An example of the TOTAL cost of a cruise

[1313steve]

When I talk to people who are considering their first cruise, one of the questions I get is “what’s it really cost?” Yes, it’s easy to see the price of a cabin, but there’s a lot more things that contribute to the overall cost of the cruise.

I thought it might be helpful to first time cruisers to give them a breakdown of all the costs associated with our recent cruise. The cruise was a five day trip on the Carnival Glory from Norfolk to the Bahamas. We drove to Norfolk (about two hours away), so we didn’t have any airfare charges.

All costs shown are for two people.

Stateroom - $1648

We had an ocean suite on this cruise. Larger cabin, larger balcony and larger bathroom than a standard balcony cabin. It also gave us priority boarding.

Taxes and Port Charges - $163

Depending on the ports you are visiting, you’ll be charged these fees. Our cruise included two stops in the Bahamas

Prepaid Gratuities - $115

Like most lines, Carnival automatically charges a daily gratuity ($11.50 per day, per person).

Parking $75

Unless you have a friend dropping you off at the cruise port or the airport, you’ll spend money parking your car. The $15 a day charge at the parking garage near the cruise port is pretty typical.

Liquor delivered to Cabin - $150

We enjoy cocktails on the balcony so we pre-ordered a bottle of rum and a bottle of vodka (along with orange juice and coke mixers). They were in our cabin waiting for us when we arrived. This is a bit pricey, but still cheaper than buying by the drink at the ship bars. We took a couple of insulated tumblers with lids, which made it easy to make a drink to go while we were on board.

Excursions - $490

We booked a snorkeling trip in Nassau ($120) and also did two onboard “excursions”. We did the Behind the Fun tour of the ship ($190). We also did The Chef’s Table ($180 w/tip) that Carnival offers once on each cruise for up to 12 people. It’s a 7 course meal in a private dining room with wine and the ships executive chef.

Pictures - $61

All cruise ships have photographers taking your picture during the cruise. They display these pictures in the photo gallery and offer them for sale. They are a bit expensive, but we bought four pictures we really liked.

Souvenirs - $104

We bought a few T-shirts and trinkets for family back home

Duty Free Liquor - $33

You’re allowed to bring one liter of alcohol per person back into the States duty free. For $33, I was able to buy a liter of Bacardi Rum, and a liter of Dewars Scotch. Much cheaper than I can buy it stateside!

Onboard Internet Access - $15

We couldn’t resist the urge to check email once during the cruise. At 75 cents a minute the bill can add up fast. You can buy packages of minutes for less per minute, but we didn’t need that many minutes.

Wine and Cocktails - $85

We brought two bottles of wine on board with us when we departed, and coupled with the liquor we purchased for our cabin, we didn’t need to buy many drinks from the bar. We bought one bottle of wine in the dining room and a few drinks in the comedy club one night. Prices for drinks onboard are comparable to a typical nice restaurant or bar. 15% gratuity is also automatically added to each drink purchased.

Cash Tips - $65

You’ll want some cash to tip the porters who help you with your bags, the waiters who deliver room service and a few bucks for those that gave you great service. In our case, we gave our room steward an extra $20, gave each of the five room service delivery waiters $5, and the rest was tips to porters getting on and off the ship

Total cost of the cruise - $3054

Obviously you can spend a lot less or a lot more, but I thought this breakdown would offer a good idea of what we consider typical cruise costs.

[cb at sea]

Very good idea.....most 1st timers are amazed at how much they spend above the cost of the cabin.

[uniquegirl88]

Thank you for this,me and a friend are doing our first cruise in may 2014 and this will give us and idea of what we are paying for.

[OCruisers]

Steve .... Many people should find your breakdown of the actual cost very helpful.

It is quite realistic for those who want to have fun and enjoy a five night cruise without skimping. :D

 

LuLu

~~~~

[Chileancruiser]

It is interesting that I do the break down by 2nd nature. I have never thought of breaking it down so that 1st timers could appreciate the total cost scenario. Good information to pass along.

[mom says]

I think your breakdown is excellent for new cruisers. The only thing that I might add would be the cost of flights and the cost of a pre-departure hotel. Not all of us are fortunate enough to be able to drive from home to the port on the day of departure, and for some folks, the cost of airfare is a significant portion of the total cost.

[FoghornLeghorn]

Steve, nice post and good info.

Like you, I've found people get all excited they see a cruise fare for 399.00...and then are shocked with the additional expense.

 

For new cruisers who have to fly to the port:

check out the airfares as soon as they become available and get your pricing cost. Then watch, watch, watch for them to drop and jump on it :)

and

Please fly in the day before. The amount of delays and cancellations nowadays are greater than they've ever been. You don't want to miss your anticipated cruise because you are stuck in an airport somewhere.

 

Figure in the roundtrip air fare, a hotel the night before and transportation to the ship as part of your cruise cost.

 

and don't forget transportation back to the airport on the day they force you off the ship :D

Edited October 20, 2013 by FoghornLeghorn

[Lionesss]

What an excellent post....

I went back and found my receipts for our Disney cruise in 2006.

Still hunting for the last 4 but here we go.

Party of three two adults one child.

Pre night hotel and parking Cleveland $79.00

Airline: round trip $1,250

Cruise: Magic $ 4,500

Pre-night hotel At port $99.00

Excursions $950

Drinks est $250

Tips $240 regular gratuity

Souvineirs $750 (DD was 11)

Taxis $20

So for us back then $8138:eek:

Maybe I dont want to see what I paid on the Allure crown loft suite:eek::eek::eek::eek:

Now I am not going to look for them.

Sea Ya

[Langoustine]

This is an excellent thing to post. What I have noticed is how many people on our last cruise were shocked by how much extra they had tacked on through drinks, etc. My rule of thumb is what I've learned over the years at restaurants: whatever you are ordering for food will double when you add on wine, tips, tax, etc.

[lamchops]

I always do a spreadsheet pre-cruise and update it when I get home. I have managed to cruise relatively cheaply as I use the ship as a floating hotel rather than a resort. I DIY when in ports and will use a ship's excursion only if it's outside my comfort zone. I'm a working stiff who loves cruising but am looking for value. So here's a recap from a "thrifty cruiser".

 

7 day Pacific Wine Coastal: DW & myself

 

$277 Airfare (one way from LAX)

$1598 Stateroom, inside Lido deck + taxes, port charges + shuttle to LAX

$161 prepaid gratuities

$208 for Thermal Grotto Spa Pass (limited to 40) weather sucked so it was worth every cent (1st time in 10 cruises)

$40 corkage for 2 nice wines brought onboard + $10 wine tasting event

$124 DIY excursions (Seattle underground tour + Chihully Gardens) (Union Square + SF Chinatown) (Old Mission + Santa Barbara Natural History museum)

$0 for pics as we only do pics if our kids are with us

$50 misc knick knacks

$75 for duty free scotxh and specialty wine

$20 extra tip for steward, no room service or specialty restaurants used

-$150 onboard credits for FCC & shareholder credit

Total cost of the cruise - $2403

 

[

Edited October 21, 2013 by lamchops

[WLHyatt]

We take the total of the cruise fare, and any expenses we know up front (cheers, FTTF) and use that to get our budget for the whole trip.

 

Our next cruise is $1700 total, add in $600 for the drink package and $50 for FTTF and you come to $2350.

So we take the 2350 we use for cruise expense, and add it back as our cash expenses.

Our hotel stay before and after will be around $400 (one night in the middle of the drive, two nights in town before the cruise, then one night after). Gas from here to New Orleans and back would be around $120, food before and after is about $150 for the two of us. Cab fare and tip to the port is around $20 (we get free parking at our hotel). That is $690, We take about $600 for excursions (we never use that much, but we use it as a budgetary number), and we have $1000 for spending money throughout the trip, wether that is pictures, food/drinks in port, gifts for friends, and anything else we may need to get back home.

 

It's usually too much money, but it hasn't failed us yet. We like to come home with a little cash left.

Edited October 21, 2013 by WLHyatt

[notentirelynormal]

Add to the above - incidental tips like the porter at the airport, hotel, pier or room service. A dollar here, a dollar there. If it is a traveling day you will have food and drink expenses as well both ways. Add in Bingo at $20 to $30 per game if you plan on partaking. Gasoline to get to the airport.

 

Possibly buying additional memory cards for your camera or buying an underwater camera.

 

Some people add to the cell service to be able to use in different countries.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Great idea.

We would have to add airfares and hotels (along with food). Taxis -- tips for the drivers and porters at the airport and pier.

I also have to add on extra for wheel chair assistance in the airports and to get on and off the ship. Plus the rental of a rollator.

[Roadtripster]

Great info for the first time cruiser. But, like you say, VERY doable to lower that cost down. Me personally, don't spend or do as much as your list. It is definitely individualized. Still giving the cruiser some much needed info as to what could be an added cost. When they think "all inclusive" and it's not, it's a shocker!!

[joie1016]

When I talk to people who are considering their first cruise, one of the questions I get is “what’s it really cost?” Yes, it’s easy to see the price of a cabin, but there’s a lot more things that contribute to the overall cost of the cruise.

I thought it might be helpful to first time cruisers to give them a breakdown of all the costs associated with our recent cruise. The cruise was a five day trip on the Carnival Glory from Norfolk to the Bahamas. We drove to Norfolk (about two hours away), so we didn’t have any airfare charges.

All costs shown are for two people.

Stateroom - $1648

We had an ocean suite on this cruise. Larger cabin, larger balcony and larger bathroom than a standard balcony cabin. It also gave us priority boarding.

Taxes and Port Charges - $163

Depending on the ports you are visiting, you’ll be charged these fees. Our cruise included two stops in the Bahamas

Prepaid Gratuities - $115

Like most lines, Carnival automatically charges a daily gratuity ($11.50 per day, per person).

Parking $75

Unless you have a friend dropping you off at the cruise port or the airport, you’ll spend money parking your car. The $15 a day charge at the parking garage near the cruise port is pretty typical.

Liquor delivered to Cabin - $150

We enjoy cocktails on the balcony so we pre-ordered a bottle of rum and a bottle of vodka (along with orange juice and coke mixers). They were in our cabin waiting for us when we arrived. This is a bit pricey, but still cheaper than buying by the drink at the ship bars. We took a couple of insulated tumblers with lids, which made it easy to make a drink to go while we were on board.

Excursions - $490

We booked a snorkeling trip in Nassau ($120) and also did two onboard “excursions”. We did the Behind the Fun tour of the ship ($190). We also did The Chef’s Table ($180 w/tip) that Carnival offers once on each cruise for up to 12 people. It’s a 7 course meal in a private dining room with wine and the ships executive chef.

Pictures - $61

All cruise ships have photographers taking your picture during the cruise. They display these pictures in the photo gallery and offer them for sale. They are a bit expensive, but we bought four pictures we really liked.

Souvenirs - $104

We bought a few T-shirts and trinkets for family back home

Duty Free Liquor - $33

You’re allowed to bring one liter of alcohol per person back into the States duty free. For $33, I was able to buy a liter of Bacardi Rum, and a liter of Dewars Scotch. Much cheaper than I can buy it stateside!

Onboard Internet Access - $15

We couldn’t resist the urge to check email once during the cruise. At 75 cents a minute the bill can add up fast. You can buy packages of minutes for less per minute, but we didn’t need that many minutes.

Wine and Cocktails - $85

We brought two bottles of wine on board with us when we departed, and coupled with the liquor we purchased for our cabin, we didn’t need to buy many drinks from the bar. We bought one bottle of wine in the dining room and a few drinks in the comedy club one night. Prices for drinks onboard are comparable to a typical nice restaurant or bar. 15% gratuity is also automatically added to each drink purchased.

Cash Tips - $65

You’ll want some cash to tip the porters who help you with your bags, the waiters who deliver room service and a few bucks for those that gave you great service. In our case, we gave our room steward an extra $20, gave each of the five room service delivery waiters $5, and the rest was tips to porters getting on and off the ship

Total cost of the cruise - $3054

Obviously you can spend a lot less or a lot more, but I thought this breakdown would offer a good idea of what we consider typical cruise costs.

This is nothing what our cruises cost us for 2 people. You are listing alot of things that not every one uses. Our costs for 2 people in a balcony cabin ($1500.00) with some drinks and some pictures is always under $350.00. So our total is $1800.00 for 2 people for a 7 day cruise. :)

[1313steve]

This is nothing what our cruises cost us for 2 people. You are listing alot of things that not every one uses. Our costs for 2 people in a balcony cabin ($1500.00) with some drinks and some pictures is always under $350.00. So our total is $1800.00 for 2 people for a 7 day cruise. :)

 

As I said in my original post, you can certainly spend more or less! I'm curious to know what ship & itinerary you are finding with a 7 day balcomy cabin for less than $700 per person??? I know you said $1500, but I'm assuming at least $100 of that is taxes and port charges.

Edited October 21, 2013 by 1313steve

[Talisker92]

For comparison, River cruises are much more expensive because they do not have the economies of scale that large ocean ships do.

We recently took a Vantage river cruise from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Here are our costs with comments

Two adults

Junior Suite $10,800

Airfare $3000

Port Charges $300

Crew Tips $ 170

Tour Manager tips $250

Local guide tips $30

Pictures $0

Shore Excursions $0

Wine purchased on land $30

Souvenirs $100

Meals in cities $200

Total $14,880

[JimAOk1945]

Excellent information. Thanks for taking the time to put it all together.

[donaldsc]

Costs can be a lot lower if you leave off a few things.

 

When I figure ship costs, I do not include the actual cost of the cruise, tips, taxes, port charges, etc. since none of these are optional - we have to or should pay them. I also do not include excursions (I probably should) as the cost of excursions varies so much from trip to trip. If I did include both ship book excursions (which I avoid like the plague) or private excursions, you should add anywhere from $500 - $1000. Also, in many cities we just wander around interesting parts of the city or go to a good museum (we are museum nuts).

 

I also have not included transportation to and from the cruise as this varies considerably and also because we frequently stay 1 to 2 weeks pre and/or post cruise. As long as we are there, me might as well extend our vacation time. It also amortizes our transportation costs of a longer time period than just the length of the cruise on a daily basis. For example, our last cruise in Europe started as a 14 day cruise and morphed into a 40 day trip. This means that our $2400 transportation costs dropped from $171 per day to $60 per day.

 

On-board drinks - zero. We bring sufficient wine on board whether it is allowed or not. Two bottles each in our suitcases plus 1 each in carry on gives us 6 bottles of wine. We have not been caught yet (knock wood) and spreading out the wine spreads out the loss if you are caught.

Photos - zero. They are overpriced and generally of poor quality.

Spa and personal treatments - zero.

Casino - zero. We ldo not gamble and if we did, we live in Las Vegas so why should we gamble on the ship.

Souvenirs - usually zero unless we find a piece of indigenous art that we like. We do not buy any crap souvenirs.

Extra tips - $50 max.

Internet - zero. We get 500 minutes for free. Use almost none of it. I find no need to be in constant contact with everyone.

Extra cost on-ship dining - zero (usually) to $60 (occasionally).

 

You can do cruising without spending a lot of extra money if you want to.

 

DON

Edited October 21, 2013 by donaldsc

[esimon]

It's nice for the newbies to know what the other costs might be -- really cool to see it all spelled out

 

We don't drink much - splurge a little but don't spend 20 for a bottle of wine

 

 

thanks for the info

[MrsPete]

Very good idea.....most 1st timers are amazed at how much they spend above the cost of the cabin.

I think many people are under the false impression that cruises are "all-inclusive". It's a rather pervasive urban legend.

[ducklite]

There are many other costs associated with cruising--some may or may not be applicable:

 

Pet sitting

 

House sitting

 

Gas and tolls to port or airport

 

Parking at Port or Airport

 

Transfers between airport and cruise ship

 

Airfare

 

Meals pre-cruise

 

Meals on shore

 

Tips to porters, park-n-fly drivers, hotel bell services, hotel housekeeping, shore excursions, etc.

 

Calling home (I spent about $200 calling and e-mailing home over three weeks in Europe, and that included using a calling card and free WiFi when convenient)

 

Pre/Post cruise hotels

 

Pre/Post cruise meals

 

Pre/Post cruise sightseeing and entertainment

[crosscruiser]

Does nobody allow for gambling? We are not BIG gamblers..slots maybe some Black Jack but we are budgeting $100 per night each. We may not play each day but for our eight day cruise we are budgeting $1600! I thought that was kinda low? But as I said.. we are not big players. Are we the only ones???:eek:

[1313steve]

Does nobody allow for gambling? We are not BIG gamblers..slots maybe some Black Jack but we are budgeting $100 per night each. We may not play each day but for our eight day cruise we are budgeting $1600! I thought that was kinda low? But as I said.. we are not big players. Are we the only ones???:eek:

 

My original post didn't include gambling because we didn't do any on this cruise, but your point is well taken. On past cruises, I've spent a decent amount gambling, but the last couple of cruises it seemed like everyone at the tables was a very inexperienced gambler. I get frustrated when people need their fingers and toes to play blackjack, so I'm gambling less and less. That's probably saving me money! :D

[srjones1]

Great thread. My friends were first timers last year and I warned them that the bill can run up quick if you're not looking. My first cruise taught me to pay close attention as 2 adult/2 kids was over $4000 for a 5 day.

 

We typically budget $200 per day for gambling, $100 per day for drinks, and $250 for misc over a 5 day cruise. $1750 plus fare for just 2 adults. Add the kids and we add about $250 per kid above fare. If it comes in under we're happy.