How much more expensive is a cruise overall than a typical vacation? I have my doubts

I get the impression that you realize how costly a week-long trip to Hawaii, for instance, is going to be. However, the low price of cruises gives me the impression that there may be “hidden fees” involved, which is why I find them unsettling. Although I am aware of drink packages, I’m concerned that if I’m not prepared, a $3000 cruise excursion might easily end up costing $5000. Prove that I’m mistaken! My spouse is determined to go the next year.

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The only true comparison between an all-inclusive resort and a cruise vacation is possible. Next, include a note about special ports of call. Travel off-season to save money as well.

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@Jemmy My mother and her sister and children recently vacationed at an all-inclusive resort in Mexico. Even though she loved it, she noticed cruise ships departing every day and wished she was on one to explore far more of Mexico with the identical amenities (restaurant, pool, and hotel) for essentially the same amount. In November, we set off on our Central American cruise!

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To be honest, there are simply too many factors to compare. First off, there are cruises to the Caribbean that cost less than $1000 and those that cost more than $10,000. The cost varies greatly depending on the company, ship, accommodation class, and extra packages. That also applies to any vacation. For instance, in Europe, you can choose to stay in a boutique hotel, dine at Michelin-starred restaurants, and take private excursions, or you can fly economy and spend your time in Holiday Inn hotels, where you can also enjoy rapid service and free activities.

wish any trip, a cruise can be as expensive or as inexpensive as you wish.

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One of the best vacation deals is definitely a cruise, especially if you can get to the port at a reasonable cost—for example, by having someone drop you there. If not, you may need to pay extra for parking, transportation to and from the port, and lodging if you’re traveling by plane in order to prevent missing the ship due to delayed flights. If you have paid for your gratuities in advance, you have the option to spend no further money once on the ship. There are plenty of places to spend it, so you can spend a ton more if you so want.

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In the next ten months, my wife and I have three cruises scheduled: two with Royal Caribbean and one with Celebrity. The entire expense, without including gratuities, comes to just over $6,000. That covers a 24-day stay aboard the ships in total. One interior and two balconies. You can choose to spend zero bucks on the ship, as many others have mentioned. Additionally, we received $100 obc for every voyage.

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When you book, you’ll be aware of the price. On certain cruises (like NCL), the drink package is included. There aren’t any extra costs. The port taxes and gratuities are paid in advance.

However, if you don’t want to spend the money, you don’t want to get drawn into the extras. When on a cruise, you can spend money on a lot of different things (spa, photos, expensive restaurants, excursions, etc.). Don’t use that cash. You can avoid excursions in a lot of ports. Since there might not be anything close to the port, in some you essentially do (or other conveyance) (Rome, tortuga).

It really includes pretty much everything that is need (meal, hotel, entertainment, pool/hot tub, and basic beverages like water, tea, coffee, and juice).

Take a cruise; you won’t regret it.

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Products to smuggle alcohol into cruise ships are sold on Amazon, saving money on pricey drink packages :leaves: :tropical_drink: :wine_glass:

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I went on a cruise for $800. My cruise cost me $12k. :man_shrugging:

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A typical vacation for me consists of a tent, a stove, and a few road trips. My regular trip is therefore getting cheaper every day.

Comparing the two cruises I’ve done, I’d say they are comparable, especially when I go back to the time I took my mom to Jamaica, to an all-inclusive resort where she discovered a deal. Additionally, because alcohol was expensive and although I don’t drink, my friends do, it’s close on both counts.

I doubt I would take a cruise to Hawaii. To be honest, I would want to go camping there.

However, the Eastern Mediterranean? Okay, get me on a large boat.

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To be honest, I intentionally hunt for deals by being open to traveling during off-peak hours.

In May, I traveled to Alaska and had an amazing experience at a relatively low cost.

It is necessary for you to be aware of the port charges and daily gratuities, but the ship will still sell whether it is full or not because the operators want to take in customers.

Although the base price includes bed and board as well as port access, you have to be the kind of person who can turn down all of the offers to spend more.

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I recently paid roughly $5,000 for a ten-day trip to Costa Rica. My previous cruise cost roughly $2500 for the full seven days. Because cruises are usually less expensive, I’ve taken three of them. To be clear, I do not pay as much for airfare because I live a few hours away from a cruise port.

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I put in a lot of work. I therefore desire a luxury vacation whenever I do manage to have one. NCL and I reserve a Haven, and we enjoy the cruise, unwind, view gorgeous locations, etc. For us, the complimentary drink package at sea is definitely worth it.

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It is very dependent on the cruise line you select and your preferences. I often prepare a spreadsheet for my clients so they can compare apples to apples. Virgin Voyages as an example, includes many things other cruises charge extra for. Some of these include:

-Crew gratuities

-WiFi

-Soft drinks

-Specialty dining

-Group fitness classes

You mentioned drink packages as an example. This can vary a LOT by cruise line. Princess Plus is $60 per person per day but includes wi-fi and crew tios and other things. RCCL sometimes charges over $100 per person per day for drinks only.

A good TA can help you sort through it.

I also find that people tend to underestimate land vacation costs since they are often paying as they go and don’t factor in all their expenses.

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Cruises are no more affordable to me than any other kind of trip, even all-inclusives, once you account for airfare, lodging the night before departure, and alcoholic beverages.

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My wife and two small children and I were thinking about possible trips for New Year’s. We considered renting a beachfront home because we reside in Orlando. We were shocked by how expensive it was when we first looked at the prices. Nine months had passed since then. Then we thought about taking a cruise, and found that it would be less expensive to rent a beach home one county over for a four-night cruise out of Fort Lauderdale (which is roughly how long we planned to be at the beach anyway), plus a hotel, gas, and tolls. Not to mention the few days you can spend without worrying about cooking.

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There are no unstated costs (well, except auto-gratuities, I suppose). More so are the temptations.

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I recently went on my first cruise. These are the expenses that added to the total cost:

Airline Tickets to the Port City

Transportation to the Airport

Transportation to the Hotel from the Airport

The Night before Hotel

Transportation to the Port

Transportation back to the Airport

Transportation Home from the Airport