How do you plan for a cruise?
One of the reasons that I love to cruise is because it is an all-inclusive experience, which takes the burden of planning a vacation off of the customer. And while it is the case that the cruise lines do most of the planning for you, there is some planning that travelers have to keep in mind when booking a cruise.
Let’s break down how planning a cruise works and how that impacts the cost of your cruise -
You book a cruise and pay the cruise fare, taxes and fees. This is the price you see when we send you a quote.
You book transportation to and from the port and you book a hotel for the night before. We always recommend arriving the night before so that if there are any delays, you do not miss your cruise!
You choose if you’d like a drink package, wifi, photos, or other extras (optional). These can be booked through your online account before the cruise, or while you are on the ship.
You pick excursions you’d like to go on at each port (optional). These also can be booked before the cruise or while on the ship, however, some do sell out so you may need to book popular ones sooner than later.
You pay a daily gratuity or service charge for each day you are on the ship (this can be prepaid before the cruise or paid while on the ship). Depending on the cruise line, this is typically between $16-20 per person, per day.
Once you are on the cruise, it really is all-inclusive, and almost everything you can do on a cruise is included in the cruise fare - your room and daily housekeeping service, three meals a day plus snacks (you literally can eat all day if you’d like), basic drinks (water, coffee, tea, milk, and juice), entertainment, youth and teen programs, and most on-board activities.
There are things you can pay extra for during a cruise as well. These add-ons are truly extras, things that can enhance your cruise but are not required in order to enjoy it - things like the arcade, gift shop, art, shore excursions, spa, professional photos, Wi-Fi, and casino.
If you would like to upgrade from the basic drinks, you can buy individual beverages like alcohol, soda, and other drinks, or you can buy a drink package if you’d like to pre-pay for unlimited beverages. You can also upgrade your dining by paying a cover charge to visit one of the specialty dining restaurants on-board the ship, or by purchasing a dining package where you can pre-pay for a certain number of meals at any specialty dining restaurant.
If you are new to cruising and feel overwhelmed by all the options, I always recommend that you stick to the basics for your first cruise. There is so much to do and experience on cruise ships that oftentimes you can’t even do everything in the time that you have!
The only add-on that I do recommend for your first cruise, however, is excursions at each port. If your goal with cruising is travel, then you’ll want to have something planned so that you can explore each port. These can be purchased through the cruise line, a third-party vendor like Viator or Shore Excursions Group, or directly with a vendor.
I truly believe that one of the best qualities of cruising is that they are not a one-size-fits all vacation. We can all book the same cruise and travel together, while at the same time personalizing it to fit our budget and our preferences. You can keep it simple and stick with the included benefits, you can splurge and treat yourself to all the extras, or you can add a few of your favorite amenities. It’s up to you!
