Your real cost of cruising vs. CC's

[StarSong]

I was very surprised to read the CC estimate of the extra costs in a day's cruising. We don't rack up nearly that much. Here is their estimate per person at http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=139:

 

Drink of the Day: $6.95

Specialty Dining: Chops Grille, $30 per person

Latte: $3.28

Massage: $149, 50 minutes

Shore Excursion: St. Thomas (land and sea combo), $59

Fitness Class: $10

Souvenir Photo: $19.95, 8x10

Bingo: $6 for one card

Basic Internet Package: $55, 100 minutes

Gratuities: $12 per passenger, per day

The Bottom Line

Sample a la carte cost for one day: $351.18

 

Our typical average daily expenses per person:

Drinks - $25

Specialty Dining - $8 (average as we only do this every fourth day or so)

Lattes, specialty ice creams, etc.: $0

Massage/Spa/Fitness classes: $0

Shore Excursions: $30 (we only cruise when at least half the days are at sea)

Photos: $0

Basic Internet Package: $5 per day per person

Gratuities: $12

Casino: $40

Sample a la carte cost for one day: $120.00

 

As indicated, we never buy special coffees, avoid the photographers like the plague and use the internet sparingly (only long enough for me to download business and immediate family emails, then compose responses off line, and go back on only long enough to send).

 

Bingo used to have good prizes and the cards were reasonably priced, but those days are long over. Haven't played in years and don't miss it. The casino gives more bang for the buck. (Even at the casino, we probably spend more time watching people play those completely addictive quarter pushing machines than actually playing anything.)

 

We enjoy walking the fitness track several times a day and use the stairs for exercise. Cruise ship massages and spa services are way too spendy for us. So much for that entire category.

 

Even so, as I typed this out it was surprising to see how much we spend per day beyond the fare and taxes. We prepay gratuities, use cash in casinos, and rarely book RCI excursions, so our additional costs per day don't generally show up on our SeaPass account.

 

How about the rest of you? What RCI rabbit holes suck down your dollars and which do you sidestep without difficulty?

[hazeleyez3]

I was very surprised to read the CC estimate of the extra costs in a day's cruising. We don't rack up nearly that much. Here is their estimate per person at http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=139:

 

Drink of the Day: $6.95

Specialty Dining: Chops Grille, $30 per person

Latte: $3.28

Massage: $149, 50 minutes

Shore Excursion: St. Thomas (land and sea combo), $59

Fitness Class: $10

Souvenir Photo: $19.95, 8x10

Bingo: $6 for one card

Basic Internet Package: $55, 100 minutes

Gratuities: $12 per passenger, per day

The Bottom Line

Sample a la carte cost for one day: $351.18

 

Our typical average daily expenses per person:

Drinks - $25

Specialty Dining - $8 (average as we only do this every fourth day or so)

Lattes, specialty ice creams, etc.: $0

Massage/Spa/Fitness classes: $0

Shore Excursions: $30 (we only cruise when at least half the days are at sea)

Photos: $0

Basic Internet Package: $5 per day per person

Gratuities: $12

Casino: $40

Sample a la carte cost for one day: $120.00

 

As indicated, we never buy special coffees, avoid the photographers like the plague and use the internet sparingly (only long enough for me to download business and immediate family emails, then compose responses off line, and go back on only long enough to send).

 

Bingo used to have good prizes and the cards were reasonably priced, but those days are long over. Haven't played in years and don't miss it. The casino gives more bang for the buck. (Even at the casino, we probably spend more time watching people play those completely addictive quarter pushing machines than actually playing anything.)

 

We enjoy walking the fitness track several times a day and use the stairs for exercise. Cruise ship massages and spa services are way too spendy for us. So much for that entire category.

 

Even so, as I typed this out it was surprising to see how much we spend per day beyond the fare and taxes. We prepay gratuities, use cash in casinos, and rarely book RCI excursions, so our additional costs per day don't generally show up on our SeaPass account.

 

How about the rest of you? What RCI rabbit holes suck down your dollars and which do you sidestep without difficulty?

 

I don't think we have had a bill higher than $100.00 for the entire trip.

[SnappyNappi]

I don't include some of these things in my per day cost when onboard because I try to pay them off as part of the cost of cruising - for example, I prepay our gratuities when I purchase the cruise... ALWAYS. I also pre-book any excursions, drink packages, specialty dining, etc. and pay them off before I step on the ship whenever I can.

 

I guess that it is all a matter of semantics, but I pay as much as possible over time BEFORE we leave and consider it part of the cost of our vacation so I don't have to stress about what we spend on the ship or carry all that extra money. We never miss out on anything we want or want to do, and our SeaPass account is usually a very small amount at the end of the cruise. I guess this makes the pre-boarding cost higher for me, but I don't have nearly the per-day expenses that are listed below.

 

If I were to break it down into these categories as you did, I guess we would fall somewhere to the low side (closer to your personal cost assessment, StarSong). When DH and I were on the Oasis in November our SeaPass account was about $75 per day - that is total for both of us (and we did purchase a discounted specialty dining package on the ship when we boarded). When we took our 3 kids, after we had pre-purchased as much as we could before we got on the ship our SeaPass account for 5 of us for a 9-night cruise was less than $100 per day - not per person, for ALL of us over the entire cruise.

[Xina143]

I was very surprised to read the CC estimate of the extra costs in a day's cruising. We don't rack up nearly that much. Here is their estimate per person at http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=139:

 

Drink of the Day: $6.95

Specialty Dining: Chops Grille, $30 per person

Latte: $3.28

Massage: $149, 50 minutes

Shore Excursion: St. Thomas (land and sea combo), $59

Fitness Class: $10

Souvenir Photo: $19.95, 8x10

Bingo: $6 for one card

Basic Internet Package: $55, 100 minutes

Gratuities: $12 per passenger, per day

The Bottom Line

Sample a la carte cost for one day: $351.18

 

Our typical average daily expenses per person:

Drinks - $25

Specialty Dining - $8 (average as we only do this every fourth day or so)

Lattes, specialty ice creams, etc.: $0

Massage/Spa/Fitness classes: $0

Shore Excursions: $30 (we only cruise when at least half the days are at sea)

Photos: $0

Basic Internet Package: $5 per day per person

Gratuities: $12

Casino: $40

Sample a la carte cost for one day: $120.00

 

As indicated, we never buy special coffees, avoid the photographers like the plague and use the internet sparingly (only long enough for me to download business and immediate family emails, then compose responses off line, and go back on only long enough to send).

 

Bingo used to have good prizes and the cards were reasonably priced, but those days are long over. Haven't played in years and don't miss it. The casino gives more bang for the buck. (Even at the casino, we probably spend more time watching people play those completely addictive quarter pushing machines than actually playing anything.)

 

We enjoy walking the fitness track several times a day and use the stairs for exercise. Cruise ship massages and spa services are way too spendy for us. So much for that entire category.

 

Even so, as I typed this out it was surprising to see how much we spend per day beyond the fare and taxes. We prepay gratuities, use cash in casinos, and rarely book RCI excursions, so our additional costs per day don't generally show up on our SeaPass account.

 

How about the rest of you? What RCI rabbit holes suck down your dollars and which do you sidestep without difficulty?

 

The Spa isn't something we frequent. I can get the same services near my home for 40-60% less, so why would I bother?

 

Who gets 100 minutes of internet access a day?

 

don't do the fitness classes. We might use the weights or run the track, but there's enough in the gym to make the class an unnecessary expense for us.

 

Honestly, if a someone that's never cruised before saw this..it might scare them off.

[SnappyNappi]

The Spa isn't something we frequent. I can get the same services near my home for 40-60% less, so why would I bother?

 

Who gets 100 minutes of internet access a day?

 

don't do the fitness classes. We might use the weights or run the track, but there's enough in the gym to make the class an unnecessary expense for us.

 

Honestly, if a someone that's never cruised before saw this..it might scare them off.

 

I have to agree with you Xina - I don't do the spa unless I get a complementary treatment as part of my booking bonus. I don't do fitness classes or buy much if any internet (I am on vacation and would like to be disconnected while I am on the ship!).. I also drink A LOT of soda and always pre-purchase the soda package before I board, which saves me a lot of $$ per day...

[ryano]

]

 

How about the rest of you? What RCI rabbit holes suck down your dollars and which do you sidestep without difficulty?

 

Im nowhere near that much either. I am a cruise lines worst customer i guess. I DO tip the recommended amount plus extra generally but I dont do excursions, I dont gamble, Im not a big drinker, I usually just eat in the WJ and MDR so no specialty dining. No lattes, no photos, no internet and very little shopping.

 

Im not "cheap" by any means but I find that I can have a very large time just enjoying what is "included" in my cruise fare and dont take part in much of anything that is an extra charge. Thats why I have never subscribed to the theory that cruise lines "nickle and dime" you to death. Its not like they hold a gun to your head and make you purchase anything extra. A simple, polite "no thank you" works every time!

 

My biggest expenses except what the cruise costs (and tips of course) is generally gas for my vehicle to the port and back home, an overnight hotel stay in the port city and whatever food I eat before I get on board.

[Cotswold Eagle]

I was very surprised to read the CC estimate of the extra costs in a day's cruising. We don't rack up nearly that much. Here is their estimate per person at http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=139:

 

I don't think that is meant to represent an estimate of a typical day's cost, it's a standard 'basket' of additional charge items used to compare between different lines.

[luvscruising2007]

I interpreted the "real cost" of cruising to mean that the cost does include other expenses. And to get the real cost you must add on these items to the fare and taxes to get your true cost. Whether you pre-pay or pay on board these expenses are part of the cruise cost.

 

So, OP would have to add $120 X 7 to what the fare and taxes were. This gives you a true cost.

I hope I am making sense.

[gatour]

According to their figures, over half of the per day fees are attributed to a massage and 100 minutes of internet access for every single day.

 

My wife and I normally get a massage on a cruise but not every single day. Also, I will buy an internet package of around 200 minutes that I use during the entire cruise.

 

Also we don't eat in the specialty restaurant every single night.

 

However we also don't have one drink during the day.

 

The individual charges are nice to know for a new cruiser, but the ultimate figure is not relevant for anyone.

[StarSong]

I interpreted the "real cost" of cruising to mean that the cost does include other expenses. And to get the real cost you must add on these items to the fare and taxes to get your true cost. Whether you pre-pay or pay on board these expenses are part of the cruise cost.

 

So, OP would have to add $120 X 7 to what the fare and taxes were. This gives you a true cost.

I hope I am making sense.

 

I agree with your interpretation.

DH & I are going on a TA in November for 14 nights. By my calculations that would be $120 X 2 X 14 = $3360 in extras. :eek: That number sure gets my attention, especially since we booked the trip because the price for a balcony stateroom was such a steal! Yikes!

So.... tips I can't (and won't) change, other than to bump them up for the several crew members who always go above and beyond. I'm good with that.

On the other hand, if we're cautious about the casino and the drinks we can pare that number down considerably. Not avoid them, but maybe pursue other activities besides drinking and gambling. Maybe we can advantage of specials on the beverages.

Forewarned is forearmed, right? ;)

[printingchick]

Agree, although seeing the charges was useful. I think most of us would say we don't partake in ALL the extras listed.

 

I never purchase any spa services (although I have to admit I did on my very first cruise...don't all first timers end up paying more??). I've never eaten in a specialty restaurant except for Johnny Rockets and that was using a free coupon. I don't gamble or buy an all-inclusive drink package. Three free coffee is good enough for me. Fitness classes...well, despite good intentions, I never even make it to the fitness center beyond stopping by to look around while touring the ship!

 

On the other hand, I do purchase excursions on each island, although usually NOT through the ship. The $59 listed is actually pretty LOW for many of the ports of call. I try to keep all excursions under $89/person. You can go MUCH higher...and sometimes I do. For example, if you take a ferry to a neighboring island (St. Thomas to St. John or Tortola to Virgin Gorda), you're already up to $60 per person just getting there. That's before any activities, food or transportation costs!

 

I also purchase photos. Yeah...I'm a sucker for those. Not a lot, but we will be posing on formal night...and wearing our 70s retro wear. I love pictures!

 

I have occasionally purchased internet time, particularly when my kids were younger and staying home with relatives, but this isn't an ever-cruise expense. I prefer to be UNREACHABLE when feasible!!

 

As StarSong said, the article included some useful information. "Forewarned is forearmed."

[galavant3]

I don't include some of these things in my per day cost when onboard because I try to pay them off as part of the cost of cruising - for example, I prepay our gratuities when I purchase the cruise... ALWAYS. I also pre-book any excursions, drink packages, specialty dining, etc. and pay them off before I step on the ship whenever I can.

 

I guess that it is all a matter of semantics, but I pay as much as possible over time BEFORE we leave and consider it part of the cost of our vacation so I don't have to stress about what we spend on the ship or carry all that extra money. We never miss out on anything we want or want to do, and our SeaPass account is usually a very small amount at the end of the cruise. I guess this makes the pre-boarding cost higher for me, but I don't have nearly the per-day expenses that are listed below.

 

We do the same. We prepay gratuities, wine and excursions. We don't use the spa or specialty restaurants. Our final bill is minimal.

[Brittany C]

Hi Everyone!

 

This is Brittany with the Cruise Critic editorial team. The tally was meant to serve as a list of possible charges that could be incurred onboard a cruise, not an average. We definitely don't go to the spa everyday either! In light of some feedback we've received on this confusion, we've added the following disclaimer:

 

"Editor's Note: Prices may vary by ships within the same cruise line as well as by itinerary and are subject to change at any time, without notice. We realize that travelers will not rack up every one of these charges every day, but have presented both the prices and a sample a la carte cost for one day to make the point that onboard charges can accumulate quickly."

 

Never our intention to mislead!

 

Thanks to everyone for posting. Happy Cruising!

 

~Brittany C

[Travel R]

The article was written to give some type of "shock value" - especially to those that do not frequently cruise. As mentioned above, the Spa treatment and Internet are over half of the expenses - and most people do not take advantage of them (especially every day). But as Brittany mentions above, it provides a list of what it can cost if you took advantage of everything offered each day.

 

Everyone cruises differently. Everyone has their own likes & dislikes, and there is a long list of items that everyone can spend extras on.

 

It has become a tradition that my DW has one massage each cruise (my time to chill out in the cabin, watch the TV (one of the few times I can watch whatever I want to), and order in a large snack from room service. It would be a one time charge of $149, not a daily fee [and this massage is basically courtesy of a very nice OBC I received when booking during a "special" sale]. Other pax would not even bother with a spa treatment, and some do have one daily.

 

I will be brining my kids on the next cruise, which means that although there is free ice cream up by the pool, I am sure that we will be making a trip to Ben & Jerry's each night. My DW also does not like the regular coffee on the ship, so each morning we get a cup of specialty coffee to bring to the MDR/WJ and she gets another cup at some point in the evening. Some pax never buy the specialy coffee, and some will purchase a few cups.

 

When it comes to drinking alcohol, everyone is across the board on what they do, even I have had habits on different cruises. On my earlier cruises, I used to order a glass of wine from the somelier (SP?) each night at dinner, on the last cruise I ordered a wine package, and for the upcoming cruise I will bring the two bottles of wine to my room to drink on the balcony after the kids have fallen asleep, and because I will be cruising with my kids, I will probably either not have wine at dinner, or possibly only on the formal nights. If it is hot, and we are out at the pool, my wife (and occasionally myself) will order a cold drink or two. There are some pax that do not drink anything at all, some that get the all-inclusive ultimate all you can drink package -- and those that are somewhere in-between.

 

Since (for the upcoming cruise) I have prepaid all my gratuities, excursions, and soda packages, I still expect to have about $300 of expenses on my SeaPass account at the end of the package. Half of it will be from my DW's spa treatment, a quarter of it from various drinks, and the remainder from various kid-related expenses such as ice cream and "quarters" used in the arcade.

 

Edited due to the above post by Brittany -- I had written mine before she posted hers.

[labeachcomber]

I think it goes to show the wide range of expenses that one can incur while cruising. I've heard stories of people with a $0 balance at the end of the week while others are sifting through pages and pages of charges and can't figure out why they have a $3000 balance.

 

The CC list is probably off especially in terms of alcohol. Even most casual drinkers might get the drink of the day on a sea day and perhaps a glass of wine at dinner. And they also assume that the cruiser is not a gambler, which is a big source of revenue for the ship.

 

The article might have been better if they gave a sample week of charges rather than a per day cost.

[StarSong]

Hi Everyone!

 

This is Brittany with the Cruise Critic editorial team. The tally was meant to serve as a list of possible charges that could be incurred onboard a cruise, not an average. We definitely don't go to the spa everyday either! In light of some feedback we've received on this confusion, we've added the following disclaimer:

 

"Editor's Note: Prices may vary by ships within the same cruise line as well as by itinerary and are subject to change at any time, without notice. We realize that travelers will not rack up every one of these charges every day, but have presented both the prices and a sample a la carte cost for one day to make the point that onboard charges can accumulate quickly."

 

Never our intention to mislead!

 

Thanks to everyone for posting. Happy Cruising!

 

~Brittany C

 

Thanks - I didn't figure that everyone did everything on every day, but it really was an eye opener about how quickly the charges can rack up. This article will definitely help me to be more aware of the "extras" I buy while cruising.

Great article, by the way!

[Paul65]

I don't think that was meant to be a typical daily amount - just a sampling of the extras and how much they cost. I doubt there are many passengers who pay for a specialty restaurant, 100 minutes of Wifi, and excursion and a massage all in the same day, much less every day of their cruise.

 

We average about $100-150 per day for a family of three (including gratuities going on our SeaPass). We tend to leave with about a $1000 SeaPass bill at the end of a week-long cruise.

[SnappyNappi]

Hi Everyone!

 

This is Brittany with the Cruise Critic editorial team. The tally was meant to serve as a list of possible charges that could be incurred onboard a cruise, not an average. We definitely don't go to the spa everyday either! In light of some feedback we've received on this confusion, we've added the following disclaimer:

 

"Editor's Note: Prices may vary by ships within the same cruise line as well as by itinerary and are subject to change at any time, without notice. We realize that travelers will not rack up every one of these charges every day, but have presented both the prices and a sample a la carte cost for one day to make the point that onboard charges can accumulate quickly."

 

Never our intention to mislead!

 

Thanks to everyone for posting. Happy Cruising!

 

~Brittany C

Thanks for jumping in and clarifying that, Brittany. I think that most of us had come to the conclusion that this was a sample of what it COULD cost given all of the options available and not an average of what people actually pay. Happy cruising! :)

[Jax129]

we spent an extra $1,500 on our last cruise but I knew that ahead of time. That was for a wine pkg, Chops & Portofino's (which we LOVED) drinks during the day & after dinner, excursions, and souvenirs & a little gambling (we bought $180 in alcohol but deals were amazing) I'm really not a huge drinker but I did drink wine with dinner every night. I even came home with $150. I think if you price things out ahead of time & go in knowing your limits it's not so shocking.

[cruisegirl1]

While many might not spend as much as the example, it is good to let folks know the types of extras offered by the cruise lines. That way they can budget for what is important to them and not have any surprises when the final bill arrives.

 

M

[mrsdoc3]

Im nowhere near that much either. I am a cruise lines worst customer i guess. I DO tip the recommended amount plus extra generally but I dont do excursions, I dont gamble, Im not a big drinker, I usually just eat in the WJ and MDR so no specialty dining. No lattes, no photos, no internet and very little shopping.

 

The first cruise my husband and I went on (in 1998 when gratuities were paid in cash), I'm pretty sure we spent $0 on board. No photos, no beverages (drank what was free), to excursions, no specialty dining (there wasn't any!). We were shocked to see how think some people's bills were when they were on everyone's doors the last night.

 

We did spend $20 for lunch in Cozumel; I reufsed to go to Mexico and not eat real Mexican food. Twenty years later, we took our four kids on a cruise with a stop in Cozumel, and my husband was still b****ing about spending $20 in Mexico when we could have eaten on the ship for free!