Does this seem about right - estimating costs?

[Liz]

$4,102 - 7 night Western cruise - Oct. 2006 - tax included
$900 - Airfare for 4 from Salt Lake City to Orlando
$200 - Transfers to port
$400 - Passports x 4
$280 - Tipping at end of cruise
$250 - Excursions
$200 - Misc. expenses - souvenirs, photos
$100 - 1 night hotel before cruise
$300 - Trip insurance

$6,732 total cost - yikes

Am I overestimating anything or leaving anything out?

 

[westjones]

$4,102 - 7 night Western cruise - Oct. 2006 - tax included
$900 - Airfare for 4 from Salt Lake City to Orlando
$200 - Transfers to port
$400 - Passports x 4
$280 - Tipping at end of cruise
$250 - Excursions
$200 - Misc. expenses - souvenirs, photos
$100 - 1 night hotel before cruise
$300 - Trip insurance

$6,732 total cost - yikes

Am I overestimating anything or leaving anything out?

Assuming you already checked on the price of the cruise, I wouldn't say you are over estimating. We actually spent more on excursion and misc. expenses onboard than what you have budgeted for our family of 4 when we did a seven night cruise. Have you checked out the excursions and looked at the prices to see what you want to do? Maybe round it up to an even $7000 and I would say that would be a good estimate.

DJ

 

[geffric]

For you to consider, it is less expensive to rent a car to take you from the airport to the ship. And then rent another to take you back to the airport.

 

[ksjayhawks]

I think you could be too low on excursions and photos/souveniers. Depends on the ages of kids ( I assume there are kids going) and what you like to do. Even if you only do beaches, allow enough for taxis, tips, mandatory drink purchases, etc. Photos can run up quick as do souveniers.

I would rather budget a little more and not need it, then run have to worry about what you are doing/buying.

JMHO

 

[JanetMB]

I just added up all my expenses. Since we didn't fly I can't help you there but here's what we spent onboard for our family of four (DDs 4 and 3):

Shore excursions: $342, all through DCL
Alcohol: $209
Palo: $129 (dinner and brunch, incl. a few drinks and the extra tips)
Spa: $131 (incl. tip)
Sweatshirt and Frame (our only souvenirs): $70
Shutters: $70 (we got by cheap here - we see the characters a lot at Disneyland so we didn't buy any except for family photos)
Tips: More than the recommended. The service was that great.

Of course everyone has different spending priorities but I remember being curious about how much a "typical trip" would cost.

 

[jrabbit]

The "recommended gratuity guide" will give a family of 4 (picked that up from the number of passports needed) a "minimum" of $305 (I know, it's only another $25 - but it all adds up!! )

$250 for excursions: If you're only doing 1 DCL excursion (for all 4 people) then the amount is good. If you are going to do anything else you will need to add some significant money here. My family did a beach day in Cozumel on our own for about $50 for all of us (taxi, chairs, float rental). Some beaches charge admission and have big water toys to play on ("Iceburg", trampoline, other climbing equipment) along with big people toys (jet skis, sail boards, etc).

I agree with other posters - Shutters can suck up a lot of cash in a very short while - they do take some very irrestable pictures!! and other souveneers will add up too!

 

[TheWog]

if you check the online travel insurance sites (www.insuremytrip.com is one) you can probably find insurance for a lot less. Some even include children for free. I think the souvenier budget should be a little higher, but that's just us.

 

[AnnaS]

Liz

How are you getting to the airport? Are you paying for parking? Are you taking a cab?

I also think you understimated for excursions - I think that "might" take care of one port for one excursion for four of you - it all depends on which one you choose. Plus you will need money for tips everywhere you go - including everytime someone touches your luggage - this can also add up.

How about your hotel - are you have dinner or breakfast? I would definitely estimate a bit more and then add another $250 - $500 to be on the safe side.

 

[scrapperjill]

$4,102 - 7 night Western cruise - Oct. 2006 - tax included
$900 - Airfare for 4 from Salt Lake City to Orlando
$200 - Transfers to port
$400 - Passports x 4
$280 - Tipping at end of cruise
$250 - Excursions
$200 - Misc. expenses - souvenirs, photos
$100 - 1 night hotel before cruise
$300 - Trip insurance

$6,732 total cost - yikes

Am I overestimating anything or leaving anything out?

IMO....

I think it would help if you listed an idea of what your plans/ideas were...like what kind of transfres are you wanting to do...what are the types of excursions are you planning on doing....ages of the people in the group....idea of souviners your wanting...

But also...
You could do transfres either way....cheeper or more spendy.
Trip insurance can be found for alot less.
Passports could add up to be more...depending on if you have your birth certificates...and after you get your photos.
What about room service tips, bag handlers tips....
Hotel for night before...could be less if you really search...and some will do shuttles from airport to hotel and have comp breakfast in the am. (We stayed at Embassy Suites and recived free/comp drinks at the managers reception the evening we arrived and had comp cook to order breakfast in the morning....they also had a shuttle that picked us up at the airport and took us to the hotel)
Misc expenses and souviners...can really add up fast.

 

[Jsme]

I do not think you have budgeted enough for the phots, souvies, excursions, tipping and possibliy your one night stay. I would add another $500 for these things that should give you enough to do Palo's as well.

Our cruise last October was $4200
Rental car (shared 1/2 cost with IL's) $100
gas was $100
Radisson at the Port $160
Onboard account total which includes drinks, tipping, excursions, spa treatments and many souvie $1800. I guess if you consider we had a $200 onboard credit it would have been $2000
Meals down to PC and Meals back $100
Total $6660

 

[skibum]

Yikes!

If I did that much homework, I would never go. That's a lot of money! Sometimes it is good to have your head in the sand.

I do agree that onboard expenses will be considerably higher - pictures and souvenirs add up fast. Remember that Disney's goal is to separate their guests from their money (which they do quite effectively).

It is a great vacation, though, and worth every penny!

 

[Liz]

Umm, I think we've been priced out of a Disney cruise, at least in 2006. Does anyone have any idea how much cheaper we might have gotten the cruise had we booked last fall when the rates first came out? Are we talking a significant difference or just a couple hundred?

We just got back from two weeks in Florida - granted the first six nights were spent with family but still we ate out every meal (even then) except breakfast. We spent nine nights in a resort (Daytona 1 night and Pop 8) and the total for our two weeks including airfare, food and everything was less than $5,000. So this is a tough pill to swallow for one week!!! I don't doubt its worth it but I'm wondering if we put it off the cruise and booked two years out instead of one if it would make it more doable.

I wish money didn't have to be such a huge concern. I was just thinking a cruise was sort of "all inclusive" and had no idea the costs added to it would be so substantial. Thanks for all the input.

 

[ImNarek]

Just a quick note - I checked on the passport prices, and for a family of 4 - two adults, 2 children under 16, the total for passports would be $358.00. And then the adult passports are valid for 10 years, and the children's are valid until they reach 16. So that cost could be ammoritized over several trips.

As for the cruise cost itself, some times are less expensive than others - I know September is almost always cheaper than any other month for instance. My husband and I are cruising this September, and our total cruise cost was under $2,000. A third person in the room would have been $600 more. You might just want to watch what happens with the prices.

 

[Liz]

Both my kids are over 16 so the children's passport price wouldn't apply for us.

We also have to work around their school schedules, although I'm loving the September pricing. I picked the week in October we did (10/7/06) because it was less expensive than summer but they also had a few days off school then so they wouldn't miss too many days.

 

[TheWog]

I bet you could still make it work if you wanted. Cabin selection could change. Is this for 4 people in a larger, higher cat. cabin? Could you get two lesser cat. cabins? If you do some searches you can do your ports fairly cheaply, so maybe excursion costs won't be an issue. KW can be done by foot and not cost much if you don't spend it. Cozumel you can go some great beaches for cheap entrance fees and cab rides. GC you can do Stingray City for a little over $100 for 4 people through a private tour operator. Photos and souveniers, we just like to do it so that's why we say up your budget. If you don't need the photos or more "stuff" you can save there. Food and beverages are included, except alcoholic and sodas at a bar or room service.

So don't give up yet and you may still be able to do it. If I recall correctly the same week I looked at for Jan 06 is about $700 more now than last September when rates were released.

 

[webray]

$4,102 - 7 night Western cruise - Oct. 2006 - tax included
$900 - Airfare for 4 from Salt Lake City to Orlando
$200 - Transfers to port
$400 - Passports x 4
$280 - Tipping at end of cruise
$250 - Excursions
$200 - Misc. expenses - souvenirs, photos
$100 - 1 night hotel before cruise
$300 - Trip insurance

$6,732 total cost - yikes

Am I overestimating anything or leaving anything out?

Don't forget some cash for tipping your excursion guide/leader when you are done.

Don't forget food money for the day before the cruise.
As far as your misc expenses and souveniers/photos. Will you be purchasing drinks at the sailaway parties, pools, coffee shop?
What type of souveniers, because a tshirt or sweatshirt for each of you will really cut a hole in that $200. The weeks photo package..and you will want it..I guarantee it..will be at least 1/2 that 200 also.

What about pressing to get the wrinkles out of your clothes when you arrive..disney does such a great job.

Good luck!

 

[rbork]

Liz- I'll be the odd one out here. I have a family of four and when we vacation we typically don't spend a great deal of $$ on the extra's like pix and souvies. My kid's don't bug me to but everything in site and they still have a great time! I go w/ the understanding of not taking home souvies to family etc... I am lucky- we don't worry about airfare. As for the excursion - I too have limited it to one for the family at our favorite port. I've gone on many cruises and toured on my own then come back to the ship to enjoy it less crowded. My digital camera works and I get some great photos of the family and I buy maybe one or two pix from the cruise line. I do order beverages that are extra but in no means order excessive amounts. They have lots of free drinks included in the cost of your cruise. Alot of people go to Palo and I have no doubt it's not a bit better than the reg. restaurants - Hubby and I are happy to skip that one and eat in our rotation. If I want to really eat alone - I'll get a sitter at home. Sounds like you have teens, so they may want to skip and eat on their own time. Try getting a table for four, if they skip- your dining w/ two! This all may sound frugal- but we don't picture it that way because it's been the norm for us and worked great. I gaurentee I have as much fun as the person who spent alot more and I only spent "x" amount.
By the way, I do like to get a Spa treatment, so when people ask me what I'd like for a gift- I tell them Disney dollars and then put it towards the treatment.
DCL is definately more expensive but I have had great fun on other lines too for less $$$. Just thought I should try it at least once!

 

[rbork]

Liz- also.. I do think you underestimated your tipping $$. I think I calculated 300$ on tipping. I tip the standard maybe alittle more for going above and beyond. You also need to consider tipping $$ for baggage handlers, room svc, Spa svc, tour guide etc..
Good Luck and do what's right for you!

 

[jel0511]

Cruising is sort of all-inclusive, but even all-inclusives have their way of parting with more of your money when you are there. Excursions are VERY expensive. We're spending $600 alone on excursions on our West Coast cruise, and have two spa treatments scheduled. It can be done economically, but you can also go to the skys the limit. Tipping is another area where things can go crazy, the minimum is really just that the minimum, and you usually end up tipping more. As for if you had booked when rates had come out whould you have saved significantly. My answer is not that much. We booked the Nov 4, 2006 when on board in Nov 2004 and cancelled because our West Coast cruise was SOOO much we didn't want to have that $1000 out there, rather use it to pay for this cruise. We will probably re-book on board and the cruise will probably cost us about $500 more. So, we rebooked pretty close to the prices being released and the price has only gone up by $500. The fall cruises don't go up as fast as the summer/more popular times since they don't sell out as quickly. My guess is if you had booked this as soon as rates were released in Sept/Oct (I can't remember when they came out) you might have saved about $500, not enough to make it worthwhile, or to change your bottom line significantly. DCL is a very expensive cruise line, if you really want to cruise and want to spend less, try RCCL. They are usually less expensive than DCL and the Voyager class ships offer a comparable product to DCL, though no Captain Mickey.

 

[goofymama]

Both my kids are over 16 so the children's passport price wouldn't apply for us.

We also have to work around their school schedules, although I'm loving the September pricing. I picked the week in October we did (10/7/06) because it was less expensive than summer but they also had a few days off school then so they wouldn't miss too many days.

Have you checked around with different travel agencies? If you find a travel agency that has booked a block of rooms to sell at group rates, you can get the same cruise for 700 to 800 less than whats quoted on DCL. And timing makes a huge difference. We're a family of 4 going for 7 nights in January for appx. 2,700 (exlcluding air, transfers and insurance). We booked a Cat 11 to save money as well. Our last Disney cruise was in May and we ended up spending $7,000 easy when all was said and done.

Good luck. Its a great vacation, so I hope you find an affordable way to do it.