Cruises, vacation spots

Most pricing quotes on occupancy are based per person double occupancy - which means that for two people to a room it would be $950 a night even if the room can sleep 4. Look at the fine type, it should state it there. If there were four people staying in the room, typically it would be less per person. You have to remember that the price would include your food so that it wouldn't be one price for the one room, but priced per person. Also, the rooms are small so a room that can sleep 4, is probably better suited for 2.

Unless the price clearly states that it includes airfare, it will not. Usually the cruise line will quote you both with or without airfare as it can vary depending where you are flying from. And typically if it includes air fare, it will include transportation from airport to cruise ships - the cruise ship reps will be there are the airport where you pick up your luggage with signs of the cruise line (expect to see several cruise lines reps).

I have been on a Royal Caribbean and a Carnival Cruise line. In my opinion, Royal is significantly better and worth the extra price - Carnival is usually cheaper. However, I didn't pay for the cruise as it was company paid for. I can tell you the items not included - tips for everyone (again, I would check with the Cruise line to see on average what tips are - they usually give recommended amounts). You tip pretty much everyone so this is a significant enough amount you want to include with your budget. Alcohol - and as you would imagine on the ship it costs more just like if you were staying at a resort or hotel. You can always purchase some wine or whatever you prefer at the cruise store or at any port to save a bit there.

Other things - any off-shore activities or if you like to gambling - obviously gambling. It is hard to put a complete price on what you should expect to spend as it depends on the individual. You could in theory only pay tips extra, if you do not leave the ship when you reach ports or just walk around the ports (which is unlikely) and drink no alcohol and no gambling.

Did you mean $950 per person because they are not usually quoted per night?

The cruises I have taken the airfare did not include transportation to the ship & back. That was an extra charge, usually around $28 per couple. Also, when you buy alcohol on the ship in the store they keep it until you arrive back to your home port. They do not let you take it and drink it on board. Same if you go off the ship and buy alcohol, they will take it from you and give it back when the cruise is over.

I want a round about price on just the cruise its self to be on board and the transportation to get to and from the port of departure. 950 per night??? that sounds too crazy. who can afford a 8 thousand dollar vacation just to be on the ship not including ilsand expenses gifts, drinks food, tips. That has got to be wrong. And the new cruises have a fuel cost thing now, where it costs each person 8 dollars a day to be on the ship extra due to the high cost of fuel now in the us. THANK YOU REPUBLICANS!!!

why don't you google it? that way you can get all the info at once.

I am pretty sure Linkat meant $950 per person for an inside state room. She also stated that food IS included in the price. There might be a few specialty restaurants on board. Those cost extra and you have to make reservations.

It is hard to estimate a price without knowing where you are going and the flight info. Most cruise lines have a web site where you can enter all the info. and you can get a price without booking the cruise or you can call a travel agent and get a total price.

Right now I am looking into the cost of cruising the Panama Canal.

Edit: Also, on a 7 night cruise they have 1 formal night. That means you have to be dressed up to go into the main dining rooms.

This must have changed since I last cruised because I remember buying a bottle of vodka and then with a couple of other rooms we ordered like 20 glasses of OJ from room service (as this was no charge) and made drinks. The cruise lines probably caught on and stopped it.

Most vacations are priced pp/double occupancy that are for a specific number of nights. On a cruise you can't just purchase one night and some vacation packages are also sold for a length of nights - just the norm on how they advertise prices.

Looking at a high level, your total cost should be about:

$950 cruise
$95 tax (assuming 10% tax rate?)
$275 airfare (all taxes and fees)
$112 fuel charge (hey everywhere oil prices are hitting us)
$100 tips

that is $1,532 without alcohol and on-shore excusions, on-shore excusions vary in price - average about $30 with maybe 4-5 ports so maybe another $100 as you might not go on an excusions at each port.

Honestly that isn't that expensive (depending how much alcohol you drink - it could get pricey) for a 7 night vacation. The dinners are top-notch - we had lobster one night on our cruise.

Consider the cruise itself costs you $1,200 with tips/tax/fuel charge pp. So pp/double occupancy that is $340/night pp, but remember it includes your meals throughout day and most of your entertainment.

They take the alcohol you buy on the ship because it is duty free and they want you to buy their expensive individual drinks. As far as off the ship, you can buy it and bring it on board without declaring it (against their policy), but if they check your purchases and find it, they take it and give it back when the cruise is over.

The last cruise I took was in February of 2007. The flight was from Seattle to Florida. The cruise was on the Star Princess. We went to Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, Cozumel and Princess Cays (Western Carribean). The total for the non stop flight, transportation from the airport to the ship round trip and a balcony room was $2292 as a couple. Then you have the other expenses Linkat mentioned= alcohol, gambling, excursions and so on.

Edit: I forgot to add in the tips of $160 so the total was $2452

this site is good for checking cruise prices . i've never booked with them but used their prices before seeing our travel agent - it helps to know what the approximate price will be BEFORE you book with the travel agent imo .
hbg


>>>CRUISE TRAVEL

btw the 3rd/4th passenger usually travels at a much lower price - but FOUR people in a cabin usually less than 200 squarefeet gets pretty crowded - and only ONE small bathroom !

of course , you can pay for a suite with plenty of space and TWO bathrooms - if you have just inherited a lot of money
hbg


cabin for FOUR - any acrobats ?



how about a nice TWO-LEVEL SUITE :wink:

I have seen those rooms go from 13,000 up to over 30,000 for the cruise. If I spent money on a room like that, I wouldn't leave the room. Nice link to the cruise info. btw

giving the four-berth (DO NOT call it bed ! :wink: ) cabin another try .



we had a lower/upper 2 berth cabin when we cruised to canada some 52 years ago - found it quite cozy at that time , but would find it a little crowded today .
we usually get an inside cabin on the lower promenade deck - so that we can step right out onto the open deck . we can't see the advantage of an outside cabin - and don't like the higher price .
when we are awake , we are either on deck or in one of the ship's many lounges (or dining rooms :wink: ) . when we are in our cabin we are sleeping and don't see anything anyhow .
hbg

This is a picture of the balcony room. I won't take anything other than a balcony or a suite. It came in handy going through Glacier Bay because I could snuggle up in bed warm and as we entered I could see the bears and glaciers and listen to the Park Ranger talk. I also had the tv channel on to the camera view to see the front of the ship. Going to the tropical places, the balcony is nice for the sunsets and sunrises.

Oh, quite a few years back I took just a 2 day repositioning cruise and we got bunk beds. I laughed so hard I was crying. Felt like I was in camp or something

Thank you so much linkat and tth, your info provided will help me greatly in preparing for a kick ass trip.

Johnny, here's my cruise thread from a few years back.
All of the info we ever needed can be found right here...
CRUISIN'

Have a great time!

Also, one thing I did not like the inside cabin as you could never tell if it was day or night - a claustrophobic feeling I got. Next time, I paid the extra money for an outside room with a window. But as others said you don't spend so much time in your cabin so if you are not claustrophobic and not being able to view sunlight doesn't bother you it is much cheaper to get an inside cabin.

I would never consider a cruise without a balcony. My husband enjoys his cigars, one and two, having our coffee on the balcony every morning, chilling out with the sea and the sky while waiting for the breakfast crowd to die down, was absolute heaven. Worth every nickle.

this was our "balcony suite" on our five week cape horn - atlantic crossing cruise : the lower promenade deck



a parka and long johns while going around the horn - shorts and t-shirts while crossing the equator .
most of the time we had much of the promenade deck to ourselves - either it was too cold and damp or too hot for many of the passengers , but it suited us just fine - and at less than half the price of a balcony suite :wink:
hbg