How much should I expect to spend after a week long cruise?

Question

I'm planning on going on a cruise and want to know how much extra money it's going to cost me when the trip is over. Including, wine, beer, mixed drinks, gratuity, souvenirs, possibly even excursions and buying those pictures they take everyday your on the cruise. All in all, how much did you spend additionally on your cruise?

Answer 1

On a lot of the cruise's now they figure in the gratuities at $10 per person per day. So on a 7 day cruise you are billed for 2 people $140.  Some ships it $20 per person per day. The drinking is quite expensive so its up to you, the more you drink, the more you owe. If money is a concern, refrain from drinking. The shore excursion's are not even nessasary as you can explore on your own and have a great time.  They can add up to big bucks also and some are not near worth what you spent for them.  In Alaska they wanted $320 for the White Trail Pass excursion for the 4 of us.....we rented a car at that port for $60 and followed the same path the train took and got to stop where ever we wanted, when we wanted for a fraction of what the excursion would have cost us.

I felt like we should buy one of the pictures they take, just for the memory of the trip.  With a digital camera of your own you do not have to buy all the expensive picture's they try and sell you.

At the end of our cruise we had not spent more then $500 and did not short ourselves on anything. That included the tips.  

I have heard of some people getting off the ship and oweing $1000 in bar tabs alone.

So, it all comes down to what you figure you can afford to spend or want to spend. The cruise its self has all the good food and entertainment that is already paid for in the price of the cruise ticket and you could have a blast not spending another dime.

We did have fun in the casino and broke about even, lost some won some.  Didn't feel like we needed to spend big bucks in the spa and hair salon.

Answer 2

I am taking my first cruise in July. My friend are going on a Mediterranean cruise. I would suggest you do what we did and pre pay the gratuities. It was around $68 apiece. I have a feeling that if you tip at the end of the cruise you might end up spending more than you really should.  There's also a deal where you can pay for soft drinks and juice for the length of the cruise. That means you can have sodas and juice for the entire time without having to pay each time you get said drink. As far as alcohol goes, it's a 15% gratuity at the bar. By the way, these are the rules for Royal Caribbean. Hope you find a cruise you like and go!

Answer 3

$1000 for two

approx.

Answer 4

In addition to the charges for tips, bar items and excursions, there are optional expenses for the photographs taken by the ship's photographer.  They will snap your photo at every turn! The photo sheets run $20 each.

If you are parking @ the port, plan on $70-100 per car parked.  Plan for tips for the porters at the dock.  Usually $1-2 per bag for arrival and exit at the port.

If you like the casino, be sure to budget money for this treat.  That includes bingo cards.

The newer ships also offer internet service, gourment coffee, sushi and other items that are extra costs.  The Carnival line has in-room beverages that are billed like a hotel mini-bar.

Excursions can run from $40 to $150+ per person.

Make sure you take a good number of small USD ($5/10) for cab rides in port.  

Don't use the on-board phones to call home!  It is $7.00 per minute.  I learned this when my sister was using the on-board phone to check her voicemail @ home!

One way to control your spending on a Carnival is to use a cash account instead of an account tied to a credit card.  The ship will prevent you from charging more than you put up for deposit.

We usually plan about half of the cost of the cabin for expenses.

Answer 5

I have made two cruise travels, one for 7 days and the other for 11.  In average I spent in the cruise around US$1000 in the first and $1500 in the second.  So fir a week, the expenses are a around a thousand dollars including beverages, gratuities, some excursions.

Answer 6

As  a travel agent I recommend to my clients, whatever you spend as the base price for an average cruise will be about how much you will spend during the cruise including drinks, shore excursions, souveniers, salon/spa treatments, gratuties, and possibly casino.  Its hard to actually answer this question because it depends on how much you drink, how much and what kind of shore excursions you take, what type of souveniers you buy, how many, if any, and what type of salon/spa treatments you elect to have, and what type of gambler you are.  

Hope this helps.

Answer 7

It just depends, as for the excursions depending on where your going some of the excursions cost like $200 a person so it just depends and others are like $60 a person so it really just depends, as for soda and stuff you can get a soda package for like $30 and it covers the entire cruise so you dont have to pay every time, and the bar is a 15% gratituty, and everything, and for tops you have to pay them so much but I think that most everyone doesnt pay the exact amount they probably tip more because they are from foreign countries and dont see their families and are away from home for like 8 months I think they deserve as much as they can get to send back home to their families. They all deserve it with what they all do, and everything, and then their are the shops, and everything and souvenirs, it could go on but maybe a little less then $1000 probably around $800??

Answer 8

It all depends. I spend around US$700, but because i don´t drink and just take special excursions.... it all depends of your destiny, in Europe is more expensive.