Cruising offers exceptionally good value for your money, and can give you savings of up to 20-30% on what you would normally spend on a land-based holiday. Cruise holidays are priced differently to other travel types so this article will look to explain exactly what the advertised price really means, and what is not included in your cruise holiday.
The price that is advertised is not always what you will pay for your ticket, so it is wise to be aware of the following.
Most advertised fares are typically for one person which is based on double occupancy. This means that the cruise line generally expects to have two people in the cabin. If you are cruising alone it could mean that you have to pay the full price of the cabin, although many cruise lines now offer a lower or no surcharge for single occupancy, this is worth checking with your cruise operator before booking. If you cruise with third or fourth person in your cabin for instance with children, the price per person is not usually as high as for the first two.
Always check that takes and fees are included in the advertised price, if they are not included it usually amounts to no more than 5%.
Again check to see that the fuel surcharges are included. Many cruise lines can charge an additional £2 to £5 per person to cover the increased cost of fuel.
Now for the nice part of choosing to cruise, many of your costs are included in the ticket price, below is an example of what your cruise will include.
Most cabins on cruise ships are equipped with a double bed that can be converted into a twin, many cabins have room for a third person on a put-down or converted couch, some even have room for a fourth. Depending on what category of cabin you choose will reflect on the size and grandeur, much like a hotel. Although cabins are designed to be compact, they all come with en-suite bathrooms, room for storage and a range of up-to-date facilities.
All your main meals, including breakfast, lunch and dinner are included in your ticket price, many of the cruise lines also provide speciality dining events like high-tea and the famous midnight buffet. You can be sure of one thing; nobody on a cruise ship ever goes hungry.
Expect to be lavishly entertained by world-class acts, dancers, comedians and shows from the West End and Broadway.
You can always use the pool, sauna, hot tubs, tennis and basketball courts free of charge. Some facilities, such as the bowling lanes on NCL, may have a nominal fee.
So that you can budget accordingly here is what is not included in your cruise ticket price.
As a rule of thumb budget between £5 -£7 per person per day to tip your waiter, bar staff and cabin stewards, that’s not each member of staff but collectively. Always check with your tour operator or cruise line first, as many now add a surcharge to your bill to cover all gratuities. If you feel that a member of staff has been extremely helpful then you can tip them on the last night of your cruise, instead of having to tip daily.
Alcohol, all soft drinks and speciality coffees are not included although check as some cruise lines offer coffee stations onboard where you are free to help yourself.
You have two options when it comes to excursions, you can either leave the ship and explore the port and various sights by yourself, or book an organised excursion which you will pay for in advance. Some ports of call are worth paying the excursion price as you get to see and do more with an experienced guide. Also remember that a lot of excursions are very popular and are worth booking before your cruise begins.
Expect to pay as you would in any of the world’s high-end spa and beauty facilities. Appointments made in advance are advisable if you have a special occasion or it is a ships formal evening.
Many cruise lines now offer an array of ‘Speciality Dining’ restaurants, many of these are Celebrity Chef endorsed, and these will all come with an additional surcharge. For example P&O’s Ventura is host to Chef Marco Pierre White’s ‘The White Room’. Here you could expect to pay up to £30 per person, but when you compare this to what you would pay at one of his restaurants in the UK this is still incredible value for money.
The above ‘What is not included’, applies to all the major North American Lines - Carnival, Princess, NCL, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Holland America Line.
Below are a list of cruise lines that do things a little differently, these are mainly the more expensive and smaller cruise lines.
Also note that if you are at the other end of the scale, for instance you are booking with Easy Cruise then charges will be made for all your food and all beverages.