Are your cruise EXTRAS costing you even more than your cruise?

Cruising has almost always been thought of as the most all-inclusive holiday when compared to land based package holidays but the “all-inclusive” tag is, with some cruise lines, dare I say Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity, Princess, P & O, Cunard to name but a few, not quite as all-inclusive as it used to be. A better description would be “more-inclusive” when talking about these lines.

Most of us know that cruise line-organised shore tours, spa treatments, casino gambling, cocktails and drinks, 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..

If you’re not careful, you could spend your cruise fare again on all those extras…      and I have clients that have done just that and told me all about it.

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 drinks unless you get a drinks package

Non-Alcoholic drinks (excluding water, lemonade and iced tea).

Actually, the list of optional extras could be significantly longer than this.

The problem here is really quite simple.

Customers choosing the cruise lines above are determined to get 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. Some cruise lines actually pay their staff less and less and expect them to make up the loss of income on tips. But, bargain hunters are often already on a tight budget and so often will not tip either. Ultimately everyone loses out.

I am sure you’re not like that though … and all you want is exceptional value-for-money so, the answer then is crystal clear. If booking any of the above lines, 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.

Let me know how I can help you. I can be reached on 0330 303 8397 or by email [email protected]