Cruises are a great way to travel because they offer an all-inclusive vacation experience. You get food, accommodations, amenities, and exotic locations all included in one price! It doesn't get much better than that, right?
However, there are always those hidden charges that you don't necessarily know about, or extra expenses that you might find yourself splurging on that could easily rack up your bill and get you in trouble. Today's blog, with the help of an article I found on expertcruiser.com, will discuss some of these extra costs associated with cruises and will provide tips on how to avoid these charges and make sure that your cruise remains within your budget.
1. Photography. While it's great to have professional pictures of you and your friends or family taken while cruising, especially on the formal nights when everyone in your party is all dressed up and lookin' fierce, these can often cost anywhere from $15.00 to $30.00 per picture. I can understand splurging on one or two photos to commemorate your voyage, but anything beyond that seems like overkill. To alleviate this problem, bring a digital camera (and lots of rechargeable batteries) and have fellow passengers take pictures of you and your group throughout the cruise. I know you may feel like a nuisance, but it's better to keep going up to random cruisers and ask "would you take a picture for us?" rather than to pay an overdraft fee when you return to the States. I know Bryndi and I will have no problem asking people to take pictures for us. Whether we're at Cedar Point, Walt Disney World, or even just out to dinner at a local restaurant, we have no problem going up to people and asking them to take a picture for us, so I know our cruise will be no excpetion.
2. Soft drinks, bottled water, and alcohol. Because luxury cruises are typically the only ones that do not charge extra for these specialty beverages, beware of these costs going into the cruise and consider how important drinking that pop or wine really is to you. I understand splurging once in a while, especially at the fancier dinners and the formal nights on the cruise, but be careful not to order pop, bottled water, and alcohol constantly, so you don't find yourself with a huge beverage tab at the end of the cruise. Also, if you're a huge pop drinker, like Bryndi is, consider buying the unlimited soda package offered on your cruise. These usually cost around $20.00 to $35.00 and could definitely be worth it.
However, there are always those hidden charges that you don't necessarily know about, or extra expenses that you might find yourself splurging on that could easily rack up your bill and get you in trouble. Today's blog, with the help of an article I found on expertcruiser.com, will discuss some of these extra costs associated with cruises and will provide tips on how to avoid these charges and make sure that your cruise remains within your budget.
1. Photography. While it's great to have professional pictures of you and your friends or family taken while cruising, especially on the formal nights when everyone in your party is all dressed up and lookin' fierce, these can often cost anywhere from $15.00 to $30.00 per picture. I can understand splurging on one or two photos to commemorate your voyage, but anything beyond that seems like overkill. To alleviate this problem, bring a digital camera (and lots of rechargeable batteries) and have fellow passengers take pictures of you and your group throughout the cruise. I know you may feel like a nuisance, but it's better to keep going up to random cruisers and ask "would you take a picture for us?" rather than to pay an overdraft fee when you return to the States. I know Bryndi and I will have no problem asking people to take pictures for us. Whether we're at Cedar Point, Walt Disney World, or even just out to dinner at a local restaurant, we have no problem going up to people and asking them to take a picture for us, so I know our cruise will be no excpetion.
2. Soft drinks, bottled water, and alcohol. Because luxury cruises are typically the only ones that do not charge extra for these specialty beverages, beware of these costs going into the cruise and consider how important drinking that pop or wine really is to you. I understand splurging once in a while, especially at the fancier dinners and the formal nights on the cruise, but be careful not to order pop, bottled water, and alcohol constantly, so you don't find yourself with a huge beverage tab at the end of the cruise. Also, if you're a huge pop drinker, like Bryndi is, consider buying the unlimited soda package offered on your cruise. These usually cost around $20.00 to $35.00 and could definitely be worth it.
3. Specialty Restaurants. Recently, many ships have added chain restaurants to their ships with menu items ranging anywhere from $10.00 to $40.00. While these are nice because they are dining establishments that you're familiar with and comfortable with, is it really worth spending a bunch of extra money, when you already have a the ship's dining services available for free? Furthermore, you can eat at chain restaurants any time but you can only enjoy the ship's cuisine when you're cruising. Personally I think eating in the ship's dining room makes much more sense. It's available at no additional charge, and it's part of the whole cruising experience that you may only get once in your life if you only cruise once. It seems like a no-brainer to me.
I have some more money saving tips to add to this list tomorrow, so be sure to check back and read Tuesday's post!
You HAVE to eat on your cruises restaurants because honestly the food is amazing. I know most cruises have 5-star restaurants on their ships and it's worth it to eat there. Plus it's FREE. I would also consider, if you have some extra money, to spend it on a dinner on an excursion. When I went to Mexico, we checked out an authentic restaurant in the city of Puerto Vallarta, and even though it cost extra, the experience of eating real Mexican was just awesome. So if you splurge, that is one of the best things to do it on.
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