately & paid for them in advance..That saved us a great deal... However, one regret was that we didn't spring for the float plane & salmon bake...It was very expensive & I didn't want to spend the $$$..;)

Also we are not big drinkers..A three bottle wine package usually lasts for six days..If we run out of wine, we just purchase the house wine by the glass..DH normally has two glasses of wine with dinner, while I might not have any, but instead will have a Baileys with my coffee & dessert..We sometimes join friends for Happy hour in the crows nest...You can also take your own wine aboard...If you take it to the Dining Room for dinner, you will be charged an $18.00 corkage fee..The Steward will put your cabin No. on the bottle & save it for you..If you want specialty coffee's you will have to pay for them in the Explorations cafe..Don't buy bottled water..Ships water is fine for drinking!

You might want to eat in the Pinnacle for your special Anniversary dinner.. That will cost $20 per person but they have wonderful food including great steaks & fantastic service..Eating out in Alaska can get quite expensive..

When we have fixed seating we give our Dining Room, Wine Steward & our Cabin Stewards a little extra lagniappe at the end of the cruise..You do not have to tip extra, but we do, as they always take such good care of us..In open seating we don't tip as much unless we have the same waiters for the entire cruise.. If we get room service coffee in the a.m. we'll give the steward who delivers it a dollar..For a full breakfast we tip more...However, I must repeat again you don't have to tip extra as the 11.00 per person per day covers the hotel service charge..

BTW..That $60. per person per day is only a hold, not an actual charge..You will only pay what you charge at the end of the cruise..We never spend $60 per person per day & it is rare that our on board expenses exceed $1000 on a 7 day cruise...

Hope this helps...Wishing you a very Happy Anniversary & a wonderful time in Alaska..

 

Cheers....:)Betty

[serendipity1499]

BTW...Welcome to Cruise Critic! If you have any more questions ask away & we'll all try to answer them..

Cheers..:)Betty

[RudyBC]

Wow what a wonderful Anniversary trip..We loved Alaska & you will too..

 

For us $6500 would cover our expenses...We took a land tour in 2008 followed by a 7 day on the Veendam..

 

I did not book any ships tours but booked several land tours privately & paid for them in advance..That saved us a great deal... However, one regret was that we didn't spring for the float plane & salmon bake...It was very expensive & I didn't want to spend the $$$..;)

 

Also we are not big drinkers..A three bottle wine package usually lasts for six days..If we run out of wine, we just purchase the house wine by the glass..DH normally has two glasses of wine with dinner, while I might not have any, but instead will have a Baileys with my coffee & dessert..We sometimes join friends for Happy hour in the crows nest...You can also take your own wine aboard...If you take it to the Dining Room for dinner, you will be charged an $18.00 corkage fee..The Steward will put your cabin No. on the bottle & save it for you..If you want specialty coffee's you will have to pay for them in the Explorations cafe..Don't buy bottled water..Ships water is fine for drinking!

 

You might want to eat in the Pinnacle for your special Anniversary dinner.. That will cost $20 per person but they have wonderful food including great steaks & fantastic service..Eating out in Alaska can get quite expensive..

 

When we have fixed seating we give our Dining Room, Wine Steward & our Cabin Stewards a little extra lagniappe at the end of the cruise..You do not have to tip extra, but we do, as they always take such good care of us..In open seating we don't tip as much unless we have the same waiters for the entire cruise.. If we get room service coffee in the a.m. we'll give the steward who delivers it a dollar..For a full breakfast we tip more...However, I must repeat again you don't have to tip extra as the 11.00 per person per day covers the hotel service charge..

 

BTW..That $60. per person per day is only a hold, not an actual charge..You will only pay what you charge at the end of the cruise..We never spend $60 per person per day & it is rare that our on board expenses exceed $1000 on a 7 day cruise...

 

Hope this helps...Wishing you a very Happy Anniversary & a wonderful time in Alaska..

 

Cheers....:)Betty

 

Thank you so much Betty!

 

We don't drink--so that should save us some $$ (Hubby is 4-years sober:))

 

So I can prepay the spa and excursions?

 

The Pinnacle sounds like a wonderful idea! I will have to look into that--thanks!!!

 

Any other tips/suggestions or words of guidance?

[Cruisin Suzin]

I would wait to book your spa appointments until you are on the ship they always have specials after the first couple of days..I had two hours foot, head, aroma,full body massage, for 129...devine....Pinnacle can be booked in advance and well worth the money..

[serendipity1499]

Thank you so much Betty!

 

We don't drink--so that should save us some $$ (Hubby is 4-years sober:))

 

So I can prepay the spa and excursions?

 

The Pinnacle sounds like a wonderful idea! I will have to look into that--thanks!!!

 

Any other tips/suggestions or words of guidance?

 

Your welcome..You can prepay excursions the Pinnacle, but not sure if you can prepay for the spa..Someone else will probably have more info on the spa..Take advantage of the free things on board too..They have movies every day & free popcorn..

The piano bar is one of our favorites..You don't have to drink, just order a soft drink & enjoy the piano player..They usually have a group sing in there..We normally book outside cabins rather than balcony's, so we spend much of our time out on the Promenade Deck..Be sure you are outside when going through the glaciers..You want to hear them calving..Walk around the ports too..

Another suggestion is join your Roll Call on the Cruise Critic Board: This is the URL for the Westerdam..

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=323

You will have to search for your cruise, but you will meet many other posters who are on your cruise with you..

Also go onto the Ports of Call Board for Alaska..There I learned so much from those who posted & that's how I was able to find so many of our private excursions..The URL is:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55

I printed out so much info on each port.It was hard to choose what to do in each city...One of our favorite tours was in Skagway..The 7 hour Chillkoot tour bus & rail...It was expensive but we had our own private guide which took us up to the Canadian Border & picked up more Psgrs..Then we continued up to Emerald Lake, Carcross & Caribou Crossing where they have a musher's camp..I loved playing with the puppies..They were quite big in Sept, but in June they should be little..The tour in 2008 cost us $175 each, but well worth it..The HAL tour was less, but did not go up to the Musher's camp, which I wanted to do..

We were in Skagway until 8 at night, so no problem getting back to the ship in time..Speaking of that, always allow yourself at least an hour before the ship sales, as they will leave without you if you are not on a ships tour..

BTW...Assume you both have passports which you will need for this tour..

For my Birthday we took a whale watching tour in Juneau with Capt. Larry, which was not all that great..We saw some whales, but to DH it really was a wasted day..

Don't know your itinerary, but you will find so many suggestions on both your roll call & the ports of call board..

You will have two formal nights on your cruise..For formal I wear a long black skirt or palazzo pants with sparkly tops & DH wears a suit..However in Alaska he actually could have gotten away with just his Blazer, slacks & tie instead of his suit..

 

Don't forget to take a pair of binoculars too!

 

Cheers....:)Betty