Beware of onboard shops on ships in Europe

[Girl_from_Ipanema]

Just look at any prices of any product in the US compared to in the EU. Trust me every time we go to the US, we take one empty suitcase with us to bring back full :D.

 

Why is life more expensive, this goes from basics like bread to luxury products like a cruise, easy example I know, a coke costs 3.50Euro in a fancy place (no refill system like in the US)...

Just look, as in this thread, the US price for a sailing and the EU price for a sailing, it’s a whole lot more in Euro for the same product (yes you need a longer flight, but the cruise is the same).

 

I'm an American expat and this is right on, except I bring 2 empty suitcases with me to the US and beg my American colleagues to mule stuff over for me on their business trips :D I didn't know how good I had it in the US.

 

My taxes are closer to 50%, I pay income tax to both Denmark and the US. There is 25% VAT on everything and I do mean everything... a freaking box of tampons runs about $8 US here.

 

I hear Americans whine about the cost of gas, well it's about $8/gallon here. Oh, but Europeans have public transit... except it costs me $6 each way to ride the bus to work, plus I've got a 2 km bike ride from my flat to the bus stop in rain, snow, wind, etc.

 

To give a frame of reference on prices... A pair of Converse All-Stars runs about $100 USD here, so imagine what a pair of comfortable leather shoes goes for! The cheapest Subway foot long sandwich is about $12 USD 20 oz bottle of Coke is about $3 USD.

 

By the time I pay income tax and VAT, my actual spending power is about 25% of my gross income.

 

Life is very different here.

[bajathree]

I'm an American expat and this is right on, except I bring 2 empty suitcases with me to the US and beg my American colleagues to mule stuff over for me on their business trips :D I didn't know how good I had it in the US.

 

My taxes are closer to 50%, I pay income tax to both Denmark and the US. There is 25% VAT on everything and I do mean everything... a freaking box of tampons runs about $8 US here.

 

I hear Americans whine about the cost of gas, well it's about $8/gallon here. Oh, but Europeans have public transit... except it costs me $6 each way to ride the bus to work, plus I've got a 2 km bike ride from my flat to the bus stop in rain, snow, wind, etc.

 

To give a frame of reference on prices... A pair of Converse All-Stars runs about $100 USD here, so imagine what a pair of comfortable leather shoes goes for! The cheapest Subway foot long sandwich is about $12 USD 20 oz bottle of Coke is about $3 USD.

 

By the time I pay income tax and VAT, my actual spending power is about 25% of my gross income.

 

Life is very different here.

 

 

These prices don't sound too far off if you live in a big city like LA or NYC.....except for the sneakers.

[sidari]

Just a point on Universities! in the UK most if not all this year will be charging around £9,000 / $14,000 no idea how that compares with the USA. 92% of people in Turkey own their home in about 7 years! and 72% of them have a second home, the UK comes nowhere close to the First figure.

 

RCI clearly believe the market is there for them seeing as next year they will increase the total of ships to 12 in Europe regardless of what items cost onboard.

[PhoenixDawgCruising]

To give a frame of reference on prices... A pair of Converse All-Stars runs about $100 USD here, so imagine what a pair of comfortable leather shoes goes for! The cheapest Subway foot long sandwich is about $12 USD 20 oz bottle of Coke is about $3 USD.

 

 

These prices don't sound too far off if you live in a big city like LA or NYC.....except for the sneakers.

 

Uh, no, sorry. I live in LA, and a foot long Subway sub is $5, a coke is $1.25, and a pair of Chucks is under $40 bucks. And right now gas has dropped to $4.15 a gallon or so, it topped out at around $4.40 a few weeks back.:o

[bajathree]

To give a frame of reference on prices... A pair of Converse All-Stars runs about $100 USD here, so imagine what a pair of comfortable leather shoes goes for! The cheapest Subway foot long sandwich is about $12 USD 20 oz bottle of Coke is about $3 USD.

 

 

 

 

Uh, no, sorry. I live in LA, and a foot long Subway sub is $5, a coke is $1.25, and a pair of Chucks is under $40 bucks. And right now gas has dropped to $4.15 a gallon or so, it topped out at around $4.40 a few weeks back.:o

 

 

LA must be cheaper than NYC then.....A deli decent deli sandwich runs about $10 and a soda is $3 easy....I remember paying $10 for a container of cut watermelon in Manhattan...and that was about 10 years ago. Gas isn't that high...never was the prices like they have across the pond....but that has been for years....in any case this is all off topic.

[klingoncruiser]

and yet... another reason NOT to sail in Europe.:rolleyes:

[Charles4515]

Royal is giving away some of these Med sailings....not really surprised to see Royal trying to recoup some of that $ lost with on-board spending. Take a look at the price of some of these sailings compared to Freedom in the Caribbean for the same time frame....I have seen many going for way less than half the cost.

 

This is the truth. The price is so low I had to book. The 11 day Med cruise I ave booked on Mariner is 500 hundred dollars less than the 7 day cruise I have booked on Allure.

[bajathree]

This is the truth. The price is so low I had to book. The 11 day Med cruise I ave booked on Mariner is 500 hundred dollars less than the 7 day cruise I have booked on Allure.

 

There ya go.....that is exactly what I am talking about. I also just got an e-mail from a large on-line agency for a memorial day sale.....boy they are doing anything possible to try to get ya to go across the pond...OBC...reduced deposit...pre-paid gratuities....discounted or free insurance....you name it they have just about offered it...BOTTOM LINE....if the European market was filling these ships across the pond they wouldn't be throwing us Americans the kitchen sink to try to get us to come across the pond.....so it's obvious that Europeans aren't buying into the cruise thing like they thought.

[peteukmcr]

and yet... another reason NOT to sail in Europe.:rolleyes:

and that reason is?