Really think on how much these cruises cost!

[WeBeGone]

Cruise fare for 12 days - $6000

Pre cruise hotel - $490

Shore trips - $1300

Casino and wine - $1000

Tips - $240

Trip of a Lifetime - PRICELESS

[B40 Tha Cruisa]

Honestly, one can cruise fairly cheaply if they are smart enough. Dont book excursions through the ship at every port, maybe choose one. You can book excursions through people at the port on most occassions. Ice cream, eat the free stuff at 3-4 in buffet, or at dinner. Cruising is a fairly economic way to travel. Princess is known for what people call "hidden charges", but if your prepared for your cruise, they wont be so hidden!

[Northshorecruisers]

For us, travelling with teenagers - it's a great deal! If I had to buy all the food they consume on a 7 day cruise - I'd go broke.

 

We keep tabs on our shipboard account every couple days so there are no surprises at the end. It's vacation - live it up! So what if I go over what I planned to spend. Better that than regret not doing something like enjoying a good bottle of wine with my husband on our balcony. Those are the memories that are priceless.

[spongerob]

Sponge-No, I'm not a young cruiser. This was our 9th cruise.

With 9 cruises under your belt, none of this should come as any surprise.

 

You must be having a bad day at work. What is with the sniping over spelling and grammar--not your usual reply. If you had really read the original post you would have known it was not the first cruise.

I'm not sniping about anything. I read some of the previous posts under the username. The comments in this thread looked like someone else had posted them. That's why I asked.

 

I doubt I'd have responded at all if the comment about thinking twice about cruising Princess again hadn't been included. The same charges exist on most lines, and when they don't, then the fares are a lot higher.

[seattlekckckc]

OK, here is my bit of wisdom on this subject. When I took my first cruise for my honeymoon in 1994, we took a week long cruise in the Caribbean on Carnival Sensation. I now have 26 Princess cruises under my 35 year old belt, so I look back on that cruise with humor at my naivete'! Anyway, I recently found the actual invoice from the TA in my honeymoon pictures (gawd, that ship was ugly!), and our total for the 7 day cruise, not including airfare, in an INSIDE on CARNIVAL was about $3200. Keep in mind, the pictures were cheaper, but not free. Same for the drinks and shore excursions. We still managed to rack up a decent sized bill at the end, just with incidentials of first time cruisers, on their honeymoon no less! (Crappy souvenier, anyone?).

 

So, the moral of my story is, cruising has gotten significantly CHEAPER in the last 13 years, since I can now get an inside on any 7 day Caribbean cruise for about $600 per person. And that is in 2007 money, not 1994! SO, I can buy alot of pictures and drinks and shore excursions and still not even come close to $1500 per person for just cruise fare. With prices posted everywhere, there should be no surprises, except for the drunk people at the bar buying a round for the whole room. (seen it happen!). I would rather CHOOSE to buy incidentals than automaticlly have them included in my cruise fare.

 

Casey

[High C's]

So, the moral of my story is, cruising has gotten significantly CHEAPER in the last 13 years, since I can now get an inside on any 7 day Caribbean cruise for about $600 per person. And that is in 2007 money, not 1994! SO, I can buy alot of pictures and drinks and shore excursions and still not even come close to $1500 per person for just cruise fare. With prices posted everywhere, there should be no surprises, except for the drunk people at the bar buying a round for the whole room. (seen it happen!). I would rather CHOOSE to buy incidentals than automaticlly have them included in my cruise fare.

 

I agree. And with 9 cruises under their belt, as the OP claims to have, would you not think this should have been obvious to them, too???:confused:

[seattlekckckc]

Completely agree that it should be obvious! When I go a restaurant, that is what menus are for, so you know how much things cost. I can't order ice cream at a restaurant, and then be shocked when the bill comes at the end of the night, wondering why the ice cream is one there! One needs to pay attention to those things, if they care about their bill at the end.

[Davey Interweb]

Excursions and transfers and whatnot cost money? I'm shocked, shocked I say, to hear this. Damn Princess!

 

Seriously, how many mainstream lines don't have surcharges for special facilities and alternative dining (among other things)? If you're really bent out of shape having to pay extra for these unnecessary things, try Crystal, Regent, Seabourn and lines of that ilk. I promise you that they will not charge extra for an ice-cream cone or a padded chair. Problem solved!

[custompcsys]

Sponge-No, I'm not a young cruiser. This was our 9th cruise. I noticed you have posted over 11,000 replies, do you have nothing else to do?

 

That's just downright nasty and unnecessary.

[smoothdancer]

I have always said that I do not think that cruising is a cheap vacation.... The meals and entertainment are not free, you have just paid for it up front in you cruise ticket.

 

Now of course we usually book a mini, do not bring our own liquor on board and it all adds up. Do I think it is a good value for our vacation dollars, absolutley, just not cheap. Sure I could smuggle booze, book an inside and get away cheaper but that is not the way I want to vacation. I can and have done land vacation in many of the islands for about the same price of a cruise all the while dining in great resturants, finding fun entertainment. For me however I like the decisions being made for me where I will eat dinner, what night time events I will do that a cruise has to offer. I just dont think it is any cheaper than any other type of vacation one can choose from. In the end you get what you pay for no matter where you vacation.

[surfklutz]

These are typical on all cruise lines......unless you pay three times the Princess fare for an "all inclusive cruise".....;)

 

I totally disagree with you on the all inclusive cruises - I don't believe at the end of the day they are much more expensive than a suite on Princess with the bill added to the fare that you get at the end.

 

For instance - I booked a suite on SeaDream cruising the Amalfi coast for 7 days. I paid about $3000 a person - and did not have a bill at the end of the cruise. They went directly where I wanted to go (example - dropping anchor at Portofino rather than taking a bus transfer from Genoa or dropping anchor at Capri rather than take the ferry from Naples ). I drank when and what I wanted to anytime I wanted to, and I jet skied and sailed (they have sailboats included) 4 times during the voyage.

 

I had ice cream when I wanted it, I took free fitness classes, I even had a free excursion, wine tasting with the Sommelier. I had lavish cushioned lounge chairs for no charge and any kind of fancy slushy cocktail anytime I wanted it. I had a cabana boy adjust my umbrella, clean my sunglasses and spritz me with ice water.

 

 

I ate breakfast, lunch and dinner topside overlooking Positano. And I never had to dress up for dinner - not even once.

 

If you are booked in a suite on Princess, you may want to look at your bill at the end and add it to your cruise fare and see if you really got your money's worth.

[chasetf]

EasyCruise would be cheaper, but you pay extra for absolutely everything.....each bite of food you pay for....rumour has it that you have to insert a coin to flush:D

Gee.... I would hope you would have to insert the coin to get in the door........ otherwise folks will just not flush. :eek:

 

At least that is the way it was when we had to "pay to go" on the continent. ;)

[BruceMuzz]

When I worked on the Royal Viking Sky in 1975, a 7-day Mexican Riviera Cruise out of LA was priced at $6,000 PER PERSON for an outside cabin. That same year a new Cadillac was priced at $3,000. There was plenty of caviar and champagne at every event. Drinks were only about $1 each. Sodas were free. We had no balconies, no internet, no steak house, no gelato, no sushi, no broadway shows, no wine bar, very limited entertainment, no 24 hour room service, no movies under the stars, no children's center, no computer classes, one tiny pool, one tiny spa, and a tiny gymnasium with 4 treadmills.

 

So for the price of 4 new Cadillacs, a couple could have a nearly all-inclusive 7-day cruise to Mexico. And they still had to pay extra for tips (recommended $20 per person per day) drinks, spa, and shore excursions.

 

Cruising expensive today??? Hardly.

[spongerob]

Bruce - a 1975 Cadillac Seville cost $12,479 (list). But your point is an excellent one - you could cruise under what we could call Expedition conditions today, or have a brand new Caddie. Today, for $12K, you can have one heck of a nice cruise, including all the extra charges, and probably for longer than 7 days.

[Nylsor]

We live in the UK and travel extensively in Europe. On one of our trips this year we spent 4 nights in Barcelona at the end of May. Lets see how much our four nights for two people cost us:

Airport parking - £33.00

2 return flights from Stansted to Barcelona with Easyjet £210.00

4 nights in 3* Hotel Gaudi ( just off La Ramblas) £400.00 Bed and Breakfast only booked through internet site

Taxis to and from Barcelona airport to hotel ( with tip) £40.00

Lunch for four days (tapas, one beer and coffee) £60.00

Coffee, tea, soft drinks during the day £30.00

Dinner and wine for four nights £250.00 with tips ( we ate in a fantastic restaurant in the Place Real which is the training restaurant for the university, get in the queue at 8.00pm for opening at 8.30pm - costs about half the price of other establishments)

Public transport to various sites around the city and entrance to the Cathedral, museums, etc £60

Total cost - £1083 or at today's rate = $ 2166

We have visited Barcelona before and choose to stay in this hotel as it's very convenient for the Gothic area, markets, Cathedral, port, museums, etc but it is basic. Definitely no frills. By comparison, a cruise seems to be very good value in terms of accommodation, service, food, facilities, entertainment, etc. We'll find out next year!;)

[California Native]

Since I have traveled in Europe extensively by land in addition to my years cruising.

I just wanted to say to the op.

When you calculate in your air tickets/ ferry to each port and/or your Eurail pass, then lodging, and then FOOD all comparable to your cruise experience.

A cruise is CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP!

Europe, UK, Scandinavia are some of the most expensive places in the world right now for our dollar.

Taking a cruise to these ports stretches in your money immensley.

What it comes down to....

Are you traveling for the itinerary or a resort experience.

[B40 Tha Cruisa]

Let me put this whole thing in perspective...

 

WHAT ISNT EXPENSIVE?

 

For what you get, cruising is the best value for your vacation dollar out there.

[Cruise Junky]

For what you get, cruising is the best value for your vacation dollar out there.

 

I think it completely depends on what kind of vacation you're looking for. If you're happy just being somewhere from 9 - 5 and then back on the boat, cruising is the way to go. But after just completing a 3 week land trip, our cruising is going to be cut back. It was far cheaper and more enriching on land.

 

As a comparison, we were originally booked on Royal Princess, 12 day cruise. $6,000 for the two of us in balcony. We cancelled and spent three weeks in France and Italy.

 

Car Rental for 17 days = $1,400

Gas = $300

Rental for week in Provence = $1,200

Rental for week in Tuscany = $1,200

 

We didn't eat out every night, but pretty much ate out every lunch time for around 15 Euro a piece with a beer or wine. We went grocery shopping in Tuscany and it's dirt cheap. We had a buggy full of food, vodka, wine, etc. and it came to 70 Euro...we were floored, that's one dinner out. Wine at our french co-op was 5 litres for 9 Euro.

 

We toured every day...I spent about 1,600 Euro...but I'm a shopper...that is for the whole three weeks including Paris and Rome pre & post rentals. Hubby spent 1,000 Euro. We both would have spent that on tours and ship board accounts if we'd have cruised.

 

But to be able to get up in the morning and decide where you wanted to spend the day, when you left, where you went and when you returned, was amazing. DH honestly won't care if we never cruised again, he found the land trip so much better.

 

So don't be so quick to judge that cruising is the cheaper alternative....at $500 a day (before tours, drinks, etc.) you can do better on land if you want to.

[High C's]

Interesting comparison, Cruise Junky. I am one of those who always assumed it is cheaper to go by ship.

 

But I guess even your land tour costs would be significantly higher if you did in fact eat out every evening, especially in restaurants that serve 4 course meals like we enjoy (FAR too much!) on cruises.

 

)Do I detect you may not want to be joining us next year??:( )

[Dena]

 

Car Rental for 17 days = $1,400

 

 

We have always thought that one of the true pleasures of cruising is freedom from driving. Freedom from driving or planes coupled with actually traveling great distances from place to place is a luxury for me. Driving is very stressful. I remember one study showed that as soon as one gets behind the wheel (even before the car is started), one's blood pressure increases.

 

So what you are describing is not what I would call a vacation. I'd call it an adventure (perhaps even a pleasant adventure) but not a vacation. But, I learned to drive in New Jersey, so maybe I'm biased.;)

[Cruise Junky]

We have always thought that one of the true pleasures of cruising is freedom from driving. Freedom from driving or planes coupled with actually traveling great distances from place to place is a luxury for me. Driving is very stressful. I remember one study showed that as soon as one gets behind the wheel (even before the car is started), one's blood pressure increases.

 

So what you are describing is not what I would call a vacation. I'd call it an adventure (perhaps even a pleasant adventure) but not a vacation. But, I learned to drive in New Jersey, so maybe I'm biased.;)

 

I think a lot of people feel the way that you do, but my husband loves to drive, absolutely loves it.

[Cruise Junky]

Interesting comparison' date=' Cruise Junky. I am one of those who always assumed it is cheaper to go by ship.

 

But I guess even your land tour costs would be significantly higher if you did in fact eat out every evening, especially in restaurants that serve 4 course meals like we enjoy (FAR too much!) on cruises.

 

)Do I detect you may not want to be joining us next year??:( )[/quote']

 

Hello there :) We're definitely doing Greece. It would be far to hard to try and replicate that itinerary doing it ourselves. Plus we have such a great group :).

 

As for eating...honestly, one of the other great pleasures of this trip was not having to dress for dinner. To be able to shop in the markets in Provence in the morning (I love to cook) and then prepare a meal together in shorts and a bathing suit or whatever, drinking as much wine as I want ;) We had our own barbeque in Provence as well. I wouldn't have given that up to be waited on. Oh...our rental in Provence, the owners delivered Baquettes, Croissants & Pain au Chocolate to your door every morning.

[Host CJSKIDS]

We cruised on Emerald in the Med this summer. We hadn't cruised for about two years and I was really surprised on how much everything cost. The excursions averaged $200 pp at many ports, the shuttle buses just to the ports were $15pp, the nice lounge chairs $15 pp, ice cream, internet at $.75 per minute, dinner out on your balcony $$, and etc. Our final bill was alittle surprising! I'll think txice before booking with Princess again>

 

Yes, the extras on any cruise line can truly add up, but they are extras. You have a choice to book a ship's excursion or do it on your own to save money. The nice lounge chairs are in the Sanctuary and you don't have to go there if you don't want to spend the extra money. Internet will cost you on any cruise line as well as at any hotel. Dinner on your balcony is optional and extra and again, you have a choice. If you ordered room service to be served in your room on at any hotel you would incur a nice bill and delivery charge.

 

The charges are something that you knew about prior to actually doing them so while you may have been surprised at the total, you knew that you were charging lots of extras.

 

Cruising may add up but after my trip to London this summer I can certainly say once again that cruising throughout Europe is a lot cheaper than a land vacation. I didn't use my mini-bar as a can of diet coke was $9! I ordered breakfast one morning for room service and my order which was for "2 bagels" at 5 GBP turned out to be for 2 halves! Add the delivery, service charge and VAT on top of that and it was one expensive bagel. My hotel room cost me an arm and a leg and to top it off there was a 17.5 tax added to it. I needed to use the internet to check in and get seats for my return flight on BA and imagine, the Intercontinental charged me for use of the internet!

 

Sorry you feel you got cheated but you chose to spend the money on the extras so I guess you have to live with it after your vacation is over.

[California Native]

cruise junky...

love your itinerary...great way to delve into and appreciate each country, instead of an 8 hour port.

However, if you are trying to copy the same itinerary the Emerald takes, but do it on your own...it would be incredibly expensive that's what I was trying to convey to the op...

[Host CJSKIDS]

I think it completely depends on what kind of vacation you're looking for. If you're happy just being somewhere from 9 - 5 and then back on the boat, cruising is the way to go. But after just completing a 3 week land trip, our cruising is going to be cut back. It was far cheaper and more enriching on land.

 

As a comparison, we were originally booked on Royal Princess, 12 day cruise. $6,000 for the two of us in balcony. We cancelled and spent three weeks in France and Italy.

 

Car Rental for 17 days = $1,400

Gas = $300

Rental for week in Provence = $1,200

Rental for week in Tuscany = $1,200

 

We didn't eat out every night, but pretty much ate out every lunch time for around 15 Euro a piece with a beer or wine. We went grocery shopping in Tuscany and it's dirt cheap. We had a buggy full of food, vodka, wine, etc. and it came to 70 Euro...we were floored, that's one dinner out. Wine at our french co-op was 5 litres for 9 Euro.

 

We toured every day...I spent about 1,600 Euro...but I'm a shopper...that is for the whole three weeks including Paris and Rome pre & post rentals. Hubby spent 1,000 Euro. We both would have spent that on tours and ship board accounts if we'd have cruised.

 

But to be able to get up in the morning and decide where you wanted to spend the day, when you left, where you went and when you returned, was amazing. DH honestly won't care if we never cruised again, he found the land trip so much better.

 

So don't be so quick to judge that cruising is the cheaper alternative....at $500 a day (before tours, drinks, etc.) you can do better on land if you want to.

 

You are correct as long as you chose a rental/hotel that doesn't cost a lot and you don't mind grocery shopping, making meals, and cleaning up after yourselves. I love not having to cook and shop, not having to make beds, and not having to do dishes but that's a personal preference. I know that whenever we do land vacations either in the States, the Caribbean or Europe our hotel bills are always large because of the hotels that I chose.

 

Sounds like you had a great vacation and being able to spend 3 weeks throughout Italy sounds marvelous. Would love to know how you found your rentals and where you stayed.