Extra costs and shore excursion?

[scrapperv]

good idea

[scrapperv]

HI we are going to Orlando for 11 days and was thinking of cutting the trip in half and take a cruise on the Carnival Sensation( our first cruise) in Feb for 4 days Bahamas (. Im trying to figure the budget if we can afford it so I have the cost of the cruise and taxes figured out I just dont know if I have the other costs right. This is what I have figured out if you can let me know if I have all the extra costs accounted for .

 

Shore excursions $300/$400 we are only going to do one excursion.( picking something cheap) At $100/pp, you can definitely do most of the excursions offered by the cruise line.

 

Alternate dining $100 I agree this can be skipped by just eating in the MDR. There are several options available and contrary to others who post on these forums, I've found most of my dinners to be quite good.

 

Tipping $200 We just pay this up front and consider it part of the cruise price. If someone really impresses us, we tip additionally at the end of the cruise.

 

pop/ alcohol $100 I drink lots of cokes, and by cokes I mean what you call soda. To me all carbonated beverages are cokes. For instance: "what would you like to drink?" "A coke." "What kind of coke?" "A Sprite." Anyway, if one drinks more than 3 per day, get the bottomless bubbles sticker.

 

Souvenirs $100 this depends on my mood, I guess. If you shop around and find some deals, you can do very well on shore.

 

Photo $20 I usually don't get the ones taken on the ship.

 

Did I miss anything? Don't plan on going to the casino or bingo etc.or buying Starbucks etc. The ship's coffee shop does have some really nice pastries and desserts, and most are in the $3 range.

 

Shore excursion question is can we go to the Beaches ourselves or do we have to book one of the excursions? I'm sure you can go by yourself. Research well on where to go and the best way to get there. Go thru the "port of call" sections here for ideas.

 

Back ground, family ( 2 parents and a 13 year old and 11 year old both boys) And this is our first Family Vacation.

Thanks for reading and giving your input.

V:p

Thanks

[scrapperv]

If you're looking to save money and trying to squeeze in a short extra lil' something like the OP described, I wouldn't bother with FTTF. Sensation doesn't tender anywhere and it's a short cruise. I'm a FTTF fan, but in this case I would skip it save that $50. Just my opinion. Carrying the sodas isn't that bad.

 

You can do Nassau and Freeport much cheaper than $100pp. Cut that in half and there are still a ton of options. Enjoy your vacation - all of it!

Thanks

[serene56]

I turn my kids cards off. (even my grand daughter) not much they can buy but that arcade and the specialty candy store-- and the cafe with the cakes can be a wallet buster.

 

Although the cards are turned off the kids will need the card to get in and out of the room. THey also need them to ding them on and off the ship.

[HollandAvery]

I would love to just go on one cruise and not have to budget...just spend whatever I want without a worry...one can dream, hehe :D

 

I am a planner and tend to plan way ahead and sometimes over-do it. I've already planned a complete budget for our next cruise with wiggle room.

 

I've planned in the cruise fare along with the taxes and port fees, about $100 extra for tipping, $600 for excursions, $100 for shopping on the ship (pedicure, whatever), $300 for shopping around the island (probably a lot more than I need but you never know what you'll find...), $75 for port parking, $25 for meals on the drive to and back, $250 for alcohol on the ship, $200 to buy new clothes for me and my SO for the cruise, $125 for gas to get to and from the port and $150 for a pet sitter to watch our dogs while we are away.

See? I'm a crazy crazy planner. I try to round up about $10 sometimes just to make sure I'll have enough IN CASE...in case what? Well, I don't know.

 

I don't usually buy the photos taken on the ship...but in case I loved one that is what the $100 shopping on the ship is for.

Edited December 9, 2014 by HollandAvery

[JohnSpo]

In Nassau, there is a nice beach called Junkanoo Beach. When you leave the ship, turn right and walk the road closest to the shore. In about 20 minutes, you will see the beach on the right. This beach is not the most tropical but the water is nice and the beach has food vendors and bars that are inexpensive. If you are on a budget, this beach is a nice and friendly family excursion you can do on your own. You can skip the food vendors and walk back to the ship for lunch. On the way back, you can stop in the many vendors along the way for souvenirs.

 

Google Junkanoo Beach, Nassau and you will find a lot of information about it.

 

Enjoy your cruise.:cool:

Edited December 9, 2014 by JohnSpo

[KatieCharlotte]

Im not a yankie i'm Canadian lol. I thought Americans called it Soda?

thanks for your help ."I didn't do any excursions and still found tons of things to do in port to keep us occupied." Do you mean staying on ship or walking around outside? Thanks

 

Yankees in the northern Midwest call it pop. I didn't realize Canadians do too. We did the four-day on the Sensation and did not do excursions. We took a van/taxi to free beaches at both ports and gave ourselves a walking tour in Nassau based on a guide I found online. We've also taken a five-day on the Victory (out of Miami) to Jamaica and Grand Cayman with the kids, sandwiched between Disney and Universal Studios. I highly recommend a cruise as a way to relax after exhausting theme park days. We preferred the Victory itinerary and ship amenities, but that would mean a longer drive from Orlando.

 

The amount you spend on board can vary so much. We are very frugal, bring our own pop :), don't drink much alcohol (DH doesn't drink at all), ask people to take our photos and offer to take theirs, and prepay our tips, so our cruise bill is about $10 at most. I do not link any money to the kids' cards, and they are too happy with the free ice cream and desserts to care.