On Board Costs

[Dreacrusingaway]

Okay, we are going on our 1st cruise in 18 days. :D

 

I am trying to see how much I should "expect" to spend. We have $332 in OBC so far and have pre-paid the ship gratuities. We do not gamble and I won't be paying for spa services.

 

We are strongly considering getting the Cheers program. DH is a beer drinker, I enjoy mixed drinks. I am on the fence with the soda card for the kids. It's not that expensive. But I wonder if having our own soda in the room could be more convenient than waiting for a refill at the bar. But mealtime beverages could be an issue if they don't want the tea/lemonade/water option. It's only $4.50 per day for the kids

 

We are traveling with our two daughters ages 8 and 12. I am thinking of giving them a set amount for their S&S account (if its possible) of $20 per day or $100 total each. They have their eyes on the candy store and arcade. When they spend what we give, they are done, at least on the ship, they can use their own cash in port.

 

We plan to dine at the Steakhouse if we can get a reservation. Any other costs that I have missed?

 

I know we have to pay to park at Port Canaveral, we may go offsite to save on that cost. Plus we have to pay for our resort day and our excursions and will bring cash for that.

 

Just trying to think of anything we may want to pay for onboard. As I am typing this, I am seeing big dollar signs. I don't want to be caught off guard with the extras.

 

And insight would be great.

[YB Nrml]

A lot of folks here will tell you to average $100 per day per person. That's for drinks, gift shops, gambling etc. On the flip side we have spent as little as $200 for extras on an 8 day cruise.

 

I always buy a bracelet, we add to our growing Carnival coffee mug collection, next cruise we want to buy Carnival beach towels and we usually throw about $50 away at the casino. Yeah, we just walk by and toss it in! We don't drink much soda but Carnival does have a limited selection so if you're kids like something specific you may want to bring your own. Also it can take a while for a child to be noticed at the bars to have their sodas refilled.

 

We've looked into Cheers but wow, it's expensive. I can drink as hard as the next person but I don't think I could average 15 drinks a day for 7 or 8 days. You can order bottles delivered to your room through Bon Voyage, they're more expensive than your local liquor store but convenient.

 

You can spend as much or as little as you want. Your TV in your room will have an account of your folio so you can see what your charges are adding up to each day.

 

Have a great time!

Edited May 7, 2014 by YB Nrml

[asalligo]

Okay, we are going on our 1st cruise in 18 days. :D

 

I am trying to see how much I should "expect" to spend. We have $332 in OBC so far and have pre-paid the ship gratuities. We do not gamble and I won't be paying for spa services.

 

I am very similar, I do not gamble much or purchase spa services. I ended up buying 1 drink a night and I purchased a few things from the shops and the occasional bingo ticket. I ended up about $20 a day excluding pictures. Pictures run $10 to $20 a piece from Carnival.

 

We are strongly considering getting the Cheers program. DH is a beer drinker, I enjoy mixed drinks. I am on the fence with the soda card for the kids. It's not that expensive. But I wonder if having our own soda in the room could be more convenient than waiting for a refill at the bar. But mealtime beverages could be an issue if they don't want the tea/lemonade/water option. It's only $4.50 per day for the kids

 

Cheers is wasted on us. To me it is all about return on investment. If I drank anything more than 12 or so drinks a day, I would buy Cheers. We do purchase the soda program for everyone in my party who drinks more than 3 sodas a day. My Wife and kids usually get one and they really love the ease of getting a drink from anywhere. This last cruise my wife tried just taking cokes, but on day two she caved and bought the drink program, she said going back to the room was just too much of a hassle when out on deck.

We are traveling with our two daughters ages 8 and 12. I am thinking of giving them a set amount for their S&S account (if its possible) of $20 per day or $100 total each. They have their eyes on the candy store and arcade. When they spend what we give, they are done, at least on the ship, they can use their own cash in port.

 

I did the same. My girls are 17, 16, and 14. I only told them that they had a $20 a day limit and that did it, they never exceeded that and there was never a real limit.

We plan to dine at the Steakhouse if we can get a reservation. Any other costs that I have missed?

 

There were events for the kids that cost extra. Several paid activities in Camp Carnival like a prom party. There was also Groove for St Judes, Build a Bear and Lasertag. All optional of course.

 

 

I know we have to pay to park at Port Canaveral, we may go offsite to save on that cost. Plus we have to pay for our resort day and our excursions and will bring cash for that.

 

Just trying to think of anything we may want to pay for onboard. As I am typing this, I am seeing big dollar signs. I don't want to be caught off guard with the extras.

 

Extras I usually forget, Steak House, but I avoid that. Bingo and other outside the casino gambling, goods in the shops, the arcade for the kids and the various events. Then the pictures. That is about all I can think of

And insight would be great.

[Sparky2]

Okay, we are going on our 1st cruise in 18 days. :D

 

I am trying to see how much I should "expect" to spend. We have $332 in OBC so far and have pre-paid the ship gratuities. We do not gamble and I won't be paying for spa services.

 

We are strongly considering getting the Cheers program. DH is a beer drinker, I enjoy mixed drinks. I am on the fence with the soda card for the kids. It's not that expensive. But I wonder if having our own soda in the room could be more convenient than waiting for a refill at the bar. But mealtime beverages could be an issue if they don't want the tea/lemonade/water option. It's only $4.50 per day for the kids

 

We are traveling with our two daughters ages 8 and 12. I am thinking of giving them a set amount for their S&S account (if its possible) of $20 per day or $100 total each. They have their eyes on the candy store and arcade. When they spend what we give, they are done, at least on the ship, they can use their own cash in port.

 

We plan to dine at the Steakhouse if we can get a reservation. Any other costs that I have missed?

 

I know we have to pay to park at Port Canaveral, we may go offsite to save on that cost. Plus we have to pay for our resort day and our excursions and will bring cash for that.

 

Just trying to think of anything we may want to pay for onboard. As I am typing this, I am seeing big dollar signs. I don't want to be caught off guard with the extras.

 

And insight would be great.

 

Since this is your first cruise, you may want to get one of the photos taken on formal night. They are $21.99 each. Have a lot of photos taken and choose one (or 10!) at the end of the cruise.

[asalligo]

Oh, I always buy the cruise video that they sell, I think it was $21 or $22.

[bunchesofun]

We bought the soda card for our kids when they were 16 and 11. It wasn't worth it as they really only drank pop at lunch and dinner.

 

We went to Guest Services and put $70 on each of their S&S cards. When that was gone, that was it. That's $10 a day. Not a lot if they want to do the arcade very much but otherwise enough for souvenirs if they wanted anything. They did fine and only ran out on the last day.

 

Party of 4, first cruise $800, second cruise $500, third cruise (party of 3) $400. That includes $89 for 200 minutes of internet. First cruise we bought a lot of photos too. Last cruise we bought one. We are moderate drinkers. 1-3 drinks per person per day.

Edited May 7, 2014 by bunchesofun
correcting spelling error

[cruizinisthebest]

Depends on your spending habits OP. I spend little to nothing in the casino. I might buy a picture or two. But I like to get whatever it is I want. Whether that's a drink, a specialty meal, something from the gift shops, whatever. I save up all year and don't skimp when I cruise. I bring what I can afford to spend. Usually $100 a day give or take for the 4 of us. I usually start off with $500 and add more if need be.

 

Good job on the OBC.

Edited May 7, 2014 by cruizinisthebest

[asalligo]

We bought the soda card for our kids when they were 16 and 11. It wasn't worth it as they really only drank pop at lunch and dinner.

 

My 16 and 17 year olds maybe do better than break even, they watch their weight even cruising, but my youngest daughter is happy that they do not have a 15 drink limit like the Cheers program.

[skidawg79]

Okay, we are going on our 1st cruise in 18 days. :D

 

I am trying to see how much I should "expect" to spend. We have $332 in OBC so far and have pre-paid the ship gratuities. We do not gamble and I won't be paying for spa services.

 

We are strongly considering getting the Cheers program. DH is a beer drinker, I enjoy mixed drinks. I am on the fence with the soda card for the kids. It's not that expensive. But I wonder if having our own soda in the room could be more convenient than waiting for a refill at the bar. But mealtime beverages could be an issue if they don't want the tea/lemonade/water option. It's only $4.50 per day for the kids

 

We are traveling with our two daughters ages 8 and 12. I am thinking of giving them a set amount for their S&S account (if its possible) of $20 per day or $100 total each. They have their eyes on the candy store and arcade. When they spend what we give, they are done, at least on the ship, they can use their own cash in port.

 

We plan to dine at the Steakhouse if we can get a reservation. Any other costs that I have missed?

 

I know we have to pay to park at Port Canaveral, we may go offsite to save on that cost. Plus we have to pay for our resort day and our excursions and will bring cash for that.

 

Just trying to think of anything we may want to pay for onboard. As I am typing this, I am seeing big dollar signs. I don't want to be caught off guard with the extras.

 

And insight would be great.

 

With getting the cheers program and the soda card you will be putting a "constant" on your on board expenses. Do the Math to see if the cheats program is worth it, someone can correct me if I'm wrong but I think he would need to drink about 10 beers a day to make it worth while.(wouldn't be a problem for me lol).

 

I think you covered almost everything, i usually bring a little extra cash to tip our room steward and MDR waiters/waitresses a little extra. If I think of anything else I'll write back.

[DLA0914]

Just ways to save $$ in the long run:

 

Soda Card - each person is allowed to bring 1 of the following: 12 pk of soda, water/juice - with 4 people, that's still cheaper than $48/per person soda card. Also, on days you're in port, you can bring back bottles of soda, like a 20oz...

 

Don't get caught up in the drink of the day!

 

Even thought you've pre paid for your gratuities, you can still have them taken off your bill and then you personally leave tips for your room steward, dining room, ect. that's up to you! It will save $$, because even children are charged per day with gratuities also.

 

Even though you say you won't do spa services, watch the prices, because towards the end of the week, they will run specials that you can't even get back home in Ducula/Mall of Georiga/Lawrenceville, it's worth it for me! (PS: I live in Lawrenceville, don't want you to think I'm some stalker!)

 

And if you're worried, put cash on your account and when you hit a certain limit, Carnival will leave you a note in your room telling you, you're account is low. Plus, you can always check your balances at the kiosks around the ship!

[asalligo]

Depends on your spending habits OP. I spend little to nothing in the casino.

 

LOL, absolutely depends on the spending habits of the cruiser. Check out guest services on the last night and listen to the arguments about charges and people freaking out over their bill.

 

Tips are often the culprit in my opinion, many people do not realize that 11.50 per person per day is going to hit their account mid cruise. I am always surprised at the number of new cruisers who did not realize, but I am sure if you have hung out here for any length of time, you know about tips.

[cruizinisthebest]

LOL, absolutely depends on the spending habits of the cruiser. Check out guest services on the last night and listen to the arguments about charges and people freaking out over their bill.

 

Tips are often the culprit in my opinion, many people do not realize that 11.50 per person per day is going to hit their account mid cruise. I am always surprised at the number of new cruisers who did not realize, but I am sure if you have hung out here for any length of time, you know about tips.

 

My first cruise, the TA told us about the tips. I've never seen Carnival specifically communicate that to its guests beforehand. Maybe when booking. Tips can definitely get you. This year I'm prepaying them. Don't want to get hit with tips for 4 x 7 days.

[cruizinisthebest]

Don't get caught up in the drink of the day!

 

Even thought you've pre paid for your gratuities, you can still have them taken off your bill and then you personally leave tips for your room steward, dining room, ect. that's up to you! It will save $$, because even children are charged per day with gratuities also.

 

 

 

Children should be charged the same amount per day. They require no less work for the staff. Usually more. Of course it's up to the OP, but I can think of better ways to save money than cutting back on the tips.

[dljones]

I always tell people who want to be frugal on a cruise is:

Don't drink.

Don't gamble.

Stay out of the gift shop.

 

I unfortunately can't follow my own advice lol...:eek:

 

If you want to save a little money you can bring a set amount of soda, water, beer and wine aboard in your carry on. As to the cheers program, this thread spells it out in detail http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2036330&highlight=cheers

[jenng1976]

Children should be charged the same amount per day. They require no less work for the staff. Usually more. Of course it's up to the OP, but I can think of better ways to save money than cutting back on the tips.

 

 

I agree ... I don't think taking tips away from the staff is a good money saving idea. Actually - I always bring an extra $100 or so for extra tips (on top of auto-tips) to divide between our waiters and room stewards, since the service is so good!

 

As for cruise costs - we usually budget $100/day for the 2 of us. We spend it on bingo, drinks, and usually the elegant night photo. We also spend money at the casino, but that's it's own budget, lol. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[WLHyatt]

We look at it a bit differently. We save the cruise fair amount for expenses. So if the cruise cost $1600 for the two of us, we save that amount to pay for fuel, hotels, food on the way down, and our onboard expenses and spending money.

 

So far it's been accurate to within $100 each trip, but YMMV with children.

 

We do back up our cash deposit with a card, but haven't had to use it yet.

[n6uqqq]

OP, unless you and hubby really plan on getting your drink on, cheers will not be worth the 800 dollars for the two of you for the week. Hubby would have to drink ten beers a day to break even and if you like the mixed drinks you would have to average 5 1/2 per day of the ten dollar variety just to break even. You can bring 4 twelve packs of soda yourself and save a bundle .Ask yourself, at home how often do you drink 4 twelve packs of soda in a week? You can keep your sodas iced so they are nice and cold. When you do the soda program, more often than not they are taking 80 degree soda and pouring it over a ton of ice, yielding a flat, watered down, luke warm soda. Taking a small cooler to keep sodas chilled for the open decks can take away the advantage the soda program has for convenience.

Edited May 7, 2014 by n6uqqq

[CrystalBeachGal]

I always tell people who want to be frugal on a cruise is:

Don't drink.

Don't gamble.

Stay out of the gift shop.

 

I unfortunately can't follow my own advice lol...:eek:

 

If you want to save a little money you can bring a set amount of soda, water, beer and wine aboard in your carry on. As to the cheers program, this thread spells it out in detail http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2036330&highlight=cheers

 

 

 

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[CrystalBeachGal]

I always tell people who want to be frugal on a cruise is:

Don't drink.

Don't gamble.

Stay out of the gift shop.

 

I unfortunately can't follow my own advice lol...:eek:

 

If you want to save a little money you can bring a set amount of soda, water, beer and wine aboard in your carry on. As to the cheers program, this thread spells it out in detail http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2036330&highlight=cheers

 

Beer? Please tell me this is true. I would love to bring a six pack (or two or three) ;) in my carry on when I board.

 

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[Musicsmylife]

I did $150 for me for me 5 days. I got $ 25 back. There was not drinking or gambling on my Christian cruise. I had prepaid tips. So I bought my soda card a pedicure and ship souvenirs. To me the soda card was worth it. The water was like salt water, also juices were included in the soda card. The pedi was the best ever definitely will do it again.

 

 

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[n6uqqq]

Beer? Please tell me this is true. I would love to bring a six pack (or two or three) ;) in my carry on when I board.

 

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Sorry, no beer is allowed to be brought onboard! You can bring one 750 ml bottle of wine per adult 21 and over though.

Edited May 7, 2014 by n6uqqq

[dljones]

Beer? Please tell me this is true. I would love to bring a six pack (or two or three) ;) in my carry on when I board.

 

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Sorry, not beer. :( Wine though, I bottle per person.

[Dreacrusingaway]

I TOTALLY forgot about the pictures!! Thank goodness for CC!! I am sure we will get one or two since we are 1st timers and that's what 1st timers do.

 

I will look out for spa deals toward the end. We are staying in a Cloud 9 room so we will have access to some amenities, but I did not plan on using the pay services. But if the deal is good enough I may.

 

I plan to keep the tips as they are. That is why I paid them in advance so I did not have to worry about the added expense later. $230 already paid off.

 

I think you have a good point on the sodas, bringing them may be a much better deal.

 

I admit it, I like to drink, not get "drunk" but I do enjoy a nice mellow slight buzz. :) I drink more than DH does. He is all beer, but can drink 5 beers on a day off. I am thinking wine with dinner, cocktails in the evening, drinks by the pool. I think I will easily do 5-6 drinks a day. Certainly not 15 drinks a day, but a few.

[luvs2fly]

Do you drink coffee? If so you might want to factor in some speciality coffee drinks. Lost towel fee, my kids lost two of them. Other then that and any other impulse purchases I think your covered.

 

 

 

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[Dreacrusingaway]

J

Even though you say you won't do spa services, watch the prices, because towards the end of the week, they will run specials that you can't even get back home in Ducula/Mall of Georiga/Lawrenceville, it's worth it for me! (PS: I live in Lawrenceville, don't want you to think I'm some stalker!)

 

 

 

Well hi neighbor!!! :)