Am I missing something?

[needabreakcanada]

We just looked into doing a cruise instead of our annual Myrtle Beach trip. The price tag for MB was going to be $1600 for 9 days of food/drinks/hotel etc.

 

I looked at a Carnival Cruise on Freedom for a 6 day out of Fort Lauderdale. On the surface it looked reasonable. Once getting into the booking the cheapest room was an inside "guaranteed". But when talking with the rep. the least sea sick is mid ship deck 7. So that actually was going to cost $133 more even with $100 on board credit.

Then I went to look at the ports for excursions - sheesh!

Not much in Florida Keys and not cheap. Beach in Grand Cayman $40 per person for 3.5 hrs; Beach and Meal in Jamaica $70 per person.

 

At this point, along with flights & luggage fee's we are now at the $1843.48 mark and we need a pre-cruise hotel and haven't tipped or had any drinks!

 

Like I said am I missing something? I thought cruises were supposed to be cheap?

[ndabunka]

We just looked into doing a cruise instead of our annual Myrtle Beach trip. The price tag for MB was going to be $1600 for 9 days of food/drinks/hotel etc.

 

I looked at a Carnival Cruise on Freedom for a 6 day out of Fort Lauderdale. On the surface it looked reasonable. Once getting into the booking the cheapest room was an inside "guaranteed". But when talking with the rep. the least sea sick is mid ship deck 7. So that actually was going to cost $133 more even with $100 on board credit.

Then I went to look at the ports for excursions - sheesh!

Not much in Florida Keys and not cheap. Beach in Grand Cayman $40 per person for 3.5 hrs; Beach and Meal in Jamaica $70 per person.

 

At this point, along with flights & luggage fee's we are now at the $1843.48 mark and we need a pre-cruise hotel and haven't tipped or had any drinks!

 

Like I said am I missing something? I thought cruises were supposed to be cheap?

 

MB can be expensive but cruises are even more expensive. We rent our 2 bedroom/2 bath oceanfront unit for $1,400/week in the summer so that is probably more comparable to a cruise as far as lodging costs. Add the food and most spend well over $2,500 for a week in Myrtle in the middle of the summer. Cruises can be found for those levels and the only thing you HAVE to cover is travel so a cruise can be a good deal for most. How "cheap" did you expect them to be? Like anything, there ARE ways to keep your cruising costs down. Booking now for summer is NOT one of them but you may want to wait until a few weeks before cruise date when they try to sell "left over" cabins on the cheap (e.g. 60% or 70% of the rates to see now). The risk is that the cruise you want to take may sell out. Smaller ships sell for less $'s but like condo's may not have a lot of amenities or may not have the best literariness. You can also book a year in advance (or more) to get good deals

 

Ships these days are larger and therefore they move less and fewer people get seasick. Mid-ship is really NOT NECESSARY so save yourself a few $'s and book something slightly towards the rear (but not all the way back as engine noise is actually more an issue than seasick for most).

[Rottweiler Puppy]

We just looked into doing a cruise instead of our annual Myrtle Beach trip. The price tag for MB was going to be $1600 for 9 days of food/drinks/hotel etc.

 

I looked at a Carnival Cruise on Freedom for a 6 day out of Fort Lauderdale. On the surface it looked reasonable. Once getting into the booking the cheapest room was an inside "guaranteed". But when talking with the rep. the least sea sick is mid ship deck 7. So that actually was going to cost $133 more even with $100 on board credit.

Then I went to look at the ports for excursions - sheesh!

Not much in Florida Keys and not cheap. Beach in Grand Cayman $40 per person for 3.5 hrs; Beach and Meal in Jamaica $70 per person.

 

At this point, along with flights & luggage fee's we are now at the $1843.48 mark and we need a pre-cruise hotel and haven't tipped or had any drinks!

 

Like I said am I missing something? I thought cruises were supposed to be cheap?

 

Cruises can be cheap however getting to the cruise can cost more than the cruise itself. Also activities can cost you a bit as well but just getting on the boat and enjoying being at sea and partaking in what the price comes with can be cheap in many cases.

 

Your rep either lied or is badly misinformed as deck 7 is not the best deck for motion sensitivity. Lower is better. Get Riviera or Main and save that $

 

 

What ship, when how many cruisers and ages, past guest, military, etc. Maybe some can do mock bookings for you and see what they come up with.

 

I bet some more knowledgeable folks here can probably find you a heck of a deal including airfare and hotels. Some folks like to do stuff like that for fun.

In Grand Cayman book an excursion privately to save the $, many here can help with that. Many people will help you with all options.

 

See if you can cancel and rebook a cheap room in a lower deck.

[SugarStar00]

nope, sounds about right! They start off cheap and can be cheap if you don't have to worry about flights, are not a big drinker and just stay on the ship or go to beaches on port day. :rolleyes: still love it though!

[needabreakcanada]

Our trip to MB would be first week of September - so was quoting that timeframe as well as same for cruise.

 

We drive down from Canada and stop over night, hence the 9 days.

 

But still quite a price difference. Our food/drinks usually run us $400 for the two of us for week. Condo rental is $809 for 8 nights.

 

I still don't see how the cruise is inexpensive as everyone talks about. Do most people just stay on the ship the whole cruise?

[tmt218]

Summer is one of the highest seasons to cruise. Carnival deosn't have much compition in the summer either. Most companies are in Europe or Alaska that time of year.

[needabreakcanada]

September first week is considered summer under cruising travel?

[gone_cruisin]

Our trip to MB would be first week of September - so was quoting that timeframe as well as same for cruise.

 

We drive down from Canada and stop over night, hence the 9 days.

 

But still quite a price difference. Our food/drinks usually run us $400 for the two of us for week. Condo rental is $809 for 8 nights.

 

I still don't see how the cruise is inexpensive as everyone talks about. Do most people just stay on the ship the whole cruise?

 

Most people don't do the ship excursions. Where as one ship excursion is $60 per person and we have 4 people, it's always MUCH cheaper to rent a car for $80 and tour the islands ourselves.

 

We also limit our drinking to the island or brought on wine.

 

There are MANY MANY tricks to saving money.

[Ehpride]

Keep in mind also that with some research, you can do ports less expensively. Honestly, next time, I think we're only going to do one actual excursion.

[kayhold]

We just looked into doing a cruise instead of our annual Myrtle Beach trip. The price tag for MB was going to be $1600 for 9 days of food/drinks/hotel etc.

 

I looked at a Carnival Cruise on Freedom for a 6 day out of Fort Lauderdale. On the surface it looked reasonable. Once getting into the booking the cheapest room was an inside "guaranteed". But when talking with the rep. the least sea sick is mid ship deck 7. So that actually was going to cost $133 more even with $100 on board credit.

Then I went to look at the ports for excursions - sheesh!

Not much in Florida Keys and not cheap. Beach in Grand Cayman $40 per person for 3.5 hrs; Beach and Meal in Jamaica $70 per person.

 

At this point, along with flights & luggage fee's we are now at the $1843.48 mark and we need a pre-cruise hotel and haven't tipped or had any drinks!

 

Like I said am I missing something? I thought cruises were supposed to be cheap?

 

We drive to ports and that is about $70 in gas. Add another 40 for a hotel. We book early, so our current cruise is costing us about $242 for a 5 day, empress aft OV.

 

It really helps if you can drive to port.

[spunkyhungry]

Then I went to look at the ports for excursions - sheesh!

Not much in Florida Keys and not cheap. Beach in Grand Cayman $40 per person for 3.5 hrs; Beach and Meal in Jamaica $70 per person.

 

 

Don't do ship excursions. When you get off the ship you can take a taxi to the beach for much cheaper. Or you can rent a car and drive yourselves around.

[needabreakcanada]

That was a really good piece of information to know.

 

We are planning our 30th anniversary San Juan cruise with another couple for next year. That one I am already saving $20 a week and all our extra change. Adding up fast.

 

This cruise for Sept 2012 was going to be a first time cruise for us. Due to the saving for the other cruise I wanted to keep the costs down to at least what we were aiming for in Myrtle Beach. Basically a switch up.

 

Any other suggestions to keep costs down on a cruise and still have a good time? I know we are allowed 2 bottles of wine - any other suggestions for more drinks?

[Redsfan]

we are a family of 5 and a land Vacation for 1 week is probably pretty close to one at Sea..we have a bit of a luxury in that we have my inlaws condo to stay in while in Florida, so if we Cruise we can use that. Otherwise, while on board we do not book any excursions with the Cruise Line, we book ourselves.

 

We tend to also just do Beach Days which limits the cost to taxi's, food, etc. It certainly isn't cheap but no trip is. We have 2 little ones that we would strangle if we have to drive from the GTA to Florida, lol. We would save a bit of money but we also fly out of Buffalo which is about half the cost of leaving through Pearson. That is one reason we will NOT travel on a Package with any of the Canadian Airlines because the Air cost really hits the wallet. When we try a land Holiday Trip we would look to leave out of Buffalo again as it will save us lots of money...

[needabreakcanada]

So hubby just asked:

 

How do you get back from beach after cab has left?

 

Guess he is worried about being left behind?

[tfrcal]

$400 for food for a week while on vacation is not much. Are you sure? I count on least $100 a day.

[kayhold]

Also, check this out.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1610541

[broberts]

We just looked into doing a cruise instead of our annual Myrtle Beach trip. The price tag for MB was going to be $1600 for 9 days of food/drinks/hotel etc.

 

I looked at a Carnival Cruise on Freedom for a 6 day out of Fort Lauderdale. On the surface it looked reasonable. Once getting into the booking the cheapest room was an inside "guaranteed". But when talking with the rep. the least sea sick is mid ship deck 7. So that actually was going to cost $133 more even with $100 on board credit.

Then I went to look at the ports for excursions - sheesh!

Not much in Florida Keys and not cheap. Beach in Grand Cayman $40 per person for 3.5 hrs; Beach and Meal in Jamaica $70 per person.

 

At this point, along with flights & luggage fee's we are now at the $1843.48 mark and we need a pre-cruise hotel and haven't tipped or had any drinks!

 

Like I said am I missing something? I thought cruises were supposed to be cheap?

 

$89 / day / person seems pretty inexpensive to me. It also appears that you don't fly to MB.

 

Sounds like you let the rep you talked to convince you to buy more :D - it's their job after all. At a guess if you want a real comparison to $89 / day / person stick with an inside. It doesn't have to be a guaranteed, you should be able to get a reasonable rate and pick your preferred cabin location.

 

Nothing says you have to leave the ship when it ports. Nothing says you can't come back to the ship and eat if you do. In other words, don't bother with expensive excursions. There is lots to do on a ship, even when it's in port. Most ports you can just walk around enjoying the sights & doing a little window shopping. Often there is a free beach nearby or within a less than $10 taxi ride distance.

 

Add $11 / day / person to cruise fare for on-board gratuities. And don't forget you pay for alcohol and soda (pop / cola / coke).

 

Generally 7 night cruises are better priced (per night) than 6. You might also want to look at cruises that don't require you fly. Check Fantasy out of Charleston.

[nhraformula00]

Our last cruise in Dec of last year on the 8 day Freedom was 409$ p.p. Total for the 8 days including hotel and air for 2 was 1500$ . It depends on time of year,as there are some good deals late in the year.

[CWcruisers]

Any other suggestions to keep costs down on a cruise and still have a good time? I know we are allowed 2 bottles of wine - any other suggestions for more drinks?

 

 

Just put "smuggling alcohol" into the search function of these boards and you will find all kinds of suggestions.

 

I don't think cruising is a cheap as it used to be. I live part time in Cabo San Lucas Mexico and most of the resorts are going to an AI program, which is very affordable when combined with an air package. Unfortunately, this concept is in competition with all the bars and restaurants in the area attempting to get business as most people on an AI package stay at their resort since it is already paid for.

[mondello]

Midship Main deck inside cabin ($339X2=$678) plus taxes/fees ($191) is nearly $870. Not bad for a 6 night on a Holiday (Labor Day) week. You've got plenty of time to research ports and make plans. Buy a bottle of booze from BV if you'd enjoy mixed drinks in your cabin to help keep your bar bill down. Pre-pay your tips and its not hard to stick to some sort of budget. We had an oceanfront condo in MB and a 5 night cruise, both vacations were last year. I don't plan on going back to MB anytime soon and I've booked Valor/Glory B2B for Dec. That may give you an idea which vacation I consider a better deal.

[kayhold]

We just looked into doing a cruise instead of our annual Myrtle Beach trip. The price tag for MB was going to be $1600 for 9 days of food/drinks/hotel etc.

 

I looked at a Carnival Cruise on Freedom for a 6 day out of Fort Lauderdale. On the surface it looked reasonable. Once getting into the booking the cheapest room was an inside "guaranteed". But when talking with the rep. the least sea sick is mid ship deck 7. So that actually was going to cost $133 more even with $100 on board credit.

Then I went to look at the ports for excursions - sheesh!

Not much in Florida Keys and not cheap. Beach in Grand Cayman $40 per person for 3.5 hrs; Beach and Meal in Jamaica $70 per person.

 

At this point, along with flights & luggage fee's we are now at the $1843.48 mark and we need a pre-cruise hotel and haven't tipped or had any drinks!

 

Like I said am I missing something? I thought cruises were supposed to be cheap?

 

Also, does it have to be the freedom? Can you consider a cruise that is close enough to drive to?

[theneals4]

You also have to take into effect that the first week of September Labor day falls in that week ( Sept 3rd to be exact) and that's a holiday here. So the the prices are a little higher. I would rather take a cruise any day than go to MB. I went so much when I was younger it doesn't appeal to me, much anymore. But whatever you decide. I hope you have a great vacation!

 

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk 2

[needabreakcanada]

I haven't actually booked yet, just to clarify that.

 

We are now considering booking inside cabin at a price where we can pick midship at the very least.

 

Is anyone familiar with Freedom? Can you recommend a deck that would be quieter?

 

Thanks

[cocontom]

I'm pretty sure the "cheap" is really "cheaper than an all-inclusive" which it is, but that's still a far cry from a vacation planned on a budget. I don't know whether we're spending more or less, but seeing the lodging and food in one lump sum certainly makes it feel like more, as I'm sure the bar bill at the end will too.

[needabreakcanada]

We already kiboshed an all inclusive as it was even pricier than a cruise.

 

So the breakdown on rooms:

 

896.48 inside guarantee

 

1069.48 plus 100 obc gives us mid ship deck 1 or 2

 

------ extra 50.40 for midship eck 6

------ extra 60 for mid ship deck 7

 

Recommendations for a first time cruiser?