Free drinks and more… but does this really get you to book a cruise?

We are there again. Free drinks enticement by cruise lines and you’re getting carried away with it all yet again.

A simple fact. Cruise lines don’t give anything for nothing. Yes…  they might appear to be giving it all away but the reality is very different. Is that really a bad thing though?

Cruising has always been regarded as the most all-inclusive holiday when compared to traditional resort based package holidays but, alas, the “all-inclusive” tag is, with some cruise lines not quite as all-inclusive as it used to be. Perhaps “more-inclusive” would better describe many cruise lines.

Cruise line-organised shore tours, spa treatments, casino gambling, cocktails and sodas, and Internet access have long been well-established extras.

What gets me are all these new charges, the USD$35 service fee to dine in a speciality restaurant, the a la carte sushi menu, the USD$4 for speciality coffees and cakes, USD$100 for a private cabana by the pool, wine at USD$10 a glass, and on and on and on.

If you’re not careful, you could spend your cruise fare again on all those extras.

In fact, I would go as far as saying that some years ago, the majority of items were included in the cost you paid at the outset. Now, you could say that the list of extras far exceeds the included elements.

Typically, your cruise cost would not include many of the following: Dining at Speciality Restaurants, Shore Excursions, Spa and Salon services, Gambling (including bingo), Photographs, Art Auctions, Laundry and Dry Cleaning Services, Golf Simulators, Alcoholic Beverages, Non-Alcoholic Beverages (excluding water, lemonade and iced tea).

Actually, the list of optional extras could be significantly longer than this. Is this so bad? Not really. It just means that you need to decide, in your particular circumstances, what is and is not required to make yours that perfect holiday.

Customers choosing the cruise lines that charge for many extras are obsessed with getting a “deal” and the cruise lines, pandering to this, artificially lower prices simply to dangle the carrot, but cruising costs, and they cannot get prices below a price that’s commercially sensible without something giving. They pay their staff less and less and expect them to make up the loss of income on tips. But, bargain hunters can be very mean and often will not tip either. Ultimately everyone loses out.

As I said at the outset, lots of people today are after the often touted free drinks package. Please get real. The cruise lines don’t give these out for free. They are costed in so, if you really can say you will not drink much, then steer clear of the offered free drinks package.

So to conclude, you’re not like that though … and all you want is exceptional value-for-money so, the answer then is crystal clear. When booking your next cruise, simply go for the elements of the trip that you HAVE paid for and forget the optional extras.

Or, if you are really wanting the best, and ARE prepared to pay for it, because it will mean a life enriching travel experience you’ll never forget, then opt for Silversea Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Oceania, Seabourn or Crystal Cruises.