First Time Cruiser

[jto]

My wife and I are going on our first cruise, Caribbean Princess May 8th. I've seen alot posted about "average onboard costs". What is your advise on saving costs? Is there plenty to do onshore without going on a "shore excursion"? We want to have fun and take in all we can, but we don't want to break the bank either. Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks

[CruiseFever]

Bookmark this page because this is a great place to ask your questions and get the very latest information.

While our first Princess cruise was just last month we're not new to cruising and you ask some really good questions.

Yes, there is plenty to do without breaking the bank on shore. We happen to like the beach and make a point of spending at least a part of each port day at a nice beach. You can usually find several beaches that do not charge admission and offer full services including food, beverages, chair/umbrella rental and water sports.

Another thing we like to do, especially the first time in a port is to hire a local cab driver for the day for a tour of the island. I think this has been some of the most fun we've had. We'll usually include some time for shopping, lunch or the beach too.

Either one of those things can easily be done for $100 for our family of four.

Your question is a good one, and one that many people just don't think much about. While 85% of the cost of your vacation is indeed included in your cruise fare, a cruise vacation is by no means "all-inclusive" This begs the question "So how much cash do I need?"

Here's some help in that area:

http://www.lifeiscruising.com/how_much_cash_

Again, welcome to the board!

Happy Cruising

Chris

www.LifeIsCruising.com (http://www.LifeIsCruising.com)

Next up:
Caribbean Princess 06/26/04
Star Princess 10/24/04
Diamond Princess 12/22/04
Carnival Miracle 03/13/05

[marc334]

My wife Michele and I are also taking our 1st cruise may 8th-if you got to roll call format , you wil see all the other people-wee are all going to meet under the big movie screen, after the saftey drill-please join us

marc http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

[jhannah]

Yes, welcome! You'll find lots of good resources here. I suggest you go to the Ports of Call board on this Cruise Critic site. Select the ports you will be visiting and see what folks are saying to skip or to not miss. You'll also find very specific info regarding the available private taxi/tour operators that Chris mentioned. Just keep in mind that sometimes delays occur on a shore excursion. Traffic is tied up ... vehicles break down. If you are on a ship's excursion, they know where you are and will hold the ship for your return. If you're touring on your own, you are truly on your own to get to the next port of call if you miss the ship's sailing. Generally it's no problem. But horror stories have been told on these boards about lengthy delays in returning to port ... only to find that the ship has sailed. We use a general rule of thumb that the farther away from port our journey will take us, the more likely we are to book a ship tour. Just food for thought.

'Vegas Jim

[GloriaF]

Ok, the above posts have taken care of the ports, also remember to figure $10 per day per person for tips, that is a necessity. After that you can control costs by watching your bar tab (added to your acct + 15% gratuity), buying a soda card for fountain drinks, and watching your casino expenses. You can stop by the Purser's Desk periodically to check what expenditures you have and it won't be a shock on the final day. In port, a taxi or rental car is probably cheaper than ship excursions, but keep an eye on the time.

Happy Cruising and Welcome to Princess!!

Gloria

Grand Princess, Eastern, April 2001
Grand Princess, Western,April 2002
Regal to Hawaii, April 5-20, 2004

[jto]

Thanks for the information. We will certainly check out the other areas on the site. I just found this site last night, so i'm still trying to figure what all it has http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

thanks again

[NancyA]

All of the above info is "right on" (my 70's speak is coming out! http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif) It really all depends on how many alcoholic beverages you'll drink, will you use spa services, how many cruise pics you'll buy, how much you like to gamble (hopefully you'll win), and what tour activities you're interested in. For example the submarine rides and scuba diving are a little more expensive; but as noted before, staying right on the beach is very inexpensive and a lot of fun! It's all up to you. My husband and I usually expect to spend about $1000 for the week. We have one to two alcoholic beverages/per day each, go on 3 tours and gamble a little. At least you know YOU are in control of the spending.
Hope that helps...
Nancy

http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=4169e1&cdt=2004;06;06;23;00;00&timezone=GMT-0500
June 6-Golden

[jto]

Thanks again everybody for the information. I have another question and I'm sure it's been discussed on here somewhere, but what's rule on bringing alcohol aboard?

[sue d. miller]

Welcome to Princess. http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif They "allow" beer, wine, and champagne to be brought aboard.

Sue
7 days on Star Princess 10/24