What Is Extra On The Cruise Private Islands
Most private islands have activities such as a glass bottom boat tour or banana boating as an optional excursion or activity.
However, each cruise and private island offers different experiences.
Perfect Day Coco Cay in particular , has the ultimate choice of extra activities, and some come with extra fees.
Coco Cay does have a pool, beach and play park for kids that are included with your cruise fare.
However, there are some things that are really upgraded special experiences, such as a huge water slide/park and activities like a hot air balloon.
Like all cruise extras, budget accordingly if this is of interest to you.
Tip: Consider bringing your own snorkeling equipment from home and using it at several cruise ports.
Food On Your Cruise Ship
As mentioned previously, you could happily go a whole cruise without spending anything on food. All the main companies are going to offer you three meals a day in their dining rooms and that is something that you dont have to worry about.
Aside from that, specialty restaurants and snack bars can be charged depending on the liner. This can depend on the demand of the restaurant, location and if it has any famous branding. Food bought from the stores will understandably be chargeable.
Is Food Included On Carnival Cruises
Do Carnival cruises include food? The short answer is yes, but your cruise fare wont include every food option available on the ship.
Typically, youll have free access to the buffet and the main dining room, which is essentially a sit-down restaurant. You will have to pay extra if you want to attend the special Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast, though.
There is a complimentary;24-hour pizzeria as well as soft serve ice cream and frozen yogurt machines on every ship for those that want food at odd hours.
Carnival offers free continental breakfast room service, but there are some items on the room service menu that will result in a fee. Even so, you should always tip your room service waiter, so it isnt technically free.
During the hours of 10 pm to 6 am you can still order room service, but youll have to pay. Even during the day, the majority of the room service items require you to pay a fee.
What you wont get free access tois;the specialty food shops and specialty restaurants.
For instance, youll get access to all of the water, lemonade, non-specialty coffee and;tea you can drink for free, but youll have to pay extra for soda, premium coffee beverages and alcoholic beverages.
You can order as much food as you want from the main dining rooms free menu, but you wont be able to order specialty;steakhouse items or eat in the specialty restaurants without paying an additional fee.
Specialty restaurants include places like:
- The Steakhouse
- Javablue Cafe
- Red Frog Pub, etc
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Cruise Ship Kids Club
If youre cruising with kids, youll love the cruise line kids club. Cruise lines offer fun and interesting activities for children, and excellent supervision by the kids club staff.
Each cruise line has its own program such as Adventure Ocean on Royal Caribbean, Camp Carnival on Carnival ships, Princess Pelicans on Princess and so on.
Disney Cruise Ship Childrens Programs
The Disney cruise ship childrens programs are fabulous the only difficult thing about the will probably be getting your child to leave them! These are all free for the programs for children 3 years and older.
If your child is aged from 12 weeks to 3 years old then the Flounders Reef Nursery is available at an extra charge.
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Cruise Price Comparison Table
One of the biggest factors affecting the price of your cruise is your choice of the cruise line.
The table below shows the average price for a 7-night Caribbean cruise in a balcony cabin .
| Cruise line | |
|---|---|
| not available | $2645 |
The aim of this data is to give you a rough idea of the average cruise prices for each cruise line. I sourced the prices from the cruise lines websites.
Viking World Horizons Cruises
Best for: Retirees
Do you have a third of the year to explore the globeand a sizable pension and retirement nest egg to pay for an adventure like this? If so, book this all-inclusive cruise. Theres a lot to love about Viking Cruise Lines: a contemporary, Scandinavian style; smaller ships that can get into ports larger ocean liners ships cant reach; no casinos; and no kids under 18. You also wont find umbrella drinks or intrusive photographers roaming the decks, or any interior stateroomseveryone gets a room with a view and a veranda to sail the world for more than 100 days.
Whats included: On its all-inclusive 136-day World Cruises and 119-day World Horizons sailing tours in 2022, Viking offers free round-trip, business-class airfare and transfers to and from port, visa services, and a $2,000 shore excursion credit. Youll also get 48 guided tours during the stops in 22 countries, a $1,000 onboard credit, 24-hour room service, one shore excursion in each port, and a culture curriculum. After seeing the world, you may be ready to dial things down with an intimate;romantic cruise.
Where you can cruise: The Viking World cruise will take you to 27 countries, and World Horizons visits 22, leaving Los Angeles and arriving in London 119 later. Along the way, you will experience just about half of the globe, including New Zealand, India, Jordan, and Greece.
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Is Internet/wifi Included On A Disney Cruise
Internet is not included on Disney cruises, but packages are available for purchase, and guests can claim 50MB of free Internet on the first day of their cruise through the Disney Navigator app.;Disneys at sea Internet offering does lag other cruise line offerings.
There are many things that you wont find on Disney cruises that you may be used to on other cruise lines, fast internet is just one of them. To find out more about what Disney cruises are missing, some of which may be show stoppers for you, check out this post:
Taking A Cruise: Recommendations And Resources
Book a Cruise:Have a specific cruise you want to book or just need some help and inspiration? Get a cruise quote through us: Cruise Quote Form.Not Sure What to Book?Learn everything you need to know to find and book the perfect cruise in my How to Cruise For Less cruise course.Dont Forget Your Travel Insurance:You could be stranded abroad, lose your entire cruise fare, or be hit with MASSIVE medical bills if you dont have cruise travel insurance. I use comparison websites to compare quotes: Compare Quotes Here.Our full list of travel recommendations can be found here.
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What Daytime Activities Arent Included On A Cruise
While there are literally dozens of things to do on a cruise ship that are included, some that do have an extra fee include Bingo games .
Certain ships have some very special activities available, that have an extra fee.
This includes race cars on the Norwegian Bliss and the North Star on Quantum of the Seas. If youre going on a cruise ship with a lot of the newest bells and whistles, do check to know whats included on the cruise, and whats not.
Is it worth it to do these special activities? They are pretty incredible and may be once in a lifetime.;My suggestion is to check what will cost extra, and budget accordingly, if it will be special to you.
Want even more Sea Day Activity suggestions? I put a list of 27 great ones together in this post:;27 things To Do on a Cruise Sea Day
What Drinks Are Included On A Cruise
Coffee and tea in the buffet and main dining room. In some cases, like on Royal Caribbean ships, there is complimentary coffee also available at the Promenade Cafe.
A variety of juice from concentrate and flavored drinks are usually available in the buffet. At breakfast there will also be milk available.
The classic cruise ship drink, unsweetened iced tea is usually available as well. Since we started cruising in 2004, since is still one of our favorites. I add a slice of lemon and a splenda and its perfectly refreshing.
Water is always available on board and safe to drink.
Tip: Consider bringing a good refillable water bottle or coffee mug with you on your cruise.
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Port Travel And Gratuities
Carnival Cruise Lines provides transportation from the airport to the ship’s departure port for a nominal fee. You can purchase transfers ahead of time as well as daily gratuities and include them in your cruise package price. You can also charge the gratuities daily to your ship’s on-board account and paid by credit card weekly.
Wave Phones And Texting
Staying in touch on a Disney cruise is also easy.;Each stateroom is equipped with two onboard wireless wave phones that allow for calls, texting, and alerts between the phones while onboard.;
You can even get alerts when laundry is done, your next up at the future cruise desk, or your kids are ready to be picked up at the kids club.
In addition to the wave phones, families can use text messaging built into the onboard Disney Cruise Line app.;
Just connect to the ships Wi-Fi and you can text with friends and family for free , get alerts, or browse the ships Daily Navigator for fun activities or nightly menus.
Disney also recently started including free wireless iMessaging for iPhones on some sailings.;Its expected this will be rolled out fleetwide.
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Alcoholic Beverages & Coffee
With a few exceptions such as luxury lines, as well as premium lines;Virgin Voyages and Celebrity Cruises, , alcoholic beverages are not included in cruise fares. ;There are drink packages that may help some with this cost by paying a flat charge for your entire cruise which includes most alcoholic beverages;.;;Generally speaking, the more expensive the cruise line, the cheaper the drinks. ;Oceania Cruises;for example, doesn’t attempts to make as large of a piece of it’s revenue off bar sales, so a pour of Glenlivet;might cost $8, compared to Carnival, which might charge $12. ;Some people try smuggling booze on their cruise, though we’re not sure it’s worth it.
Coffee is a bit more complex than alcohol. ;I’ve yet to sail on a ship where a;simple American coffee was not included, but for espresso drinks or other “premium coffee” beverages, there is sometimes a charge, but it depends on the cruise line. ;Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Princess, Cunard, and Disney;all charge money for these premium coffee drinks , though the charges seem pretty similar to what we’d pay locally in South Florida. ;Some lines in the upper-end of the market,;such as Oceania and Regent however, do not charge extra for any coffee beverages.
What Is Not Included In Your Cruise Fare
While cruises do provide a great value, not everything will be covered in the cruise fare.
Your cruise ship will transport you to several exciting ports of call. Unfortunately, Celebrity Cruises does not include any shore excursions as part of the base fare.
These tours and additional experiences are available through the cruise line or through third party retailers at additional costs. Shore excursions can range from $25 a person for a group walking tour to several hundreds of dollars for private tours or unique experiences.;
While there are several included activities and entertainment, several ships offer additional classes and seminars that cost an up-charge. These include mixology demonstrations, food and wine pairings, hot glass classes, and more. The costs for these optional experiences are $25 or more per person.
All ships also offer a Spa providing a variety of services for additional costs. Guests can book these experiences, such as massages or salon services, pre-cruise or while onboard the ship.
Many ships also have a thermal suite. This area includes a selection of relaxing experiences such as saunas, therapeutic pools, and heated loungers. Cruisers staying in Aqua Class suites will have unlimited access to the ships thermal suite. However, other cruisers will have to purchase a pass.
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Hidden Cruise Fees You Should Know About
Whenever you look up cruise fares, the prices are listed as inside cabins from $399 or balcony cabins from $649. The word from indicates that the price you see is the base rate, but youre going to pay more due to the type of cabin you pick and a multitude of hidden cruise fees.
Hidden fees on cruises run the gamut from mandatory taxes youll pay before your cruise sets sail to charges for onboard activities and amenities you assumed were included in your fare. To budget properly for your vacation, and not get caught out once youre onboard, youll need to know what costs extra on a cruise.;
Assuming you know that shore excursions, spa treatments, and souvenirs cost extra, educate yourself about these these 11 common hidden cruise fees to avoid unpleasant surprises onboard.
Which Cruise Lines Advertise Themselves As All
I have a full post on what is included in Marellas all-inclusive cruise fare. Make sure you check that out here if you are considering a cruise with Marella. Id definitely recommend it, I had a brilliant time and for the price everything that is included was amazing.
The Marella cruise fare includes the following:
- Meals in multiple restaurants
- Drinks, lots and lots of drinks. Including hundreds of alcoholic options. For the full list,
- Tips/Gratuities
Norwegian Cruise Line
Until recently Norwegian Cruise Line has had a promotion in the UK meaning that all cruises are booked on an all-inclusive basis. This made it a little too expensive for me so I am relieved to see that theyve removed this in the UK.
At the moment the current promotion is to pay £99 and choose two perks.
Virgin Voyages
There is a lot included in the cruise fare with Virgin Voyages. Virgin Voyages are part of the Virgin group and will be launching their first ship Scarlet Lady in 2020.
Virgin Voyages definitely are a premium cruise line and this is reflected in the price. All cruises with Virgin Voyages include:
- WiFi
- Fitness classes
- Some drinks
-
Viking Cruises
Viking ocean cruises are definitely a premium product. I cruised with Viking into the midnight sun last year and it was unlike anything Ive ever done before, or since! The ship was incredible. The standard Viking Cruises cruise fare includes:
- ALL food
Which Cruise Lines Include Alcohol? Drinks Lists Emma Cruises
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Drinks While Cruising The High Seas
This is probably going to be your biggest expense while you are on a cruise, especially if you drink a lot of alcohol. Only a few cruise companies will offer alcohol as part of the cruise price and if they do, the more premium drinks that you can get will incur a charger.
On most ships, all alcohol is charged. Soft drinks can be a little different and vary hugely from ship to ship. All non-alcoholic drinks can be offered, some specific drinks, breakfast drinks or no free drinks of any kind, depending on the ship. Some can offer;drink packages;that can help to make it cheaper.
Extra Expenses To Be Aware Of When Cruising
When you arrive at the cruise port, you may want to do an activity. You can book a shore excursion with the cruise line, choose a local vendor or even go on your own.
Excursions can add up, but youll find that most cruise ports have a beach close by as well some shops near the ship.
Tip: Research your cruise ports in advance, especially if youll be booking an excursion on your own or doing your own thing.;
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The Gym Pool And Kids Club
Your cruise fare also typically includes complimentary access to onboard fitness centers , pools and kids programming. The perks, of course, depend on what cruise line and ship youre sailing with.
Most cruise lines also include complimentary kids programming in the cruise fare. This includes age-appropriate activities in exciting onboard settings with trained child care professionals. Most programs are free, but you may pay for after-hours group babysitting or babysitters who come to your cabin .
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What Is Charged As Extra Cost On A Disney Cruise Ship
There are of course some things that you will be charged extra for.
All excursions, or Port Adventures as Disney calls them will be charged as extra.
Any trips to the spa or salon also have a separate charge. You may want to indulge in a visit to The Rainforest.
Phone calls and internet usage are extras too.
Professional photographs are another extra cost on a Disney cruise. It is one way that you may find yourself spending some extra money on board.
A Disney ship is a great chance to get some wonderful photos with the characters. The Disney photographers are excellent and you can purchase professional photos from them if you want to.
Remember though that you can always use your own camera to take pictures of the characters. You do not need to purchase the professional ones.
There are usually some extra charge events like Wine Tasting. These are a lot of fun and usually, cost around $25 extra per person.
There are self-service laundry services with a small charge, as well as laundry service. You can take a huge amount of luggage on board though so you may want to skip the laundry on a Disney cruise.
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