cruise costs?

terrierlady

sister is going to book a cruise any hidden cost she should look out for, are some ships better than others and what about cabin positions?
neither of us been before so I cant help her.

lisyloo

any hidden cost she should look out for

Drinks have to be paid for (but that's not hidden).
Only other cost is tipping.
Excellent service and the tipping that goes with it is a "tradition" on cruise ships.
Some places add it on your bill (although you can request that it's removed).
Only other costs are voluntary e.g. salon treatments etc.
I'd say the tipping is the one to watch out for although I wouldn't say this was hidden.
I find spending is quite low on cruises because all food and entertainment is provided.

are some ships better than others

Absolutely.
There are huge differences.
They are aimed at different markets. Some are aimed at pensioners who want to plays bowls and bingo, some are intellectual, some are casual and some are aimed at hen nights.
The brohures and activities listed should give you some indication.
i.e. if it's "songs from the war", "name that tune", bingo and tea dancing then you can guess the age group it's aimed at.

and what about cabin positions?

Being in the middle is more stable than being at either end.
Being lower down gets less movement.
Being right by the engines, lifts, disco could of course be noisey.

chalky_bertie

Tipping - we prepaid our tips for our first cruise last year and it was a mistake. We only ate in the main restaurant a couple of times but had paid a weeks worth of tips. We would have just eaten in the buffet the last night and then just tipped the maid and saved a few bob.

THESE PEOPLE will help you at Cruise Critic.

polarbearit

What on earth is a cruise ship aimed at the 'intellectual'?

MrSmartprice

Some cruise ships include tips and clearly state it. It is much better that way, as you can reward exceptional service by specific people if you wish.

If you like to indulge, it may be worth getting the "all inclusive" package for drinks. We have found it cheaper to do this before you get on the ship. Half-price is sometimes offered. Some will even include it as a freebie add-on - well worth having.

Best advice if you've not cruised before is to get the biggest ship available. The smaller the ship, the bumpier the ride if seas are a bit choppy.

IvanOpinion

polarbearit wrote:

What on earth is a cruise ship aimed at the 'intellectual'?

I have been trying to convince my boss to send me on one of these training courses for years http://www.geekcruises.com/

Ivan

IvanOpinion

terrierlady wrote:

sister is going to book a cruise any hidden cost she should look out for, are some ships better than others and what about cabin positions?
neither of us been before so I cant help her.

Most of the quesitons have been answered already but just my spin
Extras are
- tips (think of about £50per person per week)
- shore excursions (can be expensive when booked through the cruise line so do as much research as possible)
- casino costs (oh yea)
- alchohol (those cocktails just have to be tried) - prices are similar to a UK hotel
- must have knick-knacks (you know, the giant sombrero, fluffy donkey etc.)

All your food, entertainment, port taxes etc. will be included.


What kind of person are you? Do you mind dressing up for formal nights? Do you like active things when on shore or prefer to relax on a beach? What age group do you fall into? Where do you want to cruise (the Med, Caribbean, Alaska etc.) ... There have bee some great deals on NCL advertised recently.

Ivan

lisyloo

What on earth is a cruise ship aimed at the 'intellectual'?

One that offers distinguished guest speakers, lectures etc. aimed at people who are interested in history, culture, art etc.

The first cruise I went on was of this sort and was offered by "Voyages of discovery".

If you are interested you can check for more info about their distingushed speakers here.

https://www.voyagesofdiscovery.co.uk

but an exmaple would be a distinguished zoologist or Egyptologist on relevant cruises.

You can also get cruises that are aimed at people with specific interests e.g. art, painting, wine, dancing etc.
Fred Olsen do these.

The second cruise I went on was on an American ship.
Each port lecture was about where you could shop and what you can buy in each port.

Some people will have their visit enhanced by prior cultural and historical information, some peeple by knowing where the shops or bars are.

You don't have to attend every activity so it doesn't exclude people of any type, but obviously your enjoyment will be enhanced if you pick a cruise that has activities that suit you and your family.


I hope that helps.

lisyloo

I can't believe I forget shore excursions 1!
These are generally expensive but can sometimes be good value.

We do a mix of independent travel and excursions depending on how easy and safe it is to travel at the destination and how far it is from the port.

Bear in mind

1) Safety - Is it a safe place where you speak enough language to get by or is it full of pickpockets?

2) Distance - Are the sites of interest really nearby or far out. If they are far our you might be better getting the excursion.

3) Transport - Is it good and reliable? Remeber that if you travel privately it's YOUR responsibility to get back on time - in general this cuts you time short a bit because you have to get back early.
Is there enough ?- If 2000 people drop in on a small Greek isle - believe me there won't be enough taxis.

4) Will you get value on your own e.g. signed in good English or do you really need a guide to get the benefit.

Although excursions are expensive they can sometimes be beneficial in terms of providing you will a safe, direct means of travel and an English guide.
However if you get dropped of in the port and everything is in walking distance then there is no need.

Be aware that some sites are on the doorstep and others can be quite some distance from the port.

Also be aware that some ports are what I would call "fillers".
i.e. not a lot there but they feel the need in the itinerary to give you a stop.

There's not much point paying a lot for an excursion if there is nothing there so do your research.

Cruise ships often offer free or cheap shuttle buses to the town if it's too far to walk.

I hope that helps.

terrierlady

thanks all, have printed off the replies she is not on the net so cant view, they are hoping to go early november so I guess I wont know till then if they made right booking or not thanks to all for helpful replies.

IvanOpinion

There are usually some good Caribbean deals in early November because it is the start of the season. Have a look at the P&O (for traditional British style cruising), the Ocean Village site (for more laid back British Style cruising) or if you want an American line you could try Carnival (party ships), Royal Caribbean (very family friendly), Princess (one of my favourites ... family friendly but not as much as RCI) or for that little bit extra try Celebrity.

Ivan