Cruising costs
We keep deliberating about cruises. So many people say that they love it. Whilst we would need to deliberate over whether it's for us and would need to find a route and itinary that suited us, I do wonder about costs and other aspects of cruising.
I assume that all meals are usually included, but drinks are extra. Are drinks usually expensive?
What about tips? I've read some offers for cruises that mention the price includes maybe £100 allowance for tips - who are passengers expected to tip and how much?
I see some ships that have up to 3,000 passengers - how on earth do they all get on and off at each port of call?
I assume the big ships have several restaurants - can you chose which to use and do you have to book?
I hate 'dressing up' - certainly I couldn't wear a suit or tie on holiday - is this a thing of the past now?
Any other tips?
Comments
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Ian
There are such a variety of cruising options available it might depend whether your taste is for the more formal or more relaxed. We have been on two cruises both with P&O and they suit us but some might think them a bit old fashioned. As much food as you are likely to want to eat is included in the price. However most boats have special restaurants that offer something different and you do pay a supplement. We found the prices of wine not much different to what you would pay in any chain restaurant in your local town. P&O still have formal nights, how many depend on the length of the cruise. A normal lounge suit is a perfectly acceptable alternative to a DJ.
With regard tips this was one thing that changed between the two cruise we did. Originally we were given a guide to what to tip and who. However they have changed that now and they add a set amount to your onboard bill. We like this system as its simple and straight forward. However there is nothing stopping you asking reception on board to remove that amount of money leaving you free to do your own thing or not as the case might be.
Our last cruise was on Britannia which takes over 4000 passengers. Strangely it never really feels crowded except when boarding for the first time at Southampton. Not everyone goes ashore at every port. As far as restaurants there are usually several choices. You have to make a decision which you want when you book. There are usually two sittings, 6.30 and 8.30 pm. If you have the earlier one we found it easier to get into the shows. There is something called Freedom Dining where you can turn up at any time and if they don't have space they give you a pager. There will also be a self service restaurant which is open all day.
There are all sorts of discounts available so you rarely pay the published price and there are some last minute bargains around. Some deals give you on board spend which is useful, we almost struggle to spend ours on the last trip. If you are going from and returning to a UK port free parking is a useful extra if it's available.
We tend to book using Bolsover Cruise Club who we have found very good.
Just an added thought P&O do a number of short cruise of between 2 and 4 days which are pretty good value if all you wanted was a taster.
David
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I didn't like sea cruising. I thought it was boring for long periods at sea and the amount of food people wasted because it was "free" was obscene.
River cruising suited me better because you visited a different place every day and there were fewer people on board.
However - give me the freedom of a motorhome or caravan any day!
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If you don't like 'dressing up' then a more casually oriented operator such as NCL, Royal Caribbean or Thomson would be a better choice. In order of formality - Cunard, P&O, Princess, although Princess is reasonably relaxed. Wine is generally priced from about $25 a bottle. Boarding, certainly at the Southampton terminals is pretty slick, even for the 3000 passenger ones. Not sure how these new mega ones with 5000 plus are going to fare. Personally I find a 2000 passenger sized one preferable.
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We've only done one cruise, on a small ship. Our "hotel" expenses were our cabin, food and tips plus entertainment and some pre-booked trips. I would not consider going on a large ship, it was pleasant with less than 500 passengers but we still had to have two sittings for an evening meal and share a table with the same guests each night. One couple drove everyone mad, another couple we have kept in touch with ever since.
A formal suit seemed to be the norm for some evening meals, but there were "casual" evenings too. I borrowed one sparkly dress from my sister (I presume you wont have that female "what to wear" problem Ian?!)
Our cruise had a lovely finale going up the Thames, under Tower Bridge, mooring alongside HMS Belfast, being on a small ship enabled some easier ports of call. Be prepared for going in a ships tender to some ports.
I like being on a boat so enjoyed being at sea, I could have happily stayed on it for a long time! Might do another cruise at some point but OH doesn't have very good sea legs.
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Read the brochure carefully so you know if 'all inclusive' means drinks unlimited as well as tips are pre-paid.
How are you getting to the ship? Driving to a UK port? Flying to USA/ Caribbean/ Mediterranean?
As David said, numbers on board may be a significant factor for you. You can always ignore the masses but if you are caught with a small circle of diners, that may or may not work for you. the shore based trips are usually well choreographed.
Princess cruises are fantastic when a crisis arises. As I can aver, during a trip to and around New Zealand when a hurricane? hit. Never have I been so impressed with 'customer service'. The small ships doing the 'Fiords' runs are well equipped and if it goes into the arctic circle it really is odd to see the sun dip down to the horizon and then climb back up again.
Really, there is so much variety you do need to read all the brochures to get what suits.
Enjoy
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Probably worth mentioning that you need to think whether you are going to enjoy the cruising element or the places you visit or perhaps a mixture of both. Fly cruises allow you to see more places in a shorter time whereas those departing from and returning to the UK could well spend 1/2/3 days at sea depending on the first port destination. Obviously longer at sea if you cruise to the America's and the Caribbean.
In terms of ship size the first cruise we had there were 2000 passengers and the second 4000 passengers and having checked with Margaret we didn't feel that we noticed the difference.
Organised shore excursions can be very expensive so I would suggest choosing carefully and the popular ones might be sold out before you get onboard. On last years cruise to the Fjords we didn't do any of the excursions but just went ashore at the various ports and found our own way around. The ships usually lay on free transport to a central point or sometimes by tender. Just be careful about going off on a long lone excursion as the ship won't wait for you if you are delayed.
Another point about dinning. You have to decide what sort of table you want. The newer ships seems to have more two person tables but unless you want to be on your own better to select a 6/8 person table in the hope that at least some of the people will be on the same wavelength!!!
Don't forget price will also depend on what sort of cabin you have. Inside cabins are excellent value but we much prefer a cabin with a balcony.
David
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When it comes to a balcony, it is worth considering where you are going and the time of year. You won't want to be on your balcony in the Bay of Biscay/North Atlantic in the winter. An outside cabin is a good compromise.
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I don't think we could contemplate an inside cabin - far too claustrophobic.
We stayed in a hotel where you always had the same dining table and we didn't like it. We thought it far better to chose a table each night. Imagine spending a whole holiday dining with enforced company and maybe people that you have nothing in common with!
Our preference would be a cruise that stopped somewhere most days as I would be bored stiff being at sea for days on end.
We dislike organised tours, so would prefer to be able to do our own thing.
The Fjords sounds like the sort of thing we would like - something a bit different.
My preference these days is for 'all inclusive' holidays, especially with the current state of the pound.
Many thanks or all your really useful replys.
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Ian, Mrs. WN and MIL went to the ffjords a few years ago with Fred Olsen and really enjoyed it as the ship was quite small with about 900 people max but there were fewer when they went. I think they went on the Braemar.
Meals and basic refreshments like tea and wine (good quality) etc. Included in price and they could choose a 2, 4 or 6 person table to eat at. Dress was non formal but casual smart.
They booked a few excursions that appealed but did it through Fred Olsen not Thompsons who they booked the cruise through. They said the Olsen trips were better organised. Plus with the ship being relatively small they could berth further up the ffjords than the bigger cruisers.
Anyway they enjoyed but MiL doesn't have sea legs and now happy to stick to river cruises or just ferries across lakes.
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Ian, all good sound advice. We've done around 10 cruises now all different. First one was the Nile, fantastic. Since then the rest have all been fly cruises, 3 Caribbean (east/west/south) Panama Canal and a few Med/Adriatic ones.
My advice for what its worth is first decide where you want to go, then look at who does that route, from these choose who you think you would be more comfortable with. Some are more stuffy than others but most nowadays are a bit more relaxed than they used to be.
Word of warning you get what you pay for doesn't always work with cruises, we had a very good (the best ) cruise with Cunard, Panama cruise. This one was probably one of the least expensive ones we have done, however the cabin, food, service and excursions were top notch. We were a little concerned after we had booked it that it might be a little stuffy, no so. Different yes but we really liked it. At the other end is Thomsons, we've done 3 of those, the last being the Southern Caribbean last December. The ship was good, the entertainment also good, cabin good. The food however was not good, as this is a big part of a cruise it was a let down. Thomson however are not stuffy and tips are included in the price, there is no extra to pay, drinks also are more normal hotel/club prices. Excursions on most cruises are a rip off, where possible do your own thing.
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Forgot to say that most cruise ships now offer 3 types of dinning, main restaurant (waiter service) some are same table every night some are open seating, some offer you the choice of sitting with others say 6 or 8 to a table or you can have a table for 2 or 4 if you wish. Fixed times early and late dinning on some ships while others its a continuous service from 18.00 - 21.30. Then there is the special restaurants where you have a more personal experience usually for a fixed supplement.
Tips are either calculated at a rate of around 11€ /11$ per person per day of cruise, or you can elect to tip as you see fit. The usual staff to tip are the cabin steward, the restaurant waiter/assistant waiter, but this only if you have the same table and waiter every night. Which is why with open seating they have gone to the all in tip method now. Drink waiters don't get tips as its added to your bill.
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As I mentioned earlier we have only used P&O and everything is priced in Sterling are they alone in doing that or are there others?
David
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Ian
When you book a cruise they go through the dining arrangements with then as you have to decide at the time of booking, although I understand it may be possible to change once on board. The brochures do explain this as well and the information is also available online.
I am interested to know what it is about the tipping that bugs you? You do have control over this unless of course its included in the price as it is with some cruise lines.
David
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David - the principal of tipping generally bugs me. People should be paid a fair wage and not have to rely on this.
If I go to a hotel, they don't ask for an extra amount to cover the barman's wages or the cleaner's wages. It's left to me whether I want to tip for exceptional service. I expect at least good service without having to pay extra.
But maybe this is going off topic and best left to another thread?
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Ian
Tipping on cruises is much debated subject and I expect you are not alone in your view. Pay on cruise ships is a bit of a double edged sword as many of the staff spend months on board and usually operate outside the normal NMW pay structure usually because the ships are not registered in the UK. OK I appreciate that is not anything to do with the customer but as we all know we all pay for it in the end however they do it. If all cruise lines agreed they could just put up prices and we could forget about tips but that wouldn't be the end of it. What would happen is that some customers feel they want to tip regardless and some even want to make a very public show of it, we experienced that on our last cruise which can make it uncomfortable for those that don't. Also the tipping regime varies from cruise line to cruise line and I have heard that the American run ships its a lot more expectation as that is the way they do it at home. The Brits have always been a bit more reserved as far as tipping is concerned!!!
BTW, just had this last minute deal e-mail from Bolsover which might be of interest price wise.
David
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Think very hard, Ian.
We were in Bali when one of the Cunard Queens anchored in the bay, and out of curiosity we went down to the pier to watch the passengers come ashore. They were all very old.
Many found a full frontal encounter with Asia all too much, and promptly turned tail and went back to the ship. The braver ones had just a few hours to see that amazing island and went away thinking they had "done" Bali - even though they had missed the temple ceremonies, the religious processions, the world famous terraced rice fields on the slopes of the volcano, the dance displays, the culture and music at Ubud, and some stunning hotels. We had a fortnight, and promptly went back the next year to see it all again..
Do you really want that typical cruise routine of one day at every port - and then relentlessly move on? It's very shallow.
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The thing about a cruise is that it allows you to visit a number of places in real comfort and decide if any of the destinations are places you would like to return to for a longer visit.
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I loved the places we visited on our cruise, often you can choose to look at a port on your own or venture out with a guide to a variety of places. I didn't think our visits were at all shallow, we had some excellent local guides. The on board cruise is an experience in itself.
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We were in Bali when one of the Cunard Queens anchored in the bay, and out of curiosity we went down to the pier to watch the passengers come ashore. They were all very old.
Thanks for that ET, I wouldn't consider myself "very old"
Ian, the tipping thing yes can be very annoying and I do agree with you that they should be paid decent wages in the first place.
On our first sea cruise (15 years ago) we had fixed times and tables for dining. The same waiter and assistant waiter every night, the waiter was a lovely man, he told us that he was a fully qualified marine engineer but moved to being a waiter because he makes more on tips than he did on wages. On that ship they advised new cruise passengers of what they should tip. At that time it was 6$ per person per day for a waiter, 3$ for the assistant waiter and 1$ for the Maitre'd, there was 2 of these overseeing the 2 restaurants. Cabin stewards were also 6$. if you have the time to work all that out it comes to a fair amount.
DK mentions that the Americans have a different attitude to tipping. We did a cruise with Royal Caribbean some years ago, the restaurant was 2 sittings, fixed tables (so same waiters) and was well supported all week, that is until the last night (tipping night) when the restaurant was more than half empty. We mentioned it to the people on our table, a mixture of American/Canadian and us. It appears this is a new thing among the younger cruisers, they have the pleasure of being waited on all week but are not willing to tip so on the last night they go to the self service restaurant. The Americans on our table not only paid the tips on their bills but also tipped extra personally.
I love going on cruises but it is getting harder to find one that still gives that extra something at a reasonable price.
DK, we've not used P&O but Thomson use £'s on their ships, as do Cunard. Costa use €'s in the med/adriatic and $'s in the Caribbean.
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Sorry, meant to say if you don't like the idea of "dressing up" NCL are strictly casual, very few of the cruise lines now insist on DJ's although most do like to see jacket, collar and tie on formal nights. I love the dressing up bit, in fact its one of the things I love about cruises and I do miss it. With not going to the 'mess' anymore what am I to do with all my evening and cocktail dresses
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Sorry, TG but Cunard on board spend is priced in $ unless it has changed since Christmas. AFAIK, of the Carnival Group, only P&O are priced in sterling.
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I'm thinking that cruising might be a bit too regimented for me. The idea of wearing a jacket and tie on holiday......I spent 40 years with that performance.
And the thought of a 'tipping night' when you are expected to hand over money to someone for carrying your plate from the kitchen to your table without actually spilling it on you........mmmmmm maybe not.
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Ian
I go back to my suggestion of a short 2/3/4 day cruise as a taster. They cost no more, probably cheaper, than the same length of time in a reasonable hotel on full board. I doubt on such a short cruise they would bother with formal nights, the rest of the time it's smart casual and no ties or jackets required. You won't know you enjoy or hate it until you try it. A risk you will take of course is that Mrs IanH will love it even if you don't!!!!
David
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Ian, you don't HAVE to go to formal dinner nights, that's the thing about cruises you do what you want, when you want. Food is served pretty much 24 hrs on most ships.
Tipping night as you put it, only happens on the more formal ships, there are many, many ships now that are very casual. As DK said before a lot of ships included the tips in with the price or it is added to your on board bill (if you agree)
Cruising is not everyone's cup of tea but if you don't try it you will never know. I get the impression that you like good smart, comfy stylish hotels, with good restaurants, the choice of bars/lounges and entertainment sometimes (all this based on previous posts about your holiday's) well that's what it is like on modern cruise ships. Good service by staff who are polite and helpful. Excellent food, very good comfy cabins/rooms and the entertainment on some ships is as good as you will get anywhere.
Go on try it you know you want to really.
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According to Cunard website all onboard transactions are in USD, you can convert to GBP at a 3% surcharge.
I have tried sea cruising twice both from UK ports to Norway, and decided it is not my thing, enjoyed the scenery and some of the onboard entertainment, disliked the regimented dining and formal "meet the captain" nights, prefer river cruising.
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Attendance at the captain's cocktail party is not compulsory.
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