Average Final Bill for On Board Purchases?

[hrkimberling]

For those of you who said you book your excursions privately or yourself, how do you do that? I am going on my first cruise at the end of October and my friend and I were planning on booking the RCCI cruises through the website, this way paying for them well in advance so we don't have to worry about running out of spending money on our excursions. I have been thinking to myself, I am sure that there are tour operators on the islands that are much cheaper than RCCI. Is it possible to find them and book them the same day you get into the port, or do you do this in advance and just take your chances that you won't run into any bad weather which could effect your port schedules?

 

Thanks to anyone for any information!

 

Heather

[Marialivia]

Heather, I learned everything I know about excursions from these very boards. I am scheduled to sail on the VOS this Friday to the Western caribbean, and at this point I'm not going to concern myself with the weather. I don't know what your itinerary will be, but in Jamaica I am taking the tour with Peat Taylor Tours, whom you can reach at http://www.geocities.com/peattaylor/island_tour.html. I booked this after reading many rave reviews about Peat and his tours. ($30 pp., paid at conclusion of tour.) Then for Grand Cayman I booked with Native Way Watersports, http://www.nativway@candw.ky.com and chose a combination of two tours, the Island Tour and Stingray combination. Both agencies responded immediately to my e-mail. I think that if you click on the Search Forums option, you will find many suggestions for your tours. Apparently, there is a significant markup if you do it through RCL. Best of luck!! ML :D

[sueinphilly]

For my last 2 cruises (1 on RCCl and 1 on Celebrity), my shipboard total was < $5

 

I buy a shot glass as a souvenier for my son. I tip in cash. I don't do ship excursions, drink, play bingo, or any other extra cost things. Nada.

 

Actually on Bermuda this summer, the only thing I bought was a 3 day bus pass ($28) and a mouse pad for my computer. Oh yeah, I paid 0.51 for one of those souveniers that you put a penny in the machine, turn the crank and get a smashed pemny with an imprint. Beach was free, gardens and parks were free.

 

It is possible not to spend money on extras.

[sscruising]

You can find almost everything you need to book your own shore excursions on these boards-especially the ports of call section. Members are very honest and opinionated about these things. I just got back from my cruise and did all my own tours and transportation for the first time and saved a bundle. If I had booked similar tours through the cruise line, it probably would have cost my hubby & myself about $300.00-500.00 more.

While everybody has different spending habits, On my previous cruises, we spent an average of $1000-booked ship tours on those. On this last cruise, our bill was $800 but that included almost $600 in cash advances. I take very little cash with me and leave it the bank and take the cash through advances then just pay it off when I return.

[cruisinmamma]

Originally Posted by skybuffalo

Nancy,

This was our first cruise and we renewed our wedding vows after 32 years. This trip was my anniversary present to your for all of her support over the years. We are the old high school sweetheart story. Graduated from high school, joined the Marines and got married on boot camp leave. She was by my side through Vietnam and all of the years that followed. That included five years as a cop in southern California, layoffs in manufacturing and climbing the corporate ladder. I actually consider the cosmetics as a payment over due.

 

Whenever she goes on one of these spending binges I ask her "did we have fun?" If the answer was yes then I know that I am in deep trouble. We have an agreement, I make the money and she spends it.

 

November 26 will be our 33 anniversary and we fly that day to Miami for the Navigator of the Seas. I just hope she does not run out of facial cream before then.

 

Take care, Ron

 

 

 

Ron, reading this almost brought tears to my eyes. Your DW is very lucky.

 

I am a nurse w/ VA for 21 yrs and truly appreciate all you've shared. Enjoy the celebrtion of your 33rd, you deserve it.

[happysinglemom]

This was my first cruise, and I simply went by what I learned here at CC. Excursions are found on the port boards - you can find links and/or phone numbers for the various companies. As far as them being cheaper, I can't say, that was not my goal. My goal was to spend our time wisely, and the companies I dealt with offered excursions that appeared to be superior to the RCCL offerings. Each one that we did was around $150 for me and my son together, and they were completely worth the price.

 

Most of them require a small deposit, one of ours required 50 % up front. They indicated that if conditions prevented them from performance that we would be refunded our monies. As these companies were highly regarded by other CC members, I trusted them. We made our plans about 2 to 3 months in advance.

[HappyStamper]

Oh yeah, I paid 0.51 for one of those souveniers that you put a penny in the machine, turn the crank and get a smashed pemny with an imprint. Beach was free, gardens and parks were free.

 

It is possible not to spend money on extras.

 

Sue,

Do you remember exactly where you found the smashed penny machine? I love those things!

[cruisnfool]

I was surprised at your poll results and it might be early but another post I saw about this topic shocked me.....more people were in the thousands, $2-4,000 which of course included gambling.

[sueinphilly]

Sue,

Do you remember exactly where you found the smashed penny machine? I love those things!

It was in the port, not the ship. I have them from Bermuda, Cape Cod, Canada, NYC, etc...

 

In Bermuda, it was somewhere on Front Street in Hamilton I think

[cmitch9999]

We try to stay under $500 if possible for a week..sometimes for 5 of us. On our recent Bermuda cruise we spent $578 for 4 ..this included tips of $280...one shore excursion for 2 for $120..we spent $20 for photos, rest went for gift shop, drinks etc. We don't gamble so that helps keep the overall costs down. Searching for private tours or non-tour activities in port saves us quite a bit.

Chris Mitchell

[TheWog]

VickyVSN,

 

I really enjoyed your web site for first time cruisers. I am struggling with the passport issue. I know everyone suggests that you get one but I am cruising to the western caribbean in April with my husband and our 18 yr old son and our 15 yr old daughter. The cost will be $85 a person for us. My husband and I will probably go on another cruise but Im not sure that my kids will go agian. My son especially since he will be joining the Air Force after he graduates. Could we just go with our birth certificates or do you highly recommend purchasing passports? It's just a lot of money. Any advice would be helpful. We will be on the Radiance. I'm really excited, but have a lot of questions about excursions. Thanks

Do one a month and the cost won't seem that much. I recommend getting them.

[TheWog]

http://travel.state.gov/passport/index.html

[dalwhitt]

We don't drink so that saves us a ton. But last trip on AOS in July the bill was almost $900 because our 37 year old son was with us. He bought a watch and a few drinks. Good son that he is, he has paid us back.

[Alphawave]

Personally, I use cash at the end of the trip. They contact you when each person reaches $200, which I do half-way through the trip. No, I do not drink a lot of alcohol. Gifts, add-up, and I like espresso, which is an extra charge. By the way, a champage-orange juice is $10 bucks, so watch those.

Enjoyedthis poll!

[lahore]

Our bill for a seven day cruise in Asia on Norwegian - zero :D. For two people. We did our own tours organised through locals over the internet before we went, mostly at www.lonelyplanet.com.au, therefore giving the money direct to a local, paying about one fifth of what the cruise lines charge, having a better time and not getting ripped off. We bought our soft drinks ashore and brought them back with us on board. I don't drink alcohol, my partner does but not at shipboard prices, we had one bottle of wine with dinner which we won in the trivial pursuit! We don't gamble either and no we're not boring nor some sort of evangelists - quite the opposite. It is totally possible to have a great time on a cruise and not give money to the cruise line for overpriced rubbish. I guess if everyone did that the cruise lines would go broke-but sorry that's not my concern. Actually I tell a lie, we bought two T shirts at the last day sale and paid cash for them ;)

[BarbO1999]

Wow, its good to kow I am average. Have never been able to get away cheap on a cruise. The drinks are just to good....

 

Barbara

[sealegs9]

We also booked our own excursions thru private tour operators at prices much less than the ship's. In order to compare apples to apples, you should include the price of your private tours, though not on seapass. since you've spent that $ -it will still make your tab less than someone who booked thru the ship. Same for sodas you bring on board. And- what's the difference if you pay a tip in cash or charge it to your seapass account- it will be the same, unless you don't give the recommended amount. So- you really need to compare the dollar amount of your extra charges, not how you paid (cash vs seapass account). Our account is always inflated because of the tips. And I splurged on the waverunner in Labadee. Can't book a private excursion there. Never put casino $ on card and carry on own wine - so have less than $100 in drinks and soda card for hubby.

[lahore]

I agree sealegs, of course one has to count these things in one's budget. But in our case they were so small as to be almost negligable anyway. I read the poll as meaning the final bill from the cruise line, as the other stuff isn't a bill in Australian lingo, its sort of out of pocket expenses.

[joleda]

my wife and I are good for 100 a day. Good drinkers and 2 kids. Thats with all of the kids stuff too. We are good for 1200 a week.

[joleda]

Sorry about that. With the kids stuff and store junk on the ship it is 1200. Our bar bill is about 100 a day.

[Rubia_Boricua_PR]

There were only 2 of us and we ended up paying close to $300 for the week. If the kids were with us, probably about $600 especially with our teenager. you could actually save more money on college than food...That's sad!!!

[Murphy]

If we book our excursions on our own, or before the cruise, we still average about $100 per day for 2 of us. This covers drinks, some shopping for sweatshirts, souveniers etc and at least one spa treatment as well as a couple of pictures, usually the embarkation picture and one "portrait" from formal night. If we don't book excursions until we are onboard, our charges would probably be at least $150 per day.

[mykidsmom]

nbean38, My family and I are about to go on the Mariner next week. That's providing that Ivan doesn't cancel everything. This will be the 6th cruise for hubby and I. Third one for our teenage daughters. We've always used our birth certificates and have never had a problem. We'll probably look into getting passports for hubby and me before our Jan cruise, just because it's easier than always carring all the extra paperwork around. But for the kids it doesn't seem like a smart idea. They are almost 14 now and their passports would only be good for 5yrs. If we wait until they are 16 they will be good for the whole 10yr period.

We went to Western Carribean this past July and birth certificates were NEVER looked at.

[BarbO1999]

The last time I was in the Carribean no one looked at our passports either.

 

Barbara

[mammallama]

My hubby and I, plus two teens, recently spent a tad over $1,000 on our last 7 day cruise. We did a few excursions but paid for those in advance. I don't like to hold back while on vacation, "Go big or stay home!" :D We all had a good time.