Rough idea of the cost of a cruise.

[smokintexas]

Well, Trey's post the other day has inspired me to spend some more time with the wifey so we have started a change jar that we'll throw in whatever loose cash/change in to start saving up some money to be able to go on a cruise. I was looking it up online to get a estimated total cost to see how long it will take us to save up for this venture but am at a bit of a loss to get an estimated final cost. I know there are many variables ranging from how long the cruise is, what boat you go on, and whether you are on the inside, the outside, or have a balcony but would like to get a rough estimate of how much it would cost. One I was looking at was roughly $600 which I would assume is the room charge. It said, however, that this does not include the taxes which could reach upwards of $300 per person. For those who have been on cruises before what did it end up running you and/or what would you expect to pay to go on another? Initially I was thinking that $1,000 would pretty well cover everything but am now unsure. We would be leaving from Galveston so there wouldn't be any airfare included. We don't really mind the destination, nor do we mind where in the boat we are, a balcony would be nice but can get pricey. All we really care about is having the ability to escape for 5-7 days and not have to worry about anything except for spending time together. Any tips/advice would greatly be appreciated! :thumbs:

 

[AVB]

10 days cost us about $2500 in 2007. No flight but taxes,drinks and tips added up.

 

[Flushnutz]

It really depends upon you. As you probably have seen the prices very greatly, depending up the cabin, time of year, destination, duration. There are often deals if you are flexible. Outside of the tickets and taxes that is all you have to spend, but shore excursions, tips and alcohol can add up. My wife is a travel agent if you want she can do some research for you.

Edit to add tips as well.

 

[bfisher88]

Try this: http://cruises.cheapcaribbean.com/

 

[chainer]

This is ridiculous, for a second I thought I posted this. I literally typing the exact phrase "cost of a cruise" in Google. I've been on a few, but never financed them myself.

This should give you a very good idea of the price:
Linky

The first answer is pretty helpful!

 

[smokintexas]

It really depends upon you. As you probably have seen the prices very greatly, depending up the cabin, time of year, destination, duration. There are often deals if you are flexible. Outside of the tickets and taxes that is all you have to spend, but shore excursions, tips and alcohol can add up. My wife is a travel agent if you want she can do some research for you.

Edit to add tips as well.

If you could have her look into it that would be fantastic! We are pretty flexible and realize that there are many variables that go into it but the ideal situation would be to depart sometime in October as that is when our anniversary is, it would be even better if we could be on the cruise on the day of our anniversary (the 7th). We would love to have a king bed but if getting two twins makes it that much cheaper then we don't mind doing that either. Ultimately the cheapest is the best so length of cruise and location of our room on the ship don't matter. If you need any other info from me for her to look into it just let me know.

Edit to say: While length of cruise doesn't really matter in the long run, we would prefer it be at least 5 days, and if we could afford a 7 day then that would be even better.

 

[smokintexas]

Try this: http://cruises.cheapcaribbean.com/

Thanks for the link Ben, I did some poking around and I'm thinking that my $1,000 all inclusive was a bit naive :blush: .

This is ridiculous, for a second I thought I posted this. I literally typing the exact phrase "cost of a cruise" in Google. I've been on a few, but never financed them myself.

This should give you a very good idea of the price:
Linky

The first answer is pretty helpful!

That first answer is very informative and gives me a much better idea of what all goes into it. When I was first researching it I had no idea the $600+ listed was per person so that makes things a bit more interesting. Moral of the story is that I'll need to save AT LEAST $300 in addition to the cost of the cruise to be able to do tours, pay for alcohol, and manage the tips. Thanks for the link!

 

[bfisher88]

You could do an all-inclusive Mexico trip for cheaper??

 

[smokintexas]

You could do an all-inclusive Mexico trip for cheaper??

We initially talked about doing that, but going on a cruise is something that neither of us have done and is something both of us have wanted to try out. If the cruise gets too pricey for the short term we might just save up enough to either go to Mexico, or just go on a long road trip with a tent and visit parts of the U.S. that we've yet to visit. That being said, cruise is our first choice, but when it comes down to it we just want to get away for a week or so and just be able to spend time with each other.

 

[Not A Nice Person]

Some friends of mine cruise out of Galveston a couple times a year---or did before Ike. Are the port facilities back to capacity now?

At the time we talked about it, they were using discount sites that sold off unbooked cabins and paying about $299 each for 3-5 day cruises. Shop hard!

~Boar

 

[punk_lawyer]

Just my two cents: Interior cabins have some benefits. In addition to being the cheapest rate, the total darkness allows for nearly perfect sleep conditions (good for actually getting some rest and sleeping off a hard night or partying). They also can be REALLY quiet.

Cruises are a good choice. Some of the all inclusive trips are good but a cruise can give some really good trip plans and excursions. Enjoy.

 

[billbaker3]

Try this: http://cruises.cheapcaribbean.com/

Thanks for the link Ben, I did some poking around and I'm thinking that my $1,000 all inclusive was a bit naive :blush: .

This is ridiculous, for a second I thought I posted this. I literally typing the exact phrase "cost of a cruise" in Google. I've been on a few, but never financed them myself.

This should give you a very good idea of the price:
Linky

The first answer is pretty helpful!

That first answer is very informative and gives me a much better idea of what all goes into it. When I was first researching it I had no idea the $600+ listed was per person so that makes things a bit more interesting. Moral of the story is that I'll need to save AT LEAST $300 in addition to the cost of the cruise to be able to do tours, pay for alcohol, and manage the tips. Thanks for the link!

Depends on how much you drink. I know on Carnival that there specials are not that bad and loaded with alcohol, but the drinks can add up. We are going on a 7 day Western Caribbean cruise in May. Our tickets are $679 for a balcony room and we are as high on the boat as you can get in just a balcony. The tickets actually dropped 40 bucks after we paid it off.

Advice. Tip your people. The guy that you give your bags to at the port? Tip him a 20. You want those bags and they don't make much. They make sure you get it. Also we tip our cleaner a 20 at the beginning. Your room will be spotless the whole time.

If you have any questions ask. I have been on two Carnival cruises, this one coming up will be my third.

 

[Breedy]

Some friends of mine cruise out of Galveston a couple times a year---or did before Ike. Are the port facilities back to capacity now?

At the time we talked about it, they were using discount sites that sold off unbooked cabins and paying about $299 each for 3-5 day cruises. Shop hard!

~Boar

That's a good bit of advice. A guy I used to know had a brother that lived in St. Pete's, he would take vacation and see if he couldn't get a room on the cruise (usually the day before or day of departure). If he got one great and if not he would just go to his brother's place. Not sure if that really helps you out or not, but you could always call the cruise lines direct and see if they have any deals if your schedule is flexible.

 

[Flushnutz]

It really depends upon you. As you probably have seen the prices very greatly, depending up the cabin, time of year, destination, duration. There are often deals if you are flexible. Outside of the tickets and taxes that is all you have to spend, but shore excursions, tips and alcohol can add up. My wife is a travel agent if you want she can do some research for you.

Edit to add tips as well.

If you could have her look into it that would be fantastic! We are pretty flexible and realize that there are many variables that go into it but the ideal situation would be to depart sometime in October as that is when our anniversary is, it would be even better if we could be on the cruise on the day of our anniversary (the 7th). We would love to have a king bed but if getting two twins makes it that much cheaper then we don't mind doing that either. Ultimately the cheapest is the best so length of cruise and location of our room on the ship don't matter. If you need any other info from me for her to look into it just let me know.

Edit to say: While length of cruise doesn't really matter in the long run, we would prefer it be at least 5 days, and if we could afford a 7 day then that would be even better.

Pm Sent.

 

[Gonz]

Some other things to consider about your cruise:

How many "at sea" days would you want? My parents cruise a few times each year, and they prefer more days at sea than in a port. My wife on the other hand would like fewer at sea days, and more time in ports.

Do you have your passports already? If not I recommend getting them just in case you decide to do anything out of the country, since you need one even to get into Canada these days.

Go to tripadvisor.com and read some of the reviews of different cruise lines, since each cruise line caters to a different crowd. For example if you're going on Carnival expect loads of kids and people who like to party. If you're going on Holland America expect very few kids and lots of blue-haired ladies. Another thing to consider is crowds. Some of these ships are fricken huge these days, holding upwards of three to four thousand other people. You'll probably find better deals but there can be lines and crowds everywhere. Also take that into consideration when choosing your itinerary, since some ports the ship can't actually dock and instead you take tenders into shore (Grand Cayman is one example), and those bigger ships are much harder to get on and off of. Grand Cayman though is worth it in my opinion.

Cruisecritic.com is another great site with tons of reviews and info. Lots of people who apparently have nothing better to do than post about their past or upcoming cruises.

Regarding length of cruise, longer cruises will get you to cooler destinations and anything less than 5 days you won't feel like you really got to know the ship when it's already time to get off.

Good luck!

 

[themoneycollector]

I too have thought about taking a cruise this year.

From what I have read, you have to set aside a good amount for tips - all the bellhops, housekeeping, bartenders, waiters, and guides. I think I heard somewhere around $50 per day, and some cruises will auto-add it to your bill at the end.

 

[hos2]

Got back from a cruise last October which we booked through Carnival, however, I did my initial research via www.vacationstogo.com. This site has multiple deals depending on what profession you are in. Also, once you have an online price you can call the cruise line directly and request they match the price. Usually they do and you also don’t have to pay the third party processing fee. I’ve been on several cruise and we have always taken the inside cabin. One they are more affordable, but, two they are also very dark which allows for great sleep. Usually we spend very little time in the cabin as we are exploring the ships activities. Best of luck on your cruise.

 

[Spad31]

Hey! Very nice! I've never done the cruise thing with J, but I'd love too. Life, work, kids, dogs, etc. all seem to keep conspiring to keep us landlocked. Someday we'll make it. Good hunting on your bargain, and keep us informed!

Trey