Cruising is a brilliant way to see the world – after all, where else can you see many countries all in the space of one holiday?
Year in year out, cruising is getting more popular and although you will have an exceptional time, we wanted to highlight some potential hidden costs which you may not have been aware of before booking your cruise. These are not huge costs and should not put you off booking, but are good to be aware of before boarding…
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Tipping
Tipping on a cruise ship is something which is debated by many cruisers, some happy to pay upfront while others prefer to pay at the end of their trip. If you look at the overview of cruise companies, some cruise lines will include your tips within your package giving you the peace of mind that it has been covered. The majority of cruise companies, however, choose to add tips to your final bill at the end of the holiday, therefore adding an additional expense which you will need to budget for. If you would like to opt out of the tips and tip the staff with cash you can, alternative if you are not happy with your service on the ship you can opt to have it removed completely. Tipping is one of those hidden costs which adds up at the end of the trip.
Shore Excursions
The best part of a cruise is that fact you can see a variety of different countries all in one holiday. When booking your cruise you will have the option to book some of your shore excursions (you can wait to book on the ship but some will be sold out). It’s important to budget the cost of these excursions as they can cost between £20 to £300 depending on where you are going. Excursions include activities like sightseeing tours, dining experiences or more adventurous activities like kayaking or sky diving. You can opt to explore on your own merit, but will need to make sure you get to the ship on time otherwise it may leave without you, leaving you to travel to the next destination separately. (Cruise liners promise to wait for any passenger that embarks on an excursion which they have organised).
Wi-Fi
If you are planning on logging into the internet and sharing your trip with your family members, you may want to think twice. Being out in sea can be expensive with the majority of ships charging you to connect to their Wi-Fi. Some will offer daily or weekly internet packages, while others offer pay as you go rates – We will warn you, these do not come cheap! The best option is to use a coffee shop in the countries you visit for free Wi-Fi to avoid these hidden costs.
Speciality Dining
Although all cruise liners include standard dining options, sometimes you might want something a little more special, which is why cruise companies work hard to offer dining experiences for romance, indulgence and luxury. The likes of P&O Cruises have teamed up with Eric Lanyard to offer a premier fine dining restaurant, Princess Cruises with their renowned chef Ernesto Uchimura opening his Salty Dog Gastropub and Royal Caribbean working with Jamie Oliver to offer a Jamie’s Italian on board. These speciality restaurants cost extra but promise to offer a unique experience at sea which will have you coming back for more. It’s important to put aside a budget for these as they are well worth experiencing!
Flights
If you don’t like flying you can sail from Southampton and visit the countries you love without setting foot in a plane. Some cruises require you to travel to a destination before embarking on the ship so be sure to check before you go. Also make sure you check that flights are included in the price as some companies advertise without flights. If you look for a fly cruise you will normally find they include flights and transfers from and to the airport.
Drink packages
Whilst some ships are all-inclusive (offering most alcoholic beverages and non-alcoholic drinks) many of them aren’t. Unless stated, it’s best to work off the idea that you are going to be charged for beer, wine, cocktails and soft drinks. Some cruise line will include water but some will charge. Before you go, we would recommend checking to see if they offer any drinks packages as these can be really good value for money. You may think at first that it looks expensive, but when you are on sea days and in the evening aboard the ship you will be surprised how much you spend on drinks if you purchase them individually. This is one of the hidden costs which can add up, like tipping!
Spa / Salon
You will be amazed at how luxurious some of the spas are on sea, some are voted the best in the world. Whilst, they are not mandatory, a little pampering on your holiday can go a long way, but this does come at a cost. Entry to the spa comes at a standard cost and a treatment adds that bit extra. Before you go away, you can look on your cruise lines website and find out what they offer. (They do have offers if you book on the ship, but we recommend booking in advance as the spa gets booked up quickly.)
On board activities and entertainment
Most activities and entertainment come standard with your booking and are usually very impressive! You will find the bigger the ship the more on offer, especially with some ships being large enough that they have ice skating, formula one pods and wave surfing on board. This does mean that there can be extra costs which you may not have expected, things like the casino and bingo require a buy in or their workshops like photography lessons – Britannia even offers cookery schools with celebrity chefs!
Travel insurance
It goes without saying, you will always need to purchase travel insurance when going on holiday – It doesn’t matter that you are on a cruise ship, you will still require it. Remember to register the destination you are visiting as you will not be in one place. Also, if you have a year’s travel insurance make sure this covers cruises as it may come at an additional hidden costs.
Advice for booking travel insurance
