What hidden cost are in cruise line?

Question

We are going to Cozumel via ecstasy, on the

Western Caribbean 5 Day trip out of Galveston, Texas. What are some hidden costs? I heard they charge you $10.00 a day for gratuity!! What other hidden things are there? Do you have a way to sneak liquor on board? Any tips or suggestions? How much is a beer or other drinks? Where you on ecstasy or another ship?

Answer 1

I've cruised twice with Carnival (the Inspiration in '06 and the Holiday in '07) and there are no "hidden" charges that I have found (even the gratuity you mention isn't hidden, if you read the paperwork you get it's stated there).

If you do not like the amount of gratuity they add to your sail & sign bill, you can reduce or eliminate it (just go to the purser's desk and they will adjust it for you). It isn't obligatory but does help ensure the hard working, low paid staff gets some kind of tip for all that they do. You may also increase it, or cash-tip anyone for service you feel is deserving of an amount in excess of the 15% that is shared amongst all those that tend to you.

Sodas, and booze are charged for on the ship. I like mixed and frozen drinks so I buy the $7.95 cup that you can get refilled the rest of the trip for $5.95 each. I had a white russian at dinner one night and it was $4.95 so the drink prices are similar to what we pay in bars here in FL where I live. Not cheap, but not excessive. Most mornings they had bloody mary's for $3.95 as well.

A "reasonable" amount of sodas can be carried on board by each person. We determined that to be a 12-pack person last year so we took those to mix with the booze we smuggled on. All we did was put it in alternate containers that weren't clearly liquor bottles. No issues with it being found or removed from any in our party either year. Some wine can be brought on board, but they charge a "corkage" fee I think...that info should be in your paperwork as well as on Carnival's website.

Other things they charge for (spa treatments, some high-end supper clubs, cappucinos, etc) aren't things I had any desire for on the trip anyway. There's PLENTY to do that is included in what you originally paid, and food available constantly at no extra charge. Clubs to party in, vegas style shows, comedy shows, tea-time, a gym, etc all included. They do take a lot of professional photos, but if you don't want to spend money on those, then don't. On my trips various people would by certain photos they liked, and they we scanned and made copies for others in the group upon our return home. The photos ran about $18 for an 8x10 and less for the 6 x 9 or 5 x 7 sizes.

In Cozumel, both years, we rented our own vehicle and did our own thing. Cheaper than any of the excursions and the easy to get around as the island road is basically a circle around 1/2 the island with the city of San Miguel being your start/finish point. You can drink margaritas on the beach, go swimming/snorkeling, see Mayan ruins, visit a lighthouse, etc or just stop in San Miguel. Don't pay too much attention to the shopping talk that tells you to ONLY go to shops that Carnival suggests...they try to make the others sound like ripoffs but what it means is that they don't get kickbacks from those other shops. Just know what you want, what you are willing to pay, and have fun doing a little "negotiating". Try to be fair though...it's a poor place and trying to get something for nothing isn't kewl but you can get some good deals if you look around.

Enjoy your trip...I love cruising and can't wait to go again (have only been back from my 2nd cruise for 1 week). It's THE way to travel in my opinion. Enjoy!

Answer 2

I was on that exact cruise 2 years ago.  There really arent hidden charges.  There is the gratuity that everyone talks about.  It is well justified, as the staff does an excellent job.  Dont bother buying the picutures that the staff takes of you. Just avoid.

Not only do you have to pose for thier pictures, but then you have to look for your pictures among 1000's posted on the wall, in order to pay an outrageous amount of money for each one.  Instead, pack your own camera and take the shot YOU want.  

The Excursions cost extra, but they are worth it.  Me and my buddy did the Catamaran, sail, snorkel and private beach in Cozumel.  It was awesome,  all the drinks from when we stepped on the boat at 9 am till we left the private beach were all included in the cost of the excursion.  It was so great, I dont remember it!!  LOL j/k.   I would recommend that excurtion though.  very fun.

As for drinks.  They werent too strict on the Ecstasy.  Me and my buddy put vodka in 7 up bottles in our luggage.  Just rap your clothes around your bottles and put them in the middle of your checked bag.  We even had a bottle or two in our carry on backpacks, and they never even knew it.  

The ecstasy, last time i was on it, had all you wanted to drink as for lemonade and juices (perfect for mixers). So we took our 7 up bottles with us whenever we were on deck.  Grabbed a cup, put some juice in it or lemonade, and poured our (7 up) into the cup.  Believe me, it was very inexpensive.  Then we would take our buzz into the club at night and buy a few drinks, which range from 4 -5 bucks each.  So it wasnt too bad.

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Tipping/gratuity is up to you.  You can either tip beforehand, or hand each person their envelope the last night of the cruise.  We waited till the end of the cruise and put their tip in the envelope.  We did NOT tip our headwaiter because he NEVER showed up at our table except for the last night to say hi and act like he's keeping an eye on his staff.  We tipped our waiter and assistant waiter and our stateroom attendant quite well.

You will have to pay for your alcohol.  If you are a drinker that will add up FAST.  You also pay for your own sodas.  You can get a soda coupon, which is well worth it.

If you drink any of the sodas that are in your stateroom, you will be charged for it.  That is NOT a hidden charge because there is a sign stating you will be charged if you drink it.

Shore excursions are not included.  Nor are spa treatments.

Pictures that photographers take are not included.  BUT, you are under NO obligation to buy the photos!  SO, pose for as many as you'd like, then check out the photos in their gallery.  If you do not want them you put them in the unwanted photos box.

Answer 4

There really are no hidden charges on a ship, it is just the things that are not included. Your tips can be pre-paid before you get onboard if you want to get it out of the way, it is the easiest way to go.

Your shore excursions, drinks, any sur-charge restaurants, spa treatments, shopping, etc. is all extra costs. You basically have paid for your cruise, your room, your main food (except for any restaurants or food you choose to pay extra for) and your taxes and fees for the cruise. Most else is extra. But, there is plenty of entertainment, shows, etc. that are included.

Drinks can range from about $2 for soda, to around $12 for mixed drinks. Beer is around $4, wine can vary quite a bit, etc.

I have been on the Ecstasy, but it has been some time now since I was last on there. It is an older ship, but it appears that they are keeping it up pretty good.  

I've included a link to Cruise Critic on your ship that will give you a ton of reveiws and more info to help you with your planning.

Have a great time!

Answer 5

It is $10 per day per person for tips. You can lower or raise this price, they prefer you do not lower. They aren't other hidden costs. Beer costs around $4 plus tip which is 15%. Soft drinks are around $2 or 3 dollars. If you sneak liquor on and they find it they will take it away. In your stateroom there is a tv. On it at any time you can check the balance of your card. It will list all the purchases you have made over the trip. I was on Carnival's Valor ship.

Answer 6

The cruise line says each person can bring a bottle or two; however, they never checked my luggage so I'm thinking you could bring a few more.

-  Gratuities are supposedly already paid, but they will leave envelopes in your room at the end of the cruise to try and get you to tip more.  Its a guilt-trip thing because the staff takes great care of your room and you feel bad if you leave them nothing.  Although that is exactly what I left them!

-  Alcohol is cheaper if you buy their drink of the day bottle and keep getting it refilled.  The problem is, you won't feel like carrying this bottle everywhere you go, so you end up buying more.

-  They are constantly taking professional photos all around the ship that will cost you a lot of money to purchase.  Who can resist a good picture of themself.  Plan on spending at least $100.00 on these.  We spent $350.00!!!  The photopraphers great.

-  Shore excursions will run you $70.00 to $150.00 per person, per excursion.  Some ports really do not have anything else to do and you will want to go on some of these.  They are a lot of fun, but pricey.

-  You will have a head waiter in the dining room that takes care of you at every meal.  They will take excellent care of you and remember everyone's name.  You get the same wait staff every night.  You will want to tip them at the end of your trip because they are so good.  We tipped $100.00 for my family of 4.

-  The best advice I can give you is to go, have fun, do everything you feel like doing, and don't pinch pennies.  You are on vacation so let go and enjoy it.  You will make it up when you get home one way or another.  We always do!

Answer 7

The Ecstacy is one of 8 - yes 8 - identical ships that Carnival built in the mid 1990s. Her sister ships are the Fantasy, Sensation, Fascination, Imagination, Inspiration, Elation and Paradise. They are all in the mid-to-large category at 70,000+ tons and carrying 2000+ passengers. Although they all have absolutely identical deck plans, the interior decor varies from ship to ship. However, if you've been on one of them, you'll feel like you know all of them well, and are home on any of them!

I took my whole family on the Imagination last year - 8 cabins - it was their yearly presents all rolled-up into one. We went out of Tampa for 5 nights and had a great cruise.

The Imagination was very well taken care of - nothing seemed to be wearing out or in need of replacement. She only has about 20 cabins with balconys, and those are only in the suites, but even with her age, we found nothing lacking. The buffet gets crowded, but other than that I had no complaints. The food was OK - not great. The entertainment was the best of any ship I have been on - and we cruise at least twice a year, so that's a big endorsement. The bars and night clubs were a lot of fun - especially those on the Promenade Deck.

Your options for your day in Cozumel are almost endless - there are about 60 shore excursions that are offered by Carnival - I have copied the link for you, below. Or you can just stroll the main shopping area downtown along the waterfront for some excellent bargans. I got a beautiful pair of cowboy boots. They were marked $480 - I got them for $100 after "negotiating" with the shop owner. Lots of fun.

By the way, you may not know that Carnival has the largest standard cabins of any cruise line - 185 sq. ft. compared to 155 - 175 on others.

With regard to bringing your own liquor on board, some of my clients tell me that they put vodka, gin, or other clear liquor into empty water bottles and pack it in their luggage. They use empty Coke bottles for dark liquors. None of them have ever told me that they've had any problems.  Good luck.

As far as what's included and what's not included in your cruise price, here's a little guide:

- Included - Ship accommodations, ocean transportation, most meals, coffee/tea/juices, most entertainment, and port taxes.

- Not Included - Any item of a personal nature including but not limited to: alcoholic beverages, (beer $4.00 & up, mixed drinks $5,50 and up - Carnival always has the "drink-of-the-day" at a discounted price!), spa and salon treatments, specialty coffees, shore excursions, gratuities, air transportation, transfers, photographs, medical services,

Carnival delivered what it promised and we enjoyed our cruise, and I hope you do too!

Bon voyage!

Answer 8

We took 20 guests on the Ecstasy last June.

Yes, the gratuity is $10/per day/per guest.  They charge this to your Sign and Sail account the moment you step on the ship.  Carnival claims the ability to charge the gratuties is in response to customer's feedback on the hassle of using the tip envelopes.

I suspect this change is to overcome the number of guests that opted not to pay the gratuties though the envelope method.

There is no way around paying the gratutites.  The Ecstasy is a CASHLESS system except the casino.  When you board, they open a Sign and Sail account.  You can open the Sign and Sail account with a credit card or a cash deposit.

If you use a cash deposit, they gratuties take up the deposit and you can't charge drinks, photos, shore excursions until you depsoit more money.

Bottom line...put $50 per guest into your buget to pay for the gratuties.

Other things to consider about sailing out of Galveston...if you are parking at the port, it is also $10 per day per car.  Plan $50 to park you car at the port.

Keep a few dollars to get a porter to expedite your luggage out of the cruise terminal.  This is optional you get out of the cruise terminal quicker if you use a port.  Plan at least $1 per bag.

Bar drinks run from $4-12 each.  Soda by the can is $1.75.  Don't drink the sodas in your room!  They are like a mini bar in a hotel and they will charge your account for the sodas!

Don't use the ship to shore phone...my sister ran up a $150.00 phone bill checking her voicemail at $7.00 per minute!

Photos by the ship's photographers run $20 per sheet.  

Sushi, shore excrusions, coffee bar, bingo and internet are extra.

How to save money????

- If you are a soda drinker, get the soda fountain card.  Unlimited soda by the glass for about $30 for the 5-day trip.

- If you can do without soda, then tea, lemonade and water are available free of charge at the food courts.

- Research and book your own shore excursions on your own in advance or there will be many tour operators at the dock offering you tours at a lower cost than those excursions offered by Carnival.

- If you use a cash deposit, then you won't get sticker shock at the end of the cruise.  They will cut you off from charging when you meet your deposit.

Hint...do your shopping in Progresso!  Cozumel is overpriced.