What are the biggest onboard ripoffs I should avoid?

Another non-rip off, IMHO, along with the incredible Carnival bathrobe: men's haircuts. My son, who is obsessed with cruise ships, cruising.... Has this routine where he gets a hair cut every cruise and says it's the "best ever." My husband does, too. I can speak for CCL, NCL, and HAL (appr ten ships total where they got hair cuts) and say that they were all reasonably priced and very good. It's just very cool to feel the motion of the ocean and to be getting a totally shoreside thing like a haircut. He's now 16 and 6'4" and he's been growing his hair out (like an extra half inch) so he can get it cut onboard.

Another non-rip off, IMHO, along with the incredible Carnival bathrobe: men's haircuts. My son, who is obsessed with cruise ships, cruising.... Has this routine where he gets a hair cut every cruise and says it's the "best ever." My husband does, too. I can speak for CCL, NCL, and HAL (appr ten ships total where they got hair cuts) and say that they were all reasonably priced and very good. It's just very cool to feel the motion of the ocean and to be getting a totally shoreside thing like a haircut. He's now 16 and 6'4" and he's been growing his hair out (like an extra half inch) so he can get it cut onboard.

I had plenty of haircuts at sea when I was in the Navy so this wouldn't seem so special to me;). Confidence is sitting in the barber chair while the ship is rolling 30 degrees and the barber is using a straight razor around your ears:eek:.

how true.... recall how someone mentioned how much the liked the free laundry... something I never used.

What's the longest cruise you've ever taken? If you are only going for a week, free laundry might not be as appealing. If you are cruising for two weeks or longer--particularly in a warm climate or if you work out daily, you would probably think quite differently.

I brought home my two souvenir glasses from Allure, I still use them :rolleyes:

 

Many people mentioned the spa, and granted, a lot of it is in the eye of the beholder. Many spa treatments are relaxing and serve to enhance your vacation, despite being fairly expensive. But some of the stuff is really in the ripoff category - like the extra charge to remove existing nail polish if you go in for a manicure.

What? Wow. I don't get mani's but I get pedi's and have never heard of such a thing either at home or in a spa away from home. Yeah, that's a rip-off, unless you've got 18 layers of old polish or some other extenuating circumstances.

Yes, it is up to each person to decide what is a rip-off, a luxury, etc. For us, other than the cost of the cruise itself, everything else is far too expensive for our frugal, no-debt way of life.

Therefore, we bring our own snacks, have never bought a photo or had any spa experience on a ship, plan our own excursions where feasible, almost never buy souvenirs, etc.

Saving a lot of money on optional expenses suits our cruise style and broader lifestyle of extended land-based travel and the 100% debt-free life we have created.

I brought home my two souvenir glasses from Allure, I still use them :rolleyes:

 

We brought four glasses home from our Freedom cruise two years ago, and three weeks ago I brought six home, one from almost every drink of the day, just missed one.

 

I use them for Frozen Stawberry daquiris, and when I have a small dinner party we use them for deserts, (parfaits).

 

We are done.

10 is more than enough.

When the thrill is over, you will see them on EBay

 

Sea Ya

Yes, it is up to each person to decide what is a rip-off, a luxury, etc. For us, other than the cost of the cruise itself, everything else is far too expensive for our frugal, no-debt way of life.

Therefore, we bring our own snacks, have never bought a photo or had any spa experience on a ship, plan our own excursions where feasible, almost never buy souvenirs, etc.

 

Saving a lot of money on optional expenses suits our cruise style and broader lifestyle of extended land-based travel and the 100% debt-free life we have created.

Why would you bring your own snacks when there is a ton of free food always available?

By the way, one can have no debt, significant savings, and still spend plenty of money on extras on a cruise.

Why would you bring your own snacks when there is a ton of free food always available?

 

By the way, one can have no debt, significant savings, and still spend plenty of money on extras on a cruise.

I am gluten sensitive and a very particular eater and because we eat organic at home. While we cannot bring all the food we'd eat on a cruise, at least we can bring organic, healthful snacks; sugar-free, non-GMO, etc.

Very true, but we do not spend money on things we don't need or want. Hence the use of the word "our."

Very true, but we do not. Hence the use of the word "our."

We also eat all organic at home--which is why we have changed our cruising to Europe and the South Pacific (and soon NZ/Australia) where the ships are provisioned from the local ports. Hence no GMO's and generally organic by default due to their farming practices and most pesticides being outlawed in those areas.

We have bought watches on the ship-and because we knew the price before going on board.The retail price was the exact same as at home, 40% off and no taxes-we live in Canada so that is 13%, because we were on a b2b we had a 15% off in the gift shop, so it was a good deal.

When stopping in Key West the hop on hop off bus was cheaper than the internet discount, not a lot of money, but we stopped at the Navy Pier and they picked us up there. Most ship's cruise excursions are more expensive, but depends on your level of comfort in that area. When we went to Rome the first time, it was worth every penny to walk off the ship on to the bus, walk through the lines to the Vatican museum, be picked up at St. Peter's, driven here there and back to the ship after boarding time because of traffic.

We love the art auction as a relaxing hour to learn about art, have a glass of sparkling wine, even won 2 pieces of art which I love and have had many compliments. Would I buy some, now that I have seen the art and the quality of framing etc. I just might. You can go to Park West website, see if anything strikes your fancy, check out the prices and then make a decision.

I had a pedi last cruise, enjoyed talking to the staff, was more expensive, but was busy before we left and didn't get a chance before we left.

I bought tanzanite in Alaska 4 years ago and have worn it many times and love it. Saw the same ring and has doubled in price. Kick myself I didn't buy Amolite then, as it and gold have gone up so much.

So to answer your question, enjoy your cruise, choose things that will enhance your cruise that are in your budget.

 

I bought tanzanite in Alaska 4 years ago and have worn it many times and love it. Saw the same ring and has doubled in price. Kick myself I didn't buy Amolite then, as it and gold have gone up so much.

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Ammolite! That's it. Maybe I didn't see the value because at the time I knew nothing of the rock/mineral or the fact that i've never see it promoted

It does looks amazing. Unfortunetly I've never seen it for sale here in NY. I guess it is still a niche market

Come holiday/birthday time I'll keep my eyes open

During my first cruise I went up to Guest Services every couple of days and got a printout of the charges that had been applied to our seapass cards. This helped me keep track of spending and stay on budget.

As others have said, ship excursions whilst pricey can be good for first-time cruisers. Also, a particular excursion you may be interested may only run by the ship and lastly, we arrived 2 hours late to one of our ports, our ship based tour was still able to go ahead but the private tour we had originally planned to book, we would have missed. So, a ship based tour can be worth in on some occasions.

During my first cruise I went up to Guest Services every couple of days and got a printout of the charges that had been applied to our seapass cards. This helped me keep track of spending and stay on budget.

On many ships you can review your account on your in-room TV screen. Each person in your stateroom will have a separate page.

Often when you go to the spa they pressure you into buying high priced lotions, gel, food supplements, etc. They waste part of your valuable time pressuring you and many people feel guilty if they don't buy. So if you do treat yourself to a spa treatment, be prepared for the hard sell and it is your right to say no.

Ammolite! That's it. Maybe I didn't see the value because at the time I knew nothing of the rock/mineral or the fact that i've never see it promoted

 

It does looks amazing. Unfortunetly I've never seen it for sale here in NY. I guess it is still a niche market

 

Come holiday/birthday time I'll keep my eyes open

No need to leave your house to purchase ammolite. Its readily available on HSN.com and QVC.com for much better prices than you'll find in a tourist area.

Often when you go to the spa they pressure you into buying high priced lotions, gel, food supplements, etc. They waste part of your valuable time pressuring you and many people feel guilty if they don't buy. So if you do treat yourself to a spa treatment, be prepared for the hard sell and it is your right to say no.

I have no idea why anyone would feel guilty for not purchasing any of the products they try to sell! :confused::confused:

If they start their pitch, I simply interrupt them, smile and say "No thank you". If they continue, I again interrupt, smile and again say "No thank you." That always ends the pitch. This usually takes less than a minute, so they are hardly "wasting my valuable time" as the pitch always is at the end of the treatment I purchased and I am about to leave anyway.

Often when you go to the spa they pressure you into buying high priced lotions, gel, food supplements, etc. They waste part of your valuable time pressuring you and many people feel guilty if they don't buy. So if you do treat yourself to a spa treatment, be prepared for the hard sell and it is your right to say no.

I have never had a hard sell at a spa. I simply say, "no thank you" or "not today" and it's over.

I had to pay $12.00 for a small bottle of Tylenol.

I had to pay $12.00 for a small bottle of Tylenol.

Yes yes yes, markup in shops is enormous. I always try and buy that sort of thing on shore.

I'll join the people recommending caution when buying "fine" jewelry, either on board or in port. I got some fun chunky beaded bracelets on board my last cruise for $10 each. But if you're considering diamonds, gold, or gemstones, or cameras and electronics for that matter, do some research at home before you leave. The "great deals" that the ship and island shops have often...aren't.

IMHO the internet packages aren't worth it. I enjoy disconnecting. Others feel that they need to stay more connected with family, work, etc. Just be aware that the ship's connection may be quite slow, and per-minute rates quite high.

Also check with your cell phone company before you leave, and be sure your phone is set so that it's not constantly searching for a signal. You might end up running up some quite extensive charges.

Ship excursions are often overpriced, but if you've never cruised before, they're not a bad way to see things. The BIG advantage over private excursions is that if a ship excursion returns late, the ship will wait. They will generally NOT wait for private excursions, and you will have to find your own way to the next port.

Which brings up three non-financial tips: make sure someone in your party has a wristwatch. Cell phones, iPods, etc. will reset to the local time when they pick up a signal, and that might be different from ship time. Second, bring a copy of the ship's newsletter with you...or at least the page with the port agent information on it. That info could be essential if you have some problem while you are onshore. Third, if you are interested in private excursions, post on the CC boards for the ports on your itinerary to see what people recommend.

If there's a packaged snack you just can't live without, bring it onboard with you, and be sure to double-check that you have all of your toiletries and OTC medications packed. The ship's shop will be ridiculously overpriced.

If you have prescription medications, it's not a bad idea to bring copies of the prescriptions with you. If the meds come in larger containers, ask your pharmacist for a smaller bottle so you don't have to bring more than you need for the trip...but bring a few extra days' worth in case of travel delays.