Carnival Sunshine (Orlando).. What else can I expect to pay for on Carnival Cruises

[youbetterbelieveitswalsho]

Hi all

 

Whilst talking to a friend of mine at weekend he told me of a fantastic cruise deal for next year which sounded too good to be true. So, I checked out the cruise this morning on a certain website (I don't know if I am allowed to say the name of the website where I saw the cruise but if it helps the website shares the name with an Eskimos House). So, I looked up the id of this cruise (Cruise Id: 105700 ) and indeed, there on the screen was the cruise at the price my friend told me. The cruise details are

 

Ship: Carnival Sunshine

Line: Carnival

 

From Orlando

 

5th Apr 2016 (12 Nt Cruise and Stay)

 

The cruise suits us perfectly because the dates coincide with School Easter Holidays here in Manchester, UK. The price of £849 is also good for us and within our total budget of £4,000 for the 4 of us.

 

So, all seemed good up to here and I rang up the website this morning. After speaking with a really friendly guy on the phone he told me that "a few" things weren't included in the advertised price. After a brief discussion he told me the price had increased slightly because we were travelling from Manchester as opposed to London. Again, we are still happy paying an extra £20 each to fly from Manchester instead of London. This takes the price of the Holiday to £869 per person, which is still a great price in our mind. The Man then told us the following (Which is where you guys come in to advise us hopefully....).

 

"There are no transfers included in this deal and realisticly you will need Car Hire to get from the Hotel in Orlando to the Cruise line and back again. The extra price for this is £280 (£70 PP)".

 

This now takes the cost to £939 per person (Total £3756) which is literally quite close to our budget limit of £4,000. However, I am aware that there will be tips to pay and also no drinks are included in this 'Deal'. I would be really grateful if you guys could advise me how much a drinks package would be for our family drinking as follows:

Mum & Dad. Do drink Lager/Beer etc. Occasionally drink Wine & Spirits but this is not essential and we could do without Wines/Spirits.

Daughter 14 Years, Son 12 years.

The sales guy on the phone told me "I think a kids drinks package is about $7 per day and I'm not sure what the cost of drinks are for adults or how much the drinks packages for adults are"

 

With this in mind, please could you guys advise us what the cost of drinks would be for our family.? What the cost of tips could be? Have we missed anything else out?

 

Thank you all in advance.

[singbluesilver1]

Drink packages for adults are 57 per day which includes tips, it will cover up to 15 drinks per day. Not really worth it if you drink beer but worth it if you drink mixed drinks. Not sure how much the soda package is for kids

 

You could get a cheaper transfer from Orlando to the cruise terminal I am sure, probably from carnival even, that seems really expensive to me.

 

Orlando is in the middle of the state and not near the coast, what port do you sail from?? It may be cheaper to just fly into that city instead of Orlando. No point to go to Orlando if you don't have to

[youbetterbelieveitswalsho]

Thank you Silver for your brilliant advice. With regard to the car hire I too think that it's expensive but the guy made it sound like we could do other things in Orlando so the car we could use for that.

[E&B]

You would fly into Orlando and sail out of Port Canaveral which I think is about a 45 minute drive. Where is the hotel? Near the airport or near the port? That makes a difference with the cost. And if the hotel is near the port do they provide transport from the airport to the hotel? If so, you're talking about an inexpensive taxi and most hotels in the Port Canaveral area also have free shuttles. There are also many limo and taxi companies in the area that do transfers from the Orlando airport to Port Canaveral. Not sure of the prices, but just to a Google search for "MCO to Port Canaveral Transportation."

[E&B]

Also, how many nights will you be in Orlando? If it's several nights the rental car may be a better option, but then again meals and entertainment will add to the overall cost.

[lizardhowson]

Other things to consider:

 

Money to spend at the ports where ship stops (shopping, excursions, food - or you can go back aboard to eat)

 

Cost of Internet on the ship (optional)

 

Entertainment, food and tips while on the land portion of your trip (if that isn't part of the package)

[ladygal4.4]

You don't have to get drink packages. They do provide water, juice, lemonade, tea/coffee

 

 

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[ellie1145]

I would definitely hire a car as you will need to get around Orlando for your land portion, and taxis are expensive. But that carnival quote is excessive. if it is a 12 night holiday you will probably need a car for 5 days but that would not be anything like what they are quoting.

 

Look on the Internet for quotes for car hire but make sure the quote includes ALL taxed and insurances. Some don't and it can be a big shock when you get to the car hire desk and they ask for a lot more money. Look out for UMP (uninsured motorist protection) as that is very important.

 

It is an easy drive to Port Canaveral, allow about an hour as the traffic can be busy around Orlando airport. You can drop off your car and use the free shuttle to the ship.

 

Food is very reasonable in Orlando with plenty of places to choose from so you don't have to spend a fortune. Whereabouts will you be staying?

 

Hope you have a great time!

Edited September 21, 2015 by ellie1145

[sweetsixteencruisers]

Okay, I will try to help.

Soda package for the kids is $4.50 plus 15% gratuities a day per child. Adults are $6.00 plus gratuities. This is called bottomless bubbles on Carnivals website.

Cheers program is $49.95 plus 15% graduities. More in depth inclusions and exclusions on the website.

If you don't want to pay for soft drinks, they do have fruit punch, lemonade, water, juices on the lido deck for free..

Most food is included in your fare. The website can also help with what is included.. You can look up the Sunshine under explore, then ships.

Regarding transportion to the port, this requires some research and can be a time consuming. Many different options. I believe there is a forum here, that is called North American Homeports, you may find some helpful information there.

If you are just going to cruise, I suggest a hotel near the port, most have a shuttle to the port. With that said, ask if them if there is a fee. Some charge, some do not.

 

I hope this helps. Good luck and happy cruising!

[youbetterbelieveitswalsho]

Hi all

 

Pretty gutted now. I went to book it and asked the company to confirm the details of the Hotel stay, flight times etc. It now appears that the sales agent "Made a mistake" and it now transpires that this deal is not available from Manchester at all. He apologised and told me the following is now the best they can Do ...

 

 

The best/cheapest option would be to fly out on the 4th of April.

 

I can offer the package then for £948 per person and this will include

-Indirect return flights from Heathrow to Orlando

-Car hire for 4 days

-2 rooms in the Rosen Inn at Pointe Orlando for 4 nights

-2 inside cabins on the Carnival Sunshine on a full board basis for an 8 night cruise

-Private transfer from Cape Canaveral Port to the airport

 

Now, when I add in our drinks packages (£1,000) the cost has shot up and that's not even from Manchester.

[youbetterbelieveitswalsho]

I forgot to add.

 

I asked the agent how much it would be just for the Cruise with no flights and he told me £475 pp which is good because I tried to go direct through the Carnival site and that was coming out at £538 pp.

[ladygal4.4]

Thank you Silver for your brilliant advice. With regard to the car hire I too think that it's expensive but the guy made it sound like we could do other things in Orlando so the car we could use for that.

 

 

There are lots of things to do in Orlando...like Disney, Universal Studios, Sea World....but they are VERY expensive. Be careful of planning extra activities if you're concerned about money

[RuthlessBoss]

Can you translate the money into dollars for those of us who don't know what you are talking about?:)

[BadJelly]

I've not got much to add....just want to say that sucks & I'm sorry.

 

I'd blow that travel agent off....they stink & it sounds close to bait & switch. I wouldn't be giving them a red cent.

 

I'm from Australia and go and cruise in the U.S. about once a year. With a little bit of research I've always been able to price a trip cheaper doing it by myself. And most always each part as a seperate component. I find my cruise first. Then the cheapest international flight I can from my home airport to any major U.S. one. Then look at internal flights. Southwest is generally cheaper priced as they include baggage. Then look at accommodation. I book accommodation that will mean I'm in walking distance, or public transport, from what I want to see. Don't worry about proximity to either the port or the airport. You'll save more money by being closer to other things. Just because rental cars are cheap when we've been travelling for 24 hours getting in a car, in a strange city, on the "wrong" side of the road, with different road rules...yeah...my butt is happier in a taxi

 

 

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[BadJelly]

Meant to add.....when you can use the U.S. websites rather than the UK ones. Yes, you'll need to be doing the conversion math, but I find the pricing better. Booking can sometimes get frustrating with zip codes and phone numbers, but if it can't be done online when you are ready to book something, just call

 

 

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[E&B]

I'm not sure of flight prices from the UK, but it still sounds like a good deal to me, especially since the car is included. And you don't have to pay for drinks on board. There are free non-alcoholic beverages like water, lemonade etc. but, if you're set on spending no more than £4,000 you won't be able to stick to that budget if you plan on doing anything fun while in Orlando. Orlando theme parks can be pricey.

[ATL_Miami_Cruiser]

There are many factors you'll need to consider when budgeting for onboard costs. But the biggest are probably how much each person drinks and if any excursions are planned. Each persons cruise experience will differ.

 

For 2 people I generally budget $1,000 USD for spending which normally breaks down to this;

 

Drinks - 60%

Excursions or Jet Ski/ATV Rental - 20%

Random Stuff (Gratuities, port food, pictures, etc.) - 20%

 

This doesn't include hotel or flight costs.

Edited September 21, 2015 by ATL_Miami_Cruiser

[youbetterbelieveitswalsho]

Thank you all very much for taking your time out to help us with this.

I have tried to get this price individually by booking my own flights and cruise seperate etc but just can't get near their price.

 

So if you take into account their latest price of £948 / $1,473USD PER PERSON. I then add in the drinks packages (approx £900/ $1,400 USD) for 2 adults and 2 kids, then throw in the car and the 4 nights at the Rosen inn this looks like a good deal to me but I'm just a bit nervous invade I have missed something glaringly obvious.

 

Thanks again all.

[KatieCharlotte]

First, I would not feel comfortable working with that travel company at this point. If you want to take a cruise from Florida, I would find a different travel agent or put your vacation together on your own. That way, you know exactly what you'll get and you can decide how much time you want to spend in Florida and where you want to stay before your cruise. Like someone else said, there are many awesome things to do in Orlando, like Disney and Universal, but pretty much all of it is very expensive. You will be more than an hour from the nearest beach. You would be better off staying on the coast if you aren't going to theme parks.

 

Second, I don't think you need a drinks package if you decide to cruise. Lemonade, iced and hot tea, water, coffee, hot chocolate, and breakfast juices are all free on the cruise. If you like soda pop, you can bring some cans on board, buy a few sodas during the cruise, or at most get the soda package. If you're not a big alcohol drinker, it makes more sense to just buy an occasional beer, wine, or cocktail during your cruise, not the alcohol package.

 

Third, when you are looking at the price of a cruise, it's important to keep a few things in mind. Automatic tips for your room steward and dining room staff are $12/per day/per person (including children), which adds up. You can reduce your tips for poor service, but keep in mind that the staff depend on the tips for their income. You also need to calculate how much you will spend in each port. Carnival excursions are expensive, but you can do research online and find cheaper ways to enjoy the ports, like taking public transportation to a beach or a private tour. There are also many ways to spend money on board, on things like photographs, bingo, and the casino, but it's also possible not to spend anything on board if you have already paid your tips and don't buy alcohol.

 

Edited to add: I've looked at flights from the U.S. to UK and I know they're very expensive. You might be able to plan a cheaper Florida cruise vacation if you can be more flexible about when you come and watch for good deals on flights.

Edited September 21, 2015 by KatieCharlotte

[cajunfla]

PHOTOS !! Carnival constantly takes photos hoping to sell you the prints.

Embarkation, dinner, debarkation at port visits, etc. with 2 kids, it is another expense to watch out for. I have no idea of the prices, as we didn't purchase any from our recent cruise.

 

Also, if you use porters at embark / debarkation, they always get tipped. well worth it at debarkation as they have a separate line at customs.

Edited September 21, 2015 by cajunfla

[CrimsonTideGal]

Try this site for hotel and transfers.

https://www.goportcanaveral.com/

[singbluesilver1]

Can you try to book with carnival online?? Orlando is crazy expensive

 

Try a cruise from Miami with a direct flight from Manchester

 

More cruises from Miami so more choices