Part 3: Wholesale Vacations & The "Extra" Cost Trap - First Time Cruise Shopping Tips
Welcome back to the Cruise Shopping Master Class! I always tell people that when it comes to cruise pricing, you get exactly what you pay for. No more, and no less.
The cruise itself is essentially a wholesale vacation. The cruise lines provide a massive baseline that is completely inclusive of your basic needs—your room (serviced once or twice daily), standard entertainment, transportation, and traditional dining room or buffet food venues are already included in your base cruise fare. In fact, cruise lines make almost all of their real profit on extra things onboard, all while providing a base package that keeps you fed and sheltered. Sounds GREAT, right?
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You don't have to buy a single extra thing on the ship or from the cruise line—unless you want to. If you aren't careful, you can easily double the price of your vacation by spending à la carte. To protect your budget, you need to know exactly what is going to cost you extra before you step onto the gangway.
FYI The extra 20% occupancy is the 3rd and 4th guests in a room that sleep on the pullman or sofa beds. The main profit centers onboard a cruise ship are: Casino/Gambling, Adult Beverages, Shore Excursions, Specialty Dining, Spa & Salon Bookings & Retail purchases. It is completely possible to cruise without purchasing any of these extras yeilding a very affordable wholesale vacation, but only if you pay attention, and have the willpower to say "no thank you".Extra Charges Onboard
Things that cost extra on almost every major brand include:
Gambling at the Casino - unless of course you win.. And we all know that everybody does not win. If they did, The Casino would not be considered a profit center.
One time we were dining with another couple that were gamblers. They said that they were cruising for free on a "casino offer". They also said "We each limit ourselves to $200 a night in the Casino - when it's gone, it's gone." (Ummmmm... if you are each losing $200/night that is more than the price of this cruise)Adult Beverages: Unless you pre-purchased a beverage package or scored a specific promotional offer, every cocktail, beer, and glass of wine is billed individually to your room account at the price stated on the bar menu, most likely $12 - $15.
If you are a drinker, at any level I recommend a Beverage Package if you can afford it. You will have more fun if you don't have to worry about your bar tab at the end of the cruise. Most beverage packages include bottled water, soda and other items. If you don't want to purchase a Beverage Package there are other options. Most cruise brands allow you to carry one or more bottles of wine, onboard, in your carry on bag, at embarkation, for consumption in your room. You can always drink at a port of call, either within the port facility or at a local establishment. There is yet another option - just give us a call...Shore Excursions: Are land and sea tours organized by the cruise line and sold at a per person fare either in advance or on the ship. Guests meet at a designated location and enjoy the activity in a group setting with any transportation required included. The cruise line tours are convenient but can be costly.
We have several resources for third party excursion providers. The advantages of using a third party are usually a discounted fare, fewer people, and a more private experience. Rob and I have been the only two participants on more than one occation. Third party tour operators offer all of the same assurances that you get when purchasing through the ship. A disadvantage would be that there is a possibility that a third party vendor could cancel your tour at the last minute if the tour you chose did not generate enough interest. Don't want an organized excursion? Pay a cab on your own - they will be lined up at the port waiting for your. Don't want to pay a cab? Walk... That is exactly what we did for many years!Specialty Dining & Cafés: Want a branded specialty espresso coffee in the morning? A protein smoothie after the gym? A scoop of premium ice cream at an onboard storefront? That costs extra. A Lobster dinner in the dining room is now offered at a nominal price on the dining room menu. There are also Specialty Dining Venues on the ship that offer themed meal experiences for an extra fixed fee amount. There may be a Steakhouse, Seafood restaurant, Mexican fare, some flavor of Asian and other themes depending on the ship.
This information can be found on the "Ship Info" Tab on any specific "Ship and Sail Date Cruise page" at PlanningToCruise.com Conduct a search, choose an itinerary & date. Once the specific cruise page is open click on the "ship info" tab, then scroll down to find "Dining" in the grid at the bottom and click on the "MORE" button. There you will be shown all of the different venues on that particular ship. (Note: Standard coffee, smoothies, and ice cream served in the main dining room or buffet areas are 100% included unless a price is shown on the menu).Spa Membership, Fitness Classes & Salon Bookings: Are the easiest to avoid. The Spa is a relaxing area with warm loungers, maybe a steam room, or therapy pool. You can't access the area unless you pay extra, so there is no tempation. There are fitness classes but if you are that dedicated you can do your own workout by utilizing the gym equipment like treadmills or weight equipment. As far as Salon Bookings are concerned, get those out of the way at home before you leave.
Exceptions: If your itinerary has many sea days you may want a Spa membership to enjoy. Recently we have enjoyed Thai Chi classes that were complimentary on sea days. And if you break a nail there is always the opportunity to make an emergency trip to the salon.Onboard Temptations: Souvineer shops, jewelry, fancy watches, or even art is available in the ship shops for purchase. You don't NEED any of these things if you are seeking a wholesale vacation.
Of course if you forgot sunscreen - that's a different story - they got you covered, at a crazy high price!Is The Beverage Package Worth It?
Most first-time travelers think a beverage package is only worth it if you plan on drinking 10-15 margaritas a day. That is completely false. Every cruise brand is different, but most now offer bundles of amenities that come packaged directly with your beverage choice—like Starlink Wi-Fi access, shore excursion credits, specialty dining venues, and even your daily crew gratuities in some instances.
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Rob and I have learned over 40 cruises that there is far more than just alcohol that gives these packages their value. Honestly, I think we drink more fancy specialty coffees, protein smoothies, and bottled waters than alcohol! We have become spoiled. We stop by a bar every single night on our way back to our cabin to grab at least one bottle of water to take to our cagin for our prescription medications and vitamins.
Plus, there is an undeniable luxury to having your server refill your wine glass at dinner and not having to go through the daily hassle of pulling out your cruise card and signing a payment slip every twenty minutes.
The Constant Rule: If one person in a cabin wants a beverage package, the cruise line requires that the other adult MUST purchase it as well to prevent sharing. Because à la carte pricing can double your bill quickly, if you are the least bit interested, I suggest considering a bundle up front for much better value
Pay Attention! If a crew member asks for your cruise card, they are likely charging you for something! Your cruise card is like a credit card on the ship.
Scenario: Lets say, you are attending an organized deck party surrounding the outdoor pool. A handsome server is carrying around a tray of full size, frozen Strawberry Daquari's, (the drink of the day) and they offer you one. You accept, and they ask to see your cruise card.... They are recording in your ship board account that you purchased that drink! Just because the party was organized does not mean that drinks are free!
On the contrary - there are organized parties with free drinks offered. Look for them in your daily schedule that is delivered to your room. Many times they will have a "Captain's Party" for cruisers of different status levels, and usually these have free drinks. You might even get a personal invitation to one of these. The portion served will be smaller than those full sized Strawberry Daiquiris at the pool party and no one will ask for your cruise card!
📝 Your Masterclass Homework: Discover some Brands offering Promo Packages
Just for fun lets do some browser searches to find out what is out there.
Open up a new tab in your browser.
In the search bar type a term from one of the 3 images below, and see if you can find out which brand the offer is from. A reliable resource is Cruise Critic, or a direct link to any CruiseBrand.com
Send your Three Answers along with your full name and mailing address to BellesCruises@gmail.com for a free lanyard tab phone tether - use it with most smart phone cases to attach your phone to a neck or wrist strap, or you, your bag or other lanyard.
Three typical examples of promotional bundles of extra amenities
Send your Three Answers along with your full name and mailing address to BellesCruises@gmail.com for a free lanyard tab phone tether - use it with most smart phone cases to attach your phone to a neck or wrist strap, or you, your bag or other lanyard.
For a List of Current Promotional Offers Visit PlanningToCruise.com "Promotions Tab" where you will find is a list of some current Promotional offers. But it's not complete. No one publishes a complete list of all ongoing promotional offers in one place. For expertise on current or future promotional offers you need to contact us. We have resources where we can search across brands for them. Watch your email too, we send out the best offers. Not on our email list? Send your full name and mailing address to bellescruises@gmail.com
Agents can also offer Group pricing, even if you are not a group. We are affiliated with professional organizations that block group space on most ships and sail dates. Agents all over the nation can book their individual room clients into these groups to get the rates and the amenities. These rates are built into our website search results. You might even find a cruise on our website with cheaper pricing than the brand itself. (agency group rate)
FYI: The Cruise pricing that you see on our website is hot linked to each cruise line brand and is accurate up to the moment and even shows current inventory of rooms in real time.
The Bottom Line: This fluid wholesale matrix is why we can’t just spit out a single price. But with some communication and focus on what you actually want to experience, we can get there. Please be honest when we ask you intake questions. We will never judge you. We just need to know about your preferred lifestyle in order to provide the highest quality service and an experience you are expecting.
Once you spot an itinerary you like on our side-by-side comparison tool, don't guess at the final math. Call us directly at 815-516-0300—let us be your Cruise Vacation Coaches and we will blueprint the most cost-effective package for your budget!
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