Caribbean Cruises In Spring
Cruising in Spring is a great way to get a slightly cheaper cruise. The weather is less predictable and the cruise ships and ports tend to be less busy. The Caribbean is a very popular destination for spring break cruises but apart from this the spring is less popular with families and children are usually at school.
Benefits of Cruising The Caribbean in The Spring:
- Cheaper than peak season
Drawbacks of Cruising The Caribbean in The Spring:
- Not in the school holidays
- The weather isnt the BEST
- Less choice of cruise lines and itineraries
How Much Does A Vacation With Carnival Cruise Cost
Contents
Cruise fares can look really tempting, week-long sailings are advertised for less than $75 per person per day, especially in the Caribbean. Unfortunately, the advertised fare does not fully represent the total cost of the cruise. Before you make your final decision on whether or not you want to cruise your next vacation, lets look into the total Carnival Cruise cost.
Theres still no doubt that a vacation at sea is a great value, but how much does a cruise really cost? This article will help you budget the right amount of money for your vacation and I will also share with you a few tips about saving money while on cruise.
How Much It Costs To Live On A Cruise Ship For A Year
Who hasnt gone on a cruise and thought, I could do this forever?
The idea of retiring from the rat race and living out your days on a cruise has great appeal for some people.
Theres no cleaning, no cooking, and no lawn to mow. You dont have to worry about doing the dishes or paying an electric bill. Theres always something going on, new people to meet, and every day you wake up to some of the most beautiful views in the world.
Add to that the fact that Internet access allows many to work remotely from anywhere in the world, and wi-fi is widely available on any major cruise ship. That means even if you dont want to completely retire, but instead work from the cruise ship, its technically possible.
Of course, not everyone can run off and live on a cruise ship, but that doesnt mean you cant dream.
And the first question that comes to mind when you think about escaping is how much it would cost to live aboard a cruise ship.
So how much would you have to pay? We recently priced out the cost of a sailing for an entire year. Just know that youll definitely need to open your wallet to live full-time in paradise.
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Gratuities For The Ships Crew
All major cruise lines will charge a daily gratuity fee or service charge to your stateroom account. Although this can vary slightly, most cruise lines have set the daily gratuity to between $13-20 USD per person/per day, depending on your cabin class.
While most cruise lines allow you to request a removal of gratuities, this isnt recommended. Youll see how the crew work really hard cleaning and making up your cabin twice a day, serving you in the dining room, buffet and poolside grills.
If you do have a complaint on a cruise about the service, its best to bring it to the attention of guest services so it can be rectified during your vacation.
Pro Tip: You may want to prepay your gratuities so you dont have to think about this once on your cruise. Read more about Tipping HERE.
S And Camera Equipment
What you’ll pay: Cruise travelers are often lured into dropping big bucks at the onboard photo gallery, where an 8×10 photo can easily cost $20 or more. Buying additional batteries, memory cards and other camera supplies onboard will likely cost you more money than it would back home.
Savings tip: Just say “no thanks” when the ship’s photographer asks to take your picture. Or resist the urge to “just check out” the photo in the gallery once you see the printed version, you’re more likely to want it. Take your own pictures, and rely sparingly, if at all, on the ship’s photographers.
On the equipment side, buy plenty of batteries and other camera supplies at home where they’re cheaper and bring more than you think you will need, just in case.
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Taxes Fees And Cruise Port Expenses
Should taxes and fees be included in the advertised cruise price? Probably. But until that paradigm shift happens in the cruise industry, the work of calculating the additional cost falls squarely on the consumer. Heres the brass tacks of what you need to know:
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Taxes are assessed regardless of your port of embarkation . Some taxes may go back to the embarkation port, while some may go to the country where the cruise ship is registered.
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Port fees may be itemized on their own, or may be lumped in with taxes and fees on your receipt. These are fees the port charges the cruise line, which are then passed to you, the passenger. Port fees are based on the number of people on a cruise, as opposed to how much you spent on your ticket. Different ports charge different fees. For example, the fee for a Caribbean port may be half the fee for an Alaskan port for the same number of people.
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All taxes and fees are charged in advance, including port fees. If you miss a port due to inclement weather or other extenuating circumstances, the fee for that port may be credited back to you in part or whole, usually as onboard credit.
How much do taxes, fees, and cruise port expenses usually cost?
This largely depends on the cruise line and destination, but you can generally estimate an additional $100 to $200 per person in taxes and fees.
Transportation To The Cruise
Not everyone lives within driving distance of the cruise, so another aspect to your cruise budget may be the cost of getting to and from your ship.
Airfare, car rentals, taxis and hotels should be checked prior to booking a cruise for a ballpark estimate of what to expect.
Royal Caribbean does offer cruises from a great variety of cities around the world, but it seems most people have to travel to some extent to meetup with the ship.
I am not an expert on finding the lowest airfare prices, but you should try a few airfare tips and tricks to bring down the cost.
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Get A Discount On Your Cruise
The price of your cruise will be different depending on who you book it with. Its always cheaper to use a travel agent with access discounted rates.
See the best cruise deals from all travel agents in one place.
Of course, not all travel agents are equal in terms of the service that they provide, and a great travel agent is worth their weight in gold.
- If you prefer to email your enquiry This travel agent always goes above and beyond to provide the very best personalised service
- If you want to speak to someone right nowThis large travel agency has great prices and Ive always found them to be really helpful
How Much Is A Cruise
So, how much does a cruise cost? Now you know that the answer is: As much as you want to spend. You can take the cheapest cruise and still have fun because cruises will always have the basics for you. Youll have some good food, a quiet place to rest your head at night, and at least some entertainment to keep you occupied during the day.
The rest is really up to you. You dont need to spend a cent more if you dont want to or you or you can pick and choose the extras that are important to you.
When considering cruise expenses, its all about what kind of experience youre looking for, which is what makes cruises the ideal vacation. For more tips and tricks, head to our First Time Cruisers guide to keep learning about what to expect.
Feel free to discuss this topic and all things cruise at our new boards. A place where readers can ask questions, help their fellow cruisers and general cruise discussions on cruise lines and ports.
And if you like, feel free to cast your vote in the 2021 Cruise Ship Awards covering a range of categories, including best cruise ship and best cruise line.
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Meals And Drinks In Port And Pre/post Cruise
While your meals and snacks are included on your cruise, you arent able to bring food off the ship.
Its a good idea to keep some cash with you for a light meal or snack, while youre in a cruise port. You may want to budget $20 to $50 a person depending on the port and your tastes and preferences.
Cruise Lines And Ships
Again, we based this price on a family of four aboard a Carnival Cruise Line. Carnival is one of the largest Cruise lines and their volume translates into great values for families. Royal Caribbean and Norwegian are the next lines as far as family popularity and options for kids. Disney is considered a favorite for families but it is considered a premium cruise line. This means families can expect to pay almost three times as much for a Disney cruise and they would for Carnival. If you’re looking to keep your price tag low, bear in mind the newer the ship the more in demand it will be and the price to sail on it will also be higher. The newer ships offer more ship board amenities and those translate into higher price tags.
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Alcoholic Beverages Soft Drinks And Water Bottles
This is where the expenses on a cruise can really add up. Cocktails and other alcoholic drinks cost about $10-14 each.
Soft drinks and even water bottles are extra as well.
However, if youre wondering what you can drink, there will be juice, fruit drinks and safe tap water available. Youll also be able to have coffee or tea.
If you think this will add up for you, do take a look at the cruise line beverage packages as in some cases, this is the best value and will save you money at the end of the day.
Tip: Check out any promotions or perks where a beverage package is offered. Many cruisers enjoy Norwegians Free at Sea, Celebritys perks promotions, and Princess Cruises Princess Plus option, where a beverage package is included with the cost of the cruise.
A Quick Note On Different Cruise Lines
While Ive broken down the main categories of add-ons and hidden costs above, its important to remember that each cruise line is different and, just like hotels, cruise lines come in different tiers in terms of levels of luxury. Needless to say, a Carnival cruise is going to be significantly cheaper than a Viking Cruise.
It should also be noted that some cruises are all-inclusive alcoholic beverages with dinner, included shore excursions etc., while others you build on costs based on what you do want to do. Initially, the all-inclusive options are much more expensive. After all, these inclusions are built into the price. However, it might be worth your time to do a bit of a price comparison because, in the long run, what seems to be the most expensive option initially may actually end up being the best deal.
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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.
Remember That Drinks Add Up
Expect to pay big-city prices for drinks. –
If youre a drinker, beer, cocktails, and wine can quickly increase the cost of your cruise. Expect to pay $5 to $12 per drink, depending on your beverage of choice. A can of soda or a small bottle of water costs approximately $2 to $4. Most lines sell drink packages for alcohol, unlimited fountain sodas, or packages of bottled water these make sense if you tend to drink a lot throughout the day. Deal or no deal, buying these packages makes it easier to figure out your budget for the week.
Estimated Cost: $50 – $350 per person
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Book In The Offseason
If you want to save some serious cash, book your cruise in the off-season, basically any time kids are normally in school. You will find the Disney Cruise cost to be lower in September, October, Early November, January, & February. So, if you can sail during those seasons, do it, because you will save your self a ton of money.
Most Expensive Cruise Ships
Of course we had to include a list of the most expensive cruise ships ever built. Here are the Top 25 biggest price tags ever commanded by cruise ships. The “billion+ dollar club” is a significant portion of the list.
We also include the owning cruise line. You’ll find one cruise line in particular is writing the biggest checks!
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Cruise Ship Cost Increase Over Time
We also looked at how much does a cruise ship cost to build today vs. in the past? We expected an increase and were not disappointed! The chart below shows the average price tag of ships throughout the decades.
The blue bars show actual dollars spent. The green line depicts “cost in today’s dollars.” These figures were derived using an average inflation rate of 3.22%.
It’s clear that prices have grown significantly! Both in terms of actual dollars and inflation-adjusted costs.
Even with the current speed bump in the industry, we expect this to continue. Vessels are continuously adding capacity and extravagant features. The average cost per cruise ship is quickly approaching one billion dollars!
What Is An Expedition Cruise
Expedition cruising is much like traditional cruising, but with more emphasis placed on the experience ashore, excursions and ports of call many of which are much more off-the-beaten-track than mainstream cruises. Expedition cruising is a taste of exploration and adventure like youve never known before.
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Consider An Agent To Book Your Next Cruise Vacation
Occasionally, booking directly through the cruise line can mean paying a premium. Booking through a travel agent can offer not only more personalization and cruise expert tips, but also money-saving cruise hacks to keep you and your wallet happy.
Check out these articles for more information on the costs of cruising:
How Much Does It Cost To Stay On The Below Deck Yachts
Below Deck has been thrilling fans since it first landed on Bravo in 2013.
Since then it has spawned two spin-off seasons and has opened it’s doors to some of the richest people in the world.
So far five superyachts have featured on the main series of the franchise.
But many fans often wonder how much it would set them back to stay on board one of these luxury vessels and new research by Leader Floors has just the answer.
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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.
Travelling To And From The Port
Not only do you have to consider your flights to and from the cruise ports, but you also have to get to the port itself. Oftentimes, the port is a distance from the airport and there are no public transit options which means youll need to splurge for a taxi . If youre travelling as a larger family, you may want to look into transportation options that offer bigger vehicles as opposed to two taxis.
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Alcohol And Other Beverages
What you’ll pay: At meals, water, iced tea, milk, coffee, tea and juices are complimentary, but alcoholic beverages are not included in the cruise fare on most lines. Plus, many will also charge for soda, bottled water, certain juices and specialty coffees.
Savings tip: Many vessels advertise discounted “daily drink specials” or offer happy hour specials. If you’re ever offered a drink in a souvenir glass, ask for the drink in a regular glass instead you will likely save a few bucks.
Look for events with free booze, such as Champagne art auctions or captain’s cocktail parties. At meals, you can order a bottle of wine and save whatever you don’t finish for the next night, which can be cheaper than ordering wine by the glass.
Most lines offer beverage packages , but you need to make sure you drink enough to actually save. If you chug soda or bottled water, some lines will let you bring your own. You can typically bring a bottle or two of wine onboard, but you might have to pay a corkage fee if you drink it in a restaurant.
Cruise line alcohol policies are highly restrictive, so be sure to read your line’s rules.