On the Ship what's free and what costs money?

[FSU Girl]

I don't really want to spend a lot of money once I'm on board so I'm hoping to keep the bill down to a minimum. On the Magic, what exactly is free to eat and drink and where on the ship do things cost money?

From what I've read so far this is what I've come up with. Please let me know if any of this is incorrect:

Free:
- soda by the pool and in the dining room
- food in MDR and by the pools and room service

Cost money:
- popcorn and soda by the movie theater (will they care if I bring something into the theater from somewhere else on the ship?)
- Palo (will be dining here)
- alcohol (is there anywhere that this is free?)
- the pub?

Since I'm going on a Christmas cruise are there additional things that might be free or cost money that you wouldn't find on other sailings?

thanks!

 

[wilkeliza]

Soda from any bar costs. So don't walk up and ask for a drink. It is only free in the physical dinning rooms and pool.

Coffee from the two coffee bars. If you want free coffee you have to go to the buffet or get it from room service or the MDRs.

Alcohol is sometimes free at the gala type events. Just ask if they don't ask for your card then it is free.

There usually is some free finger foods in the adults only area later at night but some cost. So it is out to grab it is free if you have to order it then it probably costs.

There are some free extra ship based excursions during the holiday cruises. Check when you can sign up online for them (gingerbread house decorating is one I think) and if there is no price listed then it is free.

You can take your own food and snacks into the theater so either bring your own on the ship or bring a cup to fill with soda if you want that.

Some room service has an extra cost. It will be listed as an extra charge in the room service menu if that is the case. Always plan to tip the server based on your discretion for bringing the food to the room even if it is free.

Not sure if the magic has Cove Cafe. If it does the snack in there are free. They are usually very tasty little pastries.

 

[com_op_2000]

If you do not want to do to the MDRs, on some nights the breakfast/lunch buffet location will change in to a served seating arraignment. You will have selections from all the MDRs. This is free as well as the sodas/coffee/tea served during that meal.

 

[over50visits]

DCL Cruise Expenses (other than cruise fare and gratuities)

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. Disney Vacation Club 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 care for children under 3
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
42. Pins sold at trading pin sessions
43. Extra wave phone rental
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
46. Fuel supplement charge if the price of oil is above a certain level
47. Popcorn at theater
48. Fish Extender program gifts
49. Kids’s club magic bands (if you want to keep them, you lose the deposit)
50. Stamps from Post Office at Castaway Cay
51. Tip for Castaway Cay cabana host (you’ll need cash for this one)
52. Sparkling or still (plain specialty) water with your meal
53. Upcharge food items at the adult clubs
54. Candy and ice cream from Vanellope’s on the Dream
55. Smoothies from the bar in Senses Spa on the Dream
56. Required tip at spa (not optional)

 

[MouseOfCards]

DCL Cruise Expenses (other than cruise fare and gratuities)

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. Disney Vacation Club 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 care for children under 3
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
42. Pins sold at trading pin sessions
43. Extra wave phone rental
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
46. Fuel supplement charge if the price of oil is above a certain level
47. Popcorn at theater
48. Fish Extender program gifts
49. Kids’s club magic bands (if you want to keep them, you lose the deposit)
50. Stamps from Post Office at Castaway Cay
51. Tip for Castaway Cay cabana host (you’ll need cash for this one)
52. Sparkling or still (plain specialty) water with your meal
53. Upcharge food items at the adult clubs
54. Candy and ice cream from Vanellope’s on the Dream
55. Smoothies from the bar in Senses Spa on the Dream
56. Required tip at spa (not optional)

Wow. You have incredible memory! Thanks.

 

[FSU Girl]

thank you that list was very helpful!

 

[tinker&belle]

For Alchohol it is not free but every day they have an alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink of the day. In January the Drink of the Day was less than $5.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

I love this list as it is very comprehensive, but please don't feel like there are extra charges at every turn. There are a ton of things to see, do and eat for free. Having said that I was glad to have the option to have some of these other things even if I had to pay extra for them.

One comment about phone calls. For a number of things, you can go to Guest Services and use their phone for free. We used their phone to call our Credit Card Companies and our Trip insurance company. They placed the calls and then handed the phone to us. So consider asking there before trying to use your own phone which might be very expensive.

 

[MouseOfCards]

I love this list as it is very comprehensive, but please don't feel like there are extra charges at every turn. There are a ton of things to see, do and eat for free. Having said that I was glad to have the option to have some of these other things even if I had to pay extra for them.

One comment about phone calls. For a number of things, you can go to Guest Services and use their phone for free. We used their phone to call our Credit Card Companies and our Trip insurance company. They placed the calls and then handed the phone to us. So consider asking there before trying to use your own phone which might be very expensive.

That's helpful. Thank you. Will they allow free calls at guest services for anything, or only for special circumstances?

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

I don't really know. Anybody else have experiences to share?

We called the CC companies when they stopped our accounts (fraud prevention) and the insurance to check on our medical coverage (to see if it covered seeing the doctor on the ship; it did.), and they made the calls no problem. I doubt they'd let us make a social call, but perhaps to check on a pet or our house sitter. There must be a line somewhere.

At first, I didn't even think about asking GS to use their phone. My mindset was, well we just have no phone service for a week, but my wife suggested it, and it worked.

 

[msmama]

For phone calls - check your cell phone service provider. I was able to add coverage in Canada for $2 per day. Well worth it. I know there are places in Europe for less than $10/day (or maybe all of Europe, didn't look closely as that's not where I was going). It's more $$, but may not be as much as you think.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

The list posted above is very comprehensive, but realize that most of the things won't apply to most cruisers. What drives my onboard account up are gratuities since I don't pre-pay them and adult beverages. I may only get one drink of the day each day and a glass of wine at dinner, but those add up.

For phone calls - check your cell phone service provider.

I agree. Check before you go. Some companies have added a package that will cover cell service on cruise ships. I know Verizon has at least. It isn't cheap, but it's definitely cheaper than paying by the minute to access the ship's cellular service. And not all ships are covered. But it's worth a look if you know you will need to make phone calls while at sea.

As for using the phone at guest services, I would think they would limit that to very special circumstances. I can see them providing a phone for checking travel insurance for medical reasons or to unblock a blocked credit card (in their best interest since that credit card might be needed to pay your onboard account), but I can't see them providing the phone to check with a house sitter.

 

[RoseSanti]

If you keep your "Souvenir cup" from the drink of the day and the popcorn bucket refills cost less.

 

[MouseOfCards]

If you keep your "Souvenir cup" from the drink of the day and the popcorn bucket refills cost less.

Thank you. How much do you save?

 

[DisFanJen]

I'm sure people know this already but just to mention that while most things from room service are free you are expected to tip when they deliver, so assume a few bucks for each room service usage.

 

[KashasMom]

Wow, what a list! Fortunately almost all of those don't apply to us or most people, I think.

 

[BartmanLA]

For phone calls - check your cell phone service provider. I was able to add coverage in Canada for $2 per day. Well worth it. I know there are places in Europe for less than $10/day (or maybe all of Europe, didn't look closely as that's not where I was going). It's more $$, but may not be as much as you think.

You can also in certain countries (Europe & points South) obtain international SIM cards for phones that let you switch them for local calling in certain countries, that are usually cheaper than adding a international calling to your existing plan, also if you just HAVE to have internet, (this is for in port not at sea at all) there are companies like SkyRoam that will let you rent a hotspot device to get unlimited internet that is much cheaper than paying Disney for their WiFi access.

 

[sambycat]

There is nothing free in a Disney cruise! Well unless you were gifted with the cruise I guess? It's included or additional cost! But we are getting ready for our first RCL cruise and the charges are driving me insane! I'm longing for DCL!

 

[dclpluto]

There is nothing free in a Disney cruise! Well unless you were gifted with the cruise I guess? It's included or additional cost! But we are getting ready for our first RCL cruise and the charges are driving me insane! I'm longing for DCL!

Yes you are right nothing is free on a cruise even the toilet paper is not free. A lot of us like to use the word included.

 

[RoseSanti]

Thank you. How much do you save?

On the popcorn buckets you originally pay I think $10 for the bucket. Refills are like $3.50. Beer mug package refills are about $5.45. I think it'should the same for drinks of the day $5.45 or less.