How much more can I expect to spend on a cruise?

[Patience]

We are going on our third cruise in March. We don't gamble and we are not big drinkers and don't drink a lot of soda. We plan to stick mostly to the free tea, lemonade, water and coffee but will probably pay out of pocket for a few sodas for our oldest daughter and a couple of alcoholic drinks for my husband and I. We will also be paying for parking (I found a deal at Park 'N Go that is much cheaper than the fees at the port), tips, and excursions. I am not big on buying the pictures they take on board but will probably purchase one of the four of us all dressed up on formal night. I just booked our Jamaica excursion through a private tour company with great reviews on tripadvisor. It was much cheaper than the excursions offered through the cruise line. Our other excursion is at a private beach owned by the cruise line and we will just hang out on the beach that day and not pay for an excursion.

Cruises are fun and a good deal as long as you are careful about spending on the excursions, pictures, alcoholic drinks and gambling. Have fun!

 

[soccerchick]

I haven't cruised in 1.5 years, but we've done Carnival and RC. Both allowed us to bring some alcohol onboard - a bottle of wine per person. Carnival allowed us to bring a 12 pack of water or soda. Check their website to see if this is still allowed.

Parking at the port was about $15/day.

Cruise Critic is a must. You should be able to see the excursions on Carnival's website. If there's something you really want to do, sign up for it sooner rather than later because it will probably fill up.

 

[Happyjen27]

Some cruise lines let you bring wine aboard and pay a corking fee. It's still cheaper than wine by the bottle or glass once you're on the ship, and you're guaranteed to like it. We always bring our own wine.

DH brings his own soda, as allowed by some cruise lines.

Even with those frugalities, we spent about $900 over and above the cruise price for a 7 day cruise for 4 people (2 adults, 2 kids) including tips and parking ($250 in NYC). We got drinks here and there. We ate at restaurants with an upcharge. We didn't do any excursions.

I wouldn't feel comfortable to get off of the ship in Mexico, but I would feel comfortable in Grand Cayman to grab a cab and hit the beach.

 

[puffkin]

We just got back from a 4 night Carnival Cruise to Key West and Cozumel, just the two of us. We both had 1 drink a day. I played about $50 at the casino over the trip. We did one shore excursion in Cozumel (swim with dolphins). I had 1 latte on our sea day after breakfast. With the tips added and then a $100 excursion credit we got at booking, it was a little over $300 on our room charge. We had done all our own arrangements for Key West so that was not on our room charge. We were very frugal about what we spent. We didn't do a few things we wanted on the ship because of all the upcharges. We had flown in and taken a shuttle so we couldn't get any groceries to bring aboard. I think I would have been better off if we had done that. We probably won't cruise again for awhile because I didn't like how expensive everything ended up being.

 

[ronandannette]

One thing you have to account for is tips, which will be approximately $11 per adult, per night of the cruise. Excursion costs can vary. You can definitely get off the ship and just look around. Alcoholic beverages should be about $7-8 each depending on what you order. Sometimes, there are drink specials, that might be cheaper. If you go to the Spa, that could add up quickly. Specialty restaurants could also add to your bill. If you decide to just eat in the dining rooms and/or the buffet, you would not have any added cost for food. I believe soda would be extra on a Carnival cruise, but you should have access to coffee, tea, lemonade, iced tea, etc, without added cost.

I am sure other folks will add their thoughts on this. Cruising can be done without a lot of added expense, but there will be some for sure.

Careful with the first one bolded above - the automatic gratuities are presently $11.50 a day (going up to $12 in October) and are PER PASSENGER regardless of age - there is no discount for children. The will be charged to your account unless you specifically ask to have them removed at guest services where they will question you as to why you don't want to pay them. I don't think they can refuse to remove them but that part can be awkward. I've seen posts on CruiseCritic with pictures of "lists" the the crew gets of the status of tips for a cabin; ie: gratituities pre-paid, gratuities removed, etc.

The Paradise is one of Carnival's oldest ships and there are no specialty restaurants on-board. Paying extra for food shouldn't be an issue. As first time cruisers you'll likely be amazed at all the choices available that are included in the fare.

A couple things to really watch out for are cell phones/smart devices and your kids' Sign & Sail cards. Make sure absolutely everybody has their devices on airplane mode or better yet turned right off while on the ship. Whatever roaming plan you might have will NOT apply as everything is channelled through the ship's own tower and your phone bill when you get home can be . (Use free hotspots while on shore to download e-mail if necessary or make calls and texts if you have a roaming plan). Your children will each have a cabin card that will act as a charge card to your account unless you ACTIVELY block it. If you don't watch them every minute and they unwittingly charge up a bunch of beverages, arcade time or candy in the gift shops you will be fully responsible for those bills.

Personally, we love cruising and prefer the pre-paid aspect of the transportation, lodging and food to a land vacation where it often feels like we're "bleeding" money. But don't let yourself be lulled buy the relatively low fares. There's still LOTS of optional expenses to account for once you board the ship. And for Carnival (not unlike Disney), first-time cruisers like you are their bread and butter. As a target market, you're more likely to spend freely on everything than those who have already "BTDT". Have a great vacation!

 

[v.t.]

You might want to look around for a hotel. Sometimes it is cheaper to get a room that has a shuttle than paying parking at the port.

 

[Anthony1971]

I enjoy cruises we have been on Disney 5 times also been on RCCL and Princess...
Why I say Disney 5 times... They include most everything in the price and do not have the hard sells others have.. but also the price is a lot higher.
You can spend as much or as little as you want but be prepared for constant asking to buy drinks, water, soda etc... Want coffee other than with a meal.. pay.. ice cream other than with a meal.. pay.. You will find a lot of things cost money as this is where they make up for the cheaper fare.. in fact in a lot of cases this is the profit.
There is an old saying about cruise lines: They take you into the middle of the ocean and fleece you.
Just be aware of the charges and decide what you want to spend or not.. you can easily walk off a ship for Tips only. Excursions I mostly do my own.. almost all the tours can be had for a lot less when you get off the ship should you decide... but they are at your risk as the ship will tell you.
Both islands you mention have plenty to do just getting off the ship. Cozumel has endless shops that have plenty of police everything else was not as described..... Grand Cayman has enough shops. the water is amazing looking if you like the beach.. the rest is just a colorful normal looking U.S. town.

 

[ronandannette]

I enjoy cruises we have been on Disney 5 times also been on RCCL and Princess...
Why I say Disney 5 times... They include most everything in the price and do not have the hard sells others have.. but also the price is a lot higher.
You can spend as much or as little as you want but be prepared for constant asking to buy drinks, water, soda etc... Want coffee other than with a meal.. pay.. ice cream other than with a meal.. pay.. You will find a lot of things cost money as this is where they make up for the cheaper fare.. in fact in a lot of cases this is the profit.
There is an old saying about cruise lines: They take you into the middle of the ocean and fleece you.
Just be aware of the charges and decide what you want to spend or not.. you can easily walk off a ship for Tips only. Excursions I mostly do my own.. almost all the tours can be had for a lot less when you get off the ship should you decide... but they are at your risk as the ship will tell you.
Both islands you mention have plenty to do just getting off the ship. Cozumel has endless shops that have plenty of police everything else was not as described..... Grand Cayman has enough shops. the water is amazing looking if you like the beach.. the rest is just a colorful normal looking U.S. town.

OP, just for example, Carnival has regular brewed coffee and self-serve soft ice-cream & frozen yogurt machines available 24 hrs. a day at no extra charge.

 

[laurafergie]

Food and drink menus from Carnival by Ship. The bar menu has some prices to give you some ideas. http://zydecocruiser.net/menus/CarnivalCruiseLineMenus.htm

 

[wdwcoltsfan]

There are several little things that can add up during a cruise, all but the gratuities are optional. Some things you CAN spend money on:

Excursions--totally agree about cruisecritic.com. Awesome info there!

Drinks--this can also include specialty coffee and fresh squeezed OJ. I don't like the coffee or juice in the buffet, so this can be an added expense for me.

Bingo

Casino

Photos--There is always one photo where my family manages to all have smiling faces and I end up buying one.

Exercise classes

Some of the instructional classes--ie cupcake decorating, wine tasting, etc.

Specialty dining

Desserts at the coffee bar

I don't mean to freak you out about all of the extra expense It's just a heads up on what is offered and ALL cruise lines do this. We leave in 10 days for a Royal cruise and there are many things we can opt to purchase. It's also easy to get on the cruise and get swept up in the fun and not think about all the little things adding up.

Have a great cruise!

 

[Anthony1971]

OP, just for example, Carnival has regular brewed coffee and self-serve soft ice-cream & frozen yogurt machines available 24 hrs. a day at no extra charge.

I am aware from other posts Some cruise line do include certain items some do not... That is why I said the person needs to research the cruise line..
Most Cruise lines will have coffee and soft serve in the buffet area all day for free.
However if your child wants a cup of ice cream from that great looking ice cream shop or a different flavor (and they will) Carnival will charge. It is something to be aware of and maybe avoid if you do not want to pay the extra fee.

 

[tvguy]

Getting prices for drinks etc. will help. Hard to say, my moms last few 7 day cruises, not including tips, she spent less than $70 for her 1 glass of wine with dinner every night. So you can spent almost nothing and have a great time.

 

[bumbershoot]

You can spend as much or as little as you want but be prepared for constant asking to buy drinks, water, soda etc... Want coffee other than with a meal.. pay.. ice cream other than with a meal.. pay..


There is an old saying about cruise lines: They take you into the middle of the ocean and fleece you.

I've never heard that expression, nor have I ever felt like that. Well, maybe with the photos, but it's easy enough to see the prices ahead of time!

Not just coffee; specialty coffee. not sure if there's a cruiseline that has normal coffee for a fee. But fancier coffee, yes, of course, there's a fee.

And "soft serve" is generally available for no charge (or cheap ice cream). Fancier ice cream will cost extra. And shouldn't it? I'll pay extra for better ingredients, personally!

 

[TLuvsD]

You can find all the information you need, and then some, on cruise critic.com

We've done 4 cruises, love them. On excursions--mostly we do on our own. The exception is far from the port. If you have to go far from the port, I'm more comfortable if we book through the cruise line--it's their problem if you don't get back in time.

Taking a good supply of basic items (sunscreen, chapstick, common medications) can save you money.

We take a shoe caddy that hangs on the door (clear if you can find it), along with a couple of wire hangers, some mini suction cups/ribbons to make it hang on the back of the door. It's a great place for sunblock, cameras, cellphones, etc.

Have a great time!

 

[mickey2000]

or an extra $1000 on a DCL cruise you can have free soda

 

[donac]

We just got back from a cruise and I was in shock at how much more we spent. Between the excursions (we were in Alaska so it was not a beach thing), tips and drinks. Our cruise charged $20 a day for free water, soda, tea, coffee and non-alcoholicn drinks. I will never question the mug at the resorts again.

 

[usd2bmd]

As far as a soda card: you must purchase it for the intire party and the entire length of the cruise. So that $10.00 card is $50.00 per-person. That is $200.00 for the cruise. At least that is the way it was the last time we cruised.

Unless Carnival's policy has changed within the past year this is not true. We have cruised three time with them and we purchase the Soda package for my daughter, but only for her. The Liquor package has to be purchased for everyone of legal age in the stateroom, but soda does not.

or an extra $1000 on a DCL cruise you can have free soda

 

[dizkids]

Unless Carnival's policy has changed within the past year this is not true. We have cruised three time with them and we purchase the Soda package for my daughter, but only for her. The Liquor package has to be purchased for everyone of legal age in the stateroom, but soda does not.

Yes this is correct. We sailed Carnival Breeze last summer and only 1 person in one of my cabins had a soda card. And yes liquor package is for both adults/all adults registered in a cabin.

You can bring a 12 pack of soda/water per person if you really want soda.

My kids dont like having to go to bar or restaurant to order soda with a soda card. I felt the same. Ice tea and lemonade worked for us because they can fill on their own.

 

[antmaril]

Careful with the first one bolded above - the automatic gratuities are presently $11.50 a day (going up to $12 in October) and are PER PASSENGER regardless of age - there is no discount for children.

You are correct. I meant to say passenger. Children are charged the gratuity, as well.

 

[ronandannette]

We just got back from a cruise and I was in shock at how much more we spent. Between the excursions (we were in Alaska so it was not a beach thing), tips and drinks. Our cruise charged $20 a day for free water, soda, tea, coffee and non-alcoholicn drinks. I will never question the mug at the resorts again.

This must have been part if an optional beverage plan - correct? The statement may be a little misleading to the OP. All of the mainstream cruise lines I know of, including Carnival, have regular coffee, tea and water (usually ice tea and lemonade too) included in the fare and readily available 24/7. Juice and soft drinks are always extra (except on Disney). None of them impose an arbitrary daily charge - you must choose to purchase the package. Drinks of all kinds can also always be purchased on a pay-as-you-go basis.