Focus on costs?

[macruisefan]

I hope this doesn't get misinterpreted, because I sincerely do not mean this as a criticism of anyone.

 

I am a seasoned traveler, both for work and leisure. And I spend a good amount of time on a number of travel related message boards. I do this mostly because I like my time on vacation a lot more than my time working, so whenever I can be talking about it, or sharing experiences with others, I'm all for it!:)

 

While I travel a lot, I am certainly not a "seasoned cruiser" like many of the posters here are. So maybe I've got a different perspective. But here's what I'm curious about:

 

I visit other sites about other travel (Vegas, Florida, Camping, Family Travel), and you seem to see a consistent mix of topics being raised. Here (and by here, I don't strictly mean Celebrity, but the CC boards in general), the topic of cost seems to percolate up in a vast majority of threads. Debate about tipping, discussions about dining surcharges, questions about price drops, suggestions for OBC, it goes on and on.

 

I'm just curious as to why the "cost" issue seems to be such a larger presence when it comes to cruising than seemingly any other form of leisure travel.

 

Any thoughts?:confused:

[hawkers2008]

I am not a seasoned cruiser either, but I reckon a lot of the problem stems from the way the cruise companies market their product.

 

I expect to have to pay more for lots of things, my wife will tell you I am always mentally doing adding the costs and working out how the budget is going.

 

But when you tell first timers that its an all inclusive price in big print and put the exclusions in small print well people read what they want to read, and start to think that I already paid for everything and resent paying for these other things.

 

Other people are just extremely tight fisted and if cruise you can have a cheap holiday and keep it that way by stiffing the staff etc

[caribbeansun]

How many separate boards/discussion areas do these other sites have? Likely no where near as many as you will find here so if you take the total posts onto all the separate areas in a given day I suspect your disproportionate "cost" postings would disappear.

[Jack Horner]

I hope this doesn't get misinterpreted, because I sincerely do not mean this as a criticism of anyone.

 

I am a seasoned traveler, both for work and leisure. And I spend a good amount of time on a number of travel related message boards. I do this mostly because I like my time on vacation a lot more than my time working, so whenever I can be talking about it, or sharing experiences with others, I'm all for it!:)

 

While I travel a lot, I am certainly not a "seasoned cruiser" like many of the posters here are. So maybe I've got a different perspective. But here's what I'm curious about:

 

I visit other sites about other travel (Vegas, Florida, Camping, Family Travel), and you seem to see a consistent mix of topics being raised. Here (and by here, I don't strictly mean Celebrity, but the CC boards in general), the topic of cost seems to percolate up in a vast majority of threads. Debate about tipping, discussions about dining surcharges, questions about price drops, suggestions for OBC, it goes on and on.

 

I'm just curious as to why the "cost" issue seems to be such a larger presence when it comes to cruising than seemingly any other form of leisure travel.

 

Any thoughts?:confused:

 

Of course the best vacations are the ones you enjoy the most. BUT it begs the question: is the price you pay for a vacation a factor of how much you enjoy it, or is cost a separate consideration?

 

Unless you are one of the very lucky well off it is realistic to assume that with most people price is always a factor. In reality, most people never make a vacation decision without knowing what the costs will be. Money is a fundamental on how we spend our discretionary dollars and is often a primary consideration when choosing a vacation.

 

A vacation selection criteria for us in order of priority is:

- Cost

- Value = cost + duration + interest + enjoyment

- WOW factor = luxurious surroundings – gourmet food – elegant décor

,

[TLCOhio]

I don't strictly mean Celebrity, but the CC boards in general), the topic of cost seems to percolate up in a vast majority of threads. Debate about tipping, discussions about dining surcharges, questions about price drops, suggestions for OBC, it goes on and on. I'm just curious as to why the "cost" issue seems to be such a larger presence when it comes to cruising than seemingly any other form of leisure travel. Any thoughts?

 

As noted, it's partly about the question of "value". People are NOW even more both price and "value" focused. AND, because the cruise/travel market has gotten highly competitive in this tight and challenged economy, people have more questions on what many of these "details" really mean and will add up to on final, total costs. There are lots of pitches on "two-for-one" deals, low-ball price "teases", etc. People are looking for the bottom-line actual and more honest full cost, etc. Lots of people are retired or semi-retired, have time to research these issues and questions, can use the Internet to access this type of info that was not possible five or ten years ago.

 

The world is changing and that impacts how people approach their searching for the best options and values. Travel agents are no longer in the monopoly/pivot position as being the only people with all of the info to guide and direct people. More information options are good, but it can create some confusion. Then, people like to use these boards to clarify, figure it ALL out, etc.

 

Lots of factors! BUT, overall, we loves these boards as a way to learn more, share info, etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 61,072 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[lunula]

I think, for me personally, because a cruise is a "package deal" we are much more conscious of the nickel & diming that occurs. We aren't really given too much choice, we are a captive audience, so when the opportunity to save a couple of bucks comes up, I am interested.

 

We are new to cruising, also, but we have traveled quite a bit. We are more in control when we organize land travel - we can stay wherever we'd like, eat wherever we'd like, tip or not tip based on our own discretion, travel in whatever medium we would like, etc. -- a lot of that choice doesn't exist on a cruise.

 

We aren't wealthy, but we are in a good financial situation, we both love to travel and we do not mind spending more on fantastic experiences. But yeah, I try to save money wherever possible, and it's just not as easy to find those opportunities on a cruise as it is on a self-organized 2-week land tour across Europe.

[Thechats]

The reason is because Cruise Critic is segmented by topic. If you want to know about ports, there's a section for that. If you want to know who's on your cruise and find out about sharing tours, there's a "roll call." When you take out those topics, there's bound to be preponderance of cost-related questions on the most "general" message board here. And besides, if we can save a few bucks by learning from others we can afford to cruise more often!

[TLCOhio]

The reason is because Cruise Critic is segmented by topic. If you want to know about ports, there's a section for that. If you want to know who's on your cruise and find out about sharing tours, there's a "roll call." When you take out those topics, there's bound to be preponderance of cost-related questions on the most "general" message board here. And besides, if we can save a few bucks by learning from others we can afford to cruise more often!

 

Good and valid points. BUT, many on these boards for the various ports are areas are looking for ways to save money, not pay for costly ship tours, where they can DIY, do it yourself, to save money and budget, not spend too much on dining, etc.

 

Great final point on . . . saving more to sail more!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 61,072 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 57,553 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

Appreciate those who have “tuned in” for these two posts. Don’t be shy and feel free to comment and/or ask any questions of interest.

[Forgoten]

I'm just curious as to why the "cost" issue seems to be such a larger presence when it comes to cruising than seemingly any other form of leisure travel.

 

Any thoughts?:confused:

 

The travel industry is very adept at deliberately hiding what the actual costs will end up being. We saw that it went so far that the E.U. was forced to legislate that the airline industry had to declare up front what the total cost of a seat would be.

 

The travel industry is also notorious smoke & mirror merchants who are constantly playing the bait and switch game.

 

All this has led to a great deal of frustration by the general public this frustration has been amplified by the 2007 global economic meltdown. This economic meltdown forced people to be more circumspect when spending their dwindling discretionary dollars on things like vacations.

 

This newfound prudence has also forced the cruise industry to become (at least on the surface) more competitive. This economically forced competitiveness has spurned their marketing spin doctors to come up with more and more innovative ways of persuading customers to choice their ships over the competitors BUT at the same time maximizing revenues: example $7 for a bottle of water that retails in any local supermarket for $2 - $3.

 

No wonder people are preoccupied delving minutely into the actual cost of things.

:mad:

[Tenn4ever]

As a first time cruiser but a seasoned land traveler I find that I'm not as in control of what I have to spend. As an individual who likes to plan all the details of a vacation trip the cruise experience seems to be a "different animal" and leaves me feeling "oops" what's going to be added to the cost:rolleyes:.

[TLCOhio]

The travel industry is also notorious smoke & mirror merchants who are constantly playing the bait and switch game. All this has led to a great deal of frustration by the general public this frustration has been amplified by the 2007 global economic meltdown. This economic meltdown forced people to be more circumspect when spending their dwindling discretionary dollars on things like vacations. No wonder people are preoccupied delving minutely into the actual cost of things.

 

Very, very well summarized and stated. You've nailed it!! Also, smart retired people have more time and ability to dig into these details.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 61,072 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[Decebal]

My first cruise to Alaska a couple of years ago on Celebrity cost me plenty because I did not do my homework. It was our first cruise, we were a big group so no planning on my part, etc. Needless to say, between the cruise, the shopping, the post stay in Juneau (and the plane ride to the glacier) it was a whopper of a bill at the end.

This time around, I've embraced the spreadsheet. I know exactly how much I am paying for everything: overnight stay, cruise, airfare, taxes, tips, restaurants, drink package, excursions, you name it's there. No more suprises, and I will stick to my budget no matter what. The cruise industry is very good at enticing you with a low fare, but when you start adding up the true cost of the cruise you might think twice.

Frankly thanks to all the tips on this board and my past experience I am better prepared to concentrate on what will bring me joy without throwing money overboard just because I am on vacation.

[Karen@Steve]

IMHO, the nature of cruise pricing and the time most people have to plan make it a big topic. Unlike a land vacation, you can pretty much know exactly how much the hotel/resort will cost. Airline tickets are insane with all the add-ons and price changes but you pretty much know what the total cost once you buy the ticket... "Did you ever think to stand up on a plane and ask everyone how much they paid for their seat?" Boy that would be something to hear!

 

So for a cruise which lasts more than a plane ride and offers so many different experiences you want to know how much you can plan on spending and whether your vacation dollar will give you the experience you desire. Again, IMO the cruise is the destination, regardless of the ports of call, and you want to make sure you are going to be satisified with that experience.

[SusieV]

I think a lot of it is because there are just so many ways to spend money onboard. If you're booking an all inclusive, it's just one price and that's your air, hotel, taxes, tips, and everything. You don't need to put your hand in your pocket for another thing.

 

Cruising is definitely a different animal, where you pay one price to get onboard and have the basics, but anything more will carry a charge. At this point we know roughly how much we spend onboard and budget for it, but new cruisers may be attracted by that basic price and then surprised at how much more their vacation is actually going to cost.

[Harley Granny]

I'm going along with the one that says that you're lured in but the "all inclusive" price...get sold on the trip...save your $$ for the trip, save $$ for your spending money then find out it's really going to cost you a few hundred $$ more. Not a few dollars more....a few hundred more.

 

Our cruise to Alaska was like this (my 1st cruise was handled by another party so I forked over how much they said and that was about it other than my spending $$)

 

I fell for the "This is it!...oh wait for a few dollars more you can have this! Or this!!" So I figured in airfare and the cost of the cruise and started saving...paying payments ect.

LUCKILY..before we left.....I found Cruise critic where I found out about port parking, gratuities, excursions..etc. I was able to get this $$ added into our vacation savings in time. I don't like surprises which is usually the case.

 

It's also getting the best value for your $$. I HATE being on a airplane and finding out the person sitting next to me paid less for their seat than I did.

While we don't really pennypinch while we're on vacation, we're not foolish with it either.

Limited budgets do that to a person:p

[phoenix_dream]

I think another reason the cost topics keep popping up is that in recent years cruise lines are significantly changing their pricing policies, and continually adding 'for a price' options/venues to their ships. Every time there is a change like this, it generates alot of strong feelings. Many people are thrilled with the new opportunities and options, and think the 'menu' approach is the best. Others (and I confess I am in this category) really hate the trend and wish it would cease. Whether one is pro or con, these options keep being developed and there is alot of conversation trying to get input on what the options really cost, are they worth the money, etc., etc..

[miched]

.

 

 

I haven't been on any of the Vegas or Gaming forums lately but cost is also a topic of discussion. Same stuff was talked about. How to get a free upgrade to a suite, cheapest buffet, best machines to play, cheapest air fare, bes players club and etc.

 

I will also occassionally visit watch forums. Same topics. Best deals on watches, bracelets, straps, and etc.

 

If it wasn't for the people talking about prices there wouldn't be as much activity.

 

 

 

 

.

 

.

[CathyCruises]

We just spent three days at a H***** Hotel. Booked a few days in advance, played the game a bit and got a good rate. End of story. Took the room they assigned us to. I've never booked a hotel room any differently.

 

But for a cruise, we (well, I) pore over the deck plans, check cabin pricing daily, try to analyze the pros and cons of various cabins--in short, it is an exhaustive process to pick a cabin. I have stayed in hotels a lot and have never tried to select my exact room or analyzed which will give me a robe and slippers and which won't! It's just the nature of the beast. We have been conditioned to look at cruises so much differently than we do other types of vacations--and that includes beverage packages, shore excursions, spa treatments, etc.

[Sloop-JohnB]

As a first time cruiser but a seasoned land traveler I find that I'm not as in control of what I have to spend. As an individual who likes to plan all the details of a vacation trip the cruise experience seems to be a "different animal" and leaves me feeling "oops" what's going to be added to the cost:rolleyes:.

 

I think a lot of it is because there are just so many ways to spend money onboard. If you're booking an all inclusive, it's just one price and that's your air, hotel, taxes, tips, and everything. You don't need to put your hand in your pocket for another thing.

 

Cruising is definitely a different animal, where you pay one price to get onboard and have the basics, but anything more will carry a charge. At this point we know roughly how much we spend onboard and budget for it, but new cruisers may be attracted by that basic price and then surprised at how much more their vacation is actually going to cost.

 

Hi MacruiseFan,

 

TENN4EVER and SUSIEV pretty much summed up my sentiments.

 

That and the cruise industry is like the airline industry... the price quoted in the Ads may not be the full story !!!

 

(Once you add in Taxes & Fees, and in the case of cruising... Excursions, Meals Ashore, Specialty Restaurants, Drinks, On-Board Experiences, Spa-ing, Shopping, Souvenirs etc)

 

As a NEW Cruiser we did feel a bit out of our "realm"... BUT unlike some other folks who are only sold on that initial ad's pricing.. (example, $ 499 per person for a week) we had friends who cruised, so we asked them a lot of Questions.

 

One of the best bits of advise we got was... take your basic cruise fare for one person (whatever you were quoted be it from the Website, TA, Newspaper)... ADD in the airfare for one person (assuming you flew to the Port of Embarkation and had to pay airfare... if not, no need to add anything else) and you have what is known as the "hidden third person"... or the aprox equivalent that you will most likely as a couple spend in extras on a cruise.

 

To be honest this was pretty much dead-on for us... if you don't fly in to the destination, then you don't have as many extras (Hotels, Baggage Fees, more Restaurant Meals, etc).. so the "hidden" third person will probably hold true for most Cruisers whether they fly in or drive.

 

=== === ===

 

In the end what we found following our first cruise...

 

* What is advertised is only "part of the story"

 

* Cruising is a great vacation

 

* Cruising can be an expensive holiday (not cheap by any means)

 

* Cruising though is GOOD VALUE for our Holiday Dollars...

We got to travel, see different places, learn new things, enjoy warm sunny weather, relax, try new things (Celebrity Life Activities), be pampered with excellent accommodations, food, drinks and service... and connect as a couple by doing both fun and romantic things (Dancing, Entertainment, Wine & Foodie Events, etc)... PLUS unlike some all-inclusive destinations we felt safe all the time. The ship was literally our "resort" at sea.

 

* Lol, Cruising is something that we want to do it again...

 

So concequently we are looking at ways to make it happen again financially for us within the next year (and if we were able to make our wishes come true, then we'd like to do it even 2x a year)

 

Hence, I think WHY so many folks put up topics about Cruise Finances... very few of us are Millionaires, or can probably "realistically" afford a vacation that can run several thousand dollars (say on average $ 5000 or more for a couple) more than once a year. The trick, is finding out how we can make it happen more often ... match our "desires" to our reality.

 

I for one am now a big proponent of Cruise Critic, because I truly believe that this website helped me not only plan a great cruise... but it has given me clues as to how I can take such a holiday more often (thru sharing of info).

 

For example, I will tell every Canadian who reads this... check into Air Miles (the Blue Card) and how to use it smartly... evidently almost every Canadian has one... but are you using it to its full capability ?? ... Between it and our other Bonus Points Programs (Hotels, Airlines etc) you can very easily save a lot of money on stuff that is going to cost you money on vacation.

 

Be it the ability to get FREE airfare to your Criuse Destination, or a Hotel before or after... all those things add up, and could be the difference between cruising more often or less often

 

In our case, Points paid for both our Airfares, and one basic cruise fare, and all our Hotels. A savings of aprox $ 1300 for us.

 

I can promise you, that our Loyalty Cards will be working overtime in the months to come (in our case we aren't going out of our way to shop at particular merchants etc... we were going to go there anyhow)... it is just now that we will not be so lax about remembering to present these cards... always dreaming of the next cruise, the next Caribbean island... the next Sail Away sunset.

 

Hope this is helpful info to someone,

 

Cheers!

[Buranogal]

Well as one husband is retired and not able to dip into his super yet and I still work grossly underpaid at that. I like to know roughly what to allow on a daily basis. I see that even tho I have pre-paid gratuities I still will be up for 15% every bar bill. Most posters say with Celebrity your hand is always in your pocket. I think the speciality restaurants are over-priced but its ones own choice to dine there. Wheras on Oceania they are included. Then there are the shore excursions..transfers, pre and post hotels. Still have time to budget. Its those airfares that are the killer sadly.

[Buranogal]

Hey I would love to look into house swapping also. Wouldnt that be a great way to go :)

[ISABELLA]

I will call us experienced cruisers -48 cruises and hope for many more. I think now more than ever discussions are about costs and values are inevitable. Cruises before 9/11 era were much more straight price wise, very little added cost, besides tours and drinks - fewer specialty restaurants, TA had their own pricing, fewer luxuries were offered that cost extra, there were few or no beverage packages, ect. - you got the picture. Now, more people willing to pay for ALL extras, so basic cost of the cruise became more of the issue. That is why OBC is important for a lot of people or prepaid gratuity or excursions.