Are cruises worth it?

Question

I'm looking at going on a cruise for our belated honeymoon, has anyone been on one and would they recomend going on one? I was just wondering how much you have to spend on board usually and is all your food on board payed for? I really don't have a clue! Any help would be great!

Answer 1

I have been on many cruises, including one for our honeymoon. Here's what to expect. The standard cabin that most people get (inside/outside/balcony) are generally between 175 and 200 Square feet, about the size of a 9 by 12 ft home bedroom (balconies are about 45 to 55 sq ft). Suites and penthouses can be between 350 and 1300 square feet. Each cabin has a two beds which can be made into a queen, a bathroom with a shower stall, a closet and some drawer space, a TV and telephone, a safe for valuables, and a life jacket for each passenger.

Cruises are one of THE best vacations you can take. Once you are on ship the staff caters to you, its whatever you want. There is something to do all day every day. When you arrive at the port to check in you (each passenger) will receive a key card which will serve as your room key, charge card for anything you buy on ship (i.e.,drinks, souvenir) and its also your pass to get on and off ship in each port. When you first board the ship the security personnel will have you insert your key card into a scanner and then will take a photo of you that is included in the magnetic strip on the card. Each time you get off ship you will need this key card and many times also a photo ID (passport or driver's license).


Each day of your cruise you will receive in your cabin a "newsletter" listing the time, place and particulars of everything happening for you on ship. There are generally activities like demonstrations of ice carvings, napkin folding and towel folding, and cooking demonstrations. Some ships may offer a galley (kitchen) tour or a tour of the bridge. There may be organized games and other activities around the pools. In the evenings there are generally shows, one show for those with an early dinner seating and another (same show) for those who eat late. There is always food available. Usually there is a place in ship where you can go get something. Or, you can always just pick up the phone in your cabin and order from the room service menu (food is free). If you want, you can order breakfast room service.

All ships, except Disney, have a casino with slots and table games. Ships have movie theaters, generally small but nice, and you can also see movies in your room. They have ATM’s and a purser’s desk where you can cash a check or exchange currency if you need to. There is a tour and activities desk so you can schedule land tours and activities.

Ships have free morning exercise programs, stretching and walking, etc, and on some you can pay for other things like Spinning. All cruise ships have gyms so you can go workout, usually any time from 6:00 AM to late at night. There is usually a walking/running track on one of the decks also. Some ships leave the gym open all night. They call the gyms Spa because they do promote getting pampered with things like wraps and massages with aroma therapy. They will also generally have a beauty salon to do hair and nails.

There are always pools. Some ships have more than one and the newer ships generally have an indoor pool as well as outdoor ones and all of these have hot tubs. There is generally a basketball court on the top deck, a place for scuffle board, and a mini-golf course. The newer Royal Caribbean ships have a rock climbing wall and the newest one has a pool for water surfing.

There are places on ships to play cards and board games, and the cards and games are provided. If you want to just sit and read, there’s a library where you can bring your books or select one from the shelf. Ships have internet cafes and some offer WIFI if you bring your prefer to use your computer in your cabin (some ships offer notebooks for rent). There are cocktail lounges that feature a variety of music. Some have a piano bar with jazz. There is usually a disco that starts after 10:00 PM each night and last until everyone leave. On certain days ships will have special activities like a chocolate lovers buffet, or a midnight deck party .

Some people worry about getting sea sick, but the ships being used these days have automated stabilizers which minimize the rocking. The larger ships cut through the water so easy that you don’t even feel like you are moving. When there is bad weather the cruise lines will steer around and away from it, sometimes changing the order of port stops. Also, the ships generally move overnight and dock in the mornings so you don’t feel much movement. Consequently, your chances of getting sea sick are minimal. There is generally less motion than on an airplane.


Most 7-day cruises have two formal nights when you can wear your best stuff and get pictures taken, and maybe meet the ship’s Captain. The formal nights are REQUESTED not required attire. But most people do dress up in a tux for men and a long dress (any color) for women. Some men just wear a suit and tie and some women wear a nice dress but not a gown. You will not be denied access to the dining room or anything else if you choose not to dress up. (we usually take off the formal stuff after dinner and pictures anyway).

Regardless of where you are going the dress on cruises is casual,,i.e. shorts, slacks, "T" shirts, sandals, sneakers, during the day and "Sports Casual" (i.e., what you would expect to see worn in a business office) after 6:00 PM. If you are going to the Caribbean you can wear your swim wear at/in the pool area, but a wrap while headed there. The sports casual dress is required in public areas like the dining rooms, casino, show rooms, disco, bars. You don't have to dress up for dinner unless you want to; sports casual is fine.

Your cruise will include food and coffee, tea, juice, milk, but not soft drinks and alcoholic beverages. There will be plenty of free food in various places on ship and/or you call always call (some ships let you do it on the TV) for free room service. We regularly order the free breakfast room service and eat on our balcony. Most ships have one or more places on ship where you DO HAVE TO PAY to eat. The ships call it a gratuity or service charge and that can be $5, $10 or $20 per person per day each time you go to these places. Norwegian cruise line has many of these and if you use their alternative restaurants you will run up a big food tab.

The hidden costs on a cruise are your tab after the cruise for drinks (alcoholic and sodas), tours, and gratuities. Many ships now add the recommended gratuity to your on-board tab. The gratuity is about $10 to $12 per day per person. You can give more if you want. Tours can add hundreds to your final bill, depending upon how many stop the ship makes and what you want to do. Study the tours carefully; some places you may want to just go on your own.

For a great cruise I recommend Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Princess, or Norwegian in that order.

Answer 2

Whether any cruise is worth the money is up to the consumer. I will tell you the two cruise ships which sail from Florida to the Bahamas on 3 night cruises the Sovereign and the Majesty are two of the oldest ships in the RCCL fleet. While they have both been redone recently and had new appointments added and new features, they still lack some of the features of the larger ships found in all the cruise lines. A cruise during the Thanksgiving holiday is significantly more expensive than some other times of the year but that is when many people have the time for the cruise. I was able to get a passenger a 4 night cruise in December to Key West and the Bahamas on RCCL in a Deluxe Oceanview room for less than the price you have mentioned. Just as a note the Sovereign and the Majesty have very nicely appointed and newly remodeled staterooms. But the staterooms are 110 sq feet. This is compared to 185 sq feet for an inside stateroom on a Carnival cruise ship. So these RCCL staterooms live up to their motto "get out there". But all being said, any cruise is great, and when you get back, only you can say whether your trip was worth the money spent. Have a great time.

Answer 3

It is very easy to see that a cruise is worth the money. Pick the non-cruise honeymoon that you would take if you don't take a cruise. Add up the cost of the hotel, food, tips for each meal, tips for your housekeeper at the hotel, and entertainment. Then talk to a cruise specialist and see what you can get for the same money or less. The cost of any cruise is determined by the cabin that you select. I have been on over 20 cruises and really don't care about the cabin. I usually take a cheaper cabin which is just as nice as those costing hundreds more. It is just not at the top of the ship (which I don't like anyhow as it has more motion). You can literally take a cruise vacation with no money. You can eat 24 hours a day at no extra cost. Great shows every evening are included as are the large variety of activities during the day. The only things you pay extra for are non-necessary items, and things that you would pay extra for anywhere such as gambling, shopping, playing bingo, and alcohol. For more help, contact me at http://cruisesinc.com/sbozeat

Answer 4

You will certainly enjoy the cruise and it is a chance in some cases to see quite a few destinations/countries in a single trip. Clearly you get what you pay for and as an industry insider I can tell you that depending on the cruise line you should expect to budget an additional 10-15% of the initial cruise cost for onboard and off-ship expenses. Tipping is expected and beware the ship to shore telephone calls as these can be astronomical in cost.

If in doubt you should be able to get some additional information from your travel agent on exactly what is included and I would always advise to book with a cruise specialist rather than the local Thomas Cook or Thomson shop. You will find that cruise specialists have actual knowledge of ships and cruise itineries and getting specialist help especially for a honeymoon trip is always a good idea.

Answer 5

Cruises are great. They offer great locations to visit, have lots of options to choose from and have wonderful on board activities. For honeymooners, I always recommend Royal Caribbean or Carnival. They have any type of vacation you can imagine. Use a travel agent for the best rates as they have access to rates not published online or even contacting the cruise line directly. Travel agents do not cost you more money and usually will save you money.

I always advise my clients to prepay their gratuities so that they do not have to tip any more while on the ship. All your meals are included and cruise fare is definitely fantastic. Expect to pay for your alcoholic drinks and soft drinks. Also you will pay for spa services and other incidentals. Look for a special from a travel agent that offers shipboard credit to cover some of these.

Also book your shoretrips with the travel agent or away from the dock not with the cruiseline. There are several shoretrip companies that you can save money with.

Depending on where you live, I would recommend an Eastern Caribbean cruise, a Pacific coast cruise to Mexico or a Hawaiian cruise. Prices are great now.

If you need any other help, please feel free to contact me.

Answer 6

It is definitely worth it. You will travel in style and comfort. All meals are included and there is free live entertainment on board: dancing, musical shows, comedians, etc. There is also a casino but you have to pay to play, of course. Alcoholic drinks and soft drinks are not included. I highly recommend Holland America and Royal Caribbean cruise lines. Once you take a cruise, you won't want to travel any other way.

Answer 7

I have been on two cruises - one with Thomson and one with Island.

The Thomson one was all inclusive which included drinks. I think it was well worth the money. The drinks were forthcoming and readily available and the food was good. All service charges are included, although the cabin steward generally expects a tip. Your main expense then is trips, as a lot of the time you will dock in a commerical port, with little to see, or a long way to the tourist areas.

I was not so impressed with Island. The food was not very good (although included in the cost), drinks were not included, and that added a lot to the cost. Island's entertainment was also nothing like as good as Thomson, and neither was the cabin or the general service, cleanliness or organisation.

Answer 8

I have been on four cruises and have one booked for December. In my opinion they are definitely worth the cost, best value vacation I have had. Typically, all expenses are covered once you pay for the cruise. Meals, cabin, entertainment, etc. Now they do charge extra for shore excursions. In other words, you can go ashore and shop or lay on the beach, but if you want to scuba, or ride horses, or zipline through the rainforest, that will cost you extra, anywhere from 40 to 140 dollars per person. For meals on the ship, you can eat and drink all you want from the menus and buffets, but if you want a mocha latte outside of the dining area, it will cost you 2 to 3 bucks.

What I like about the cruise is that you pay upfront, but then everything is left to be enjoyed. You don't have to watch your spending day by day if you know what I mean.

Favorite port is Grand Cayman. Swimming with the stingrays and snorkeling the reefs is awesome!

Answer 9

Tinkertoy has just about everything covered for you.

However, I do want to add a couple things...

Soda and soft drinks are complimentary aboard the Disney ships - this can result in a decent savings...

Also, I love the bathrooms aboard the disney - there are actually two rooms! One with a tub and shower and sink/vanity and the other has the toilet and sink/vanity - so both you and your husband can get ready at the same time. Also, Disney rooms are the largest (category to category) in square footage.

Also, The service aboard Disney is the best - I did a RCL cruise once - never again!

Answer 10

Ive been on a few and they are worth every penny. I went with P&O cruises, they are fantastic, like five star floating hotels. You dont need to spend a lot of money on board, its just drinks, photos, and the shops that you spend on. All your food, tea and coffee etc anytime are also free. You leave a tip for your waiter and whoever cleans your room. Overall it really isnt expensive for what you get. Im sure you will enjoy it.

Answer 11

Definitely. Every cruise we have been on, the cost of the food at a restaurant would cost more than the fare of the cruise. We spend almost nothing on board. We don't drink or gamble. Our cost at the ports is usually about $100 each. All of our food and activites are included.