Taking a cruise can be a budget friendly vacation option. However, cruise passengers should budget for a lot more than the cost of the cruise fare.
Cruise vacations are nearly all-inclusive, packing in more meals than most humans can consume, activities and entertainment almost around the clock, lodging, and transportation to a series of exotic locations. Occasionally, a great sale on cruise fares comes along with advertised prices such as $299 or even less for a 5-day cruise. Deals like this are so sweet that cruise fans have difficulty passing them by. Despite a fantastic deal on cruise fares, seasoned cruisers know that their budget has to cover more than just Carnival’s or Royal Caribbean’s or Celebrity’s, etc. etc. cut of their travel dollars. In addition to the cruise fare, cruisers in the know include the following items in their cruise budget.
Cruise Budget Item #1: Airfare or Ground Transportation
First and foremost, cruise passengers must be able to arrive at the port . Before booking, travelers should consider not only the cost of the cruise fare but also the cost of arriving at the cruise port, whether by flying or driving. When more than one person is traveling together, driving is often the less expensive option. However, cruise lines often seem to offer the best prices for Caribbean cruises from Miami, and driving to Miami may not prove feasible for a majority of the country. If budget is the ultimate concern, it may be wise to price a less expensive transportation option, be it a cheaper flight or traveling by ground, with a more expensive cruise fare.
If traveling by air, travelers should also budget for the cost to check baggage. While Southwest Airlines allows two free checked bags, most airlines charge a fee for even the first checked bag. A passenger can double that fee if they are traveling round-trip. Fitting everything into a carry-on, while not necessarily convenient, will save money. For those who are flying, it may also be necessary to budget for airport parking or a taxi to the airport as well as a taxi from the airport to the hotel and/or cruise port.
If driving, it is also necessary to calculate the cost to park at the cruise port. One way to avoid this cost is to stay at a hotel which provides free parking for cruise passengers.
Cruise Budget Item #2: Hotel
Most frequent flyers are aware that flights experience frequent delays. Drivers know that delays can happen to them, too. Those dreaded delays have been known to cause cruise passengers to miss their ship. If the cruise passenger who misses the ship has travel insurance, he or she may have some recourse in addition to their vacation headache. Travelers in the know often plan to arrive at the cruise port the day before the ship sails to avoid problems caused by travel delays. These travelers generally include a hotel stay in their cruise budget.
Cruise Budget Item #3: Excursions
Unless the cruise passenger plans to stay on the ship at every port, he should plan to spend money to enjoy the day off the ship. While an excursion booked through the ship generally guarantees that the cruise passenger will not be left behind in port should anything go amiss, cruise lines are notorious for charging more for excursions than the cost of booking independently. Nonetheless, a majority of independent tour goers rarely experience issues and typically their wallets enjoy the savings. At any rate, cruise ports offer a variety of things to do which few can resist, so cruise goers usually budget to spend money in port.
As an example, for a cruise to Cozumel, some passengers may choose to visit a beach resort. Page 3 of the following article gives prices for independent excursions to the beach resorts Nachi Cocum, Playa Mia, Mr. Sanchos and Paradise Beach.
Review of Cruise Excursion to Nachi Cocom & Ideas for Other Beach Breaks in Cozumel
Cruise Budget Item #4: Tips, Taxes and Travel Insurance
Cruise goers should expect to spend approximately $10 per night per cruise passenger on tips for their cruise staff. For a couple on a seven night cruise, tips work out to approximately $140. No, one should not try to figure a way out of paying the tips to save money. The wait teams and room stewards, who work extremely hard to serve the cruise passengers, rely on those tips for their pay. One should note that the tips for their wait staff not only cover those who serve them in the dining room, but these tips also cover those individuals who work at the buffets. Tips are generally well earned and well deserved, and some passengers even tip extra for certain members of the staff who go above and beyond to serve them. Many cruise ships automatically charge tips to the passenger’s onboard account, although they do generally provide an option for changing the amounts should poor service dictate.
Taxes, port fees and optional travel insurance are also not included in the up front price quoted by the cruise lines. However, a quote is generally provided with taxes, fees and insurance by the booking agent before the cruise goer finishes the booking process.
Cruise Budget Item # 5: Onboard Purchases
Cruise lines know how to separate a cruise passenger from his money. Waiters tempt those ultra relaxed, thirsty passengers lounging by the pool in the hot Caribbean sun with ice cold beer, froo-froo drinks or sodas, none of which are included in the cruise fare. Cruise passengers are enticed by the chance to win big bucks or even a free cruise at $10 games of Bingo or at the casino. Then, the spa personnel offer facials, massages, and other treatments. Of course, the after hours babysitting fees can add up, too. One should not forget the duty free onboard purchases or the souvenir photos. As many cruise lines require their passengers to use an onboard account rather than cash, passengers can sometimes have difficulty keeping track of just how much they have spent and therefore spend more than they intended. Passengers on a budget can save money by just saying no to the extras.
Cruise Budget Item #6: Miscellaneous
Cruise passengers should also budget for miscellaneous expenditures. These may include expenses such as souvenir purchases or the cost of a new swimsuit or clothing prior to the cruise. Cruisers should also account for any meals at the airport, tips to the baggage porters at the cruise port or hotel, gas for their car, renting of formal wear for those who are so inclined, and any trial sized shampoo or shaving cream one decides to purchase especially for the trip.
Now, to finish making one’s cruise budget, a cruise passenger can add the expenses mentioned above and expect to spend just a bit more. Surely, there will be some expense that the cruise budget has not accounted for.
