Extra Expenses to consider.....

[Love2Cruise2015]

Hi Disney Family!
My family and I are considering some cruises out of South Hamptons and Barcelona in 2027 as well as some out of the US/Canada(Southern Caribbean, Alaska). We are Canadian so I know the exchange rates for the US and the expenses we will have traveling into the US and travelling to Vancouver if we did Alaska. I am trying to look at all of the possible extra expenses we may have before or after the cruise vs what we have when we travel to the US and within Canada and I am hoping you may be able to point out some things I am missing:
- flights
-hotels
- exchange rate
- spending money (are the items on the ship still in US dollars or does it change currency depending on what country you are in? Also how much do you usually take when you travel abroad?)
- restaurants (as we will have to arrive 1-2 days early and possibly stay 1-2 days after depending on flights)
- transportation (Ubber, cabs, trains?)

What else am I missing to take into account for expenses traveling abroad or any tips you may have traveling to either South Hamptons or Barcelona?

Thank you for helping us see what type of cruise is more cost effective for us

 

[Mommb]

All prices on the ship are listed and charged in US dollars, even for cruises in Europe. You may need local currency if you buy meals or souvenirs in ports -- many shops take credit cards, but not all. How much cash you need will depend on what you expect to buy, and whether you have an ATM card that you can or would use.

You listed the main costs involved. You'll also want to allow for admission fees if you plan to do any sightseeing before or after the cruise.

Southampton is a good ways away from London, so my husband and I have stayed at a hotel at Heathrow and/or in central London after we arrived and then at a hotel near the port the night before the cruise. We used a car service to move between hotels. There is a train from central London to Southampton, but we didn't want to try it with a week's worth of luggage.

In Barcelona, the port is right near the tourist part of the city and not far from the airport, so we staying at a single hotel and took taxis to and from the airport and port.

One thing to be aware of in Europe: most hotel rooms sleep 2 people. If you need 3 beds (as we did, because our son and daughter would not do well sharing a bed, even if the room had 2 doubles or queens) you need to look for "family" rooms, which aren't always available, or book 2 rooms.