First timer - confused re cots

[Happy jacc]

Hello all

 

My hubby and I are considering our first cruise and the more I research the more confused I become.

 

We are looking at a Mediterranean cruise on Equinox.

I am attempting to understand all the upfront costs.

So far it appears that I pay for:

Cruise

Tax

Drinks package (options), then 15% gratuities on this

Meal package (if we wish)

General gratuities per day

 

Have I missed anything.

Is there one place I can find all these details?

 

I also noted on one of the threads that purchasing the drinks package once out to sea was cheaper. Is that accurate. If so, how far out?

Any help or direction for me would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks for all the wonderful sharing.

[RickT]

Welcome to Cruise Critic and good luck with booking your first cruise. I'll take a stab at answering your questions however it wouldn't hurt for you to search as well as many of the questions you are asking have been asked/answered before and some of the other threads may include more details that will help.

 

1) Upfront costs are cruise, port taxes. Nothing else is really an upfront cost unless you book Select dining in which case you have to pay the gratuities up front. Otherwise the gratuities are charged to your onboard account and paid at the end of the cruise.

 

2) Drink package. If I recall the only issue is sailing out of Barcelona. I believe as soon as you are out of spanish waters the extra tax associated with that disappears but I could be wrong. Before commiting to the drink package it would be worth digging in and see what is and is not included. I've sailed a lot and while I like my wine/beer have never been able to make a case for the expense of the drink package. You may want to try and book when the 1,2,3 go promos are on as the drink package is one of the choices.

 

Additionally, you can purchase the drink package any time up to 3 days prior to the end of the cruise. You can try pay as you go for a few days and decide if it makes sense to buy.

 

3) Meals package. If you've never been on a cruise before I'm guessing you'll be more than happy with the meals offered in the main dining room. On a 12 night cruise I will go to the specialty restaurants once or twice and that is more for a change of pace (or a special occasion).

 

The things you may be forgetting are:

-Shore Excursions: Each port will have a number of shore excursions offered which you may or may not be interested in. Depending on how comfortable you are in a foreign country it may be worth it, or it may be just as good to do each port on your own.

- Laundry: I try to pack light and sometimes use the ships laundry service (there is no self serve laundry on board)

- Internet: It's available on board but fairly expensive. If possible I just access free wifi while in port

 

Ultimately the bare minimum cost is Cruise, taxes, gratuities. Everything else can vary based on your personal needs. My last cruise included the drink package and gratuities (I booked under a 1,2,3 Promo). My total bill after the cruise was $20 which was for an additional tip I decided to leave.

 

Have fun on the forum and on planning your first cruise. Lots of helpful people here.

Edited August 26, 2014 by RickT

[neverbeenhere]

I'll admit there sometimes is a lot of complaining about Celebrity on this forum, but they do provide something better than cots.:D

[wallie5446]

Welcome to the Celebrity boards on Cruise Critic.

 

First, you do know that your vacation's are about to be forever changed, right? One cruise is not enought, then another, and another, till one day you look up and you have just sailed on your 5th diff line for the umteenth time!:D

 

OK, to try and make some sence of this mess.

 

First time cruises find them selves trying to fit in and do all the wonderful things they read about on here and other sites. Then end up having a really poor experience on ship. Everything you really need is covered in your base cruise fare, except liquor & tipping. The things you mentioned are add on's if you so chose to do them.

 

You will be given the most wonderful cabin that gets freshened up every morning, and turned down every evening.

You will be shown to a white clothed table 3 times a day if you wish for your meals, server by waiters who's only thought is to make sure you have a wonderful meal.

Or you can stroll thru the self serve bufett area, or have burgers at the grill by the pool.

You step out on the deck 15 stories above the deep blue water and streach out on a lounger in the sun, or find a shady spot to relax and read a book.

Evenings you will stroll into a 2 story theater for shows of music, dancing, magic, and laughts.

All these things are included in the price, plus some I forgot.

Slow down, add other things the second time you sail, then more the third, and so on and so on!

[miched]

First time on a crusie I would recommend reading the FAQ section on Celebrity's website. A lot of info and good things to know.

 

I would try everything that is free first on the ship first like the dining, coffee, tea, and etc before getting a bev pack or dinner pack as you may like it. If the bev pack is included than that is a bonus. If you feel that you can benefit from a package than purchase it but from my experience I sailed on over 30 cruises before I ever had one and survived. Even now if it wasn't included as a promo I couldn't justify one.

 

We sailed many time before ever dining in a specialty restaurant. It is not required or on my list of have to do. For us it is too much food and just a added expense, but many feel they need to have to have that one special dinner.

 

Naturally there could be outside costs such as shore excursions, souvenirs, dining in the ports, parking fees, transportation to and from the ports, luggage fees, air travel, hotel fees before or after the crusie, travel insurance and other related expenses besides the cost of the cruise.

 

Happy cruisng 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[alcpa1]

Welcome to the wonderful world of cruising.

Because you are posting from Down Under, I recommend you join your fellow countrymen and women on the Australian discussion forum. You will find differences between booking in your country and the US and it would be equally helpful for you as you plan your first cruise.

Once you have booked please join the Roll Call for your sailing. It is the best way to plan your land and ship board experiences including joining others on small group excursions.

Hope all goes well and you have a wonderful cruise.

[Happy jacc]

Rick t: thanks for all the info.

Will peruse your suggestions.

 

Neverbeenhere: hahaha- thought I had proof read it but obviously not :)

 

Wallie5446: sage advice indeed

 

Michel: thanks

 

Alcpa1: Great direction to the Aussie forum (I was unaware of its existence).

I was wondering to get my hands on small USD notes...)

Edited August 27, 2014 by Happy jacc

[Clydesmom7865]

Hello all

 

My hubby and I are considering our first cruise and the more I research the more confused I become.

 

We are looking at a Mediterranean cruise on Equinox.

I am attempting to understand all the upfront costs.

So far it appears that I pay for:

Cruise

Tax

Drinks package (options), then 15% gratuities on this

Meal package (if we wish)

General gratuities per day

 

Have I missed anything.

Is there one place I can find all these details?

 

I also noted on one of the threads that purchasing the drinks package once out to sea was cheaper. Is that accurate. If so, how far out?

Any help or direction for me would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks for all the wonderful sharing.

 

Before you spend the money on a drinks package (if the 123 promo is not available) do the math. The amount of alcohol, bottled water, and special coffees you would have to drink every day to get your money's worth is astronomical. Some can do it but for me as much as I am in port I would lose money on a drink package.

 

If soda is a concern Celebrity does allow you to slap a luggage tag on a 12 or 24 pack and check it as luggage and have it sent to your room. That can save quite a bit. Many hit a grocery store after the airport but before the port.

 

I am a heavier packer and avoid laundry charges. As for the specialty restaurants those are cheaper on board. I simply ask what kind of discounts they are offering to the Maitre D' or the waiter. They get a commission for booking it and I get a discount.

 

The drink package USED to be cheaper when booked on board. Now to encourage people to do so in advance they up the cost once you board. Taxes are not the issue if the per day cost is much more.

 

I try to book my shore excursions on my own with private companies vs on board because the tours are better and less expensive. Now I do use the ship excursion if it is an ALL day adventure with a high risk of being late back to the port. For half day tours where I will wander and shop for a while when done I go it on my own.

 

Up front you will pay the cruise fare, port charges, and taxes. If you book select dining you will pre-pay gratuities. If you have a set dining time you can pre-pay them but do not have to.

 

If you have more questions let us know.

[texasgirl29]

My suggestion would be to find a travel agent (TA) that has a lot of cruise experience. They will patiently answer all of your questions and steer you to the best options. Ask local friends for recommendations. If the TA has a "cruise night" or something similar where they have talks about cruising, even better.

 

I agree with what's been posted before. Go for the basics -- there's plenty to keep you happy with the Main Dining Room (MDR). Look for trip reports on the Mediterranean ports. You may feel more comfortable with excursions sponsored by the cruise company rather than going out on your own for the first cruise.

 

Definitely find your Roll Call once you book -- everyone on the Roll Call is so excited to be going they will answer your questions and even guide you if you choose to book independent excursions.

 

Rick Steves has a great guidebook for the Mediterranean ports which you get at the bookstore, on Amazon or even for your Kindle or iPad.

 

I think a Mediterranean cruise is great, Barcelona is fabulous (we did this last year on Disney) but it's also overwhelming -- more so than a Caribbean cruise because the ports are so full of history. With Caribbean cruises you can often walk off the ship and the beach is right there. With the Med, you have to travel quite a distance to see the sights.

 

So, don't get overwhelmed. Research one thing at a time.

 

JoAnn

[wpgcycler]

You will be shown to a white clothed table 3 times a day if you wish for your meals, server by waiters who's only thought is to make sure you have a wonderful meal.

Or you can stroll thru the self serve bufett area, or have burgers at the grill by the pool.

 

or you can slip into your housecoat and have room service deliver a meal or snack you can enjoy in your room or on your balcony - 24 hours a day! This is included too (although many of us like to give a couple of dollars to whoever delivers). I did my first cruise earlier thus year and can't wait for my next!

Edited August 27, 2014 by wpgcycler

[dkjretired]

Also look around with travel agents,many will give you gratuities or on board credit. I'm on a cruise Friday and have drink packages, tips paid and on board credit in an upgraded cabin. Lots of deals out there.

[Happy jacc]

Thanks so much for all the wonderful sharing.

I have just discovered a crusing expo on locally next week, so will head there to get some questions answered. If lucky I may also get some of the deals you have all mentioned. :)

 

Have a lovely day: wherever you may be.

[wallie5446]

We have an Aussie couple on their first cruise with us in Nov that have done many land based vacations. They have asked many wonderful questions on our Roll Call that have brought back great memories and reminded me why we so like this form of relaxation, and Celebrity as the means to do it.

 

Please always ask any question, and when you do cruise return and give us a full recap!