Are All Cruises All Inclusive? Are there Hidden or Additional Cost for Cruises?
What is best cruise if you have a 14 year old teen who gets bored Easy?
The basic cruise fare includes your room, meals in the regular dining rooms and buffets, room service, shows, and most ship facilities. Many ships also have free pizza, ice cream at various times, sushi, and hot dogs and hamburgers.
There are usually 3 choices for free dining. There is traditional dining where you are assigned a time and table for dining. They range from 2 to 10 seats and you have the same diners each time. There is anytime dining which allows you to go dine any time and you are seated with others dining at the same time. Both are held in large dining rooms with waiters. Then there is the buffet which is usually on the top deck. It is open to all and many people always use it for breakfast and lunch.
The extras are first tips. Figure about $10 per day per person for the tips to the room steward and wait staff. This is optional and some cruise lines automatically charge you. It can be adjusted or reversed at the end of the cruise. You should also tip a few dollars if you use room service. All bar drinks will have 15% added for a tip.
Many ships have alternate dining facilities that have a service charge of $15 on up. It may be a steak house or an Italian restaurant for example. There are also specialty coffee bars that have a charge. All bar drinks including sodas have a charge. The only free bar drinks are at the Captains Reception and the Repeat Cruiser Reception. Do not assume that the drinks being offered when you board are free. They are not. Bar drinks are $6 and up. Some ships are even charging for juice at any meal other than breakfast.
Some cruise lines sell a soda card for about $4 a day. It is only for fountain soda. Unless you have 3 sodas a day it is not worth it. You can also buy a specialty coffee card which gives you 15 for about the price of 12.
There is a charge for any personal service such as laundry, salons, private trainers, etc. Spa treatments are very expensive, $50-$100. There is also gambling which includes the casino, bingo ($10-$20 per session), and sometime deck games such as horse racing. A ship photographer will be taking pictures all over the ship and at special occasions. They cost over $10 each. Phone calls in the room are about $8 a minute. Some ships have cell phone service. You are charged for international roaming by your phone service at about $2.50 per minute. There is also a charge for using internet service on a ship but it is cheaper than phone calls.
Sundries are very expensive. Figure at least double the normal price. If you need a watch you will find no better prices anywhere. Many ships also sell works of art for lower prices than you will find in a gallery.
Off ship excursions are expensive. They start at about $30 and can be in the hundreds. You can book them on the ship or go on your own. The ship will not leave without you if a cruise excursion is late. With one you did on your own they will not wait.
In addition to these costs be sure to plan $1 a bag for porter service and over $10 a day for pier parking.
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By far, Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas or Liberty of the Seas for the 14 year old. They are almost identical ships and have the most of any ship for her age. They are the ones with the ice skating, flow rider, etc. There are no hidden costs but there are optional extra costs. Drinks, including soda, shore excursions, spa services, tips ($10.00 per day per person is automatically added to your bill. You can adjust this up or down by going to the customer service desk. You can remove it entirely and give cash at the end of the cruise).
References :
cruise specialist cruisesinc.com/sbozeat
Actually, on Royal Caribbean, the suggested gratuity is NOT automatically added to your onboard bill. You have to fill out a form and drop it off at the purser’s desk (a/k/a customer service) for them to bill tips to your onboard account. Carnival and Princess do automatically add the gratuities to your bill.
A lot is included in the price of a cruise, but it is not all-inclusive.
Many ships have specialty restaurants that cost extra, and soda and alcoholic beverages and bottled water cost extra. Shore excursions cost extra. Photographs cost extra.
Actually, I prefer that it not be all-inclusive; that way, I’m not paying for things I’m not using, or paying for other people’s overconsumption.
References :
My suggestion for you would be to cruise on the carnival legend. last thanksgiving my family and i went on it and i enjoyed it so much. (i am 15) there are so many fun activities to do and the teen director on the boat (Dessie) is amazing. i can guarantee that your 14 yr old will love this cruise ship. the friends you make on the boat will last for a while. for carnival there is not really hidden fees. a tip price is added into your bill automatically and there are port charges but then again every cruise line has them. As far as all inclusive drinks like alcohol and soda are not free but you can purchase a soda card for unlimited soda and then you wont have to worry about that price. also like others mentioned there are specialty restaurants on some ships that cost extra but the food in the main dinning hall is just as good as the kind in the specialty restaurant. if you do not eat in the specialty restaurant all your food is included. even room service is free but they recommend that you tip like a dollar to the person who delivers it. there is so much to do on a carnival ship that your teenager will not get bored. happy cruising.
References :
me
The only things that are extra are, taxes, tips, bar drinks, excursions, spa, gift shop stuff. I recommend a Royal Caribbean cruise, especially the Voyager class ships. They are loaded with amenities that teens love. They are the only ones with rock walls, flo-rider and ice rinks on the ships. Royal also has the largest cruise ship in the world, The Oasis of the Seas. If you want to save money, I suggest Carnival. They are usually a better deal for the "bang for the buck". I have sailed both lines and like them both…ALOT!
View all the ships on the site below.
http://vacationstogo.com/cruise_lines/royal_caribbean_cruises.cfm
Hope I helped!
References :
frequent cruiser
The basic cruise fare includes your room, meals in the regular dining rooms and buffets, room service, shows, and most ship facilities. Many ships also have free pizza, ice cream at various times, sushi, and hot dogs and hamburgers.
There are usually 3 choices for free dining. There is traditional dining where you are assigned a time and table for dining. They range from 2 to 10 seats and you have the same diners each time. There is anytime dining which allows you to go dine any time and you are seated with others dining at the same time. Both are held in large dining rooms with waiters. Then there is the buffet which is usually on the top deck. It is open to all and many people always use it for breakfast and lunch.
The extras are first tips. Figure about $10 per day per person for the tips to the room steward and wait staff. This is optional and some cruise lines automatically charge you. It can be adjusted or reversed at the end of the cruise. You should also tip a few dollars if you use room service. All bar drinks will have 15% added for a tip.
Many ships have alternate dining facilities that have a service charge of $15 on up. It may be a steak house or an Italian restaurant for example. There are also specialty coffee bars that have a charge. All bar drinks including sodas have a charge. The only free bar drinks are at the Captains Reception and the Repeat Cruiser Reception. Do not assume that the drinks being offered when you board are free. They are not. Bar drinks are $6 and up. Some ships are even charging for juice at any meal other than breakfast.
Some cruise lines sell a soda card for about $4 a day. It is only for fountain soda. Unless you have 3 sodas a day it is not worth it. You can also buy a specialty coffee card which gives you 15 for about the price of 12.
There is a charge for any personal service such as laundry, salons, private trainers, etc. Spa treatments are very expensive, $50-$100. There is also gambling which includes the casino, bingo ($10-$20 per session), and sometime deck games such as horse racing. A ship photographer will be taking pictures all over the ship and at special occasions. They cost over $10 each. Phone calls in the room are about $8 a minute. Some ships have cell phone service. You are charged for international roaming by your phone service at about $2.50 per minute. There is also a charge for using internet service on a ship but it is cheaper than phone calls.
Sundries are very expensive. Figure at least double the normal price. If you need a watch you will find no better prices anywhere. Many ships also sell works of art for lower prices than you will find in a gallery.
Off ship excursions are expensive. They start at about $30 and can be in the hundreds. You can book them on the ship or go on your own. The ship will not leave without you if a cruise excursion is late. With one you did on your own they will not wait.
In addition to these costs be sure to plan $1 a bag for porter service and over $10 a day for pier parking.
₪ ɦəlʞɹɐq ₪
References :