never been on a cruise and have some questions

[mickeymouse108]

first besides the cost of the cruise and the cost of alcohol what other charges end up on a cruise?
we are a family of four and my husband is the only one who usually drinks so I am hoping that that will not be too much extra and I have read about the tips but not sure how that works do you just get charged for tips or do you need to bring cash to hand out tips and how much should plan on.

and what other extra money should we plan on we are on a tight budget and really want to do the Disney cruise line not sure if other cruises would be more affordable because from what i have read on here and other blogs the other cruises seem to be cheaper to start but hit you up in other ways for dinning entertainment and alcohol.

 

[Caldwells]

Other charges may include port adventures smoothie of the day.
I am not sure about the tips but I think you bring cash and hand them out.
Disney may be more expensive but you get more out of it. I have only cruised Disney and NCL and prefer Disney.

 

[ImDMous]

Tips are actually charged automatically to your on-board account, you are free to go to guest services to adjust the amount up or down as you choose. You are then given printed slips on the last night to hand out to your servers/room attendant/etc. Recommended tips are $12/person/day. There's a handy tip calculator here. There are also tips on any drinks you order from the bar, but those are automatically included in your bar total. If you order any room service, any pre-packaged food (candy, popcorn, ect) is not free, but food made on the ship is included with your cruise price. Tipping the room service attendant is extra and can be done in cash.

Other possible charges include souvenirs, pictures, bingo, spa services, arcade, babysitting for those 2 and under, probably a few others I'm not thinking of.

It's very possible to go on a Disney Cruise and not have any charges except your tips. It's also possible to pay your tips before you leave so that you have no on-board charges.

 

[MelSpees]

I was writing up an explanation of tips, but ImDMous beat me to it and did a great job.
I will mention that you can bring your own alcohol or other beverages on board as long as you bring it in your carry-on. That can save you some money.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

I was writing up an explanation of tips, but ImDMous beat me to it and did a great job.
I will mention that you can bring your own alcohol or other beverages on board as long as you bring it in your carry-on. That can save you some money.

And I will add to this that alcohol you bring on board is supposed to be consumed in your stateroom only. You can bring a bottle of wine e you brought on board to the dining room bit a $20 corkage fee will apply per bottle.

 

[Drusilla99]

I do not like having a large bill at the end of my cruise, been there done that. My family knows I prefer Disney gift cards for birthdays & holidays, so I use those for tips and anything extra.

 

[xlxo]

I visited guest services for a printout every few days to review what charges have been made.

Don't remember if DCL allows you to check charges on the room TV.

 

[lanejudy]

and what other extra money should we plan on we are on a tight budget and really want to do the Disney cruise line

Other than the tips, it is possible to cruise DCL with no additional out-of-pocket costs. The tips can be pre-paid if that helps with your budget. Everything else is optional expense, so depending on your preferences and/or will-power, you can avoid additional expenses. Optional expenses include souvenirs, adult dining, specialty beverages (alcoholic drinks, smoothies, kids light-up cups, non-alcoholic drinks at bars, etc.), spa services, the arcade, bingo, port adventures, candy or pre-packaged snacks at the theater, sodas from room service. That's what comes to mind initially.

Of course, not included in the cruise fare is transportation pre- and post-cruise and any travel expenses involved with that.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[lanejudy]

This thread has a great list of all the "extras"

http://www.disboards.com/threads/what-extras-that-cost-do-we-plan-for.3409526/

 

[ptcbass]

We only spent about $250 in cash last cruise. Most of it was porters tips, room service tips and then taxi service in port, drinks and food in port and then we went to one beach they charged to get into.

On the ship we played bingo once, got a few drinks, bought a few pictures and some souvenirs. We tried to be careful about how much we spent knowing that it adds up fast. I did see some using their KTTWC for lots of drinks and wondered what their bill was going to look like
If you go to Palo Or Remy that will cost extra but we usually skip them since we have more food than we can eat anyway.

Enjoy your cruise!!

 

[bibbidibobbidibecky]

Don't forget if you book with a travel agent (shop around) you can get an on board credit (OBC) and use that money as you want on the cruise...toward tips, excursions, drinks, etc. That last two cruises we took we had decent OBC, so walked away without spending a dime! It's possible. We do all ports on our own, bring on our own wine and beer and don't let the kids have charging privileges!

 

[over50visits]

first besides the cost of the cruise and the cost of alcohol what other charges end up on a cruise?.

Hold on to your wallet...in additional to tips, here's how you can spend money on your cruise:

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. DVC 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

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 (yes, required)

42. Pins sold at trading pin sessions

43. Disney Vacation Club (can be purchased on board)

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

 

[hudson3709]

We frequently have a very small bill at the end of the cruise - mainly just tips and a couple drinks. Unlike most other cruise lines Disney gets their money from you up front and does very little up-charging on board.

 

[Sir William]

Something to remember is that most of these additional fees are not restricted to Disney but apply to all but the some of the luxury cruise lines.

On the whole, I've found the drink prices on DCL to be fairly reasonable compared to some other cruise lines. In addition, DCL allows you to bring as much alcohol onboard as you can get into a carry-on, which is one way you can reduce the cost of drinks. Unlike DCL, most other lines allow perhaps two bottles of wine per stateroom, and almost all lines, including DCL, may charge you a corkage fee if you bring your own wine to dinner. NCL charges you a corkage fee even if you open it in your own stateroom.

On our last cruise we brought a small bottle of rum and I got Coke from the drink dispensers on the pool deck to make my own Cuba Libre, plus we several bottles of wine we enjoyed on our veranda.

 

[Sir William]

I also like that Disney does not constantly nag you to purchase up at dinner. On other cruise lines we were continuously asked if we wanted a pre-dinner cocktail from the bar, if we wanted to purchase a "special" entree of the day, and then it was the special coffees and post-dinner drinks. Our Disney servers might ask but they don't get pushy about it.

 

[thumpie's mom]

One small way to save a little bit is if you are planning on doing laundry, bring your own laundry pods and dryer sheets. As previously noted, while the tips are added automatically to your account, you are able to adjust them at guest services. Since we have always received outstanding service, we tend to increase the tips, but you can also reduce them if you see fit. Our first cruise, we did on a shoe string budget, but we had a wonderful time. We did not do any of the excursions, just walked around the ports or stayed on the ship. Even on port days, there are many activities on board, so if you don't want to get off the ship, you will not get bored. If you are doing Castaway Cay, the BBQ lunch on the island is included in your cruise price. Have a wonderful cruise...it is truly a magical experience.

 

[E ticket rider]

first besides the cost of the cruise and the cost of alcohol what other charges end up on a cruise?
we are a family of four and my husband is the only one who usually drinks so I am hoping that that will not be too much extra and I have read about the tips but not sure how that works do you just get charged for tips or do you need to bring cash to hand out tips and how much should plan on.

and what other extra money should we plan on we are on a tight budget and really want to do the Disney cruise line not sure if other cruises would be more affordable because from what i have read on here and other blogs the other cruises seem to be cheaper to start but hit you up in other ways for dinning entertainment and alcohol.

Here's a typical list of extra charges:

Tips for porters (pre & post cruise) - $2 per bag - If you don't take the DCL bus, you'll leave your luggage curbside at the port. Post-cruise can be more easily declined. But avoid eye contact just to be safe...
Tips for shipboard staff (Stateroom attendant, Waiter, Assistant Waiter, Head Waiter) - $12/person/day - Their service is normally impeccable and they will really try to make your cruise more enjoyable. Can be prepaid.
Alcohol - TIP - After you get your 1st wonderful, plastic DCL souvenir hurricane cup, tell your server you don't want your drink in the souvenir cup. It's cheaper and no one has room for a dozen cups in their luggage anyway...
Soda - DCL has self-serve fountains on the pool deck, in the buffet and sodas are included in the main dining rooms. But, if you order a soda in a bar, at a show or from room service, you will be charged for it.
Snacks - For the most part, food is included. Pre-packaged snacks (pretty much everything at the snackbars near the WD Theater and BV Theater) will be charged to your account.
Frozen Drinks - There is a smoothie stand on the pool deck on the Dream-class ships. Anything from here is not included and will be charged.
Palo (Northern Italian cuisine) & Remy (French cuisine) - Excellent food and service for the price. Palo is the more economical option of the two at $25 per person. Adults only (18+).
Bingo - The only form of gambling available on DCL ships. Much like Vegas, I always seem to be chasing the house...
Arcade credits - There is an onboard arcade on the pool deck. Outside of a rainy day, it never seems crowded. Maybe that's why it's being replaced on the Dream in her upcoming drydock...
Photos - Feel free to pose for as many photos as you wish, but hope that you blinked. Photos can get expensive quickly if you feel the need to purchase all the ones you feel you look good in.
Tastings (Whiskey, Beer, Wine, Champagne, Tequila, Mixology etc) - Can be fun or really fun (depends on the crowd), roughly $20 per person. Adults only (21+).
Spa Treatments/Rainforest Room Passes - Prices vary from "That's cheaper than I thought it would be..." all the way to "Who in their right mind would pay that?"...
Excursions - Price points can vary, much like the spa...
Cabanas on Castaway Cay - You can reserve your own private slice of paradise (based on availability) for roughly $600 for the day...
Souvenirs - could possibly bankrupt you... especially if you have small children...

I also recommend bringing some extra cash. Tips for the shipboard staff are great for the crew, but they are divided up by set amounts among those "core four" employees. You might find there are others outside of those "core four" who go above and beyond to make your vacation more memorable. Or perhaps your waiter was so fabulous that you decide that he/she deserves a little more than the recommended amount... We once had a crew member that worked in the Windjammer on a RCCL ship that we saw every morning and afternoon. Everyday, he'd come over to our table, address all of us by name and spend a few minutes showing our kids a magic trick or a puzzle. He wasn't part of our "core four", but he took the time to get to know us and gave the kids a moment of extra attention. I'm sure he did that 100 times at each meal, but he was worth a few extra dollars in our opinion just for making my kids laugh and feel special.

I'm sure I missed a few things (services I may not have used), but there are plenty of folks here who can add to the list...

 

[griffindesign]

Our first cruise was a 4 night dream and other than tips all we spent was on a few pictures from shutters, and some items from the gift shops. We had an awesome time! We didn't do Palo or Remy our first time, and didn't do excursions. On Castaway Cay we took our own snorkel gear, so that was free.

 

[mickeymouse108]

I just got caught up on reading everyone's posts you all have given me some great information to use in to help me plan our first cruise I keep trying to justify going on a disney cruise rather than the other cruise lines the up front cost seems so high compared to the other cruise lines but I keep coming back to the drinks being included on the disney ships. My husband is the only drinker i like water tea lemonade ect... so have my husband bring rum for the coke and he will be happy. and with the fact that the rooms look so much nicer on the disney cruise ships and we would be all four of us in one room the split bath seems a must. I think I will just try to find the most affordable Disney date to cruise. I feel with all your advise I could probably keep the extra costs to a minimum. we would probably go out on our own at the ports and the day we are at castaway cay I just want to relax and snorkel. not planning on eating at the adult only restaurants so no money spent there. my biggest problem will be souvenirs. if we get room service I will make sure it has no soda or pre packaged food. I cant wait to pick a date and go on our first cruise.

 

[mickeymouse108]

I just got caught up on reading everyone's posts you all have given me some great information to use in to help me plan our first cruise I keep trying to justify going on a disney cruise rather than the other cruise lines the up front cost seems so high compared to the other cruise lines but I keep coming back to the drinks being included on the disney ships. My husband is the only drinker i like water tea lemonade ect... so have my husband bring rum for the coke and he will be happy. and with the fact that the rooms look so much nicer on the disney cruise ships and we would be all four of us in one room the split bath seems a must. I think I will just try to find the most affordable Disney date to cruise. I feel with all your advise I could probably keep the extra costs to a minimum. we would probably go out on our own at the ports and the day we are at castaway cay I just want to relax and snorkel. not planning on eating at the adult only restaurants so no money spent there. my biggest problem will be souvenirs. if we get room service I will make sure it has no soda or pre packaged food. I cant wait to pick a date and go on our first cruise.