How much did you end up paying (on Sail and Sign account) after a 7 day caribbean cruise?

Question

Trying to figure out how much I should budget to have to pay when I get off the ship. Please tell me what your costs/averages were and how it added up. I know it differs depending on a ton but it will help to see what it cost others.

Answer 1

If your trying to manage to a budget, set up your Sail and Sign account based on a cash budget instead of tying to a credit card.

Notable...Carnival charges your account for the tips the moment you step on board, so be sure to have enough in your account for tips and spending money.  The purser will give you a note when you have reached your limit.  You can add more money or stop spending.

For planning purposes....some of the added costs are:

- Tips. $10 per day per guest

- Bar drinks - $4-12 each plus 15% gratuity

- Sodas. $1.75 per can or $35-45 for a soda fountain card

- Shore excursions.  The most expensive items on your S&S account.  $50-200 per excursion

- Spa services. $50-200 each

- Photos. $20-25 per sheet

- Bingo. $5-10 per card

- Casino - $$$$

- Bottle Water - $3.50

My sister puts down $350 bucks and stop spending when she reaches her limit.  Last 7-day cruise, I spend about over $500 a person because we took a shore excursion in every port.

The above, except tips are optional.  You can skip organized shore excursions and just grab a taxi to the free beach.

In your budget, include cash in small US bills ($1, 5 and 10) for shopping and taxis while in port.

Answer 2

well we don't drink and don't gamble and I bought what I wanted at ports so on the sail and sign we had

$33 on coffee

$280 on tips for 4

$313 total

now I know this is very rare as I saw many that spent as much as the trip cost with out even trying

Answer 3

Depends on if you still need to purchase on shore excursions, if i excluded the excursions, it would come up to be about 50% of the cost of the room per person. example if cabin cost you 500 per person, expect to spend at least  250 per person. I was probably on the low side because we went on alot of excursions so we weren't drinking on the ship as much as others.

I would say a good general rule would be to expect to spend the same amount as what you spent on just the room.

Answer 4

we brought our own alcohol w/ us and still paid 1,300. but mind you we did it knowing we wanted to go no hold back. We got massages, manicures, had dinner in the "other restaurant" you pay for, drank fantastic bottle s of wine at dinner, paid for all excursions from the ship (lesson learned -  research before going - cheaper in port) ,shopped... had champagne, shrimp cocktails and choc. covered strawberries delivered to the room....if we wanted to do it we did it. Now mind you we ahve taken many cruises and ate almost every free meal on the ship, didn't shop to much, a couple trips to the casino, did our adventures around the port and paid less, and got away under $300 for a week and had just as much fun...it's up to you

Answer 5

We went as a family of 4, we prepaid our excursions, and ours was $900. I went with just my daughter and I and we spent about $450. It depends on how much you drink, pop and alcohol are not included , but if you dont drink other than whats free you are considerably less. You can buy a beverage card so your pop will be included . You will pay $10 a day per person for the gratuties so make sure to budget for that. Have fun

Answer 6

IT DOES DEPEND ON A LOT. PICTURES, DRINKS, SPA TREATMENTS AND ON SOME SHIPS TIPS... DRINKS AVERAGE AROUND $5 APIECE... SHORE TRIPS ARE PRICEY, SO GO IT ON YOUR OWN!!! I WOULD SAY THAT THE BILL FOR TWO WOULD BE BETWEEN $300-$500 FOR THE WEEK... WE ARE GOING IN FEBUARY AND I AM PLANNING ON $500 FOR THE WEEK... HAVE FUN!!!

Answer 7

I think about $600-700 for the 4 of us.

I don't know my parents did it I'm 15!!!

I think like from all of my chocolate covered strawberries and their alcohol.  And my sister's coffee.  And tips and stuff.  Also shopping on the ship.  We never went to the spa or the upscale restaurant :((((.  Oh yeah, none of us are interested in shore excursions either.  We just like to go sit on the beach.  I think my dad had a soda card but my mom, sister, and I don't drink soda so we didn't.  My mom and I also played bingo two or three times but isn't that cash?  We also go a few photos.

:)Ayelle

Answer 8

ok here goes me and my long answer again- we did ncl a few times and last yr. was our last trip, - you pay $ 10 a day for a total of $70 for you and than $10 a day for a total of $70 for the next person that is for them to give to the person who cleans your room and all those who waied on your during your stay. when you arrive on board they ask for your charge card of some sort they will add this on but on your bill it will broken down into days so dont go to the main desk and ask cause i am telling you ahead of time. also you can not bring you own liqior on board . you can buy the drinks of the day but buy the in the regular glass and not the ones to take home they cost more and what are you going to do to get them home in one peice. when we get off the boat and go to different ports we go to walmart, k mart and such we buy can drinks and we take them back to our room we use the ice bucket and fill the glasses we have in the room with ice and we save that way cause i am always thirsty after swimming and also through the night i like to have some cold drinks . as far as pics. go try to get a package deal and take all the pics. you want but you dont have to buy any at all if you dont want too dont just do it for the fun. if you afford some do so. also the tours cost money and the specail diinng room are extrs but you know what you can never seem to get in there and some time the food is just as good in the other dinning rooms as well. if you go to the beach bring water with you but dont forget the water in your room is not free they put it there so you will buy it be carefull of theat too. just some tips. i hope some of this helps.

Answer 9

you can join a great cruise group here

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Cruiseaddi...

$100.00 per day per person is a good plan..

This can vary greatly depending on what you do. But if you dont drink your body weight in booze everyday. $100 per person per day will give you a great trip.

Answer 10

Ray, you kind of asked before- the answer is, "sail and sign" is a charge account linked to your personal credit card when you check in. The only item "automatically" charged is the tips of $70 per person, per week.  The rest is up to you, and what your "style" and "standard" of vacationing is.

1. Gamble as you please, and to the level you can afford. They have 25 cents slots, and $10,000 limits, as well as some $20 tournaments.

2. The upscale dining, you know, is $25 per person, per meal.

3. Booze. How much you drink is personal, some zero, some hit it hard. Yes, there are people who have $1,000 bar bills ALONE.

4. Tours- these make a lot of money for the ship. Do Stingray City snorkel in Grand Cayman, but book independent on shore. We got 3 snorkel stops for less than the price of one (from the ship's tours). GO EARLY- so you don't miss the ship.... and then hang out at 7 mile beach. The independent tour that takes you to snorkel will drop you at 7 mile beach if you ask. Belize, taxi to the beach and snorkel on your own- wear a tshirt in the water (they have some nasty biting bugs). PACK BUG SPRAY. Roatan had some trinket, wood dealer ashore--- not much else. Did you read Carnival's link on tours? Independent you can pay 1/2 price, or even less if you are a group of your own- NEGOTIATE a price. :)

I pay (for 2 of us)  $70 tip +$70 tip +$40 last bingo jackpot of the week (we share one pack)- that's it. Maybe, one or two drinks for me (about $15) and maybe a bottle of wine for hubby (free from travel agent or about $40). So my ship's tab is about $200.

Then, on shore, IN US CASH (take small cash bills for this), I probably spend another $200 (for 2). A couple tours, a couple taxis, a few trinket purchases... But we have been many times, and done it all already, so we are more "kick back".

You are young- you may spend $150 (for 2) just on a jeep jungle tour, jet skiis are $100/ hr, parasailing is about $50 (on 7 mile beach). If you negotiate that 4 people will go, you may get a better "group" rate on stuff. But the sky is the limit...

If you were one of my sons going, I would say for one person- $200 is minimum (for ships' charges and shore cash), $400- 500 would be living really well, and $1,000 would be "hog wild".