A few questions regarding additional expenses

[Frwinkley]

Having never cruised Disney before, I'm looking for a general idea of how much additional money I can anticipate spending (not including excursions). Specifically, I'm looking for drink prices, specialty coffees, internet services and tips.

Thank you!

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Each person is different it's worth googling items you wish to buy for prices

Shore trips- see DCL site.
Tipping. Main tips here http://cruisetip.tpkeller.com/ either ore psy pre cruise, or debited to your account, or opt out and pay cash. Add cash tips for room service and tips in palo and spa.
Shops.
Drink- alcohol everyone is different.
Spa.
Cove cafe menu below.
Bingo.
Internet - below, note you may get a free 50 MBBs offer per stateroom first night.

Menus are on many sites just google. Plan a budget.




An example of stateroom account.

 

[LSUfan4444]

Without knowing how much shopping, drinking, etc you plan on doing it's kind of hard to say. My best answer would be you could probably do it for as cheap as $300 per adult (including tips, a little shopping, maybe one premium dining experience, two alcoholic drinks per day, one souvenir) but you can easily spend over $1k per adult as well.

 

[Barbydoll8]

Can't answer internet as i never get it. I do believe is it listed on DCL's web site however.
Drink prices are comparable with regular bar prices. About the $6 range for most or up to $14 for some. Coffee is also on par with Starbucks but much better IMO. Get a coffee card at the Cove. You buy 5 (I believe it's 5) and the next one is free. It never expires and is transferable from ship to ship.
Tips are on WDW web site but room service is not. That's up to you. I normally tip at minimum $2 or up for room service. Spa services are also up to you. I don't do those either so I can't offer any advice.
Shopping - well, I don't buy much souvenir stuff anymore but the stuff on the ship is also priced about the same as WDW.
You really can be as "cheap" or as lavish as you want to be.

 

[Vijoge]

How much you spend is totally up to you. IMO, tipping is not optional. Other than that, any money spent is up to your own discretion. On our two week Hawaii cruise we pre-paid our tips and our total bill at the end of the cruise was about $300. There was a couple we met on board who racked up a $3500 bill by the end of the first week. I can only imagine what their total was!

 

[lbus42]

We spent about $2300 on a Fantasy cruise in April. We went with one of our daughters and her family. Since we had grand-children, we purchased a BBB package ($250), attended the Royal Tea (around $400), purchased a Shutters package ($350), purchased souvenirs and drinks. We also had dinner at Palo ($230 including tip) and went on a few excursions. We spent about another $320 on onboard tips. Out of the $2300, about $150 went for coffee and drinks and about $350 - $400 for souvenirs.

Drinks average around $10. The drink of the day comes in a souvenir cup for about $9 and about $6 without the cup.
Coffee is about the same price as Starbucks.
Internet comes in packages that range from $20 to $90, depending on how much data you buy. You buy it by the MB and it goes pretty quick. Make you that you log out when you are not using it or your device will eat up all of the data.
The suggested tips are $12 per person/per day. This is automatically added to your onboard account. That would be $84 per person on a 7 day cruise. I added extra money for my servers and stateroom host because of their excellent service.

 

[xlxo]

Internet, photos, and excursions are my weakness..... I'm so weak.

 

[gismo1554]

The way I calculate mine is:

Tips - rounded up the minimum amount given for cruise
Shopping - averaged $30 per person I'm likely to buy for and $50 for myself
Excursions - calculated from website
Spa - usually look at treatments and decide against but would factor these in plus 18% tip
Drinks - I usually estimate 1 or 2 a day max at $6 each per person (usually bring drink onboard so don't use this but for budgeting precruise it gives me a good idea)
Beverage Seminars - usually do at least 1 so factor in $30 for this
Photos - I don't do the packages so factor in maybe 2 photos (welcome aboard and formal maybe) $40
Palo - factor in one brunch with tip $40 (I think its still $30 right?)
Internet - only use the free stuff (note if you sign up on day 1 you can get a small amount free and I keep this for the last day to do airline checkin etc.)
Coffee - don't tend to purchase much so factor in $6 for 1 maybe the entire cruise
Bingo - again at most I will do 1 session so I factor in $25 for that (which I think is the cheapest package)
Transfers - from port to airport etc need to be factored in

So for example for my 11 night cruise next year for 1 person I am factoring:
Tips = $135
Shopping = $200
Excursions & Transfers = $250
Brunch = $40
Tastings = $60
Drinks (alcohol & coffee) = $100
Photos = $40
Bingo = $25
TOTAL = $850

On last years I actually spent pretty much this on 14 nights so I never tend to actually match this amount. Just gives me a good idea of where I am likely to be so that I can save effectively before the cruise

 

[BigredNole]

Only you can determine how much you will spend. Most food, some drinks are all covered. Many activities are covered in the cruise price. You have to determine what activities outside of those that are paid for that you want to do. From there, estimate how much you are willing to spend per person per day.

 

[lbus42]

If you do not go on any excursions and only do the activities on the ship (and there is a lot to do!!), eat the free food and drink the free drinks, do not use the Internet, do not buy the Shutters photos; you can cruise for just about the cost of the tips.

Even though I spent a lot, you can cruise and have a VERY GOOD time for very little extra money.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

If you do not go on any excursions and only do the activities on the ship (and there is a lot to do!!), eat the free food and drink the free drinks, do not use the Internet, do not buy the Shutters photos; you can cruise for just about the cost of the tips.

Even though I spent a lot, you can cruise and have a VERY GOOD time for very little extra money.

I often have private trips pre booked, for my 12 night cruise next week, I only have the one DCL trip covered by TA rebate, and all others are private and pre paid.
My tips are pre paid as well, so I have less shock on my end of cruise bill.

 

[professorandmom]

This link
http://www.disboards.com/threads/extra-costs.3483661/
has an extensive list
you can use it to determine your own level of expenditures

One thing I have learned from the boards: be sure to specify to your servers (Palo, Remy or MDR) that you want to know if upcharge items are ordered - even water in the MDR can have an upcharge...

 

[jdb in AZ]

This link
http://www.disboards.com/threads/extra-costs.3483661/
has an extensive list
you can use it to determine your own level of expenditures

One thing I have learned from the boards: be sure to specify to your servers (Palo, Remy or MDR) that you want to know if upcharge items are ordered - even water in the MDR can have an upcharge...

Is that sparkling water or what?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Is that sparkling water or what?

Any bottled water - sparkling or still. Tap water is included in your cruise fare.

 

[cheermom2four]

DH and I only spent $$$ on tips and I had coffee two mornings (only did a 3 night cruise). No excursions that trip. This time around its 7 nights and we wil have our kids so we will be paying tips ($336 but will add some at the end of cruise for exceptional service), Palo brunch and Palo Dinner for the two of us so another $180ish depending on tip amount we leave, and all digital pics whic I think is $295. Other than that, we have 2 excursions picked and will stay on the ship in Jamaica as we dont really want to go go go at every port. We will probably spend a total of $1200 to $1500 which we have budgeted for - including everything I just listed.

 

[hardis5]

We've spent from $900 to $1700 to clear our OB account. Because everyone is different in what and how much they'll spent in extra's it is hard to even ballpark. As PP's have indicated, start with tips (which should not be considered optional) and add from there what you think you'll do, spent or buy on-board. Ourselves, I'd budget $100/day for what we do (beyond excursions) over the course of a cruise and that is what we normally land within knowing what we'll do over the duration of a cruise.

DCL makes it too easy to enjoy oneself without having to think about the cost of the pluses on-board (just like at the resorts) but as long as you know the costs of and you are aware of when spending, it can be reasonably easy to stick to a budget.

 

[over50visits]

DCL Cruise Expenses (other than cruise fare and gratuities)

1. Alcoholic drinks at the bars and from roving servers (welcome aboard)
2. Wine by the glass or wine packages at meals
3. Spa treatments
4. Shore excursions (including cabanas and rentals at CC)
5. Purchases from the stores: clothing, sundries, jewelry, souvenirs, etc.
6. Adult dining (Palo, Remy)
7. Bottled water
8. Photos (individual and packages)
9. Onboard booking for future cruises
10. Disney Vacation Club membership (you can purchase on board)
11. Art (thank goodness those "auctions" are gone, but you can still purchase art)
12. Candy and snacks outside theater
13. Tips for room service
14. Internet
15. Room upgrades (usually at port, sometimes GS)
16. Bingo
17. Parking/transportation
18. Port porters
19. Alcohol and cigarettes for delivery at end of voyage
20. Welcome aboard packages (flowers, candy, etc waiting in your cabin)
21. Adventures by Disney (you can purchase on board)
22. Cameras from photo shop
23. Cellular phone calls (although it will be billed later to your phone bill)
24. Medical care
25. Cigars (Meridian bar)
26. Arcade
27. Hair Braiding
28. Nursery care for children under 3
29. Tastings and Mixology
30. Excursion tips
31. Soft drinks from room service or bar
32. Specialty coffee
33. Meeting room rental
34. Onboard or Castaway Cay wedding (currently $3000/$4000)
35. Vow renewal ceremony
36. Sports simulator
37. Laundry room and send-out laundry and dry cleaning
38. Tuxedo rentals
39. Room service sodas and candy (these have a charge)
40. Additional tip (over the automatic) for bar servers
41. Required gratuity added to spa services
42. Pins sold at trading pin sessions
43. Extra wave phone rental
44. Duties at customs at end of cruise if you've made a LOT of purchases abroad
45. Ship to shore calls from your room phone
46. Fuel supplement charge if the price of oil is above a certain level
47. Popcorn at theater
48. Fish Extender program gifts
49. Kids’s club magic bands (if you want to keep them, you lose the deposit)
50. Stamps from Post Office at Castaway Cay
51. Tip for Castaway Cay cabana host (you’ll need cash for this one)
52. Sparkling or still water with your meal
53. Upcharge food items at the adult clubs
54. Candy and ice cream from Vanellope’s on the Dream
55. Smoothies from the bar in Senses Spa on the Dream

 

[indyshea]

$1000 and we were trying to be pretty conservative in spending. Photos, a coffee for hubby and I each day, probably 1 alcoholic drink a day for both, movie treats, 1 dinner at Palo (Disney Magic) etc.