Budgeting? Just take cash equal to your fare

[Razor_Poke]

After reviewing our spending post cruise (Fantasy July 29), and now having 9 sailings under our belt, I'm ready to agree with those that suggest you should double your cruise fare when planning your spending.

 

We may be a good representative sample family:

 

 

2 adults, 2 older teens

1 OV, 1 IS upper deck level

Buy a few souvenirs and trinkets in the gift shop

Drink 4 or 5 drinks between us on the ship and on land per day

Do an excursion, do another port day on our own

10 hour drive to the port

1 night pre-cruise hotel

Buy a couple of photos

Get the wifi and hub chat app

Gamble a couple hundred $$$

 

 

Roughly a 1/3 of our fare was spent before we ever walked on the ship, about a 1/3 in the ports of call, and another 1/3 onboard spending.

 

 

Basically, it came out almost equal to the fare. I was really a little shocked because I tried to be careful about spending.

 

 

But, we also bought a few snacks for the road trip, the girls got mani/pedi's before we left home, DW bought a few clothes and a new swim suit. I bought a new snorkel mask. Consider that kind of pre-spending too.

 

 

I'll be curious as DD heads off to college and may not cruise with us in the future, just how much that changes things.

[easyboy]

Sounds like my home improvement expense. Actual came out twice as much as planned.

 

 

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[bury me at sea]

We average about 1/3 to 1/2 the fare, with one 1 older teenaged granddaughter and me.

 

Travel and meals to / from port, parking, one night in Steakhouse and one at Chef's Table, excursions, extra cash for tips, and maybe some food in ports.

 

We have never yet come home with any regrets.

[cruizergal70]

Nope, not anywhere close. My last cruise, I spent less than $100. I'm not a drinker or a shopper.

[tef43]

Not even close.

[Towel Critter]

I can't speak for others, but we've never spent anywhere close to our cruise fare. Maybe a third, including sail and sign bill, excursions, and purchases at ports of call.

[Micahs Grandad]

much less maybe a round of drinks a day and we spend less time in casino. And learned to do private excursions

[A&Jfamily]

All depends on cruises and excursions. Are we driving or flying? How many nights pre-cruise in a hotel?

 

A typical 7 day cruise from Miami, If we have 4 ports of call and do tours in each that is $1200 give or take for our family of 4. Our on board spending (tips and alcohol is less than $1000). With airfare you are talking $1000-1500 so yes, same costs for our balcony and the boys inside cabin.

 

Now our 5 day Sunshine cruise out of Norfolk will be less than 1/3 even with tips and specialty restaurants. It's 5 days, leaving from our home port, parking is free for DH, and going to the Bahamas we may not book excursions.

 

 

 

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[Woodfaerie]

Flying adds an incredible amount of money. Airfare (ouch), hotel and meals for the day before we ship out, checked luggage, hotel day room if we fly back home out of MIA (flights back home never before 730 pm), a weeks worth of parking at the airport, etc.... it really adds up. But oh boy is it worth every penny!!!

[cb at sea]

Most 1st timers spend at least 1/2 of what the cruise and transportation costs in "extras"....the more you cruise, generally speaking, the less you spend in "add-ons".

[jas283a]

Much less here, though more than the 1/3 talked about here because we live far away from a cruise port. So travel to/from much higher for us. If you don't drink or gamble, you save a lot of money on the ship. If you do, you'll enjoy spending that money! Plus I know many cruisers know tricks to save on drinks. And agreed that often time private excursions or port exploring saves quite a bit as well, for often a better experience. I'll be curious as well to see what happens with just us as a couple.

 

 

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[winddawn]

From what I'm reading in this thread, there isn't a "typical" cruiser nor amount spent on a cruise.

 

I agree with the others. The amounts stated by the OP are nowhere close to my typical cruise expenditures.

[chipmunkx]

We have never spent more than $200. We don't drink at all. Don't buyexpensive onboards items. Private excursions. Drive to port 7 hrs away. Precruise hotel purchased through priceline or hotwire secret deals. Parking is cheap offsite. We buy souvenirs if we haven't been somewhere before. Very easy to spend very little if you budget well.

[SadieN]

much less maybe a round of drinks a day and we spend less time in casino. And learned to do private excursions

 

 

 

Thanks for the great offer. Will collect next month!

 

We rarely do excursions any more, mainly have lunch. Last Mexican cruise we splurged, paying $70 for the two of us at three ports.

[dberryman18]

$10,000? Really?

 

 

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[riclop]

After reviewing our spending post cruise (Fantasy July 29), and now having 9 sailings under our belt, I'm ready to agree with those that suggest you should double your cruise fare when planning your spending.

 

We may be a good representative sample family:

 

 

2 adults, 2 older teens

1 OV, 1 IS upper deck level

Buy a few souvenirs and trinkets in the gift shop

Drink 4 or 5 drinks between us on the ship and on land per day

Do an excursion, do another port day on our own

10 hour drive to the port

1 night pre-cruise hotel

Buy a couple of photos

Get the wifi and hub chat app

Gamble a couple hundred $$$

 

 

Roughly a 1/3 of our fare was spent before we ever walked on the ship, about a 1/3 in the ports of call, and another 1/3 onboard spending.

 

 

Basically, it came out almost equal to the fare. I was really a little shocked because I tried to be careful about spending.

 

 

But, we also bought a few snacks for the road trip, the girls got mani/pedi's before we left home, DW bought a few clothes and a new swim suit. I bought a new snorkel mask. Consider that kind of pre-spending too.

 

 

I'll be curious as DD heads off to college and may not cruise with us in the future, just how much that changes things.

You must be kidding

[mek]

If this is a Caribbean cruise - no way. At no time have we ever spent anything like that, but we are very light drinkers and never spend money in the casino with the exception of occasional slot pulls with CC members.

 

Now, if it's an exotic cruise, with many ports, then I would agree extras can exceed the cost of the cruise, but even then I'm not sure about 2X the cost, (not including air in this.)

 

We're going on a 7 night Caribbean cruise next week - I will probably take a couple of hundred $'s in cash and so will DH and we will probably come home with about 60% of it.

Edited August 9, 2017 by mek

[Domino D]

Just looked at the last two cruises, we barely reached half. What am I doing wrong? Am I cheating myself? My wife is kind of... lets say frugal. That's it, I am buying a new watch in San Juan.

[Rosefloater]

much less maybe a round of drinks a day...

 

Thanks. We'll also collect next month.

[ravensbad]

When you count everything you spend on a cruise that's not part of the fare/gratuities it's very easy to spend your fare again. We don't drink or gamble and we drive to port, but between travel insurance, hotel the night before, cruise parking, meals while travelling, excursions, dining package, excursion / porter tips, bingo, etc. it can add up pretty fast. If we drank alcohol and gambled I could easily see spending a total of 3 times the cruise fare. Of course, we book insides generally, so the fare is cheap(er).

[springs741]

much less maybe a round of drinks a day and we spend less time in casino. And learned to do private excursions

 

Wow! that is so kind of you. Rose and Essie and I are really going to enjoy.

[Micahs Grandad]

Thanks. We'll also collect next month.

 

Hmmmmmmm:)

[Warm Breezes]

I really don't think it is quite as simple as doubling the value of your cruise. There are too many variables. Use my next 2 cruises for an example:

 

NCL Escape:

 

Cost of Angled Balcony Room for 7 nights for 2 people (includes UBP and 4 Meal SDP Promo): $2,285 - 63% of total cost

Pre/Post Cruise Costs (Airfare, 1 night hotel, Airport Parking, Tips, Shuttle to/from Airport/Hotel/Port, Gratuity on UBP and 4 Meal SDP Promo): $800

Onboard Gratuity of $195 is offset by OBC from TA for $200

Souvenirs/Excursions/Gambling (Est $75 per day) $525

Total spending outside of cruise cost: $1,325 - 37% of total cost

Total Cost: $3,610

 

CCL Fantasy:

 

Cost of PH Room for 5 nights for 2 people (paid for with discounted Carnival gift cards): $558 - 25% of total cost

Pre/Post Cruise Costs (Rental car, gas, 3 nights hotel-1 night includes cruise parking, meals) $1,000

Onboard Gratuity (ppd with discounted Carnival gift cards): $117

Sail Away Package from Fun Shops (ppd with discounted Carnival gift cards): $74

Wine/soda to bring Onboard: $30

Onboard drinks (Est $20 per day-we are not big drinkers): $100

Souvenirs/Excursions/Gambling (Est $75 per day): $375

Total spending outside of cruise cost: $1,696 - 75% of total cost

Total Cost: $2,254

 

As you can see, my first cruise non-cruise cost spending will be approximately 37% of my total cost. My second cruise non-cruise cost spending will be approximately 75% if the total cost. Both vacations end up being 8 days long but my spending is vastly different between the 2 and neither hits your 50% mark.

[bUU]

I really don't think it is quite as simple as doubling the value of your cruise. There are too many variables.

Good, because my estimates for my upcoming cruises don't indicate that that's a consistent quantity: For one it is 70% and the other 40%.

[d12j28]

My next one is a free bounce back. I'm pretty sure I'll triple the cost!