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 What
it really costs |
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What Does It Really
Costs.
Cruising is an inclusive vacation offering exceptional value but
not usually all-inclusive. On a typical cruise, your fare
includes accommodations, meals in the dining rooms, buffets, all
shipboard entertainment and children’s activities. Also included
are the shipboard exercise programs, the use of the spa
facilities such as saunas, pools, steam rooms and shipboard
activities.
Contemporary an d premium cruises charge for all bar beverages,
including soft drinks, and bottled water. BEWARE: Because you
are signing for your purchases, and there is no exchange of
cash, you can quickly drive up a very large bill. A soft drink
is usually $1.75, plus gratuity. Some cruise lines now offer a
soft drink beverage program which can work out well. At the
beginning of your cruise you make an initial purchase of a
special signature plastic tumbler. This tumbler is then
refillable with soft drinks throughout the cruise at no
additional charge.
Gratuities are additional, as well as gift shop purchases, spa
treatments, ship to shore phone calls, photos taken
by the ship’s photographer, and medical services.
On a number of luxury cruises, bar beverages, including spirits,
beer and fine wines, as well as gratuities are
included in the fare.
Understanding Cruise Pricing
Before you start shopping for cruise discounts, you should
understand what the components of cruise pricing are.
Some of the fees are discountable by the cruise line, some are
not:
CRUISE FARE – the actual fare charged by the cruise line for
passage on the ship. The cruise line has full flexibility
with this fare and discounts are usually from this component of
your cruise cost and this is where the cruise deal comes from!
PORT CHARGES, DEPARTURE TAX, CUSTOMS FEES, IMMIGRATION FEE and
OTHER GOVERNMENT FEES – charges levied on the cruise line for a
particular sailing that are non-discountable. Some of these
components are often called ‘Non-Commissionable Fares or Fees (NCF)’.
Shore Tours
Cruise lines offer shore tours in the ports of call they are
visiting for an additional charge. These tours are designed to
help you make the most of the time you spend in each location.
Most cruise lines publish a listing of the optional tours
available ahead of time, and they can often be prepurchased. A
Shore Tour desk is located on the ship
where you can speak to the ship’s staff about the details of a
specific tour, and make a purchase. Also, ask the
advice of your Cruise Consultant. It’s likely they can make some
first hand recommendations. Keep in mind, many of
the tours are capacity controlled – so if you have your heart
set on horse back riding on the beach – book early.
There are only so many horses available.
If you are really just interested in some sight seeing and
shopping, many ports of call are easy to navigate yourself, and
with a little research you should feel comfortable on a
self-guided tour. Travel Guides such as Fodor’s and The Lonely
Planet offer detailed information about the port of call and
maps to you help around. In some of the more exotic ports of
call, particularly Europe, Asia, South America, etc. shore tours
are highly recommended. They are safe, fun
and worth the money. Many of these experiences would be
difficult to duplicate independently.
Cruise Only or Air Sea?
How are you getting to the cruise port of embarkation? Most
cruise lines have their own air/sea department that contracts
with the major air carriers to the various ports. Sometimes the
cruises lines will offer an air rate that is better than what
you can book independently or even run a ‘free air’ promotion.
If you book your air with the cruise lines, you generally don’t
have any choice of the air line or schedule. Sometimes for a
service fee (called an air deviation fee), the cruise line will
accommodate special requests for specific schedules. There may
be an additional charge for the requested air schedule. Your
cruise consultant can explain your options in detail. One of the
greatest benefits of having the cruise line book your air, is
that it becomes their responsibility to get you to the ship. If
you are stuck in a blizzard in February, and the airport is
closed or your flight cancelled,
the cruise line’s air/sea department will work to help you get
on the next available flight. In extreme cases, they will even
fly you to the first port of call if circumstances prevent you
from boarding before the ship departs. While they don’t accept
responsibility for weather conditions and airline scheduling,
the air/sea department and your Merit Cruise Consultant are
looking to minimize your inconveniences.
Another consideration when booking your air through the cruise
line is that they will usually arrange your ground transfers.
Upon arrival at the airport you will find a representative from
the cruise line either at the gate or the baggage claim area who
will direct you to the transportation that will take you to the
ship. This service is usually included. This can be a
significant savings especially when traveling to Europe, South
America or other more
exotic ports of call, where taxis from the airport to the ship
can often cost hundred of dollars. |
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