Let's Talk "Turkey" ~ The "Real" bill when we get home (Shipboard Accounts)

[HeatherInFlorida]

Let's be honest: When we talk about cost of cruising a lot of it has to do with how much we spend when we're actually onboard ship. Seeing EKerr's post about her recent cruise got me to thinking.

Our total shipboard bill on our recent Oosterdam cruise came to only $280!!! $140 of that was the "gratuity", $40 for a manicure and $15 for the thermal suites plus 4 pictures for $44. So we're pretty cheap dates:rolleyes: ! (It probably helps that we don't drink:D ).

So without getting too personal, here's a poll about shipboard accounts. Just for fun, play.........:) .

[AlexandNessa]

Our previous cruises were before tips were auto-added to your shipboard account.

I actually saved our statements: March 2003- Zuiderdam $1104.60. And, we had $300 in shipboard credit.

January 2004 - $964.82. We had $380 in ship board credit this time.

HAL must love us. We use the spa, shop on the ship, and drink freely!

Can't wait to see what we manage to do on our 10-day Mexican Riveria Cruise in April. :)

[HeatherInFlorida]

Just realized I cheated a little because we paid for our tours, Pinnacle and cabana before we left so I have to add $265 to my figure bringing it to $545.

Also, this is a private poll so no one will know what you checked. Don't want anyone to think I'm poking;)

[Pudgesmom]

Would you include prepaid charges, i.e., shore excusions, cabanas, Pinnacle, gifts to room, etc.?


beth

[Pudgesmom]

OOps, looks like we posted at the same time! I'm not 'fessin up here, but I'll vote on the poll!:D

Beth

[localady]

It also hinges on how long a cruise you have taken. I know on our 17 day cruise we spent in excess of 500$, more like $500 per week. I can say for 7 days though we spend right about $500 onboard per week generally.:cool:

I know HAL would like us to spend more, but that would mean less cruising:eek: ;) !

[tomc]

During the year (I cruise once per) I put aside any odd money that comes my way -- unexpected $$ -- maybe gifts, or discounts, or something I planned to pay for that turned out to be free. That goes into my "cruise" account. It adds up. This year, it paid for my Internet use and (as you all know) I get a kick out of sharing my experiences online, since I travel alone. I also keep in touch with my foreign brother and close friends back home via e-mail. You may enjoy a few drinks during the day, or a shorex; I enjoy communicating (which is probably why I'm in broadcasting and print).

So, I really don't "pay" for anything when the Visa bill comes, as I have already accumulated the money in advance. This year, I only used half of my "found money" and have hopes of finding more before my June/July '05 b2b 14-day NE/C.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Tomc, you are making me laugh so hard because you sound like my DH. He has what he calls "found" money, too. He goes to the dog track and he always tells me he's not using OUR money, he's using his found money!Beth, you're giving yourself away!!!:D BTW, I wasn't suggesting there's anything wrong with spending an absolute fortune on the cruise if you want to. But when I book a cruise I always think about how "cheap" it is and often don't stop to consider the "after" charges. When DH later tells me the cost of the cruise, I always say "no way"!!!!!:o

[elmorejj]

We usually spend on average, $100 per day. This mostly goes on drinks, wine with dinner and maybe a small purchase or two in the duty free shop. Our children always chip in and send us about $500 in Cabin credit so that offsets it a lot. In Dec. on our BtoBs we have a total of $300 in HAL cabin credit, so along with what the kids send, we should do OK......jean :cool:

[jhannah]

We're under $500 actual onboard ... over if you count the shore excursions that are paid for in advance. We're not big spenders onboard, which I'm sure HAL would like to change. ;)

[cruisinjudy]

We spend very little on drinks. I mostly drink iced tea. Maybe one drink in the bar per night, or less. Never go to the spa, but we spend on laundry and internet. We also buy pictures. Last trip we had medical bills so 12 day cruise came to $2000.

[Bfson]

If you "buy" one hundred dollars worth of chips in the casino, does that go onto your bill and get treated as any other purchase? (Or is it treated like a cash advance on your credit card)?

[HeatherInFlorida]

If you "buy" one hundred dollars worth of chips in the casino, does that go onto your bill and get treated as any other purchase? (Or is it treated like a cash advance on your credit card)?
:) There are no real "rules" to this game ... but I don't think we should count what you win or lose in the casino. I don't even think you should count when you buy jewelery onboard (but that's just me ... I don't "count" a lot of things;) ).

[tomc]

Judy-- Last trip we had medical bills so 12 day cruise came to $2000. Doesn't count; it has to be something fun.

[Krazy Kruizers]

On our last 21 day cruise we had $450 in shipboard credit. It went very quickly considering that $420 was for the tips. That left $30 to spend over 21 days.

By the time we booked a few shore excursions, went to the Pinnacle for lunch and dinner a few times, bought some Panama t-shirts and other Panama stuff on the ship, bought only 1 picture, had drinks in nearly every bar at one time or another - our bill was nearly $800. And we didn't use the spa or salon.

[Orcrone]

We got off dirt cheap. I booked diving at HMC and a clamshell ahead of time, so that was prepaid. On Antigua we booked private excursions. St. Thomas and St. Martin we took a cab to the beach and we just walked around Old San Juan and went to El Morro.

Our total bill was just under $250 (including $200 in prepaid tips) and we had a shipboard credit of $100. So our total bill at the end of the ten days was just under $150.

[Peggy Sue]

Last year, spent a little over 700..can't remember all we did, but I seem to recall spa of massage for dh, manicure for me, wine, photo's etc.

this year, it was a little over 1000. We both did several spa treatments, and enjoyed happy hour, and wine with dinner. We dined at the Pinnacle 3 nights, purchased some pictures and purchased a few things in the gift shop.

It adds up quickly..we had a $200 ship board credit, plus we ended up with a cabana rental credit.

Of course that doesn't include the cash tips given and what we "donated" to the casino...

Heather..you're right..when you stop to think about it the shipboard expenses can really add up and could easily exceed the cost of the cruise!!

Peggy Sue

[RuthC]

Last cruise was over $500, but not by much. That includes 3 packages of internet time ($303.95), on-board purchases, and service charges ($340). It does not include additional tips or shore excursions. If you add the shore excursions booked on-line the bill was significantly higher.
I thought the bill was quite reasonable.

When I travelled with my husband the bill was easily $100 per day, plus tips. Shore excursions were always booked on board in those days.

[HeatherInFlorida]

It's interesting, though, when you think about it because we always consider cruising so reasonable in comparison to many other vacations, but when you start to add everything all together, it's really not as cheap as it may seem when we book it.

My mind still lives in the time of "all inclusive" which it is and it isn't:rolleyes: . It does include food, but that's about it.

Not that I'm complaining!!! You know I don't do that (well, hardly;) )

[RevNeal]

We could have booked and taken another cruise for what we spent aboard ship.

On the Zaandam, Sept 25-Oct 16 (21 days) our total bill, for two people, came to $2286. If figured by the week, that comes to about $762 for TWO. That's not bad, actually. But that huge figure LOOKS horrible. It's even worse when one realizes that my wonderful congregation gave me an onboard credit of $400, and we had a total of $175 in onboard credit from other sources. So ... just push that cost up to 2861, if you like.

Included in the bill were the following significant charges:

Shore Excursions for two: $918
Internet Charges: $200
Soda Package: $55
Salon (a massage and other services): $156
Photograph Purchases: $192 (includes cruise memories video)
Wine Packages (2 of them): $250
Pinnacle Grill (for 2): $40
Various onboard shop purchases: $101 (hats, t-shirts, duty free liquor)

Total: $1912.

The rest of the total ($2286+$400+$175=$2861-$1912=$949) is made up of 2 things:

1. auto-gratuity: $210x2=$420
2. Christopher's Cocktails and the 15% auto-gratuity on these: $529

In thinking about it ... we didn't do too badly for 2 guys on a 21 day cruise. It could have easily been a WHOLE LOT WORSE.

[xeena]

i am ashamed to say we had one cruise that had a bill of 6$...that was "2/fer' drinks one day at the pool ! that's it ! we had a blast too.....Last time we spent all of our $200 shipboard credit.....(this is not including tips of course)

talk about cheap dates ! we did not feel dperived and did all we wanted to do !

[Pudgesmom]

Next year we will try a cruise on Radisson, which is supposed to be more inclusive price-wise. It will be interesting to compare a per diem price at the end to see if it really is more expensive than HAL for us.

Beth

[RevNeal]

Beth,

Let us know what the result is. I would find that helpful. I've always wanted to try Radisson, but their prices are always so sky-high.

[Pudgesmom]

rev neal,

I will, I will. We're taking the kids on this one, so it won't be quite apples to apples as we tend to do more shore excusions with them than without. But I will post and let you know how the price turns out.:)

Beth

[SHayesShip]

On a 7 day my expenses are always under $500.

Steve Hayes

[ColoradoJuli]

I haven't made it off a ship for under $800 so far. That includes tips. We somehow end up in the gift shop and buy stuff. We usually have a bottle of wine each night and other drinks along the way. We always do our own shore excursions so this isn't included. DH has ended up in the art auctions a couple times. He goes for the free drinks and then before he knows it he 'found a great deal' This time the 'great deals' will have to stay on the ship. I don't have any room left on my walls.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Hi Everyone, We just got home and I have unpacked all the suit cases. This is really the first thread I have read and since my ship board bill is fresh from this morning I can give you the total. Drum Roll......... The total is $1072.50. That includes champagne everynight, numerous beers for Tom, ship goodies like t-shirts and new coffee mug for work. New photo album for small pictures, and of course a few formal pictures and Pinnacle. Of course our auto-tip or yes, we also ordered the Suite Bath Robes with our names embroidered on the robes for both of us. Could of saved $225.00 if I knew my Swarovski collection better. I usually purchase a new piece of Swarovski which I did only to find it was a piece I already had:mad: And one last thing was the $15.00 to spend a day at the Spa and also had a massage.

[localady]

Next year we will try a cruise on Radisson, which is supposed to be more inclusive price-wise. It will be interesting to compare a per diem price at the end to see if it really is more expensive than HAL for us.

Beth
You couldn't use another kid on that cruise could ya?????This one would even clean up after herself;);) :cool:

Sounds like a great time! :D

[Lokalona]

My balance sheet is right in front of me..$1.569.33 we spent $385.00 at the spa, most the rest was Lido bar, Sports Bar, Piano Bar, Iternet cafe, Sea View bar, Crows Nest, Image Photo, Shope Conssesion, Oh and Gratuities...we had prepaid the shore excursions, and we also had $100.00 ship board credit! My mom's bill was $300.00...we did buy most of her drinks or wine service..I never drink unless I'm on vacation so I was "catching up" The only time I felt like I'd had a real drink was in Tortolla and drank 2 painkillers waiting out a storm at Purssers....otherwise the umbrella drinks on ship tasted like there was no alcohol in them...The rough day at sea was NOT my imagination nor was it inhanced by a few drinks :)

[kryos]

:) There are no real "rules" to this game ... but I don't think we should count what you win or lose in the casino. I don't even think you should count when you buy jewelery onboard (but that's just me ... I don't "count" a lot of things;) ).
I had an onboard bill for slightly over $500 for a 14-day (b2b) cruise that took place during hurricane season.

This did not count prepaid shore excursions. However, most shore excursions were cancelled anyway and almost the whole first week's worth wound up on my shipboard account as credit. The second week's excursions ... since the cruise was shortened (due to the first week's cruise being extended), were all applied as a credit to the card they were charged on, and pax were told to just rebook those excursions in the remaining ports they wanted to do. We also received something like a $150 shipboard credit for the reduced second week cruise.

So, I would guess that a net bill of about $550, covering two weeks, and allowing for two excursions in the second week that were charged to the onboard account ... I'm not doing too bad. :) Of course, the nice letter from HAL, giving me about a $165 credit on a future cruise as compensation for the shortened second week, is nice too ... especially when you consider that I actually got the whole 14 days since I was on a b2b. :)

Blue skies ...

--rita

[Vicar]

Last cruise I took, the bill came to not quite $1600.00 for the two of us.

that included tips, shore excursions, drinks and a few souveniers and a couple of photos. Probably what added up the most was that we were with several other couples so every night we hit a bar and everyone takes turns buying rounds. Just like on shore THAT REALLY ADDS UP

[Krazy Kruizers]

Gee - it sounds we don't spend much on a cruise - nearly $800 on a 21 day cruise.

[RevNeal]

I pulled out an older bill ... 7 days on the Volendam. This bill was for one person:

Shore excursions: $142.75
Soda Card: $38.50
Pinnacle Grill: $20
Total wine purchases (I bought a bottle, and the rest by the glass): $48
Total Bar Bill: $42
Spa (a massage): $99
On Board Shops (coffee mug and other trinkets): $36.50
Photos and cruise memories video: $62

Total: $488.75

This was before tips were added to our onboard accounts.
I had an onboard credit of $100 and my congregation gave me $200 as a gift to my account. So .... my credit card was charged with $188.75.

[cruisinjudy]

Tom, you are right, I will skip the medical bills in my count. They weren't any fun! Also we will hopefully get that back with insurance!
At least the doctor at our table didn't charge a consultation fee for his visit to my husband in sick bay after dinner on the final night.

[estj]

Heather...final bill was $500 MORE than the cost of the cruise! Good thing you don't drink! But that did include several spa services and about $100 worth of charges in the ship's stores.

[airlink diva]

I'm like the majority of the people on this thread. I'm not a big spender on the boats. On my recent 7 day trip, I brought by water bottle and three large bottles of water (my room steward kept one bottle at a time in ice for me :) :) !! I allow myself two drinks a day (I loved the lemon drops :) !!). And only did minor purchaces (a water proof holder, played bingo two days). I purchaced two shore excusions on the trip also (I also did independent excusions also).
In all, I spent about $250. If you count the daily tips and the tip I left my room stward, add another $100. My total, around $350 to $375. About $53 a day, not bad at all!!!

[HeatherInFlorida]

Cass!! Wow! Usually I get into trouble in the ship's shops, but not this time. I was terribly disappointed in them. Perhaps I was spoiled from the shops on the Celebrity Millennium which are amazing. I also didn't like the way they're laid out on the Oosterdam ... kind of choppy. But just as well because it kept my bill down:D !

[Krazy Kruizers]

Heather

ALL the shops on all HAL ships have gone downhill the last couple of years.

Do agree with you about the 'choppy' layout of the shops on the Oosterdam.

[ekerr19]

Well, we always spend alot - and quite a bit of it goes to drinks. DH & I like to have wine with dinner and would just as soon order it on board than bother ahead of time anymore. We also buy drinks for friends, etc. and usually end up with a decent bar tab. When the kids are with us, it is less - but then we spend more on other (kid related) things. :)

I don't worry about it anymore - I have a pretty good idea that we will spend about $100 - $150 per day and it's ok by me. The last thing I want to worry about while on vacation is money! :D

Good thread Heather!

[peaches from georgia]

Interesting results. With 50% of the pax spending less than $500 on board it's no wonder HAL is looking for new revenue-generating activities and amenities. And that bringing on liquor for consumption on ship has been stopped.

[RevNeal]

And that bringing on liquor for consumption on ship has been stopped.

Now, now ... we all know that it hasn't really been stopped ... not so long as there are passengers who disregard the rules and justify such by saying that everybody breaks some rules, so no one should have any business taking another to task for breaking whatever rules one might wish to break.

No names mentioned ... just an observation. If the shoe fits, wear it. If you'd rather not engage in self-condemnation, then keep silent. I'd rather we all did the latter.

(Let's see, where did I leave my Deflector Shield? I've not needed it for weeks, so it may need recharging).

[RevNeal]

ALL the shops on all HAL ships have gone downhill the last couple of years.

With apologies to good friends who work for the Line in the "Shops Onboard", that would be my observation as well. I normally buy only ship and cruise-line branded items -- coffee mugs for each ship of the fleet I've cruised on, hats, t-shirts, polos, etc. I also review the watch sales ... sometimes they have a nice citizens or Seiko to buy. I've bought my last four watches aboard HAL ships.

[peaches from georgia]

Now, now ... we all know that it hasn't really been stopped ... not so long as there are passengers who disregard the rules.........

While maybe not stopped completely, I would think bringing on liquor has decreased now that openly carrying it on is no longer allowed. Not everybody who brought their own on before is willing to put bottles in their checked luggage. Whether principles of honesty or fear of breakage is the reason we will never know.

However, the point is HAL will continue to play revenue games if on-board spending is this low. Remember that article in Fortune I posted a long time ago- the cruiseline's profit comes from pax spending on the ship, not from cabin fares. :eek:

[Krazy Kruizers]

There was a time when I used to buy quite a lot from the shops on board - they used to have some really lovely items. Now that HAL has a new company buying the shop goods, I don't see anything really worth buying.

Maybe this is why we don't spend so much on board while on a cruise?

Could be.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Oh yes - on our recent 21 day cruise on the Statendam, there was a table set up by the on-board gangway (on the ship) with a BIG warning that alcohol bought in port would be confiscated and returned to you on the last night of the cruise. No one was there to collect the alcohol. And after the first couple of ports people were buying alcohol, bringing it on board, and taking it back to their cabins.

Stupid us - we obeyed the rules - drank in the bars on the ship and ordered a bottle from the bar for our cabin.

[ekerr19]

I've seen the table when we were on the Maasdam, on the Noordam they weren't even checking (or asking!) - maybe because it was the final voyage they just gave up! :D

[HeatherInFlorida]

Well, we always spend alot - and quite a bit of it goes to drinks. DH & I like to have wine with dinner and would just as soon order it on board than bother ahead of time anymore. We also buy drinks for friends, etc. and usually end up with a decent bar tab. When the kids are with us, it is less - but then we spend more on other (kid related) things. :)

I don't worry about it anymore - I have a pretty good idea that we will spend about $100 - $150 per day and it's ok by me. The last thing I want to worry about while on vacation is money! :D

Good thread Heather!Thank you, Laura! I started it because it's been verrrrrry quiet here for the past few days. You were the one who put the idea into my head (if you saw the first post). It got me to thinking because I always view it as 2 separate things: Cost of the cruise and then cost of the cruise:rolleyes: . DH lumps it as one and I always say "nooooooooooo ... no way it was that much". We spent less than usual this time because I paid for so much up front. Not drinking makes a huge difference in the total. Back when I drank, it was very cheap onboard; about $1.50 per drink. And wine was more than a fair price. But times have changed:(

Revneal, you trying to "stir the pot"? I think all the troublemakers are either cruising or lying low.;)

[Slinkiecat]

It's interesting, though, when you think about it because we always consider cruising so reasonable in comparison to many other vacations, but when you start to add everything all together, it's really not as cheap as it may seem when we book it.

My mind still lives in the time of "all inclusive" which it is and it isn't:rolleyes: . It does include food, but that's about it.

Not that I'm complaining!!! You know I don't do that (well, hardly;) )
Well, we choose to cruise for the fun of it, the exotic ports and the luxury of this type of vacation.

If we wanted a cheap vacation we would stay home and rest, as we do most of the year once we retire. A cruise is a chance to get away from the mundane, to see more of the world, and to forget about pinching pennies. Of course we still do it - tradeoffs here and there. Some relish the massage in the spa, others do it as partners for each other. Some of us have high-maintenance hairdos, others have to have their nails done often. Some worry about the cost of alcohol so much they smuggle it aboard in their luggage, while others sit for hours in the lounges every night. Such choices we get to make all the way. If we want to pinch pennies we just take the 3-day ones from the closest port on a long weekend, but if we want to enjoy a great cruise, we pick our itinerary, our ship, our dates, and we GO!

We figured we have made enough trips around the sun that we deserve one fantastic trip around the earth. Just have to prove it is really round. :)

Slinkie

[BorderLady]

Well, we choose to cruise for the fun of it, the exotic ports and the luxury of this type of vacation... If we wanted a cheap vacation we would stay home and rest, as we do most of the year once we retire. but if we want to enjoy a great cruise, we pick our itinerary, our ship, our dates, and we GO! :) SlinkieRight on! People should just do what feels good (and not whine about it afterward) or stay home.

I don't understand the point of this poll. Who cares what someone else spends?

[HeatherInFlorida]

Right on! People should just do what feels good (and not whine about it afterward) or stay home.

I don't understand the point of this poll. Who cares what someone else spends?Oh me, oh my:o . I knew if I just waited long enough someone would come along and ask a question like this.

For the record, in the poll or elsewhere I NEVER ASKED WHAT ANYONE SPENDS!!!! People chose to do so on their own which is their right. The boards were very quiet when I posted this and if you notice it has remained at the top of the board for many, many days. So obviously most people got a kick out of it.

I purposely worded the poll so it wasn't about the AMOUNT, but rather about how our onboard charges do add on to the cost of the cruise. There have been many threads discussing whether a cruise is a good value as compared with a resort vacation. There is no doubt that the base price of a cruise is very reasonable and that you get an enormous amount for your dollar (IMHO!).

The "point" (if there is one and I didn't know there needed to be a "point" to a poll based on my experience of CC polls) might be if someone is coming new to cruising, and has questions as to the cost of cruising, it's important for them to know that the "upfront" cost is not the cost of the cruise as the cruiselines would suggest when they say "all inclusive". So now that I think about it, I believe the thread has some value after all.

BorderLady, I don't understand the "point" of your post (if there needs to be one). Never did anyone suggest that they were whining about the cost of their cruise or that it didn't "feel good".

As everyone knows, there is certainly no requirement to participate:) .

[BorderLady]

I posted because I wanted to second SlinkieCat's position.

There seems to be a plethora of polls about cruiser ages, the number of cruises they take, the total amounts they spend on a cruise and now comes the size of their credit card bill when they get home.

Helpful to newbies? In my opinion, that's debatable.

Started because it was a dull day on the board? Sounds right to me. Again, my opinion.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I have actually enjoyed checking in from time to time to see the results of the poll.

And it is very interesting to see so many people are spending less than $500 drinks, etc., while on their cruise.

[ekerr19]

Well, I still think it's interesting and helpful. Many people who come home from their first cruise can be shocked by the amount of money they've spent for pictures, shore excursions, drinks, tips etc.

What I don't get is why get down on the OP? If you don't want to particpate, then don't - obviously alot of others have had fun with the topic, and found it most informative. I am sort of relieved to see that I am not the only one who spends as much as we do while on board!

Let's all lighten up a bit - it's a message board, designed for SHARING - because you don't necessarily agree about the "importance" of what is being shared, doesn't make it any more or less important to others. :)

[Appgrad]

These polls can be very useful! When I was getting ready to go on my first cruise, I had no idea what to expect to spend on board. Every time I asked, I got vague answers.

Polls like this allow people the opportunity to get an idea as to how much money they need.

I am currently planning on leaving RCCL for HAL and this thread has helped me understand how much I will be spending.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Thank you KK, EKerr and Appgrad. I appreciate your support. The reality is that over 150 people had fun voting in this poll and only one has a problem with it that I'm aware of. There's a poll in itself. Maybe I'll start a poll about whether people like polls or not. That will get people's dander up;) .

BorderLady seems to have a problem with all the polls in general so I don't take it personally. It does make me wonder, though, why people even bother taking the time to look at what they feel is so unprofitable.

So back to the "fun" of it, I agree with KK that the outcome of the poll is very interesting. In general, we don't really go over the top in our spending. And if we do, we had fun doing it!!!:D

[~Nereus~]

We generally have a CREDIT at the end of our cruise... Take advantage of credits for booking on board, coupons, and stock holder credit..

On Celebrity we get $250 for a 14 day cruise if we own RCL stock, $200 for booking on board..... That's $450 back for a $2500 14 day cruise...

[lknick]

IMO, properly structured, this could be interesting information if placed on a per day basis, but lumping together 7 day Caribbean cruises with longer cruises to all parts of the world is nonsense.

There is not one bit of information given that can be used for planning. The poll doesn't say what is included and what is excluded, and how many days.

I do resent the defensive posture taken by the OP and her back up singers.

[~Nereus~]

Backup singers... I resent that... I won't even hum in public...

[HeatherInFlorida]

IMO, properly structured, this could be interesting information if placed on a per day basis, but lumping together 7 day Caribbean cruises with longer cruises to all parts of the world is nonsense.

There is not one bit of information given that can be used for planning. The poll doesn't say what is included and what is excluded, and how many days.

I do resent the defensive posture taken by the OP and her back up singers.My mistake and I apologize for the oversight. I was assuming a 7 day cruise. But beyond that, I made no mention of amount other than $500 (which was for a 7 day). We all know what is included in a cruise. It's clearly stated in our documents. Everything else is extra.

That's why, except for the $500, I didn't mention amounts. Luckily the 150+ other people who responded had no difficulty understanding the poll.

lknick, I do regret your resentment. When someone questions my "point", I'm going to defend myself. I think that's basic human nature. But I certainly do appreciate the compliment about my singing group! Never knew I was the lead singer, but I like it:D .

[~Nereus~]

Here we go now.. A one, a two,..... :p

[lknick]

A while back, a string appeared which asked the number of cruises taken. I was interested to note that the most active and vocal participants on Cruise Critics posted one a year.

So, Heather dear, of course your assumption was understood. But you know, there are other cruises other than the seven day Caribbean and Alaska.

So, if you had asked by day the poll may give some information.

[Ziggy7]

There is not one bit of information given that can be used for planning. The poll doesn't say what is included and what is excluded, and how many days.

I do resent the defensive posture taken by the OP and her back up singers.
I thought it was a good post.
You see I could have used this post back in Aug, our first Hal cruise, I can not say enough how easy it is to spend... spend... spend with those sign and sail cards. For the 2 weeks we were on board we spent a little over 1,000 dollars! We dont drink, so we cant even blame that! It was on excursions, bingo, shop stores and pictures. DH about had a stroke when we got the bill hehehehe. Next time I will be more frugal and cautious! I do not regret the purchases I made but will spend less next time
So I say thanks Heather on your attempted heads up to new cruisers! I got the point!

As for singing ... just move one downnnn the road ... move one downnnn the road :)

[HeatherInFlorida]

A while back, a string appeared which asked the number of cruises taken. I was interested to note that the most active and vocal participants on Cruise Critics posted one a year.

So, Heather dear, of course your assumption was understood. But you know, there are other cruises other than the seven day Caribbean and Alaska.

So, if you had asked by day the poll may give some information.Okay, lknick, point taken! Seriously, it is. I'm going to take the "dear" part as a compliment:) and leave it at that.

Per day would have been a better way to go.

I certainly know people cruise other than the Caribbean including myself. Over the years we've cruised the Mediterranean and the South Pacific so I wasn't focused on 7 day Caribbean cruising.

C2C ... I'm not arguing with lknick. But anyone who's gotten to know me over the last several months knows that I stand up for what I believe.

lknick, truce ... okay:o ?

[~Nereus~]

I think the point was understood by most cruisers... whether the cost of cruising went beyond the actual cost of the tickets....excessively? Delayed ticket shock... But who's arguing? If you like to cruise a lot you have to curtail your impulses...

[Tide Pride]

I personally enjoyed this thread more than most. I had no idea whether we were excessive or cheap in our expenditures and this certainly puts it in perspective. IMHO it is more interesting than reading about the virtues of one room # as opposed to another.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Hey thanks, Tidepride! I really appreciate that! My singing group is getting bigger and bigger. Soon we can take this show on the road:D ! Maybe get a job on a cruiseship!

[Lokalona]

Add my voice to the song, you all have figured out I am musical...I will say I always have a heart attack when I get my bill stuffed under the cabin door at 4:00 am the last full day of the cruise. Makes me want to run right out and buy more on the last day and night...NOT! I wish they'd just hit you with it when you get off but alas then you'd have no time to dispute.

I cannot believe how much we drink on a cruise! We don't drink at home except an occasional wine out to dinner. I never once even got tipsy on the ship that involved alcohol anyhow. Bad weather and I felt like I was looped trying to get across the room.

When we have the kids it is even worse, the first cruise they were on the youngest at the time (12) swiped the sail and sign card through the arcade to the tune of $100.00! He cleaned the garage and all the gutters when we got home.

[~Nereus~]

Here's a talking turkey... if you have the option turned on

http://www.gifs.net/animate/ag_0180.gif

[jazzsea]

One of the nice things about being a serious cruiser is the ability to estimate the real cost of cruising. DH and I like good wine. We also use the internet cafe and really like the Pinnacle Grill. We usually budget $100 a day for onboard expenses.

When we sail on Wind Star we don't spend nearly that much.

[sail7seas]

Carol...

Other than there being no Pinnacle, why do you think you spend much less on Windstar?

[DrivesLikeMario]

How do you people spend so little? Just shore excursions alone cost us a small fortune! Granted, there are 4 of us, but still we manage to spend a lot more than the majority here. We don't do spa treatments, we only spend a total of maybe $275 for drinks for all 4 of us for the week, only $400 for gambling and video games. What are we doing wrong here?

Is everyone including shore excursions and tips in that amount?

[HeatherInFlorida]

Lady Jag, I made the mistake of not including shore excursions, cabana rental and Pinnacle in mine because I paid for it upfront. I believe many others did the same thing. You're doing nothing "wrong", you're on vacation and having fun!:) Also, you're 4 people and this poll presupposed 2 people on a 7 day cruise. I should have made mention of that ... my mistake:( .

Sail, I can't speak for Carol, but we sailed on Windstar in French Polynesia and had next to no extra charges. The ship only has 75 cabins, there is only a very small casino and no shops. There's just not a lot of "trouble" you can get into;) . Of course, Carol may have a different reason.

I want to say our 2 weeks spent on and around the islands of French Polynesia were the most heavenly and magnificent of our lifetime. We literally ache to return one day.

[Krazy Kruizers]

MOST of the time, if there are shore excursions that we are really interested in, we will book them on line before we leave. So I did not include those in our on-board spending.

[RevNeal]

Is everyone including shore excursions and tips in that amount?

Yes. And, that pushes up the onboard expenses, as you might have noticed from my posts on the subject.

In looking to my Oosterdam cruise, I'm going to be buying 2 shore excursions online so that they won't hit my onboard account. That will help my onboard expenses.

[bepsf]

I've done the extremes...
:cool:

For the Caribbean we went waaaaaay overboard w/ excursions, hosting dinner parties in the Pinnacle, champagne and cocktails, photos, gifts and spa treatments. Final bill (including Joe's momentary lapse of reason in the Casino and the Jewelery shop :eek: ) for the both of us was about what I paid for the suite itself. Without those two, probably close to the fare for one of us.

On the other hand, for Alaska I didn't book a single excursion, never considered the Spa & only did the Pinnacle on the first night without hosting a party - final tab was less than $400 for myself.:)

I can't say when I had a better time spending more money in the Caribbean - but I also didn't feel like Alaska was in any way diminished for not having overspent.

[HeatherInFlorida]

I've done the extremes...
:cool:

For the Caribbean we went waaaaaay overboard w/ excursions, hosting dinner parties in the Pinnacle, champagne and cocktails, photos, gifts and spa treatments........
Brian, the next time your feeling so generous just let me know your date of sail and I'll be sure to let you in on our cabin #:D !!

[stllex88]

Our recent outing on the Zuiderdam for 7 days came in under $900 including gratuity. It broke out something like this - all figures approximate:

1st day Pinnacle - $20 for 2
Gratuity - $140
1/2 moon shore excursions - 2X waverunner, clamshell, diving - $200
St. Thomas to St John Excursion - 2X - $140
Wine for Dinner - $145
Store Purchases - $100
1 Soda Card - $32
2 Wine Tasting $15
Drinks from Bar - $80

Approximate - $872.

That does not include liquor purchased in St. Thomas, other souvenirs or tours we did ourself on Tortola and Road Town. I see little reason to book through the ship. We had a better time and had more control by doing it ourselves and it was significantly cheaper. The exception is half moon where you half to book anything you want to do through the ship. A 1 1/2 hour taxi tour of Tortola plus nearly another 1 1/2 hours at the beach ran us $40 for the both of us, plus we tipped the driver $10. Similar deal in Nassau - the tour itself was longer and included Atlantis, but there was no beach time (which on a cloudy coolish day was OK with us) - total cost with tip - $60.

[guardhouse]

Heck, I remember one $2400 (yes, twenty four hundred) charge for one afternoon at the swim up bar. The purser even came to the table that night to thank me.

Must note that I was with a group and bought a few drinks.

Tha said, the charge was incorrect. Upon looking over it, an input error was found. What's a decimal between friends? The charge was $240, and I did dispute it!

[ron46936]

Except for tips we spend less than $100 per week.