Planning Cruise budget... help

[avic77]

Ok we all realize a cruise isnt reall "All Inclusive". There are tips, surharge restaurants, coffee, alcohol, excursions, parking, and souvenirs. i am trying to plan a budget out. It wont be written in stone but will give me and idea of what to expect. Can some experianced cruisers help me out.

All amounts are rounded up.

 

$1150.00 Cruise

$125.00 parking (7 days in NOLA)

$200.00 auto tip

$400.00 excursions

$200.00 on board drinks and extras (we do not play in casino)

$100.00 extra tips (???more less i have no clue!)

$125.00 gas to and from port

________________________________________________

$2300.00 total

 

So I could budget $2500 and have extra for souvenirs.

Am i missing anything?

[david_sobe]

Your budget looks pretty sound but all the little extras do add up.

If you dine in any specialty restaurants, you need to add some extra $$ for that

If you want to try the spa...add $$

Buy any photos add $$

[iluvdoxies]

Ok we all realize a cruise isnt reall "All Inclusive". There are tips, surharge restaurants, coffee, alcohol, excursions, parking, and souvenirs. i am trying to plan a budget out. It wont be written in stone but will give me and idea of what to expect. Can some experianced cruisers help me out.

All amounts are rounded up.

 

$1150.00 Cruise

$125.00 parking (7 days in NOLA)

$200.00 auto tip

$400.00 excursions

$200.00 on board drinks and extras (we do not play in casino)

$100.00 extra tips (???more less i have no clue!)

$125.00 gas to and from port

________________________________________________

$2300.00 total

 

So I could budget $2500 and have extra for souvenirs.

Am i missing anything?

 

you should bring money home with that

 

we bring 2000.00 in cash for taxi, casino. lunches on the silands with dranks and small souveniers, come home with cash

 

our ship card is cc and usually runs about 900 for the 2 of us, pay it off as soon as we are home

[greenstuff]

Ok we all realize a cruise isnt reall "All Inclusive". There are tips, surharge restaurants, coffee, alcohol, excursions, parking, and souvenirs. i am trying to plan a budget out. It wont be written in stone but will give me and idea of what to expect. Can some experianced cruisers help me out.

All amounts are rounded up.

 

$1150.00 Cruise

$125.00 parking (7 days in NOLA)

$200.00 auto tip

$400.00 excursions

$200.00 on board drinks and extras (we do not play in casino)

$100.00 extra tips (???more less i have no clue!)

$125.00 gas to and from port

________________________________________________

$2300.00 total

 

So I could budget $2500 and have extra for souvenirs.

Am i missing anything?

 

Total looks good

 

Auto tip $170

Extra tips $50

On board drinks and extras $280

 

Check your roll call and Ports of Call forums for private excursion info. You can save quite a bit compared to ship prices.

[newtocruisingcdn]

You might be light on your excursions it all depends on the number of ports for your cruise also what you intend to do..... check NCL prices aad use that as the best questimate...... beer is $30.00 for 6,,, mixed drinks higher, wine is $30.00 plus 15% .

Soft drinks extra....... You can bring on soft drinks as part of yor luggage, same with wine you pay $15.00 per bottle corkage......

[avic77]

Those are excursions I have researched and plan to book outside of NCL.

We are not big drinkers... I would guess no more then 3 special drinks a day.

Not interested in pictures... i have a nice camera... someone is bound to be kind enough to snap a picture of us for me ;)

We will have to bring on soft drinks due to a sensitivity to most soft drinks.

[cruisin07family]

There are a lot of variables so hard to give you a good estimate. Are you drinkers? Do you want to purchase the Drink of the day in specialty cups? Will you dine in the specialty restaurants? Don't get me started on photos - they will be trying to take your picture all over the ship + plus getting on and off at every port. Excursions can be extremely expensive or pretty cheap? Are you interested in activities or lying on a beach?

 

For us, your onboard amount is too low and we've never tipped $100 more but we aren't in suites usually (just once actually). For $200 onboard, you are looking at roughly $28 per day which is maybe 3-4 drinks. That is no specialty dining, bingo, photos, wine or martini tastings (which I highly recommend), or spa services. We're pleased if our balance at the end is $700 or less. There are certainly those who cruise and have a zero balance on their account but it won't be us!

 

Have fun!

[blindrid]

$1150.00 Cruise

$125.00 parking (7 days in NOLA)

$200.00 auto tip

$400.00 excursions

$200.00 on board drinks and extras (we do not play in casino)

$100.00 extra tips (???more less i have no clue!)

$125.00 gas to and from port

________________________________________________

$2300.00 total

 

So I could budget $2500 and have extra for souvenirs.

Am i missing anything?

 

I don't think so as you have rounded up. We never spend $400 on excursions as we do not take an excursion on every stop. It totally depends on whether the area is doable on our own. $100 in extra tips is too much IMHO but everyone has their own feelings.

 

I plan onboard account at about $1,000 (obviously sometimes less as we cruise more now). I drink well and DW has her drink of the days and wine. This includes the auto-grats and an excursion so your $800 should take care of this as well.

 

you should be OK as we do not do junk souvenirs - I just need to keep DW out of jewelry stores ;).

[trish1c]

I don't know you or your habits but $200 for on board expenses seems very low to me.

We budget no less than $100 per day per person but that includes auto tips, excursions, sourveniers & on board expenses.

So if I was doing your budget it would be:

$1,150.00 Cruise

$ 125.00 parking (7 days in NOLA)

$ 125.00 gas to and from port

$1,400.00 for everything else

 

$2,800.00

[bonvoyagie]

As others have mentioned, the excursions and onboard extras budget numbers may be a bit low.

 

You should not need more for tips - beyond the DSC - unless you are in a suite and/or using the Kids Club, then you should plan on tips above and beyond the DSC.

 

All of your drinks will have a 15% tip added to the total - this tips the bar staff.

 

You should also try to experience the extra cost restraunts - up to 30.00 pp.

 

With three of us in a suite on an AK cruise we spent around 550.00 onboard (no excursions) this included two soda cards, a bottle of wine, several drinks for each of us every day, photos, tips for butler and concerige, and two nights of speciality dining. If you add in the DSC of 252.00 and you are now around 800.00. Our tips for the suite were 200.00 so if you back that out of the equation you are around 600.00 for three or around 400.00 for two.

 

Excursions in AK are quite expensive so it is hard to compare with other cruises - we did two excursions in two of the four ports and spent almost another 1000.00 for the three of us - in AK you must figure at least 100.00 pp for any excursion - and many are much more - upwards of 300 pp for the heli rides.

[DMH15]

The absolute best advice I ever got on CC is:

 

Budget + Pack.

 

Now take out half the clothes and twice as much money.

 

Have a great cruise!

[surran12]

The absolute best advice I ever got on CC is:

 

Budget + Pack.

 

Now take out half the clothes and twice as much money.

 

Have a great cruise!

 

 

Love the advice!

[4774Papa]

Close, but $200 might be low on drinks.

Also, $400 for excursions might be low.

[DMH15]

Close, but $200 might be low on drinks.

Also, $400 for excursions might be low.

 

If you both drink the same liquor consider a bar set up and save a little.

[Medtech2]

Ok we all realize a cruise isnt reall "All Inclusive". There are tips, surharge restaurants, coffee, alcohol, excursions, parking, and souvenirs. i am trying to plan a budget out. It wont be written in stone but will give me and idea of what to expect. Can some experianced cruisers help me out.

All amounts are rounded up.

 

$1150.00 Cruise

$125.00 parking (7 days in NOLA)

$200.00 auto tip

$400.00 excursions

$200.00 on board drinks and extras (we do not play in casino)

$100.00 extra tips (???more less i have no clue!)

$125.00 gas to and from port

________________________________________________

$2300.00 total

 

So I could budget $2500 and have extra for souvenirs.

Am i missing anything?

Sounds good to me. I would also have a bit for contingencies, say, an extra night in a hotel or trip to a doctor...

[che5904]

Ok we all realize a cruise isnt reall "All Inclusive". There are tips, surharge restaurants, coffee, alcohol, excursions, parking, and souvenirs. i am trying to plan a budget out. It wont be written in stone but will give me and idea of what to expect. Can some experianced cruisers help me out.

All amounts are rounded up.

 

$1150.00 Cruise

$125.00 parking (7 days in NOLA)

$200.00 auto tip

$400.00 excursions

$200.00 on board drinks and extras (we do not play in casino)

$100.00 extra tips (???more less i have no clue!)

$125.00 gas to and from port

________________________________________________

$2300.00 total

 

So I could budget $2500 and have extra for souvenirs.

Am i missing anything?

 

-travel insurance

-our NCL excursions for 3 ports were 140+140+120=400 but the best way to do that is go to NCL site and see what type of excursions for the ports you are interested in and even if you are doing privately it will give you an idea.

-on board drinks. Liquor $9pp/drink, soda or soda card?, drink seminars ($17.50 pp), wine?, beer?. Sorry only you can decide how much you drink. Those prices include the 15% auto tip

-Extra tips - personal choice

-Cruise pictures $20 (8x10s embarkation & captain), $15 (5x7s ports)

-Specialty restaurants - again go to NCL site and calculate which restaurants you may be interested in.

-Port meals, drinks and tips on land

-Souvenirs

-seminars or classes

-spa + 18% auto tip

-internet

-specialty coffees

-bingo, bowlling (if avail on the ship)

[Unknotted]

OP, that $2500 is inclusive if the cruise fare? I was about to say $2500 would be plenty for us, but not if the cruise fare is part of that. We usually have around $2000 in cash/obc and come home with varying amounts but have never gone over that. But still, that doesn't count the cruise fare.

[McDebbie]

Keep the extra tips in there, you will want some for the porters and the tour guides. You might want to add a little for lunches and souvineers at the ports, I normally figure $30 for lunch and $10 for a Christmas tree ornament. Most of the time it is less.

 

Is this your first cruise? If so I would add some for the on board purchases. You may think you don't want any pictures but once you see them you might. I think our first cruise we spent $800 on board and it was only a 5 day cruise. Now except for liquor it is normally @ $200.

 

Good luck and happy planning!

[TravelDiva88]

Are you doing ship-sponsored excursions or doing it yourself. Oftentimes you can cut expenses if you plan you own excursions. For example, my mother and I just returned from a cruise on the Epic. We wanted to do the Butterfly Farm, but also go to the beach. This was the ship-sponsored excursion

 

--------------------------------------------------------------

Butterfly Farm and Island Tour $44 per adult

"Experience the panoramic views of two countries as your narrated tour, in an air-conditioned coach, takes you through the Dutch capital of Philipsburg to the French side of the island. At the Butterfly Farm, the guides will lead you through the lush enclosed tropical gardens for a unique experience to see up-close, all the stages of the butterflies' lifecycle. Don't miss the opportunity to walk amongst hundreds of butterflies from all around the world; you can learn how to handle these beautiful creatures with care as well as the caterpillars if you dare! After the tour enjoy a complimentary drink and browse the extensive selection of butterfly gifts in the shop. Reboard your coach and drive to Marigot, the French capital, for browsing and duty-free shopping. Have your camera ready for picture taking at the Cole Bay International Look Out Point. Your tour ends in Philipsburg for those wanting to explore the Dutch capital and continues to the dock for those returning to the ship

----------------------------------------------------------------

 

We were not interested in shopping. So here's what we did instead

 

Taxi from the port to the Butterfly farm- $12

Butterfly farm admission (for two)- $26

Walk to Orient Beach from butterfly farm- Free, 15 minute walk

Two beach chairs, umbrella, and restroom passes at Orient- $10

Taxi back to Phillipsburg- $12

Explored Phillipsburg

Returned to ship

Total- $60

 

We were able to do what we wanted, WHEN we wanted, and spent $28 less doing it! Plus, we were at the butterfly farm before the ship tour busses arrived, and had the place to ourselves. We stayed for about an hour (the ship buses were only there for 30 minutes or so) and then walked to the beach!