What do you spend $ on?

[ToyStory3]

We are looking at going on our first DCL cruise. Since it's already more than we typically spend on a vacation I'm wondering what else we should plan on for spending money. I know about tips for our servers, etc.

Soft drinks and all food is included, correct? What else do you typically spend additional money on? Thanks!

 

[MuppetBaby]

I'm a sucker for alcoholic drinks (soft drinks are included as long as you order them in the MDRs or get your own from the pool deck area) and souvenirs that say DCL on them.

Also, excursions. I like exploring new places and have enjoyed the Disney vetted excursions.

 

[lizabu]

Alcohol, tastings, bingo, souvineers, excursions....all optional expenses. We fly in day before so hotel. Tips for porters and room service too.

 

[KristiMc]

Soft drinks at meals and from the 24 hours drink station are included. If you ask for a soda at a bar or at the theater you are charged. There are snacks at the theaters and from room service that have a charge. Spa treatments, excursions, BINGO, alcohol tastings, pictures, gift shops, specialty coffee.

 

[ToyStory3]

Can you bring soft drinks, that you filled yourself, into the theater?

 

[anricat]

Can you bring soft drinks, that you filled yourself, into the theater?

Yes.

 

[KristiMc]

Can you bring soft drinks, that you filled yourself, into the theater?

Yes.

 

[lizabu]

Can you bring soft drinks, that you filled yourself, into the theater?

People even bring snacks from home like movie sized candy or things which are not messy like French fries. They sell popcorn in a refillable popcorn bucket for I believe $8 but there is so much food everywhere on the ship I was never hungry enough to buy it. Cove cafe and vista cafe will have sweets which are included but if you indulge in their fancy coffee there is a charge. You will always know which things have a charge because you have to swipe your keycard.

 

[taishartrueblood]

I highly recommend you check out the Rainforest Room in the spa. It is relatively cheap and very nice.

 

[Sytrace]

We like to go on excursions, buy souvies on and off the ship, and an occasional alcoholic drink or two. We have gone to Palo for dinner and have no need to do that again, BUT if you haven't tried it, set some money aside for either dinner or brunch.

 

[bcwife76]

On our first cruise we spent money on alcoholic drinks in the bars, a mixology class, Palo Brunch, popcorn and refills at the Walt Theatre, the spa (had the exotic rasul treatment and would not do that or the spa again), Bingo and the arcade.

 

[xlxo]

With movies and soft drinks covered....

1. Internet.... give me the biggest package!
2. Photos.... there's a discount if you order pre-cruise. Need to check the daily navigator to stalk my fav characters for pictures!
3. Excursions.... like a buffet.... I look for combo's and stack my excursions to fill my port time
4. Food.... while I love main dining... I do try some of the local port food. Helps keep me full until evening 2nd feeding.

 

[Hundredacre]

Coffee and souvenirs and palo

 

[GatorMomInNC]

I just did a 5 day on the Magic and I spent WWWAAAAAAYYy more than I usually do, and I can tell you the culprit: Star Wars. It prem-eared on ship and I went nuts! I bought d&b Sw purse, SW throw (using it right now!), t-shirts, pins, magnets , Christmas ornaments, cups, specialty popcorn holders...rounding it out I did the chocolate and wine tasting (3rd time), drinks, candy and smoothies for the kids, and extra tips (I prepaid the standard tips).

But I saved so much money too! I got Disney gift cards 10% off at Target right before I left, and I used my Disney reward dollars too, and our first time gold so I got another 10% off! Usually I try to be frugal, but the SW thing got me going!

 

[Shanti]

I just got back from my first cruise, 3 days on the Magic. I also didn't want to spend too much (am going to WDW in 3 weeks), & found it was easily possible to keep spending low.

I don't drink alcohol, am not that into spa treatments and am not addicted to buying trinkets, so I spent relatively little money during the trip. My big splurge was bingo, because I really enjoy the game (I spent $175, & won $60.) Lucky for my wallet there was no casino aboard.

Our only port was Castaway Cay, and it was so wonderful that no paid excursions were necessary (or even desired- the whole point is to relax & go at your own pace). I paid about $20 total for my son and I to rent bikes.

I had already prepaid standard gratuities before the trip, & added cash to my dining server's & stateroom hostesses envelopes, so my total bill end of cruise was about $200- it was just the bingo & bike rental.

I had considered pre-purchasing a photo package but didn't, & I'm glad I didn't. There was ALWAYS a CM happy to take the character photo with my own camera, and they were just fine. The professional photographer photos weren't uniformly great, anyway (one staged picture they took accidentally had me talking- hello?)

One more tip to avoid a big bill: make sure you keep your devices in Airplaine Mode, stay off the Internet & disable automatic downloads, etc. Very glad I got that tip in advance (thanks, Dis!) Better yet, just turn your devices off for a few days & enjoy a holiday from electronics- it'll help you soak up the beauty of your cruise a bit. Disney pushes their Personal Navigator app, but I liked the paper copy better.

 

[stitchlovestink]

On our first cruise we spent money on alcoholic drinks in the bars, a mixology class, Palo Brunch, popcorn and refills at the Walt Theatre, the spa (had the exotic rasul treatment and would not do that or the spa again), Bingo and the arcade.

Arcades are now gone from the ships....

 

[Hundredacre]

Arcades are now gone from the ships....

Still on the wonder

 

[Aby]

My weakness is Bingo (I usually play every session), Palo, the rainforest room, and souvenirs!

Aby

 

[Jennifer777]

We ordered packs of bottled water for our room, bingo, cabana on CC, various souvenirs on the ship and off, duty free liquor to take home, lots of drinks on the ship including a pre-purchased wine package, Palo brunch and dinner, internet package, specialty coffees at the Cove Cafe, Mixology class.

I looked up our final stateroom bill from our first two cruises our on-board spending averaged around $200/day extra on our first cruise and around $300/day extra on our second...BUT, that's for a family of four and included an excursion on the first and a cabana on the second and we really, really like our specialty drinks and shopping. This is just our stateroom bill so it didn't include private excursions (not booked through DCL) or shopping off the ship but it did include tips, which we increased above the amount suggested because our children, God bless their little hearts, are slobs and the servers and stateroom host definitely earned extra cleaning up after them all week. We could easily cut back and still have an amazing time, and next time we plan on it. If you don't do any excursions, it is possible to cruise with DCL and not spend anything extra aside from tips. No matter how hard DH wishes, I'm just never going to be the person who can do that. ;-)

 

[alimbrogno]

I just got back from my first cruise, 3 days on the Magic. I also didn't want to spend too much (am going to WDW in 3 weeks), & found it was easily possible to keep spending low.

I don't drink alcohol, am not that into spa treatments and am not addicted to buying trinkets, so I spent relatively little money during the trip. My big splurge was bingo, because I really enjoy the game (I spent $175, & won $60.) Lucky for my wallet there was no casino aboard.

Our only port was Castaway Cay, and it was so wonderful that no paid excursions were necessary (or even desired- the whole point is to relax & go at your own pace). I paid about $20 total for my son and I to rent bikes.

I had already prepaid standard gratuities before the trip, & added cash to my dining server's & stateroom hostesses envelopes, so my total bill end of cruise was about $200- it was just the bingo & bike rental.

I had considered pre-purchasing a photo package but didn't, & I'm glad I didn't. There was ALWAYS a CM happy to take the character photo with my own camera, and they were just fine. The professional photographer photos weren't uniformly great, anyway (one staged picture they took accidentally had me talking- hello?)

One more tip to avoid a big bill: make sure you keep your devices in Airplaine Mode, stay off the Internet & disable automatic downloads, etc. Very glad I got that tip in advance (thanks, Dis!) Better yet, just turn your devices off for a few days & enjoy a holiday from electronics- it'll help you soak up the beauty of your cruise a bit. Disney pushes their Personal Navigator app, but I liked the paper copy better.

I'm getting ready to book my first Dis cruise for my son for his Christmas present next Christmas. You sound like I hope to be. Not spend too much on extras unless it's something that we really want to do. Since you only went bike riding at Castaway Cay, what did you fill the rest of your day with?