I am a firm believer in the saying ‘You get what you pay for’. In my opinion this applies to most aspects of life including cruise holidays. However certain people are of the view that when on a cruise holiday you should keep your hard earned cash firmly in your wallet and beware of the evil corporate cruise machine trying to trick you into spending money you shouldn’t have to.

I came across this article by award winning writer and ‘cruise expert’ Sara Macefield of the Daily Telegraph and quite frankly have never read so much rubbish in my life.

Sara Macefield, ‘cruise expert’ writes,

‘As fierce competition pushes the basic price of cruises lower, cruise lines are increasingly finding ways to tempt customers to part with more money once they step on board their ships. The rise of the speciality restaurant is one of the main routes cruise companies use to boost on-board takings. Commonly, the charges average between £16 and £23 per person, though once you add wine and menu supplements you can end up signing off a bill for two of £70. The most obvious way to avoid such extras is to stick to the main dining room and self-service buffet.’

Really?…….Of course, why would anyone want to treat themselves once in a while on holiday? Why on earth would you want to spend an evening in a four or five star, beautifully designed quality dining establishment, offering impeccable service and menu’s crafted by some of the worlds most celebrated chefs – when you can avoid such ‘unnecassary extra’s’ by staying put in the self service buffet…..

Speciality restaurants from £16 per person?…… I’ve spent more in Burger King!

She sounds like a right bundle of joy to go on holiday with, god forbid anyone should want to pay for dinner once in a while. Another pearl of wisdom from Sara Macefield, ‘cruise expert’ is,

‘Companies such as P & O Cruises and Royal Caribbean International offer wine packages that can work out cheaper if you drink enough to make them cost-effective. Keep an eye out for happy hours or special-rate drinks of the day, but beware waiters proffering trays of tempting cocktails at sail-away parties – there’s often a price to pay.’

Pay for a speciality cocktail when celebrating a special occasion perhaps? Are you mad?….. Just follow Sara’s advice and get paralytic by drinking enough of the wine package to make it ‘cost-effective’. That is of course until you are faced with the medical bills for repairing your broken bones after the drunken stupor you collapsed down the stairs in.

I know economic times are tough for all of us but Sara’s idea of going on holiday to save money is ludicrous. If the thought of actually paying for dinner or buying a drink is a concern for her I think maybe it’s best she stays at home.

I’d be interested to know what you think. Are you one of those people like Sara who once the holiday is paid for that’s it, any further expenditure is a complete no-no. Or like me are you happy to embrace a few new experiences and live a little even if it can cost upwards of £16!

All comments greatly appreciated.

6 Comments on “It’s not ‘cost-effective’ to enjoy yourself.”

1. One of the selling points of a cruise is that all your food is paid for and available all day every day. The cruise lines also claim to provide a fine dining experience in the main restaurants.
   You cannot therefore compare the cost of eating in a speciality with eating in a restaurant ashore. You have already paid for your meal and you are then paying a supplement to eat the quality of food which used to be provided in the main restaurant.
   The fact is that cruising has never been cheaper and at the moment there are some fantastic deals available. If you then accept that you are paying perhaps half the normal price, if the food in the main restaurant is not what it used to be, paying extra in a speciality restaurant evens things out.
   By the way, we have had both very poor and also exceptionally good meals in the speciality restaurants, so do some research before paying the supplement.

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2. I have to agree with both of you, I’m afraid.
   I’m all for splashing out a bit on a special occasion but in my experience I have found the standard in Main Dining Rooms to be more than satisfactory, even on formal nights.
   On the occasions we paid a supplement to eat in a speciality restaurant we felt that although we had enjoyed the experience, there was very little actual difference to the MDR, apart from the addition of the name of a high profile celebrity chef,not in attendance.

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3. I’m with you – where can you get that kind of dining experience on shore without paying £50 per head let alone £16. My wife and I always go “speciality dining” – it’s one (or two or three!) highlight evenings of our cruise. We always budget for this and special wines (above any beverage package) – we’re on holiday for goodness sake!!

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4. You get a great night out in all the speciality restaurants we have tried. The food is excellent, the service superb and it is also great fun. The main dining rooms are good but rushed service and the noise means it is nothing like the experience of the alternative dining options. Its like the photographers, the shops, the bars etc. No-one forces you to buy from them. They offer cruisers choice. The bars and alternative dining suit us fine.

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5. Of course I would spend money on speciality dining as I have done at least once on any cruise.
   However on a recent land based holiday we went full board as it was a last minute deal. We left home thinking if the food is not very good, then we will eat out. The food turned out to be absolutely fantastic. The choice was unbelievable. Because of this it turned out to be a very cheap holiday with very good accommodation. It would have been a bit disappointing if we had gone all inclusive as the entertainment was based around children which we didn’t have but we went to the local bars at night and really enjoyed our last minute week long break in Salou.
   The hotel was a Thomson hotel which we did not know until we arrived.

   Mike.

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6. If I book into a 4or 5 star hotel iwould expect to pay a premium price.

   Onboard ships you are already hit by sky high prices for gratuities, drinks, photos, shore trips. Then there’s the never ending flyers for spar treatments shop sales etc.

   Why the hell payout more money just to eat somewhere differrent.We find the service and food is fine in the main dining room why pay out an extra £100 for a famiy of 4

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