Those of us who are Frequent Floaters know what to expect when it comes to a cruise vacation. We being our planning looking for ways to drive the cost down for all parts of the voyage and we are not just talking about the cruise itself but lodging pre and post our adventure. But for those new to cruising you may end up with a huge bill at the end on top of the chunk of change you spent on the cruise itself (maybe thinking – gosh that was a lot of money)!
Let’s start with some of the basics and what is important for new cruisers to know. Once you book the cruise the line you are sailing with has a very limited window to extract as much additional cash out of you as they can and they will work hard doing just that. Pre cruise you will likely get offers for all kinds of things you can “upgrade” you cruise with including, many times, the shot to upgrade your cabin from what you have to something amazing (you often have to bid on these btw). Without status NCL will, for example, often market you with a package to get on the ship faster (other lines also have similar offers like “Faster to the Fun” and so on).
But costs you may not have thought about start before you even get on board. Have you planned how you are going to get to the ship? Are you just going to Uber or do you want to pay extra to have the cruise line take care of your transportation? Will they pick you up at your hotel (because we always arrive at least one day early) or will you have to shuttle back to the airport to pick up the cruise line transportation service.
Once you do get to the terminal you will see folks to assist you with your bags (loading onto the bins to be loaded onboard) and clearly they expect you to tip them something for the help. Granted this is a small fee but I point this out as from this moment forward – as mentioned – extracting cash from you is key for the cruise line and to make this current cruise a profitable sailing for the line.
Before you even step foot on the ship you are likely going to be pushed to get a photo of you and your group in front of a LARGE photo of the ship. Expect to see photographers during your cruise all over the place including stopping by your table at dinner for a shot they hope you will buy.
If you do not have a drink package I have seen some lines who, as soon as you board, have smiling staff with trays of rum punch ready to hand you – and then asking for your key card so they can bill you! Even non-alcoholic type drinks can get you dinged, for example fresh squeezed orange juice with breakfast or a cappuccino can cost you additional fees.
Now that you are onboard there are instantly more offers to temp you with. Sure your cruise includes all the food you can eat 24/7 but have you considered specialty restaurants? These are not cheap (think upward of $50 per person)! They will press you that if you don’t sign up NOW all the good slots may fill up should you want to try them later.
The spa folks will likely be floating around the same desk / area as the specialty restaurant folks and would love for you to book all kinds of treatments – including the push to sell you all sorts of lotions and more (a big part of their earnings if they sell you stuff). While a spa day onboard sounds great keep in mind it is likely much more than you would pay at home.
What about go-cart racing or laser tag (who does this in 2024) or any number of other specialty fun activities onboard – again book now as slots fill up fast! Oh and if the kids are already on board they may be off to the arcade and swipe swipe swipe their key cards for another CHA-CHING for the cruise line.
Clearly you do realize you are on a floating hotel and stopping at a bunch of ports with so many things to see. Do you really want to go off on your own and maybe risk the ship leaving without you? Clearly no no no so you will want to book any number of shore excursions with the cruise line as if things go wrong with these ship booked adventures they will one way or another make sure you get back to ship (even if they have to fly you to the next port to do so).
Now all of this could be, not just during your first day, but during the first hours of your cruise! What else you ask?
Once at sea, and on international waters, the casinos open up and the lines make HUGE profits from folks dumping cash via this form of entertainment. Remember the house always wins folks (well unless you are using them to get a free cruise offer that is)!
Also opening up once at sea are the gift and jewelry shops. Looking for something special to remember the cruise? You can blow your budget with one purchase if you are not careful. A pro tip if you are looking for basic ship souvenirs is wait for the last few days when they have 25-50% off sales as their chance to make a profit from you is almost over.
Another marketing pitch that I simply for the life of me do not understand is ART at sea. There is a huge section of almost every major ship where they will try to market you art and will even ship it back home “free” of charge. They have art auctions and will give you free art for attending in the hope they can swipe your key card for something much bigger.
Do also keep in mind your cell phone will not work at sea (if you connect to ship’s cellular you will be VERY sorry when you get home). So you may have to pay for a wifi package if not included with your cruise package or pay for roaming rates when you arrive at port (again if not included with your cell service package).
Then there are costs when you get off the ship. If you are going ashore clearly you are going to do more than just walk around? Think of all the shops or restaurants or non-ship excursions waiting for you. Drinks may be cheaper ashore but be careful you never know the quality of the alcohol in those cheap drinks!
Then there is the day you are going to get off the ship. Did you forget about the daily, per person, “mandatory” gratuities that will be billed to your account unless it was included in your package or you prepaid for them before you got onboard? This could ding your credit card on file for a large chunk of change.
Beyond all of the above do keep in mind the costs we all hope you will never need as if you need medical care onboard that is NOT free and can cost you a ton (a reason for travel insurance). Also if you do miss the ship at a port the cost to get back on the ship is up to you.
Bottom line – and not trying to scare someone new to cruising – the costs can quickly get out of hand and there are so many things you can spend money on and you should have a plan to keep within your budget so that the day you get off the ship is not a sad one and not just sad because your amazing cruise is over! – René
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