What are the upcharges people complain about in reviews?

[w@ntonsoup]

Looking at Mariner this fall, and concerned that people complain in many/most reviews that the ship will nickel and dime you into oblivion. 

 

We'll have two tweens with us (10 and 13), what sort of expenses would we be looking at? I know the beverage charges, and wifi, and obviously excursions, what else?  Are there experiences that cost money onboard?   I'd love information and details on this.  Thanks!

[Kellie in Texas]

It is perfectly possible to go on a cruise and not spend another dime from what you've already paid for the fare and the daily gratuities (the tips for the ship staff) which are $16-18 per person per day. They are added to your account while on the cruise and will be billed to the credit card you have used.

 

The upcharges are for any of the drinks packages (alcoholic or otherwise). We've never purchased one of those. You usually have to drink 4-5 alcoholic drinks per day to get your money's worth and there's plenty of "free" drinks onboard -- coffee, water, lemonade, some flavored waters, tea, etc. You can always get a drink (or a soda) and have it charged to your account. There is often a Starbucks onboard and that costs extra. 

 

If you purchase wi-fi, it is possible to purchase it for one device and share between multiple devices; person 1 just has to log out before anybody else can log in. 

 

Excursions definitely cost extra. Go to the Ports of Call forum on CC and look at your ports to do some research.

 

The kids' activities (kid/teen club, Flowrider, water slides, etc.) are all included in the fare.

 

Specialty restaurants cost extra; we've never done those either. We're fortunate to live in an area that has every kind of food you can imagine and much cheaper than a $64 steak at Chops on the ship.

 

Definitely download the Royal app on your phone. You can set it up for your specific cruise but you can also change the date to some other Mariner cruise and see what the dining room menus are, when/what the shows are, etc. 

[smokeybandit]

It's people who willfully buy completely optional internet and specialty dining and casitas and cabanas then complain that they got upcharged.

[Joebucks]

People will complain no matter what. It is completely possible to not have to spend an extra dime. 

[Toddcan]

Arcades

Specialty Restaurants

Other pay food items (Bar food, Johnny Rockets, Ben & Jerry's, etc) 

[goldfish65]

Aside from daily gratuities, charges only happen when you use your Seapass card. You'll want to check your onboard account for accuracy while you are still on the ship. If there are any mistakes, you can resolve them at guest services. 

[chuckroast1]

We just got off a Mariner cruise with one of our sons and his family (two tweeners). He had to go to Guest Services and set a limit on the boy's cards because of the Arcade charges they were running up!

[w@ntonsoup]

On 1/26/2024 at 9:15 AM, chuckroast1 said:

We just got off a Mariner cruise with one of our sons and his family (two tweeners). He had to go to Guest Services and set a limit on the boy's cards because of the Arcade charges they were running up!

Oh I could see my kids doing this ! !   How much was he spending per day??  

[Starry Eyes]

A couple more:

There will also be on board shops plus sale tables in the Royal promenade.  Everything from cheap souvenirs to duty free products and luxury items.  It is your choice to shop/ buy or not, though a reviewer might feel their spouse or kids were “nickeled and dimed” there.

 

Spa services are also marketed.  Gratuity will be added and they are apt to try to sell products if you are in the spa.  The gym is generally free, by the way, though you might encounter spa folks encouraging you to try services or someone trying to sell add on fitness classes.

 

You can politely decline everything.

 

 

[scubaslayer]

With the kids my fear was always the arcade. I had a limit set. We do buy the refreshment package, which I think is overpriced but it comes out to less than we would spend on drinks that we do enjoy. I could limit that, but it is a vacation and we want to enjoy ourselves. Refreshment package is the no alcohol package but it generally includes all of the no alcohol drinks. If we didn't do this, the kids would at least want the soda package, which has always seemed reasonable to me. The alcoholic drinks package is too much, unless you will drink 4-5 drinks every day. Look up what you would drink for the price and see how many you need to drink in a day to break even. I think most of it is people not knowing how to do a cost-benefit analysis or just wanting to complain. Other than a drink package, we never spend above the cruise price plus gratuities on the ship since kids outgrew the arcade.

[deliver42]

These aren't nickel and diming. The sales have been going on forever, as is the spa. If you want to purchase, then do it. If you don't want to spend extra, that's very easy. and nobody will give  you dirty looks.

[neverbeenhere]

If gambling was free, I’d be doing it the entire cruise. 

Edited January 28 by neverbeenhere

[cj_one2000]

In recent years, the charge for room service food. Prior to RC’s change to having fee, we would tip generously when our order arrived because there was no fee. Then the service charge came along really made us cut back on late night treats. I read reviews that although the room service menu expanded a bit with the service charge, it really added up with gratuity on top. Reviews that had that bit included also complained that the complimentary late night food options were slim so the pressure to pay room service charge was greater when the only other option was pizza at Sorrentos. 

[Mum2Mercury]

On 1/26/2024 at 9:11 AM, w@ntonsoup said:

Looking at Mariner this fall, and concerned that people complain in many/most reviews that the ship will nickel and dime you into oblivion. 

Only if you choose to spend those "nickels and dimes". 

I've read that the cruise company's biggest three profit-makers are beverages, gambling and shore excursions.  

On 1/26/2024 at 9:11 AM, w@ntonsoup said:

We'll have two tweens with us (10 and 13), what sort of expenses would we be looking at?

I always bought my kids a soda package -- I have girls, and I always talked to them about being careful with what they drank.  I wanted them to feel they could dump a drink that'd been out of their sight for a moment.  

We paid for family excursions, of course, but nothing else specifically for the kids.  

My kids used to be into video games, but I always made sure they had a couple new games for their Gameboys -- and made the arcade off-limits.  The kids liked that because they'd have the new games for the drive down, and they could keep the new games -- whereas arcade games are over in minutes.  I wanted to do it this way because it eliminated the possibility of them going over their allotted budget, letting other kids spend their arcade money, or leaving their card behind in the arcade -- things I've read about on this board.  

 

[blueslily]

26 minutes ago, cj_one2000 said:

In recent years, the charge for room service food. Prior to RC’s change to having fee, we would tip generously when our order arrived because there was no fee. Then the service charge came along really made us cut back on late night treats. I read reviews that although the room service menu expanded a bit with the service charge, it really added up with gratuity on top. Reviews that had that bit included also complained that the complimentary late night food options were slim so the pressure to pay room service charge was greater when the only other option was pizza at Sorrentos. 

 

I think we were in the minority that thought that it was fine to add some type of fee for room service so that folks would stop being so wasteful with ordering so much food and then not eating it. The amount of food we used to see on plates in halls was crazy. I'm not a fan of a high fee, but just something that would reduce thoughtless ordering just because it was at no extra cost. 

 

Now, we are in the camp with folks that are saying hey, that's enough raising of prices overall (on everything), hahahaha. 

[cj_one2000]

38 minutes ago, blueslily said:

 

I think we were in the minority that thought that it was fine to add some type of fee for room service so that folks would stop being so wasteful with ordering so much food and then not eating it. The amount of food we used to see on plates in halls was crazy. I'm not a fan of a high fee, but just something that would reduce thoughtless ordering just because it was at no extra cost. 

 

Now, we are in the camp with folks that are saying hey, that's enough raising of prices overall (on everything), hahahaha. 

Well back before they had that service fee we’d just order a small plate of cookies or a sandwich something, not a large order. It made sense no fee and tip generously back then. Now they charge that fee for room service, of course you’re going to see people order a lot of food 😩 it’s the way people are when they are charged for something they will make the most of it. 

[blueslily]

16 hours ago, cj_one2000 said:

Well back before they had that service fee we’d just order a small plate of cookies or a sandwich something, not a large order. It made sense no fee and tip generously back then. Now they charge that fee for room service, of course you’re going to see people order a lot of food 😩 it’s the way people are when they are charged for something they will make the most of it. 

 

Oh, I was saying that prior to the fee, we would see folks ordering a lot and not eating it. So, high amounts of food waste. The amount of ordering and plates left with lots of uneaten food seems to have declined since then as some folks refuse to pay a fee for ordering so they don't order.  But, yes, I get it. If you do order and pay the fee, some folks will choose to order a lot since they had to pay a fee. 

 

Similar to what some cruise lines reported about midnight buffets. Lots of food waste. 

 

Thanks 

[MichaelCMTX]

On 1/26/2024 at 8:11 AM, w@ntonsoup said:

Looking at Mariner this fall, and concerned that people complain in many/most reviews that the ship will nickel and dime you into oblivion. 

 

We're booked on Mariner in September.  Your best weapon is to buy whatever you can beforehand.  Drink/soda packages, arcade credits, specialty dining, etc.  We just got off Voyager and I spent more at the Sprtinghill Suites the night before departure than on my Seapass statement.  Planning is your friend.

 

One cruiser's "getting nickel and dimed into oblivion" is another "spending like a drunken sailor once you're on board."