cruise surprises

[Stargazer]

Just enquired for my first cruise. Spoke with Celebrity as a first off to see what was available to New Zealand. I thought these trips were all inclusive with the exception of drinks and shore excursions. So by chance the person I spoke to mentioned that I could buy a drinks package pre-sailing. All fine. But then he mentioned that wi fi was extra and there was also a dining package. There were four restaurants that were not included in the fare and these could be purchased at extra charge. He also luckly mentioned that the price differed if I decided to go with a refundable versus a non-refundable deposit. I was also surprised that the drinks and wi fi cost differed depending on cabin chosen. The more expensive the cabin the more expensive the beverage and wi fi packages. The rep mentioned that the cruise I was thinking about, based on cabin could lead to a cost of around $1300 for the drinks package. So what else should I be budgeting for. What information can you give me to assist in determining if a cruise is cost efficient -- what else should I know????

 

[drron]

Wow. I hope that drinks package is at least for 2 of you.
The WiFi is also surprising. As you might know we cruise on Silversea which you can make all inclusive. For WiFi if you are in the cheaper suites you get standard WiFi but if in a larger suite you get premium WiFi included.
They do have a "connoisseur" list of drinks at a cost but based on what you actually buy. We are quite happy with the included list though pre covid someone didn't know their Aussie wines and you could buy St. Henri for $US30 which I did a few times. unfortunately someone let the cat out of the bag so I won't be doing it again.

I would suggest you look at several lines and compare their per day cost and what is extra.
Also we always book through our TA and she gets a cheaper price than booking direct plus On Board Credit.

It seems to be industry wide now having 2 prices depending on whether you want refundable or non cancelable rates. Silversea has gone down this route and is coping a lot of flack.

 

[Pushka]

Just enquired for my first cruise. Spoke with Celebrity as a first off to see what was available to New Zealand. I thought these trips were all inclusive with the exception of drinks and shore excursions. So by chance the person I spoke to mentioned that I could buy a drinks package pre-sailing. All fine. But then he mentioned that wi fi was extra and there was also a dining package. There were four restaurants that were not included in the fare and these could be purchased at extra charge. He also luckly mentioned that the price differed if I decided to go with a refundable versus a non-refundable deposit. I was also surprised that the drinks and wi fi cost differed depending on cabin chosen. The more expensive the cabin the more expensive the beverage and wi fi packages. The rep mentioned that the cruise I was thinking about, based on cabin could lead to a cost of around $1300 for the drinks package. So what else should I be budgeting for. What information can you give me to assist in determining if a cruise is cost efficient -- what else should I know????

There are packages you can get with celebrity that include everything. It's what we usually get. No need for specialty restaurants as Celebrity has both excellent general (free) restaurants and a great free buffet. We always got our moneys worth from getting the drinks package. If you get the all inclusive package online then everything is paid for. Celebrity is one of our favourite casual cruises and I've been on Princess, Cunard, Viking and Celebrity.

 

[ZigZagWanderer]

Drinks packages are fine, but I don't recommend them. They tend to encourage you to drink to take advantage of them, really. I would, however, because I'm a dedicated drinker. Even so, I don't buy them because I prefer to have more choice, being a quite discerning drinker. The ones with booze I want are way too expensive. I honestly don't think I'd cruise again on any line that won't let me bring my own on board, but we tend not to socialise much (I know, not in the spirit of a cruise).

Yes, several restaurants will require a cover charge. I'm a bit of a discerning eater too, but I've never been tempted to go for the paid restaurants. The food you get as standard is absolutely delicious, and you'll have plenty of choice. In fact, my main problem is gaining weight! The additional restaurants are more for particular food types, and are perhaps great for a special night out.

Don't forget the gratuities. They are expected. Sometimes they are included in the ticket these days, but I also add a bit for personal service above and beyond. They'll all try to go above and beyond, trust me!

 

[odysseus]

Just some clarifications on your advice on Celebrity:

- Many cruise ships have speciality restaurants, typically at extra cost. Celebrity does too, but the prices are very high so would say not good value. As said above, no need to go for them, unless you have a burning desire to try, but on Celebrity they're not substantially better, though smaller and have more service staff as probably the main differences.
- On Celebrity, the drinks and wifi don't have different costs depending on cabin. _However_ they do have different grades of both wifi (web, or streaming, basically), and drinks (classic, or premium, plus some others). Suites get the higher grade included so he was probably drawing a comparison with them that you need to pay more to upgrade those packages from a basic cabin. Otherwise there was some mistake/miscommunication.

None of the extra spends are compulsory, and there are many other things to entice you to open your wallet onboard: shops, photos, spa, gambling/casino and some others. But comes down to whether you see value in paying the extra or not.

 

[Stargazer]

Do you recommend purchasing land tours, shore excursions before the cruise starts or wait until on board. Are the shore excursions worthwhile?

 

[Pushka]

Do you recommend purchasing land tours, shore excursions before the cruise starts or wait until on board. Are the shore excursions worthwhile?

It totally depends on your personal choice. And where you are cruising to. Cruise ship excursions can sell out. Private vendors may or may not be available at port when you arrive. If there's a place you desperately want to go to then book in advance.

 

[Anna]

Private tours are usually cheaper but the catch is that the ship will not wait for you if you do not get back in time, whereas it will wait for tours booked through the cruise line.

In some ports there is only one road in and out, and traffic can be horrendous, so what you think is just a quick trip can take a lot longer than you expect and can make you late.

Another catch is that at some ports especially tender ports (where you can't walk ashore, you have to go on a smaller boat) you can't always predict what time you will be allowed to get off the ship. The ship itinerary might list the call as 7am-5pm but you can't always go ashore whenever you choose. So that can make booking a private tour tricky as well.

 

[Stargazer]

Thank you Anna for your information. Really important to know. Any other tips gratefully appreciated.

 

[Stargazer]

Thank you to all who have responded to this thread. The advice is invaluable and will contribute to my cruise. I was wondering if there are any thoughts in relation to cabin selection. I won’t be going for suites or the top grade of cabin as I will be travelling solo and will need to pay a double rate which will add to the cost substantially. But I am after a good quality cabin. What ideas do you have in relation to finding the right cabin.

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

Do you get sea sick ?? Middle of the ship and middle to lower floor if so.

 

[VPS]

Thank you to all who have responded to this thread. The advice is invaluable and will contribute to my cruise. I was wondering if there are any thoughts in relation to cabin selection. I won’t be going for suites or the top grade of cabin as I will be travelling solo and will need to pay a double rate which will add to the cost substantially. But I am after a good quality cabin. What ideas do you have in relation to finding the right cabin.

Always look for a cruise that will give you no single supplement. A good travel agent or a bit of googling will help

 

[Anna]

After seeing people held in inside cabins for days on end during the pandemic, I will always book a balcony cabin from now on. If there aren't any left or they're too expensive, I'll choose a different holiday! (TBH, for me the pandemic severely tarnished the allure of cruising which I used to enjoy but have no plans to resume at this stage).

 

[Pushka]

After seeing people held in inside cabins for days on end during the pandemic, I will always book a balcony cabin from now on. If there aren't any left or they're too expensive, I'll choose a different holiday! (TBH, for me the pandemic severely tarnished the allure of cruising which I used to enjoy but have no plans to resume at this stage).

The ships are handling it much better now though Australia is ensuring testing. No longer get offloaded but quarantine in the cabin for 5 days. I know I could never have booked an inside, claustrophobia kicks in.

 

[antycbr]

Some people got quite a bit more than they bargained for on my cruise which finished up today ... which was a Pride cruise SYD-circles in the ocean-SYD for 3 nights on the Pacific Adventure.

The look on the people who didn't know what Pride was when they booked that super cheap last minute rate through P&O direct rather than the alphabet mafia (LGBTQIA+) agency was quite priceless during the pool party... or the bear party... or the Studio 54 party...

Moral of the story - if your cruise is being billed as a specialty cruise, check the itinerary and make sure you're comfortable with what will be happening on board before paying the deposit.

 

[Flying Fox]

Grumpy old man mode ON -

I liked cruises before Covid.

In recent years I now dislike -

1. If you want a drinks package, everyone in your room has to take it. My wife doesn't drink so the cruise company doesn't get my money that way. I now PAYG which probably saves me money compared with a solo drinks package.

2. I hate mandatory gratuities. If they are mandatory they aren't gratuities they are part of the cost. Why would staff work harder if they already knew that they got paid their gratuities before you got on board? On my last Royal Carribean Cruise I got all my mandatory gratuities removed from my account at the guest services desk (6 guests so it added up to over $1000) and then I decided who to give a gratuity to at the end of the cruise.

Grumpy old man mode OFF.

If you particularly want to do an excursion, I would book it before departure. They do sell out and its one less admin task to do on board.

Hope that you have a great experience.

 

[Pushka]

Some people got quite a bit more than they bargained for on my cruise which finished up today ... which was a Pride cruise SYD-circles in the ocean-SYD for 3 nights on the Pacific Adventure.

The look on the people who didn't know what Pride was when they booked that super cheap last minute rate through P&O direct rather than the alphabet mafia (LGBTQIA+) agency was quite priceless during the pool party... or the bear party... or the Studio 54 party...

Moral of the story - if your cruise is being billed as a specialty cruise, check the itinerary and make sure you're comfortable with what will be happening on board before paying the deposit.

The cruise after ours was a charter cruise not sold through the cruise line but a different website. It was pretty obvious how it was going to go when on the last couple of days of our cruise, the male and female signs on the bathrooms were covered over with - bathroom signs. It left from Istanbul.

 

[antycbr]

The cruise after ours was a charter cruise not sold through the cruise line but a different website. It was pretty obvious how it was going to go when on the last couple of days of our cruise, the male and female signs on the bathrooms were covered over with - bathroom signs. It left from Istanbul.

Yes there’s Atlantis which operates as a private charter, much harder to get booked on that one by mistake plus they charge a hefty premium, something the Australian market can’t sustain yet.

 

[Pushka]

Grumpy old man mode ON -

I liked cruises before Covid.

In recent years I now dislike -

1. If you want a drinks package, everyone in your room has to take it. My wife doesn't drink so the cruise company doesn't get my money that way. I now PAYG which probably saves me money compared with a solo drinks package.

2. I hate mandatory gratuities. If they are mandatory they aren't gratuities they are part of the cost. Why would staff work harder if they already knew that they got paid their gratuities before you got on board? On my last Royal Carribean Cruise I got all my mandatory gratuities removed from my account at the guest services desk (6 guests so it added up to over $1000) and then I decided who to give a gratuity to at the end of the cruise.

Grumpy old man mode OFF.

If you particularly want to do an excursion, I would book it before departure. They do sell out and its one less admin task to do on board.

Hope that you have a great experience.

Hey temporary grumpy old man.

The ships I've been on have always required all adults in the cabin to buy them. Because they know people will rort them. Viking may allow it if there is a medical explanation that you don't drink alcohol. And knowing their crew, who know everything, that would be carefully monitored

Gratuities. I think all cruises booked through Australia it seems, include gratuities when they are for overseas cruises. All done and dusted. Again you can pay a package. The crew works damn hard, especially the hidden ones keeping the boat afloat so am happy given the US method of salary structure (that turns me into a grumpy old lady) to pay money to them.

 

[Stargazer]

There has been a lot of incredible information provided. Your experience in cruising has opened my eyes. I would welcome any additional thoughts.