How to split cruise costs?

[fitnessmouse]

Me and my kids (13, 15) want to take a cruise. My husband can’t come so we’d like to take my sister, who, otherwise would never go as single supplement is too much. If we all share a cabin, what would be fair share to pay?
2nd adult price, 4th passenger price or 1/4 of the total cruise cost?

The jump in price to 2 cabins is a little much for us.

 

[hubbard53]

whenever i go woth others, we take total cost and divide it by the number going to get price per person. Then we each pay for how any people in our party.

So she would pay 1/4 of the total cost.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Since she would be the second adult, I think that’s the price she should pay.

In January I booked a room with two friends, and we divided the cost by three. However, one friend could not come due to illness. The insurance only refunded her the price of the third person cost. Nothing we could do, even though she has proof she paid more.

 

[gotomu212]

I would divide the cost in fourths. If she doesn’t go you’ll be paying 2 adults 1 kid rate anyway so adding her is less than adding a full adult...and this way she pays a little more than she would for being the 3rd/4th passenger.

 

[DietCokeMommy]

I would have her pay the difference between having just the 3 of you go, and adding her. I'm guessing that's the 2nd adult price.

 

[Geomom]

I'd have her pay 1/4 of the total cost. It also depends upon sleeping arrangements. Is she sharing the queen bed with you? Kids on the bunks?

 

[mevelandry]

If that was me: If she can easily afford the adult cost I would ask for the adult cost + tx. If it's a little too high for her, I would ask for 1/4, as long I can afford it.

 

[FigmentSpark]

I think a quarter of the cost is fair, but if it were me, I'd charge the difference to add that fourth person, since you were going to pay for three anyway. Don't forget to charge her for her own port fees, though.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Either the 2nd adult price or 1/4 of the cost would seem reasonable. What feels most comfortable to you and your sister? Your sister's financial situation is a factor in what the right answer is.

 

[lilsonicfan]

Yeah I think for me it would depend on where she's going to sleep. I would probably only ask her for the difference between your room with 3 and your room with 4, since you were wanting to go anyway. I would ask for the second adult price if for some reason she was going to have the queen bed all to herself.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

If you look at the pricing for one adult and 2 children, you are paying for 2 adults and one child. So depending on the sleeping arrangements (!) if sisters are sharing the queen bed then adult. If she is bunking with the teens then 1/4.

 

[heather913]

I would have her pay whatever the difference it is to add her. If you & your kids cost, for example, $4,000.00, but adding her brings total cost to $5,200.00, I'd have her pay the $1,200.00 additional that you are paying.

 

[All about me]

One fourth. When a bunch of us stay at Great Wolf Lodge together we take the total cost of the stay, divide it by number of people (adults and kids), multiply that by the number in a family/party and that is what each family/party pays.

That said, when I invited my friend's mother to stay in my and my grandson's stateroom thirteen years ago on the Wonder (my friend's stateroom was already full with her, her husband and her two children), I would only allow her to pay the 3rd person cost because I was already paying the 1st and 2nd person and I invited her along so she was my guest.

 

[fitnessmouse]

Thank you for your answers and points of view. I will discuss with her about sleeping arrangements. And decide then.

 

[3monkeys4me]

We have been in this situation with my sister on a vacation, but not a cruise. In that instance since I was paying for myself and the kids anyway we just charged her to the difference the extra person was. So she ended up with a really cheap vacation. But she then bought dinner one night and paid for an activity that we wouldn't have done if I was paying so it really worked out well. But I do think a lot of it depends on sleeping arrangements (my sister took the sofa bed at the hotel, two kids shared a bed and the youngest slept with me) and how everyones financial situation is. When my sister traveled with us before she was a college student without a lot of extra funds.

 

[PrincessTrisha]

I think it depends on what bed she's going to get. I'd be ticked off if I paid the 2nd adult price (you paying the first) and you got the Queen bed and I got the murphy bed. I'm assuming you're going to get a room that can sleep 5 so you have 4 actual beds - unless your kids are going to share the Queen bed?

 

[All about me]

I will discuss with her about sleeping arrangements. And decide then.

I think that is wise given several people have indicated they would only think paying the 2nd person price would be fair if your sister shared the queen sized bed whereas if I was paying the 2nd person price I would expect the fold down sofa so I had my own bed. Everyone has their own preferences.

 

[dvcdisney]

If I was in that situation, I would ask her to pay for the 4th guest + port fees.

Plus, the prices are not based on adults and children (although when my children were less than 12, it appeared there was a little lower price, but not significant), so the 3 of you would be priced as first 2 as "full" price + 3rd is charged the lower rate.

 

[bumbershoot]

I think a quarter of the cost is fair, but if it were me, I'd charge the difference to add that fourth person, since you were going to pay for three anyway. Don't forget to charge her for her own port fees, though.

I agree completely.

Just because she’s an adult doesn’t mean you have to charge her the second adult cost. One of the kids would count as that if she doesn’t go.

 

[dvcdisney]

I think the discussion about sleeping arrangements is a good idea.

However, in my situation, and not necessarily with regards to cruise, if I invited a family member to stay in the same room, I would not ask them to pay. If they invited themselves or we planned to do something together, then yes, we would split the cost appropriately.

I had invited some relatives to stay with us in a 2 bedroom DVC villa and I didn't ask them to pay, but there is a clear understanding that they wouldn't be getting the master bedroom. It turned out my children wanted to have the sofa bed and chair bed, so they did get the second bedroom. But they were insistent that they should have sofa bed.