Why Are Msc Cruises So Cheap
MSC Cruises are cheaper than others because they have a lower space-to-guest ration and a lower crew-to-guest ratio. Plus, MSC Cruises charges extra for things that other cruise lines include for free.
Before you consider booking a cheap MSC cruise, I recommend that you read my full guide to why MSC Cruises are so cheap.
Getting Home And The Unexpected Costs
Our flight home didnt leave until 2 p.m., but the cruise has a you dont have to go home, but you cant stay here policy that kicks in at 9:30 a.m. We had some time to kill.
We also had a layover in Oakland. Those of you familiar with rudimentary U.S. geography know Oakland is in the wrong direction of travel to get to Salt Lake City from Long Beach a fact that also did not go unnoticed by my wife.
While we got breakfast on the ship, lunch time came while we were at the Long Beach airport. We spent $50 on food and drinks there.
When we got to Oakland, we learned that Midwest weather had delayed our planes arrival by another two hours on top of our two-hour layover. That was now four hours in the Oakland airport, and we wouldnt arrive back home until 10:30 p.m. More food and drinks in the airport.
Could we have forgone all that? Sure, but why make an already less than ideal situation worse by being hungry and grumpy? Chalk up another $44.
Once back in SLC, we paid $45 for parking in the economy lot for five days and drove home.
Caribbean Cruises In Summer
Summer is actually the down season for the Caribbean because the temperature increases dramatically and hurricane season runs from June-November. Many other parts of the world have good weather in summer so less people feel the need to escape the bad weather and head to the Caribbean.
The prices of cruises do tend to increase in August when the schools break up and demand increases.
Benefits of Cruising The Caribbean in Summer:
- Cheap cruises
- Ships arent full
- Children are off school for the summer break
Drawbacks of Cruising The Caribbean in Summer:
- Hot weather
- Less choice of cruise lines and itineraries
Read Also: What Cruise Lines Depart From Norfolk Va
Price Comparisons For River Cruises In Europe
Rivers |
Video Review |
Riverside Chat Video |
|---|---|---|
| Click Between Amsterdam & Budapest Typically 14 days or longer and Includes the Rhine, Main, Main-Danube Canal & the Danube. | ||
| Click Bordeaux, Garonne & Dordogne rivers Ranges from four days to 12 days typically roundtrip Bordeaux. | ||
| Click Danube Christmas Markets Typically a weeklong between late November and end of December. | ||
| Click Danube River Typically weeklong cruises between Germany and Hungary, although cruises also run from Romania to Hungary or Austria. | ||
| Click Douro River Typically weeklong cruises roundtrip Porto with excursions to Salamanca, Spain. | ||
| Click Rhine River Typically weeklong cruises between Basel, Switzerland and Amsterdam. | ||
| Click Rhone & Saone rivers Typically weeklong cruises between Lyon and Arles. | ||
| Click Seine River Typically weeklong cruises from Paris, roundtrip, with visits to the Normandy landing beaches. |
I truly appreciate your unbiased advice. It’s difficult to find these days.
Flights And Transportation To & From The Cruise Ship
Even if you live in the port city from which youll depart , youll still have transportation costs associated with getting yourself to the gangway. More likely, youll need to factor in the cost of flights, airport transfers, hotels, and/or parking. Some cruise lines may offer additional transfer packages at the time of booking , but these prices are also adjusted to include overhead for the additional manpower needed to coordinate travel. They can certainly save you a headache, but if your budget is your main concern, spending a few extra hours checking airfare, transfers, and hotels can save a lot of money.
How much does transportation usually cost?
Not to sound like a broken record, but it ultimately depends greatly on your departure dates, how far in advance youre able to book transportation and lodging, and where your cruise departs. Generally speaking, plan to spend around $500 per person for flights, with transfer costs averaging anywhere between $20 and $100 per person.
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How Much Does It Cost To Go On A World Cruise
- You are here:
- How much does it cost to go on a world cruise?
How much does it cost to go on a world cruise
World Cruises are expensive. You could probably find a deal on an inside cabin in the $50K per cabin range or up to $500K per cabin if you want to travel in the Pinnacle suite. Please note all the prices here will be PER CABIN not PER PERSON except where noted.
Many people planning their first world cruise focus on the base cruise cost only, which even for the least expensive cabin will cost around $50,000, and this amount is before you buy a single drink or go on a single tour. Even the $50K number will seem a little high if you only look at the giant print on the HAL website. The lowest fare listed for an Inside Cabin on the 128 days 2022 World Cruise is $22.499 If you double that in your head, you think Hey, I can go on a world cruise for $45,000. Still a nice chunk of change, but will that be your total cost once the smoke clears and you are staring at your final bill in April, the day before Fort Lauderdale? No, of course not, and everyone knows there are always additional charges, but how much will they be?
Is a world cruise simply 16 one week Alaska cruises back to back? Do you spend more per day or less per day than on other cruises? What is the total cost of a world cruise, and how can you estimate your total world cruise cost?
| 2022 World Cruise Base Pricing per cabin | |
| Category | |
| $4,096 | $470,834 |
2022 Holland America World Cruise
Prices are PER CABIN
Average Total Cost Of A Cruise In 2021
So with all these different things to spend money on, how much does it cost to take a cruise?
As we mentioned above, the cost of your specific cruise will vary. Those who want an interior cabin will spend less than those sailing a suite. And people who can sail during the spring or fall will save hundreds versus sailing in the summer.
But we have some estimates below to give you an idea of the cost of taking a cruise.
Cruise Fare Obviously its impossible to give you a specific cost of your cruise fare. There are so many different factors that go into what youll pay, including:
- Cruise line
- Cabin type
- Trip length
Sailings can be less than $100 per person, per day, into several hundreds of dollars each day. That said, we can get a good idea of what youll spend. All the major cruise lines are public companies that publish annual figures for their revenue and passenger statistics.
From these public reports, we know that the average cost of cruise fare runs from about $150-220 per person, per day .
For example, in 2019 , Carnival Corporation which owns several different lines took in $14.1 billion in ticket revenue, and sailed 93.4 million passenger days. That comes out to $151 per person, per day.
Royal Caribbean Group was slightly higher , and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. came in at the top of our list .
Still, these figures should give you a good idea of the average cost of a cruise based on what others pay.
Port Fees and Taxes
So how much will you pay?
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Whats Not Included In The Cruise Price
The sheer amount of extras and goodies available to cruise guests can make budgeting in advance difficult, but its worth it. The spontaneity of a splurge may seem harmless enough on the ship, but avoiding the comedown of post-vacation sticker shock is only possible with planning. When youre figuring out how much your cruise costs, be sure to account for the following additional costs.
What Does The Cruise Ship Food Spend Go Towards
In a typical week, a cruise ship can go through hundreds of thousands of pounds of food. The food spend includes:
- Meals in the Main Dining Room
- Meals in Speciality Restaurants
- Buffet/Fast Food
- Room Service
Take a look at the chart below to get an idea about the differences a large cruise ship vs. a mid-sized cruise ship can go through with food.
| Eggs |
Not all food options are included in the price of a cruise. Many restaurants cost extra and there are what are called specialty restaurants. Specialty restaurants are options for those who want something special.
Some specialty restaurants charge a fee per meal and some have an À la carte pricing structure.
Read Also: What Cruise Lines Leave From San Diego
Factor In The Cost Of Flights And Fees
Be sure to arrive well before your cruise sets sail. –
Add in the cost of flights. Sometimes port taxes are included in the advertised fares, and sometimes theyre not if theyre not, expect to pay about $100 to $200 per person, depending on the destination and length of the cruise. Government fees and taxes are rarely included in the list rate and can be an additional several hundred dollars per person.
Estimated Cost: $150 – $500 per person
The Advertised Cruise Price
This is the starting point when determining how much a cruise costs. Its one of the few contributing factors of which you can find the price before you actually go on your cruise. However, the cruise fare varies greatly between cruise lines, cruise destinations and the type of cabin you choose .
You might find a cheap cruise deal for $50/night per person to regions like the Caribbean, which is typically the cheapest cruise destination. Other places, like Alaska or the Galapagos, can be much more expensive. Additionally, theres also a huge price difference between inside and balcony cabins.
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How Much Is An Amawaterways River Cruiseexactly
Like any travel advisor will tell you, the answer is: It depends.
I know, I hate that answer, too. But it’s true.
There is a huge price range from $2000-$6000+ per person depending on:
- Timing: For European river cruises, prices are lower in the spring and fall and higher in the summer.
- Stateroom Category: The price of staterooms goes up as the size of room and its windows increase. Staterooms on a higher deck can also cost more.
- Cruise Duration: As you would expect, the more days your cruise is, the more it will cost. When looking at pricing, it’s helpful to look at the cost per day. But remember, that includes accommodations, meals, excursions, AND transportation, so it’s great value.
How to find prices on AmaWaterways’ website
Follow these steps to view pricing on AmaWaterways’ website:
Psst – you can skip these steps and just fill out the form below to get the answer
AmaWaterays Blue Danube Pricing Example *This pricing is as of 12/13/18 and may no longer be valid.*
Cruise Outfits Luggage And Cruise Essentials
While not a direct cruise expense, Ive found that we tend to spend some money getting ready for our cruises. If you have a cruise planned, try picking up a few outfits in the months ahead as you see them.
Its also a good idea to have a good light set of luggage and some cruise travel accessories. You can also buy these as you go, and of course only buy the essentials youd actually use.
Heres a list of 25 popular cruise items recommended by cruisers, that you may want to read and save .
Read next:
27 Cruise Travel Hacks Repeat Cruisers Swear By
Also Check: Cruise With The Best Food
Kids Fares By Cruise Line
This is how much each cruise line charges for kids:
- Carnival Full adult price
- Celebrity Cruises Full adult price
- Costa Cruises Children under 18 pay only port fees and service fees
- Cunard Full adult price
- Disney Cruise Line Child rate for ages 3 to 12
- MSC Cruises Children under 18 cruise FREE when booking in the USA and from £119 when booking in the UK
- Norwegian Cruise Line Full adult price except when the Free At Sea promotion is on when kids cruise free
- P& O Cruises Full adult price in the school holidays and £99 per week in term-time
- Princess Cruises Full adult price
- Royal Caribbean Full adult price except when the Kids Sail Free promotion is on
The price for children under two years old also varies and can be anywhere from free to the full adult fare.
Read more:Do you have to pay for babies on cruises?
Antarctica Cruise Costs By Season
The time of year you travel will have a significant impact on your Antarctica cruise cost. The most expensive time to travel is during high season from mid-December through the end of February. The cost is lowest in November and March. In general travelers can save about 20% by traveling in the shoulder seasons. Learn more about the best time to visit Antarctica.
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Onboard Prices For Princess Cruises’ Regal Princess
Pina Colada: $8.25
Specialty Dining: $29 per person, Crown Grill
Latte: $2.50
Shore Excursion: $59.95, St. Thomas Snorkel and Beach Getaway
Fitness Class: $12
Bingo: $10 for one card paper and digital
Basic Internet Package: $59.99 for one-week package, pre-purchased
Gratuities: $13.50 per passenger, per day
Total price: $297.77
Cabin Category & Antarctica Price
Once you have selected your ship, the cabin category will greatly influence the overall cost of a cruise to Antarctica.
In general cabins lower on the ship, closer to the waterline, are the least expensive. These cabins are sometimes on the interior of the ship or have portholes instead of view windows. Ships that offer triple or quad bed configurations can further reduce your Antarctica trip cost. Shared bathrooms will reduce your Antarctic price even further. A benefit of being lower on the ship is less rocking when rough seas are encountered.
As you get higher on the ship the staterooms often get nicer and feature more space, large view windows and sometimes balconies. On higher decks you are closer to outdoor observation decks and therefore closer to Antarctica. Suites can offer much more space, with a sitting area in addition to the bedroom. Luxury ships might offer upscale amenities such as heated bathroom floors, in-room WiFi, entertainment systems or even butler and room service.
Read Also: How Much Are 7 Day Cruises
How Much Passengers Spend Per Person
When it comes to cruise lines, the numbers are astonishing. Royal Caribbean and its subsidiary cruise lines carried nearly 6.1 million passengers on its ships located around the globe. In total, those passengers spent nearly $9.5 billion during the course of 2018.
In other words, for every passenger Royal Caribbean carried, the average passenger spent $1,560 with the cruise line last year. This figure includes everything from cabin fares to buying drinks to souvenirs in the gift shop.
Of that $1,560, 71.5% was spent on cruise fares and the remaining 28.5% was spent onboard for everything from booze to t-shirts in the gift shop.
Now, it goes without saying that all that money being spent on cruising doesnt make it to the bottom line as profit. After all, cruise lines run major expenses, starting with the cost of the ship itself. Then there is the cost of all its employees, food, and even fuel to get the ship moving. Thats to say nothing of expenses like marketing and commissions to travel agents.
Royal Caribbean identifies numerous different groups of expenses in its financial statements:
Our cruise operating expenses are comprised of the following:
In addition, the company has depreciation and amortization expenses, expenses, and other costs.
Optional Expenses On A Cruise Vacation
The following expenses are optional, and whether you spend on these extras or not really depends on what youll enjoy.
That said, cruise lines make a lot of money from cruise passengers who do spend on these things on a cruise. Despite cruise linespushing specialty dining and other pay to play activities, there is a lot available and included on a cruise.
Dont feel pressured to blow your budget instead first check what is included and available, and pay extra only for what really matters to you.
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Is There Still Enough For Profit
The cost of operating a cruise ship is staggering, to say the least, and makes one wonder if there is still enough left for profits. Based on the numbers released and made public by the Royal Caribbean on their annual statement, it is quite lucrative.
For the average $1,560 revenue generated by each passenger, 19.1% or $298 ends up as profit for the company.
They declared a $1.815 billion profit in last years operation, which translates to $4.96 million per day. With these figures, a resounding yes would be the answer to the question of whether there would still be enough for profit. Of course, these figures may be higher.
We cite Royal Caribbean ships here as they operate three of the largest cruise ships ever built and among the most advanced and fully equipped.
They represent the pinnacle of what the cruise line industry can achieve. They also represent the best on how we can wrap our heads around the massive amounts needed to operate these massive luxury ships.
A cruise ship is costly to operate per day, and that is the obvious bottom line. The rewards are great, too, but schedules are followed to the minute to keep it that way.
Every second counts when talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars in operating costs daily. This is where the phrase running a tight ship comes from. To make sure profit remains optimal, the strategy above is the only way to do it.