newbie to cruising

[spunkee]

Hi,

We are booked on pacific sun for next feb. freo & return.

Can someone please tell me what things we will still have to pay for once on board & prices if possible.

Just so i don't get a shock when i get on board & find we haven't got enough money.

cheers

[Cruiseship_Virgin]

Hi,

We are booked on pacific sun for next feb. freo & return.

Can someone please tell me what things we will still have to pay for once on board & prices if possible.

Just so i don't get a shock when i get on board & find we haven't got enough money.

cheers

 

Only thing you HAVE to pay for is your drinks but you can take on soft drink, so it's only alcohol and prices are very reasonable, basically pub prices.. ex: $2.50 soft drink, $9 cocktail, $5 spirits..

 

There are places on board to eat that are additional costs too.

 

You can buy heaps of other things on the cruise too as they have a gift shop and dutyfree stores.. Also at the gift shop is where you can buy things like toothpaste, sunscreen, etc..

 

Hope this helps and know you'll have an absolute ball on your first cruise :)

[Drelix]

Most your food is free.

But if you want somethin from like the pizzaria or the steak house or kebab place if there is one on the sun? they cost a little extra.

 

Also if you want like chochies or lollies or packets of chips they are in one of the duty free shops they also cost some money

 

Though the food you pay for is normaly good but food from the dinning room and bistro are free and opend most of the day and night.

[LuckiePuris]

Welcome to CC!! :)

 

Also, when you board, your onboard account will be charged auto tipping.

 

Each passenger is charged this on a daily rate. Although you can request at the pursers desk to have the tips taken off the account, and you can then give tips to staff at the end of the cruise at your discretion.

 

Professional photos are also available for puchase. The ship's photographers take photos at embarkation on the first day, at the formal nights, island nights and are also usually waiting outside the ship to take a photo of you as you arrive at the ports.

 

It doesn't cost to have your photo taken, and you have no obligation to purchase these photos. The formal photos are about $30 each, but is quite reasonable compared to the cost of having a professional photo shoot setup and prints done at home.

 

The food in the buffet and dining room is fantastic and you can never go hungry! But if you do feel like pizza or an ice cream, there is a charge for this. But again, their prices are really reasonable.

 

Another thing to take into consideration if you haven't already, is travel insurance. If you need to use the medical facilities onboard, you will need to pay for these but can claim this with your travel insurer. The following is a thread on the importance of travel insurance:

 

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1026974&highlight=

 

Hope this helps, feel free to ask any questions!! :)

[LouLou28]

Hi and welcome to CC ...

 

Shore Tours are another added cost. You can book these before you go (once you get your blue folder from P&O or your Travel Agent - the details on what's available and how to book will be in there) - or you can book them once you get on board (you may run the risk of missing out on some of the more popular shore tours though). These will be added to your on board account as well.

 

Of course, you don't have to do any of the ship's tours and can make your own arrangements or do what you feel like in each port .... that's sometimes much more fun (and definitely cheaper) than the ship's tours.

[spunkee]

Thanx for the replies, you have set my mind at ease :)

 

we are really looking forward to the cruise as it will really be the first 'real' cruise.

Last year we had a w/end on the funchal, but all they did was sail down from freo to busselton & then we sat there all w/end, was nothing to see except ocean.

At least it showed that we should be ok with no travel sickness as the funchal really bounced around both up & down & sideways. I ended up propping myself in the bed with extra pillows cos it threw me out on the floor twice.

The amount of times my overnight water bottle hit me made me put it in the drawer. It was a laugh-especially when a crowd of people got up to dance on the small floor & they had to run with the sideways swells & the rest of us were absolutely killing ourselves laughing.

We were in a rear cabin right over the screw,but on pacific sun we are in the centre on riviera deck.