As a non-drinker, spending money on the ship, except for souvenirs doesnt happen. I dont need the not-included restaurant experience. I can eat out at home. The inclusive food choices are good enough for me. I even love Carnival, as much as Princess or NCL.
Exactly. I've been on 7 cruises and the only money I've EVER spent on a ship was when I bought a Disney T-shirt, and that's just because I had promotional shipboard credits. I'll never understand why people pay $100 a person for dinner when the free food is great.
Thank you for this comment I’m going my cruise in August and my money is a little tighter than I thought would be so I’ve been stressing a little with not having the extra money but I know now I don’t have to do that and be broke coming home
We have cruised many times and my favourite money-saver is drinks. I will load up a small plate with fruit at the buffet and bring it back to the mini fridge in the cabin. I also bring a glass to re-use throughout the cruise. Water with ice and different fruits is refreshing all day long and doesn’t cost anything. On some ships there is lemonade on tap at the buffet all day long. I will fill up there and then go out to the pool or back to my cabin to enjoy some sun. Lots of ways to save $$ and still enjoy yourselves 😊
I spend as little as possible on board, and I've yet to have a bad cruise. I don't drink much, so the drink packages are a joke. I remember talking with a bunch of people in the spa during a cruise and we were all doing the math on it. Although they drank a lot more than I did, even they didn't buy a package. It wasn't worth it. As for the specialty restaurants, they're probably better but even then I've had good luck with the regular buffet. Depending on the cruise you can get some good options.
You mentioned "magnetic hangers" like for swimsuits. You must not know that in the bathroom, usually on the ceiling of the shower, there is a 4" diameter "moister suction" (always on "on") which if/when you put that swim suit nearest to this 4" thing, your swim suit will dry MUCH faster. (MOST people don't know this!) If/when this shower has a cord to stretch and for hanging clothing, it is usually closest to this "dehumidifier" feature....
Ate in a specialty restaurant once. Really enjoyed it, but I am perfectly fine with the MDR and buffet. I don’t have to cook it , serve it or clean it up. Enough to make me happy!
On Royal, you can get the alcohol package for one person and then the other person(s) in your cabin can buy the soda package or the coffee package if the don't want the unlimited alcohol package. You just have to call to arrange it.
My last cruise was on an older RCL ship. We prepaid gratuities, didn't buy a drink package, wifi, or anything else and walked out with $0 on our account. We totally enjoyed the cruise and have no regrets. At home we drink on occasion, it's not like we are tea-totalers (is that the right expression?) but we don't judge our happiness based on how much we've had to drink. The MDR was fine, regular coffee was plentiful and all we needed, we've doe most of the shore excursion that we're interested in so we just explored the port towns on our own. we have 3 more cruises booked for this year and expect to have the same great trips and the same level (or close) on expenses, although we have booked several non-RCL excursions.
I have done a fair amount of cruizing and you honestly dont need to spend any money on board. I do reccomend trying some specialty dining its worth doing once or twice
I just got of Navigator of the Seas a few days ago. It was my first cruse, just me and my 11 year old son. I bought drink packages for both of us. It was a waste of money. He got enough to drink at the dining times and only needed one, maybe two more drinks throughout the day, so definitely didn't need it for him. I thought I would have had a lot more alcohol, but since my son hated the kids club they had, we spent every minute together. That is great, but I don't like to drink much in front of him, so the package waste a waste for me as well. Beyond that, it was a great time.
My dad and I went on a Viking Mars trip in October/November of 2023. The main dining room was fantastic. We ate every meal we could in there. We had 4 speciality dining nights and ended up using 3 of them (4 was included in the cruise line fare and our stateroom category; we had a verandah). Our ship left from Ft Lauderdale, we flew in and stayed at Hampton Inn that was near the cruise terminal the night before; I believe it was $15 a piece for the shuttle the hotel had. On dembarkation day if you booked your flights through the cruise line, they had so many buses that will take you straight to your airport terminal (in our case Delta; on our bus it was all Delta passagers). Viking was very organized. I don’t know 🤷🏻♀ if we will do Viking again because it wasn’t the right fit for us; but, they didn’t try to nickel and dime you for everything.
I’d add “Not at least checking prices through a Travel Agent” to this list. They have visibility and access to deals the rest of us don’t. We just booked an Alaskan cruise for next summer, and the price our travel agent gave us was substantially cheaper than what Royal Caribbean’s website was offering us. I’m talking like 30% less. Couldn’t believe it.
I am a bit of a cruise line's worst nightmare. I don't spend any more than what they give me OBC for the cruise. It's the only way I can afford to go on so many. I've been on 7 in the past 6 months.
Same here! We may buy a t-shirt or something but we don’t drink alcohol. We actually got $150 BACK on the last cruise due to not being able to do the iFly (shoulder surgery) and another excursion.
I used to be the exact same. Literally off the ship with a $0 bill at the end of the cruise. Then I started to spend a little bit here and there and realized it really improved my experience. Still, I'm pretty careful on spending. Typically one excursion, a few drinks, and a trip to a specialty restaurant. It can add up... FAST
You might have it in another video, but I think if you're going to mention picking a line that fits, then you should describe the differences in the lines.
I've never paid for bus service to & from the airport for carnival I've always just jumped on when it arrived & no one has ever asked if I've paid or not!🤷🏽♂️😁💯
Guest Services is usually open 24/7. If you have to go, do NOT go right before/after/during main meals. Go late if you can and on port days, if you're not on an excursion, right after everyone gets off the ship. If you do go on an excursion, go right when you get back. On our last cruise on NCL we got the Free at Sea and on our upcoming HAL cruise we got the Have it All. Both included wi-fi, 2 specialty dining nights, drinks and shore excursions - the latter almost paid for itself. We hadn't been on a cruise between 2009 and 2022. The one thing I noticed different in the dining room for breakfast is the scrambled and poached eggs were cooked ahead of time. If you want fresher eggs, have them fried or ask for a custom made omelet. Same applies at the omelet bar in the buffet. One advantage of getting the transfer from the cruise line is that at the end of the trip, it usually moves you up in the debarkation "line". Some of the wi-fi packages have only xx minutes per cruise. Remember to keep your phone in airplane mode when not using the ship's wi-fi.
I'm going on the Walmart drink package. I'm only drinking Soda and Carnival lets you bing 12 12oz (normal size) cans of non-alcoholic beverages. The price of 12 cans of soda=2 on the ship.
On one cruise out of Port Canaveral we rented a car in Orlando and left it at the outlet near the port. This came out to be less than a third of what the cruise lines transfers would have been.
Just FYI some cruise lines like Royal Caribbean allow non drinkers to buy the lower non alcoholic package. (They don’t allow them not to have a package) You just have to call them to have it set up. They don’t ask any questions at all. They just warn you that if you are caught sharing drinks they will charge you for two full packages at the highest price possible.
I'd combine a couple of your categories--being nickel and dimed to death on the ship and choosing a line that doesn't fit. I really like the "almost all inclusive" policy on Virgin Voyages. ALL tips, ALL restaurants, wifi, exercise classes, entertainment (unless the activity includes alcohol), and "basic beverages" are included. In addition, there is a current booking incentive that includes a "bar tab" and many ways to get onboard credit as well as a "status match" if you have loyalty on another line. Without "skimping" at all, we've gotten off the ship each time with a credit card bill in the single digits (bought something on the last night to use up our onboard credit.). I've compared costs as closely as I can to other lines, and with careful shopping, VV usually comes out less. Obviously not a line if you are cruising with kids, but offers a lot as an "adult only" cruise. Monitoring prices after booking is HUGE. I've reduced the fares on what was initially good deals on my next 2 cruises. One only saved $130, but the other saved almost $400 and added a $600 bar tab! And the "bar tab" set up eliminates many of the negatives associated with the drink packages on other lines! Another hint--be sure to become aware of all dining options on the ship. For example, DCL used to (don't know if it still exists) have a walk in option with limited hours in what was the buffet for breakfast and lunch. At dinner, it transformed into a "training" area for new crew with a menu that took items from the main menus. The huge difference was less noise and food freshly made in small quantities when you ordered, as well as a "carved item" that was special to that venue. While we enjoyed the show aspect of the dining rooms on DCL, the quieter atmosphere and better food quality made this location a big plus.
Don’t worry, just don’t buy the packages, and buy 1 excursion to try it out. Don’t buy jewelry or dumb paintings, etc, and you are good. I recommend a balcony for fresh air to the room. Enjoy.
Say what you will about Disney, but, if you're going to Disney World before or after your cruise, the bus will pick you up at your resort hotel and/or let you off there, as well as the airport.
I can't speak for all the cruise lines, but MSC absolutely will not compensate you if your cruise price changes. Yes, I've tried and still feel bitter about it, especially because i didn't enjoy the cruise. Im not traveling with MSC anytime soon (unless i get an absolute bargain).
Good grief a cruise is to go to next destination. If I want a roller coaster I go to amusement park If I want to go dance I go to a club . If I want to go on an excursion I just go do it . A cruise is just a city on water . A cruise is to get away from that . I will only go on boats 1000 people or less . A real cruise liner . I only take a boat to enjoy the see going across the ponds to my final destination Cause it’s cheaper than flying . I won’t spend stupid money to over priced party ships
Let's just say, we think differently about "cruising". Probably we diverge on most issues.... "vive la difference" (AND thank you for footing some of MY bill... the ships must make XXX money, and I'm sure you are paying for my end)
1. Avoid this kind of ship if you don't cruise often 2. Going 'Cheap' once on the ship 3. Picking a line that doesn't fit you 4. Wasting time at guest services 5. Not booking packages at a discount 6 Cruise specific items too many people don't bring 7. Getting the Drink Package wrong 8. Limiting dining to free options 9. Wasting money on cruise line transfers 10. Not monitoring prices after buying 11. Buying the 'Budget WI-FI service'
I drink more when I am on a cruise than I do when I m at home, specifically because I have the drink package and I want to get my money's worth. I usually sail Princess, and I buy the Princess Plus package, which includes the internet, crew gratuities and drinks. I figure that I need to have two drinks per day to break even.
Princess Plus is a GREAT deal. I did it when I sailed the line and it's easy to get your money's worth. Feel like it's the best package deal out there.
For a 7 day cruise, the P plus package is $420. My gratuity for solo is $117. $303 difference for me as a low drinker (1 drink maybe). Everyone needs to crunch the #s.
Honestly I feel like the base fair on a good number of cruises in general is low enough to the point where you should have enough wiggle room to devote finances to add ons like specialty dining or shore excursions. I would also argue the advantage of having some of this stuff as add ons is it gives you flexibility to customize your vacation if you aren’t going to take full advantage of some of the stuff anyway. For example, I don’t drink a lot so whatever I don’t spend on alcohol, I can use that on specialty restaurants or maybe a spa treatment.
I kinda disagree with the first point, (IF you don’t cruise often) get on older ships. if you don’t cruise a lot a person should want to get on the more attractive ships other than the price because it’s like a once in a life time opportunity. If you cruise a lot, you tend to have points and rewards to get deals.
The last cruise I went on (5 nights) my bill for onboard charges was $60. I had a prepaid package for drinks, Wi-Fi, specialty desserts, gratuities, etc. I also started with an onboard credit and I got a small additional unsolicited credit because of a minor plumbing issue. I would have had no additional charge but I got my hair done. Just saying it can be done. I wasn’t really trying, it just worked out that way.
Those of us on here that claim not to spend anything, MEAN that we also, don't spend on the cruise BEFORE you get in. You obviously spent on "prepaid packages" for drinks specialty, desserts, etc. BUT thank you for overspending because I'm sure you pay for some of my alloted (not spent) spending....
@@silviaeaston Thank you for straightening that out. This was my first time on this channel so I didn’t know how you all think. I promise not to make that mistake again.
You sure are in the cruise line’s pocket. If your Mdr food is wrong, have it sent back. Every optional meal I have had has been rushed and not as good as similar restaurants on land. Plus- their prices are a third to twice the local price. They are pushing to make $$$$$. I’ve never had an issue with MDR food that couldn’t be solved by a server’s attention. They will have to improve service and quality to get me to buy optional dining
A possible exception to your first suggestion/mistake about avoiding the older ships…in the case of the Oasis class ships on RCL, Oasis itself was built back in 2009 yet I would venture a LOT of folks would be hard pressed to complain that the experience is inferior in any way to sailing on Oasis’s brand-new-for-2022 sister ship Wonder of the Seas, as they feature virtually identical experiences
So packages also increase the cruise fair. What is the difference you are still going to pay fot it. One is alacart and one is a more expensive lump sum
My wife booked a princess cruise through Costco and the drink and WiFi package (princess plus) was included as opposed to if we had booked it directly. Our price for the room was the same as the same room though the princess website without the plus package.
@TheTcswhite249 not everyone can book thru Costco. I have looked directly at sites and priced some out. And the higher level of "package deal" Does not always save money if tgere things like Wifi you dont plan on purchasing in the first place
QUESTION: re drink packages going out of Galveston on Royal vs Carnival..I know on Carnival you can't use it on your embarkation day. Is that true for Royal as well?
For the onboard wifi, if we only get it so we can be reached by my parents who are watching our son, would the budget wifi package make sense? I don't intend to stream anything or connect with the outside world besides my parents.
These salty cheapskates in the comments are funny. Maybe cruises aren’t actually for you if your going to be offended by the suggestion of spending money and enjoying yourself on-board.
You are a shill for the cruise lines . I get a balcony and spend very little otherwise . Your advice is pretty much the opposite of everything we do . Goodbye .
As a non-drinker, spending money on the ship, except for souvenirs doesnt happen. I dont need the not-included restaurant experience. I can eat out at home. The inclusive food choices are good enough for me. I even love Carnival, as much as Princess or NCL.
Exactly. I've been on 7 cruises and the only money I've EVER spent on a ship was when I bought a Disney T-shirt, and that's just because I had promotional shipboard credits. I'll never understand why people pay $100 a person for dinner when the free food is great.
Thank you for this comment I’m going my cruise in August and my money is a little tighter than I thought would be so I’ve been stressing a little with not having the extra money but I know now I don’t have to do that and be broke coming home
We have cruised many times and my favourite money-saver is drinks. I will load up a small plate with fruit at the buffet and bring it back to the mini fridge in the cabin. I also bring a glass to re-use throughout the cruise. Water with ice and different fruits is refreshing all day long and doesn’t cost anything. On some ships there is lemonade on tap at the buffet all day long. I will fill up there and then go out to the pool or back to my cabin to enjoy some sun. Lots of ways to save $$ and still enjoy yourselves 😊
I spend as little as possible on board, and I've yet to have a bad cruise. I don't drink much, so the drink packages are a joke. I remember talking with a bunch of people in the spa during a cruise and we were all doing the math on it. Although they drank a lot more than I did, even they didn't buy a package. It wasn't worth it. As for the specialty restaurants, they're probably better but even then I've had good luck with the regular buffet. Depending on the cruise you can get some good options.
You sound fun.....
You mentioned "magnetic hangers" like for swimsuits. You must not know that in the bathroom, usually on the ceiling of the shower, there is a 4" diameter "moister suction" (always on "on") which if/when you put that swim suit nearest to this 4" thing, your swim suit will dry MUCH faster. (MOST people don't know this!) If/when this shower has a cord to stretch and for hanging clothing, it is usually closest to this "dehumidifier" feature....
Ate in a specialty restaurant once. Really enjoyed it, but I am perfectly fine with the MDR and buffet. I don’t have to cook it , serve it or clean it up. Enough to make me happy!
I used to be like that... maybe I am just worn out from eating the dining room/buffet. I much prefer having something made especially for me.
I think it would be awesome if you made a "What kind of cruise line sounds right for me" video
About smaller older ships, it’s not always about the ship. Going on the Jewel of the Seas next month. We booked it for the destinations, not the ship.
On Royal, you can get the alcohol package for one person and then the other person(s) in your cabin can buy the soda package or the coffee package if the don't want the unlimited alcohol package. You just have to call to arrange it.
My last cruise was on an older RCL ship. We prepaid gratuities, didn't buy a drink package, wifi, or anything else and walked out with $0 on our account. We totally enjoyed the cruise and have no regrets. At home we drink on occasion, it's not like we are tea-totalers (is that the right expression?) but we don't judge our happiness based on how much we've had to drink. The MDR was fine, regular coffee was plentiful and all we needed, we've doe most of the shore excursion that we're interested in so we just explored the port towns on our own. we have 3 more cruises booked for this year and expect to have the same great trips and the same level (or close) on expenses, although we have booked several non-RCL excursions.
I have done a fair amount of cruizing and you honestly dont need to spend any money on board. I do reccomend trying some specialty dining its worth doing once or twice
I just got of Navigator of the Seas a few days ago. It was my first cruse, just me and my 11 year old son. I bought drink packages for both of us. It was a waste of money. He got enough to drink at the dining times and only needed one, maybe two more drinks throughout the day, so definitely didn't need it for him. I thought I would have had a lot more alcohol, but since my son hated the kids club they had, we spent every minute together. That is great, but I don't like to drink much in front of him, so the package waste a waste for me as well. Beyond that, it was a great time.
Ask them for your money back
Next time, go to the customer service desk to see if you can canel the packages.
My dad and I went on a Viking Mars trip in October/November of 2023. The main dining room was fantastic. We ate every meal we could in there. We had 4 speciality dining nights and ended up using 3 of them (4 was included in the cruise line fare and our stateroom category; we had a verandah). Our ship left from Ft Lauderdale, we flew in and stayed at Hampton Inn that was near the cruise terminal the night before; I believe it was $15 a piece for the shuttle the hotel had. On dembarkation day if you booked your flights through the cruise line, they had so many buses that will take you straight to your airport terminal (in our case Delta; on our bus it was all Delta passagers). Viking was very organized. I don’t know 🤷🏻♀ if we will do Viking again because it wasn’t the right fit for us; but, they didn’t try to nickel and dime you for everything.
I’d add “Not at least checking prices through a Travel Agent” to this list. They have visibility and access to deals the rest of us don’t.
We just booked an Alaskan cruise for next summer, and the price our travel agent gave us was substantially cheaper than what Royal Caribbean’s website was offering us. I’m talking like 30% less. Couldn’t believe it.
I got 35% less, are you on NCL because I'm also going on an Alaskan cruise?
I am a bit of a cruise line's worst nightmare. I don't spend any more than what they give me OBC for the cruise. It's the only way I can afford to go on so many. I've been on 7 in the past 6 months.
Same here! We may buy a t-shirt or something but we don’t drink alcohol. We actually got $150 BACK on the last cruise due to not being able to do the iFly (shoulder surgery) and another excursion.
I used to be the exact same. Literally off the ship with a $0 bill at the end of the cruise. Then I started to spend a little bit here and there and realized it really improved my experience. Still, I'm pretty careful on spending. Typically one excursion, a few drinks, and a trip to a specialty restaurant. It can add up... FAST
Same. On my last cruise my final bill was $42.00. And that’s only because I decided to do a behind the scenes tour at the last minute. Yeah for OBC.
You might have it in another video, but I think if you're going to mention picking a line that fits, then you should describe the differences in the lines.
I've never paid for bus service to & from the airport for carnival I've always just jumped on when it arrived & no one has ever asked if I've paid or not!🤷🏽♂️😁💯
Lol.
Guest Services is usually open 24/7. If you have to go, do NOT go right before/after/during main meals. Go late if you can and on port days, if you're not on an excursion, right after everyone gets off the ship. If you do go on an excursion, go right when you get back.
On our last cruise on NCL we got the Free at Sea and on our upcoming HAL cruise we got the Have it All. Both included wi-fi, 2 specialty dining nights, drinks and shore excursions - the latter almost paid for itself.
We hadn't been on a cruise between 2009 and 2022. The one thing I noticed different in the dining room for breakfast is the scrambled and poached eggs were cooked ahead of time. If you want fresher eggs, have them fried or ask for a custom made omelet. Same applies at the omelet bar in the buffet.
One advantage of getting the transfer from the cruise line is that at the end of the trip, it usually moves you up in the debarkation "line".
Some of the wi-fi packages have only xx minutes per cruise. Remember to keep your phone in airplane mode when not using the ship's wi-fi.
I rarely spend additional money on the ship with the exception of throwing in an excursion.
I'm going on the Walmart drink package. I'm only drinking Soda and Carnival lets you bing 12 12oz (normal size) cans of non-alcoholic beverages. The price of 12 cans of soda=2 on the ship.
That's my plan also, 12 cans when you first board and another 12 when you reboard from an excursion.
More than enough for me.
Yes, always bring your own stuff on board. The ship prices for drinks and everything else is a complete rip off.
Can also bring a bottle of wine
Thanks for sharing this video. It was very informative and helpful tips 😊
And you forgot to add one thing to the newer bigger ships, longer lines, and sold-out venues.
On one cruise out of Port Canaveral we rented a car in Orlando and left it at the outlet near the port. This came out to be less than a third of what the cruise lines transfers would have been.
ALWAYS fly in a day ahead of the cruise!
I really like your videos, I wish you made more of them...
Just FYI some cruise lines like Royal Caribbean allow non drinkers to buy the lower non alcoholic package. (They don’t allow them not to have a package) You just have to call them to have it set up. They don’t ask any questions at all. They just warn you that if you are caught sharing drinks they will charge you for two full packages at the highest price possible.
I'd combine a couple of your categories--being nickel and dimed to death on the ship and choosing a line that doesn't fit. I really like the "almost all inclusive" policy on Virgin Voyages. ALL tips, ALL restaurants, wifi, exercise classes, entertainment (unless the activity includes alcohol), and "basic beverages" are included. In addition, there is a current booking incentive that includes a "bar tab" and many ways to get onboard credit as well as a "status match" if you have loyalty on another line. Without "skimping" at all, we've gotten off the ship each time with a credit card bill in the single digits (bought something on the last night to use up our onboard credit.). I've compared costs as closely as I can to other lines, and with careful shopping, VV usually comes out less. Obviously not a line if you are cruising with kids, but offers a lot as an "adult only" cruise.
Monitoring prices after booking is HUGE. I've reduced the fares on what was initially good deals on my next 2 cruises. One only saved $130, but the other saved almost $400 and added a $600 bar tab! And the "bar tab" set up eliminates many of the negatives associated with the drink packages on other lines!
Another hint--be sure to become aware of all dining options on the ship. For example, DCL used to (don't know if it still exists) have a walk in option with limited hours in what was the buffet for breakfast and lunch. At dinner, it transformed into a "training" area for new crew with a menu that took items from the main menus. The huge difference was less noise and food freshly made in small quantities when you ordered, as well as a "carved item" that was special to that venue. While we enjoyed the show aspect of the dining rooms on DCL, the quieter atmosphere and better food quality made this location a big plus.
Who is DCL???
@@lulubelle2009 Disney Cruise Line
Made me rethink even going on a cruise
Don’t worry, just don’t buy the packages, and buy 1 excursion to try it out. Don’t buy jewelry or dumb paintings, etc, and you are good. I recommend a balcony for fresh air to the room. Enjoy.
Very good info. Thank you
Enjoy your videos!
Say what you will about Disney, but, if you're going to Disney World before or after your cruise, the bus will pick you up at your resort hotel and/or let you off there, as well as the airport.
I can't speak for all the cruise lines, but MSC absolutely will not compensate you if your cruise price changes. Yes, I've tried and still feel bitter about it, especially because i didn't enjoy the cruise. Im not traveling with MSC anytime soon (unless i get an absolute bargain).
Good grief a cruise is to go to next destination.
If I want a roller coaster I go to amusement park
If I want to go dance I go to a club .
If I want to go on an excursion I just go do it .
A cruise is just a city on water .
A cruise is to get away from that .
I will only go on boats 1000 people or less . A real cruise liner .
I only take a boat to enjoy the see going across the ponds to my final destination
Cause it’s cheaper than flying .
I won’t spend stupid money to over priced party ships
Let's just say, we think differently about "cruising". Probably we diverge on most issues.... "vive la difference" (AND thank you for footing some of MY bill... the ships must make XXX money, and I'm sure you are paying for my end)
We only get the packages if it is on special.
1. Avoid this kind of ship if you don't cruise often
2. Going 'Cheap' once on the ship
3. Picking a line that doesn't fit you
4. Wasting time at guest services
5. Not booking packages at a discount
6 Cruise specific items too many people don't bring
7. Getting the Drink Package wrong
8. Limiting dining to free options
9. Wasting money on cruise line transfers
10. Not monitoring prices after buying
11. Buying the 'Budget WI-FI service'
The “budget wifi” is always horrible so it’s worth the extra 5 dollar a day so you won’t be looking at a loading screen for five minutes
Thanks for the list!
I drink more when I am on a cruise than I do when I m at home, specifically because I have the drink package and I want to get my money's worth. I usually sail Princess, and I buy the Princess Plus package, which includes the internet, crew gratuities and drinks. I figure that I need to have two drinks per day to break even.
Princess Plus is a GREAT deal. I did it when I sailed the line and it's easy to get your money's worth. Feel like it's the best package deal out there.
For a 7 day cruise, the P plus package is $420. My gratuity for solo is $117. $303 difference for me as a low drinker (1 drink maybe).
Everyone needs to crunch the #s.
Honestly I feel like the base fair on a good number of cruises in general is low enough to the point where you should have enough wiggle room to devote finances to add ons like specialty dining or shore excursions. I would also argue the advantage of having some of this stuff as add ons is it gives you flexibility to customize your vacation if you aren’t going to take full advantage of some of the stuff anyway. For example, I don’t drink a lot so whatever I don’t spend on alcohol, I can use that on specialty restaurants or maybe a spa treatment.
i paid for the transfers thru the cruise line during grief, other than that uber
Another GREAT Video!!!
Always enjoy your videos
My Bro and his wife went on a 10 ddays cruise and only spent the OBC.
I kinda disagree with the first point, (IF you don’t cruise often) get on older ships. if you don’t cruise a lot a person should want to get on the more attractive ships other than the price because it’s like a once in a life time opportunity. If you cruise a lot, you tend to have points and rewards to get deals.
The last cruise I went on (5 nights) my bill for onboard charges was $60. I had a prepaid package for drinks, Wi-Fi, specialty desserts, gratuities, etc. I also started with an onboard credit and I got a small additional unsolicited credit because of a minor plumbing issue. I would have had no additional charge but I got my hair done. Just saying it can be done. I wasn’t really trying, it just worked out that way.
Those of us on here that claim not to spend anything, MEAN that we also, don't spend on the cruise BEFORE you get in. You obviously spent on "prepaid packages" for drinks specialty, desserts, etc. BUT thank you for overspending because I'm sure you pay for some of my alloted (not spent) spending....
@@silviaeaston Thank you for straightening that out. This was my first time on this channel so I didn’t know how you all think. I promise not to make that mistake again.
There is a way to get out of all adults having to buy the premium drink package. Just call the cruise line.
You sure are in the cruise line’s pocket.
If your Mdr food is wrong, have it sent back.
Every optional meal I have had has been rushed and not as good as similar restaurants on land. Plus- their prices are a third to twice the local price.
They are pushing to make $$$$$.
I’ve never had an issue with MDR food that couldn’t be solved by a server’s attention.
They will have to improve service and quality to get me to buy optional dining
Does carnival radiance have a adult only spots and can I get a specialty coffee package ?
First time cruising soon, What you saying about paying gratuity up front for NORWEGIAN Cruise?
A possible exception to your first suggestion/mistake about avoiding the older ships…in the case of the Oasis class ships on RCL, Oasis itself was built back in 2009 yet I would venture a LOT of folks would be hard pressed to complain that the experience is inferior in any way to sailing on Oasis’s brand-new-for-2022 sister ship Wonder of the Seas, as they feature virtually identical experiences
I can't really argue there. The "amplified" Oasis is a hell of a lot of fun.
So packages also increase the cruise fair. What is the difference you are still going to pay fot it. One is alacart and one is a more expensive lump sum
My wife booked a princess cruise through Costco and the drink and WiFi package (princess plus) was included as opposed to if we had booked it directly. Our price for the room was the same as the same room though the princess website without the plus package.
@TheTcswhite249 not everyone can book thru Costco. I have looked directly at sites and priced some out. And the higher level of "package deal" Does not always save money if tgere things like Wifi you dont plan on purchasing in the first place
QUESTION: re drink packages going out of Galveston on Royal vs Carnival..I know on Carnival you can't use it on your embarkation day. Is that true for Royal as well?
You can on royal
For the onboard wifi, if we only get it so we can be reached by my parents who are watching our son, would the budget wifi package make sense? I don't intend to stream anything or connect with the outside world besides my parents.
How will you be reaching them? If you want a video call, you want the faster wi-fi. If it's just text/email then you could go slower.
These salty cheapskates in the comments are funny. Maybe cruises aren’t actually for you if your going to be offended by the suggestion of spending money and enjoying yourself on-board.
Geez you're on holiday lighten up a bit 😂
I wouldn't agree with hom at all a bit of bulshit lol
You are a shill for the cruise lines . I get a balcony and spend very little otherwise . Your advice is pretty much the opposite of everything we do . Goodbye .