Gambling For My Retirement Vacations?

Reaching full retirement age in 2024 and starting to collect Social Security has been liberating.  So now that I'm fully retired and more or less living on a fixed income, I have had to find new and more creative ways to afford vacationing.  This is especially true since discovering "cruising" in the fall of 2023.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, that first 5-night cruise vacation cost roughly $2,600, all totaled including transportation to/from the port in Tampa, hotel and meals the night prior plus added activities like excursions and gambling.  At over $500/night that's actually a pretty expensive vacation.

Thankfully, the little bit of casino play I did on that and my next cruise, afforded me a low-end casino offer essentially what is referred to as a "BOGO cruise for one" with Royal Caribbean.  The gist of the offer is that I could cruise for free (well not "really" free but rather just for the cost of port fees & taxes) in a double occupancy interior cabin with the second person paying full price.  The value of the offer varies, but generally for a double occupancy interior cabin, we're talking about roughly $500-$800 per person for a 5 to 7-night sailing.

The nice thing about this sorta of "single" offer is that 2 people can combine their offers and share a free cabin . . . again just paying their port fees & taxes.  So Pam & I combined our offers for the October 2024 NE & Canadian cruise.  For that 7-night cruise, we paid just $227 for the port fees & taxes.  Not bad at all!  But more importantly, prior to that cruise, I studied up and figured out how to maximize my casino play so that I could earn larger comps in terms of "free" cruises . . . namely cruise offers for 2 people (not the "BOGO") and often in upgraded cabins including oceanview or balcony.

This is where this might get a bit wonky . . . but I want to share the rationale for making the Prime reward level with Royal Caribbean's Casino Royale program.  Prime is the lowest reward tier, when a player earns a minimum of 2,500 points in the program year (which runs April 1st through March 31st).  As with land based casinos, players are rated on their table and slot play, with slots rewarding at a seemingly disproportionately higher rate.

On my first couple of cruises, I was mostly just playing roulette or 3-card poker.  And for the amount of play I did (roughly 12-15 hours each cruise) I only earned a small number of points (something around 500).  Through researching how R/C rates play, I quickly found that as much as I prefer table games, if earning points (and free cruises) is important to me . . . I needed to suck it up and start playing the slot machines.

The night I made Prime!

So on the fateful October cruise, I set my goal to achieve the 2,500 points necessary to become a Prime level player. (NOTE:  Guests can accumulate points towards Prime over the course of the year, so you don't have to do it in a single cruise.)  So why does this matter, beyond receiving better cruise offers for discounts or comps?  Perhaps first and foremost . . . FREE cocktails (or soft drinks) in the casino whenever it is open, for the remaining part of the current casino program year PLUS the entire next year.  This is a great benefit given the unlimited daily beverage package runs $80-$100/day/person . . . and cocktails individually are $14 (beer/wine are around $10).  SIGN ME UP TODAY for free drinks in the casino through March 31, 2026!

Another benefit of achieving Prime status is the annual free cruise certificate awarded in April.  So by earning Prime in October 2024, I received a free 7-night cruise for 2 guests in an interior cabin.  My April 2025 Prime certificate was booked for February 2026 on a 7-night Western Caribbean cruise . . . port fees & taxes were just $228/person (with Pam & me sharing the cabin).  BONUS . . . Pam also earned a free Prime certificate, and she booked the same ship & cabin as a "back to back" (AKA B2B).  The cruise is also 7-nights, but going to the Eastern Caribbean.  Those ports were a little higher in fees, so it cost us $271/person.  Bottom line . . . we're doing 2 cruises for 14 nights for a total of $499 each!  Not bad, right?

Of course, there are higher levels of player status with Casino Royale . . . 25,000 points is the Masters level and 100,000 is Signature.  At the higher levels, the annual cruise certificate is better (Masters = Balcony and Signature = Grand Suite), plus there are some other perks like free ship WiFi, exclusive dining options and onboard credits.  For me, playing enough to achieve such levels doesn't make a lot of financial sense (unless I were to be winning HUGE), so I'm happy with my goal being to keep my Prime status so long as I'm still planning to cruise.

So back to my October 2024 cruise when I first achieved Prime status . . . here's what that meant in terms of rewards:

* Free cruise certificate earned on that sailing, which I have used to book a 13-night transatlantic cruise in a oceanview cabin coming up in October 2025 from Portugal.  For this cruise, I will be solo in the cabin, which also earns me double Crown & Anchor loyalty points.  My port fees, taxes and prepaid tips were just $398!
* Free annual cruise certificate for an interior room February 2026, which I'll be sharing with Pam.
* Free cocktails in the casino from October 31, 2024 (when I reached 2,500 points and achieved Prime status) through March 31, 2026.

So you may be wondering how much "it really cost me" in terms of casino play/losses to make Prime on a single cruise.  At the point when I reached Prime (2,500 points) I had only lost $500 in the casino for those first several nights.  Since I knew at the 3,000 point level, I would receive a better "instant certificate" for my casino play on that cruise . . . so I pushed on wanting to get to the level necessary to get the 13-night transatlantic trip (a $2,000 value) plus the added perks of free play ($250) and onboard ship credit ($100).  The grand total casino losses for me was just $650!  For the extra $150 "lost" I received $350 in additional benefits.  I'd say, that was a GREAT INVESTMENT for my future vacationing with Royal Caribbean.

Of course, I also know it doesn't always work out this well.  But then again, sometimes you're just lucky!  Check this out from this past February's cruise.  Most nights in the casino they have different drawings or contests to encourage folks to play in the casino into the later hours (like 11pm).  I was lucky to be drawn as 1 of the 3 winners on that night.  The "Bags of Cash" winners could win $250, $150 or $100 in free play.  I picked the $150 "bag" and parlayed it into $500 over the course of an hour playing my favorite slot machine Dancing Drums.  SWEEEET! 

Need another reason to play in the casino . . . FREE WINE!  Known as the "bottle of shame" many of Royal Caribbean's loyal players hope to achieve the complimentary bottle of wine that is delivered to your cabin.  Typically it's after a particularly brutal session in  the casino, hence the shame name.  For me, my first bottle was received the morning after I achieved Prime status, so I think it was more of a congratulations gift!

As you can see in the photos below, on my next cruise the casino host gifted me a bottle of wine after just my second night on the ship.  She teased about it being a "Bottle of Love" rather than shame.  I think I prefer that!

I have yet to mention bingo on the ship.  Suffice to say, it is VERY expensive and you don't play many games.  Fortunately, they only do bingo on sea days in the middle of the afternoon.  On the last back-to-back cruises Pam & I did in February, we played 4 times.  Each session was just 3 bingo games, but we somehow lucked out and won 3 games of the total 12 played.  When we play on the ship, we play "halves" or "splits" so when one of us wins, we split the money 50/50.  Some of the games had multiple winners calling bingo, so that meant splitting the game winnings.  Each session cost us right at $65 per person (so $260 total for the 4 sessions) . . . but winnings were better than the costs, so we came out ahead for the trip!  That's a rarity though.

Looking ahead . . . I've begun conceptualizing my strategies for keeping Prime status for 2026-27, while earning the best cruises for the coming 18 months of vacation.  Pam & I will no doubt have more cruising in our future, especially as she plans for her retirement in the near future.  Wish us luck!

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

 

Dr. Seuss was certainly onto something!  Now that I've been on a few cruises and visited several of the Caribbean destinations I only dreamed of, I can better appreciate the value of experiences places and cultures I'd only seen on television.  I also recognize the experiences for what they are . . . snapshots of local culture and the people who live in these fascinating places.

Just as I'd said previously about Alaska, I still strongly believe to fully understand and appreciate these wonderful locations, you must have a more immersive and complete experience with the locals and their communities.  But for a sampling of what a place has to offer, excursions are a nice way to affordably get out and mingle.  Historical and culinary experiences are the two I really gravitate towards; with wildlife and scenery always on my radar.

The first off-ship experience Pam & I had that wasn't organized by Royal Caribbean was in Roatan, Honduras.  While there are pros and cons to using the ship's planned tours, sometimes doing something on a smaller and more personal scale is more to my liking. With much research, we discovered Sandri's Tours, a small family owned company.  Luis (right in this photo) and his team of guides were so easy to work with.  The 6-hour experience we had in Roatan was exceptional and significantly less expensive than the large motor coach tours offered by R/C.  Our guide Kris was exceptional . . . with a great personality and willingness to make sure we had the best time possible.  We enjoyed our time with them in February 2024, that we're booked another great adventure with them when we're back in Roatan this coming December.

A word of caution about one of the biggest cons (or risks) if you choose to go off script and book your tour or excursion on your own.  The ships, all cruise lines, discourage such because of course they won't be making money off the up-charge they collect for organizing and booking the tours.  They tactic they use is simple . . . we will make sure you get back to the ship on schedule or hold the departure for your return . . . IF and ONLY IF you are on our sponsored tours.  Go off on your own, and you miss the "all aboard" whistle . . . you'll be left behind to figure out how to get to the next port.

You can cruise YouTube to watch videos of people running down the pier as the ship pulls away.  I'm sure it is a lousy feeling.  But to be fair, most of them are people who either lost track of time in port or were on "ship time" when they had to return.  It is a very rare occurrence that a reputable tour operator with cruise guests, misses the ship's departure schedule.  Yes, it does happen and no doubt it sucks.  But at the end of the day, I'd like to think I won't go through life afraid to live and do the things I want to do on my own terms.  I hope I won't be blogging in the future, eating my words!

Nassau (The Bahamas)

On the other hand, there is something to be said for taking advantage of the cruiseline's buying and negotiation power, especially in countries where it may be difficult to find a reputable tour operator.  Pam and I are both pretty savvy travelers and sometimes we have found the best "packaged experience" is one that has been put together by R/C.  I think it largely comes down to playing an active role in planning your experience.

 

Wonderful Experiences in Mexico

There are some ports/countries where I wouldn't be comfortable going out on my own.  Haiti is one such place, especially with the current unrest there.  In Mexico, however, I'm comfortable doing our own thing.  In fact in Cozumel, we have done beach days off the ship at Mr. Sancho's . . . a well known beach club about 15-20 minutes by cab from the port.  At just $65/person for the full day all-inclusive experience, there's no reason to pay 50% more to do a beach day organized by R/C.

On some cruises we haven't done much in the way of organized tours.  When we did the October 2024 New England & Canada cruise, we had both been to some of the featured ports. In particular Portland (Maine) and Halifax (Nova Scotia) were ports where we planned nothing.  In fact in Portland, we didn't even leave the ship, instead opting to enjoy quiet time having the ship largely to ourselves.  In Halifax, we did get off the ship and wandered around the port area.  We found a nice little pizza shop a couple of blocks away before heading back to the ship.

We did enjoy the city tour of St. John, New Brunswick offered by R/C.  It was a narrated trolley bus trip, which was informative and interesting.  In Sydney, Nova Scotia Pam scheduled for the full day charter bus tour to the Cape Breton Highlands, while I had initially planned a day trip exploring by rental car.  Unfortunately the weather was crappy so I canceled my rental and booked the afternoon historical tour of the city.  We both had a great time doing our own thing that day.

When we cruised on Enchantment in February 2024, in addition to Roatan, we also visited Belize City (Belize) and did a R/C excursion there.  There are a lot of mixed reviews about this particular port and the perceived safety for tourists who opt to venture out on their own.  I really wanted to visit the famous Mayan ruins at Altun Ha. Located about an hour from port, the R/C tour was our best option. Adding to the adventure . . . we had to tender from the ship over to the shore on a smaller boat due to the shallow waters.  But no worries at all, we were back in plenty of time to get changed for our early dinner seating in the Main Dining Room.

Whether you choose to go exploring while in port . . . or simply get off the ship to go shopping or perhaps enjoy a more local experience at one of the touristy bars or cantinas . . . the opportunity is there to make it your own.  Sometimes just enjoying the warm cool breeze with a fruity frozen beverage is all I need in the middle of February!

Keeping Busy at Sea (or not)

 

I think when you mention going on a cruise, this is what many people envision.  And yes, the Royal Caribbean ships have beautiful swimming pools and activity decks for the young and old.  Because so far I've only cruised on smaller ships, the water activities are pretty tame.  It's easier for them to accommodate and entertain 2,000-3,000 people on these cruises . . . than the 7,500 that are now on R/C's largest Icon Class sailings.

I remember this scene as we passed through the pool deck heading to lunch at the Windjammer Buffet.  It was the popular belly flop contest, which seems to be featured on every cruise ship.  The crowd was loud and rowdy . . . the contestants bawdy and out to win!  All in a good day's fun, but not a scene I need to hang out for.

This is more my chill vibe when hanging out at the pool.  It's nice that Pam has been able to share her 5 (per day) free Diamond + beverages with me.  I am really looking forward to getting to the Crown & Anchor Diamond level in February, and earning my own free 4 cocktails per day.  They will be a nice complement to my unlimited free cocktails in the casino, thanks to my Casino Royale Prime status.

 

But hey . . . there's a lot more to do on the ship besides hanging out at the pool!  

Throughout the day, there are games and activities to keep folks entertained and meeting new people.  I've realized that after just a couple of days on the ship, we seem to run into the same folks based on common interests.  Trivia and "Name that Tune" are a couple of games played on all ships.  Some are set up for individuals, while many are for teams.  They generally feature some pretty paltry prizes . . . mainly Royal Caribbean logoed swag (like t-shirts, coffee mugs, hats and key chains) or maybe dinner for 2 in one of the specialty restaurants.

But you need to be careful if  you are the sorta of outgoing person, willing to get involved in an extroverted way.  You my friend, are the very people they seek out for many of their games because you become the entertainment show.  "Love & Marriage" is once such game where couples are pitted against one another to win really nice prizes, not just logoed swag!  It's played like a TV game show in the main theater.  The last time we went, the room was more than half full in the middle of the day.  The couples were hilarious, and the audience was involved, rooting for their favorites to win.

If you want something a little more low key, check out movie night poolside.  On our cruise to NE & Canada, Jewel even had a small 50 person movie theater.  With a couple of seas days on that itinerary, going to the movies in the afternoon was a nice break.

Royal Caribben is known for their nightly entertainment in the ships' main theatres.  The quality of the shows is said to get better as you go up in ship class.  Some even feature productions based on well known Broadway shows like Grease, Momma Mia, Cats and Hairspray.  I would love to see Saturday Night Fever or The Wizard of Oz on a cruise . . . maybe some day.

Most of the large production shows have two evening showings so people can do either an early or late dinner. Pam & I have enjoyed doing the early dinner in the Main Dining Room, followed by the early (7:30pm) show.  On the larger ships, reservations are highly recommended, but given the smaller ships I've been on, they weren't necessary.  That gets us to around 9:00pm for CASINO time . . . or perhaps a nightcap in a lounge and an early bedtime.  If you're up for some really bawdy humor or an adult themed game show, you can generally find that late at night (round 10:30 or 11:00pm).

Whatever the time of day, there is no shortage of music on the ship!  For those who enjoy dancing, I'm told they go well past midnight in the clubs.  I'm more of a people watcher, but I do enjoy good music!

Of course, if you wish to do nothing, there are plenty of quiet spots found throughout the ship.  Many of the venues that are busy in the late afternoon and evening, are empty in the morning and through the lunch hour.  And when the ship is in port, with many people enjoying time on a tour and shopping, the ship is extraordinarily quiet including the pool deck and dining areas. 

So the bottom line . . . Royal Caribbean does a very good job of providing a nice variety of activities and entertainment on the ship.  This is particularly important on sailings that feature multiple sea days.  On our upcoming transatlantic trip in October, it's a 13 night cruise with a whopping 7 sea days as we head to the coast of Florida from the Canary Islands.  I think I'm most excited about Halloween being on our last sea day . . . just before we arrive into Port Canaveral.

But for those who want to enjoy a relaxing day at the pool or on the ship's deck . . . or perhaps in a quiet corner reading a book while watching the world go by . . .  there may be no better way to disconnect and get away from it all, than on an extended vacation on a cruise ship.

Plenty of Dining Choices While Cruising

I'm going to apologize in advance for all of the photos I'll be posting of the dining options and some of the fabulous meals we've had on the ships.  This image was from our Canadian cruise October 2024 aboard the Jewel.  Once we discovered the deli in the Solarium (adults only) pool area, it became our "go to" place for breakfast on that cruise.  It was quiet with delicious made to order items from a somewhat limited but very nice menu.  Of course the view watching the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean was pretty wonderful too!

While on a cruise ship, you can eat as healthy (or not) as you wish.  There seems to be enough options to satisfy your taste buds, whether or not you want to be "good" in your choices.  As with this meal, I went for a little of it all to include one of the chocolate croissants that I'll admit is my kryptonite on most of the ships' buffets.

So about the dining options, there are many, and their hours of operation and meals offered vary based on what day it is.  "Sea days" when you are simply sailing from one port to the next and not stopping to get off the ship, have more availability of options, than the days when the ship is scheduled to make a port stop.  I'll try to overview the dining venues I've experienced thus far, highlighting their features and what makes them unique or perhaps more desirable.  Of course, all of this is subject to personal opinion but I'll be as objective as I can in sharing.

WINDJAMMER BUFFET  This is a self-serve dining mainstay on all of the ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet.  You will find servers available throughout the dining area to bring you beverages and clear tables in a timely fashion. They are open for breakfast, lunch & dinner on all cruise days including embarkation (first day for lunch & dinner) and debarkation  (last day for breakfast).  There is typically a theme for the cuisine offered daily.  Many will tell you this is probably the biggest area for concern in terms of hygiene and the potential for an outbreak of digestive system illnesses.


Some days, seating can be a challenge to find, especially on port days for the hour or so prior to folks heading out for their daily excursions and activities.  I have found lunchtime during sea days to also be on the crowded side, but no worries, the main dining room is another free option when the ship is at sea.

She was amazing!

MAIN DINING ROOM  Each ship has a one, also referred to as the MDR.  Many have a ship themed name like My Fair Lady (Enchantment), The Great Gatsby (Grandeur) and Edelweiss (Rhapsody). For dinner, guests have a choice of traditional (or scheduled) seating at either the "early" (around 5:30pm) or "late" (around 7:30pm) option.  Not interested in having the same time every night?  Then you can do "my time" dining which is a more flexible option, largely first come, first serve . . . but reservations are recommended.  Pam & I have enjoyed the traditional early seating for a few different reasons.  It is nice to eat early and then have the evening open for the shows or other activities.  But the greatest enhancement in my opinion, is that you have an assigned table, with a set team of servers who get to know you and your dining preferences.  Additionally, if you enjoy meeting new people or are meeting up with others, you will be seated together for the duration of your cruise.

Typically we choose to sit at a table set up for 8 people.  This has worked really well for us in the past.  On one cruise, we somehow was assigned a two-top table.  Fortunately, the couple seated next to us were very nice and became friends quickly on that trip.  I later found out the wife grew up in Racine, so that gave us a lot to chat about over dinner.

The culinary team works nightly to put together a wonderful 3 course meal for dinner.  Once seated, the servers will collect everyone's choices.  They do a great job of serving the appetizers, main entree and desserts together.  Have special dietary needs? No worries!  They will ask about those on your first night, and somehow able to keep on top of them throughout the cruise.  I have often seen one of the chefs come to the table to discuss options so as to assure folks aren't exposed to something that might make them ill.

If you aren't happy with any aspect of your meal, you can let your server know and they will bring out another choice.  Still hungry or the serving appears to be small?  Also not a problem, you can order additional items.  Sometimes we haven't felt like having an entree, so we made a meal out of a salad and appetizer option with a light dessert.  The bottom line is they want you to be happy and satisfied!

I should mention that while they often have a NY strip steak on the menu as well as nice seafood options, higher end selections like a filet mignon or lobster tail may be chosen for an up-charge of around $20.

In addition to dinner, the MDR is usually open on sea days for breakfast and lunch . . . or some days a blended brunch.  Additionally on the debarkation (last) day the MDR is open for breakfast for those with a little extra time before having to catch a flight or perhaps staying over on what is known as a "back-to-back" (or B2B) sailing.    B2Bs are 2 consecutive cruises on the same ship.  Pam & I did that this past February on Enchantment.  Having 2 5-night cruises in the same cabin was awesome especially when you consider the time and expense to get to the port in Tampa for "just" a 5 night trip.  I HIGHLY recommend it . . . so much so, we're doing a B2B of 7-night cruises out of Miami next February . . . but I digress.

SPECIALTY DINING - CHOPS GRILLE Each ship has several specialty restaurants that guests may choose to experience for an added cost.  Most are open for lunch on embarkation (first) day as well as sea days.  They are also generally open evenings for dinner service as well.  Pam & I have enjoyed doing Chops Grille for lunch on embarkation day largely because it's a great meal and with pre-cruise discounts, is very affordable.  The last cruise we took however, I swore off doing this again in the future because it was such a large meal and we dined sorta late, so I just was too full to even think about dinner a couple of hours later.  That said, we do have Chops on our itinerary in October but at a much earlier 12:30pm dining time.  Sometimes you just have to live and learn!

In addition to Chops Grille, guests may also chose to dine at Izumi's a Japanese sushi and hibachi restaurant or Giovanni's Table, their Italian family style dining experience.  To date, I have yet to try either of these but am looking forward to Izumi's in October when Pam & I sail from Lisbon to Florida on a 13 night transatlantic adventure.  We are also scheduled to do Izumi's Hibachi for lunch in February on the B2B trip I mentioned earlier out of Miami.

THE SOLARIUM with its adults only swimming pool and hot tub, is a nice escape away from the families and kids!  We found it to be a good place to pick up a slice of pizza or a deli style salad and sandwich.  As first mentioned at the start of this post, we also found it to be a wonderful place to watch the sunrise over breakfast.  Dining here is part of the all-inclusive meals so no added cost to find a quiet place to relax and enjoy the view.

I know there are other places where folks can get food, but with just 5 cruises under my belt so far, these are the ones I've had the opportunity to experience.  I can tell you that we have never left a ship and thought "Boy was the food on that ship lousy" or "I didn't get enough to eat."  On the contrary, with each cruise I've been on, I've learned what I can eat and what to avoid.  High salt content along with some heart related issues earlier this year made for a couple of crummy days . . . but it didn't stop me from still enjoying the cruise and time spent with Pam.

I'll close this entry with this collage of fun times had around the dining experiences with Royal Caribbean.

All Aboard For A Wonderful Adventure

 

When they say your cruise adventure is an all-inclusive experience, they are not kidding!  While yes, there are plenty of ways to separate your from your hard earned money, it is possible to have a wonderful vacation without getting nickel & dimed on the ship or at the ports of call.

Admittedly, I've only been cruising for a couple of years now, and I've been on a relative fast track to get my Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor loyalty rewards level up to the Diamond level, but I can tell you with my sister Pam's help, I've navigated through 5 cruises learning more each time about how to keep the added costs down and yet still have a fabulous vacation on my limited retirement income.

The features and amenities on each ship in the R/C fleet are a little different.  With several levels (or classes) of ships, the offerings increase as the ships get bigger.  All of my cruises to this point, have been in the Vision or Radiance Class, so on the smaller side.  Our upcoming trip in October 2025 will be on Explorer and my first foray up into the Voyager Class.  To look at the ship deck layouts and public spaces, the difference in size is noticeable.

From the smallest ship I've cruised (Grandeur @ 2,400 guests) to the midsized Explorer @ 4,300 guests, as you can imagine, the ship must be exponentially larger.  With the recent roll out of the Icon Class ships (Star and Icon), ship capacities of 7,500 people is unimaginable . . . and probably not something I want or need to experience.

I plan on writing individual posts to this blog about most of the features found on a Royal Caribbean cruise vacation.  But for now, let me reiterate, the basic price you pay for a cruise vacation will include everything you NEED to have an enjoyable time, regardless of how short or long your sailing is.  The all inclusive pricing covers the following . . . accommodations in a stateroom (generally priced at double occupancy) with an en-suite bathroom (sink, toilet and shower);  all meals (breakfast, lunch & dinner) including coffee or tea; onboard ship entertainment in one of the many entertainment theaters or lounges; swimming pools and exercise areas; and daily group activities and games.  Additionally, when stops are made at the various scheduled ports, it is possible to exit the ship at the dock and enjoy a leisurely time walking or shopping (if that's your thing).  I think all of the ports I've seen have bars & restaurants too, if you want a change of scenery or a more local cultural experience.

About the gratuities on the ship . . . this is a very polarizing topic for many.  But here are the facts . . .  you can have gratuities added to your initial cruise invoice, which is charged on a daily basis based on the type of stateroom you have.  Basic cabins with basic services are less expensive than if you have a larger suite type room.  Currently the price is about $20/person/day for a basic interior or oceanview cabin.  Again, you can just prepay that when you book your cruise. Some prefer to have it added to their onboard statement and then have it paid when they settle their account to the credit card on file.  Others however (and this is often the point of discussion/argument) will remove the daily gratuity from their onboard statement and say they will tip those who provide them services throughout the cruise.

Whether or not they do, or that they do so fairly, is typically the point of contention.  For me, I believe there are a lot of people who provide services behind the scenes.  So I'm alright with the daily tip rate and then supplement with small cash tips for those who are personally involved in serving me.  At the end of the cruise, I like to provide our servers in the main dining room an additional tip . . . as well as the cabin attendant who takes care of cleaning and resetting our room daily.  A $2 bill to the bar servers who provide cocktails in the showroom, bingo hall, dining room and casino generally assures attentive service throughout the trip.

So enough about tips!  There are many activities and experiences you can sign up for that you will spend money to participate in.  Shore excursions are the biggest add-on experience . . . but you can also sign up for spa treatments on the ship (or in port) . . . as well as "behind the scenes" tours and activities on the ship.  If the complimentary main dining room or the buffet meals aren't up to your standard, or you just want an elevated dining experience, there are numerous specialty restaurants found throughout the ship.  Reservations are generally required so you'll want to plan ahead.  And if a late night snack is something you crave, you should be able to find plenty of free choices on the ship, keeping in mind the smaller ships may have fewer options.

So you may be wondering "What about the shopping on board Von?"  Oh my am I glad I'm NOT A SHOPPER!  There are plenty of places to spend your money on a ship.  Most of the things to me, look cheap and mass produced.  The "art gallery" is a place I have no problem walking by every time.  The jewelry store is another.  They do have a small ship "convenience store" where you can find that much needed bottle of antacid or headache (hangover?) medicine.

The one shop I always pay a visit to, however, is the duty free liquor area.  I have found buying some items are significantly less expensive that buying at home.  Full liters of Kahlua or Captain Morgan Rum have sometimes been offered at "2 for" pricing which might be a great deal.  But I've also seen them at higher than Sam's Club pricing back home.  So if you think you may want to buy some duty free booze, be sure you know the prices back home . . . AND you have a safe way to transport the bottles home (especially if you are flying).

If the free shows aren't your jam, try your luck in the casino!  For me, win or lose, I have always enjoyed and been entertained in land casinos so having this as an option while on a cruise has been a nice experience.  After a couple of cruises I learned about R/C's Crown Royale casino program, and now I am actively engaged in making sure I "earn" comps that greatly reduce my anticipated expenses for future cruises.  I'll be writing a full blog on this topic alone!

If you feel you need to be connected 24/7 to your laptop or mobile device for entertainment (or work), be prepared to pay a premium for the ship's WiFi services.  I know some people who cannot disconnect for a week or two, so they pony up the money to be online.  R/C does provide free days to their higher end Crown & Anchor members, as well as the high rollers in the casino who have achieved the top reward levels.  For me, having T-Mobile provides me with the connectivity I need while in port which has been good enough to text or call home to let David know I'm doing well and safe.  Being retired means no more work and therefore no need to be accessible all the time.

I'll wrap up this post by saying whatever your interests are, there's a pretty good chance you will find a way to enjoy your time on a cruise ship. I know I continue to enjoy my time on the ship, even if it is finding a nice quiet corner to entertain myself or read a book.

No Longer a Cruise Virgin

As many of my family and friends know, I have been mostly a timeshare and road trip warrior vacationer. I have enjoyed several Amtrak adventures but had not ventured into the realm of cruising. With my sister Pam's husband passing away in 2022, she lost her #1 travel partner and one of their favorite things to do was to cruise. In the prime of his life, before cancer started robbing him of life's little joys, they cruised on average twice a year. So when she started jonsing to get back on a ship, I offered to join her. My hubby David was adamant about not going on a ship, being herded around on a mobile hotel (or worse, "a floating petri dish", so he blessed my joining her for a rather short 5 day itinerary out of Tampa to the Bahamas and back.

Prior to the trip, I had quipped "How bad can it be?" and "Even if it does suck, I can tough out just about anything for 5 days." Thankfully . . . for me (and my sister) it didn't suck and I had a great time! Everything folks say about the comforts and relaxation on a cruise ship were true. The one we were on was Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas. An old ship for sure, its "smallness" was part of what I enjoyed. At capacity, it holds roughly 2,200 guests plus crew. I never felt things were crowded. Even on the two port day adventures (Nassau and CoCo Cay), there were not throngs of people making getting around a hassle or too busy.

The crew on the ship, as well as those in port (we did do an excursion in Nassau through R/C), were outstanding and obviously committed to their guests' enjoyment and comfort. The price for what we received was of a good value, overall. But you had to watch what you were doing and make some savvy decisions. My sister did great in advising on how "we" should handle the "drink package" offer, since neither of us are big drinkers (alcohol or soft drinks) and for our dining, we avoided the upscale restaurants with the add-on price tag(s). We did all of our dinners in the Great Gatsby (one of the two main dining rooms) with the "early seating" at 5:30pm with a specific table and the same table companions (2 other couples from the same family) . . . which allowed us to have nice dinner conversations as we established new friendships. The food was exceptionally good . . . high quality with outstanding service provided by our dining wait staff team.

For lunch (when we were aboard the ship) we ate at the Windjammer Buffet, which had plenty of options from healthy to decadent. For breakfast, we did the buffet a three mornings, and the other main dining room (I don't recall the name) the other two. We did do the CHOPS Steakhouse, which is one of the fine dining "add-on" restaurants, for lunch on the day we boarded and prior to sailing. The 1:30pm late lunch of an 8 oz filet mignon with all the accompaniments, served as a nice and early dinner . . . for just $28 pp when booked prior to the cruise. It was well worth it, especially to be able to sample the dining experience in one of their specialty restaurants.

Back to the drink package.  Given the daily rate of $80-$90 per day per person AND NO SHARING, there was no need to do that since Pam was a Diamond member in their Crown & Anchor loyalty program and she received 4 beverages of her choice (including beer, wine and boozy cocktails) each day.  Since those are sharable, she was gracious to provide the drinks throughout the cruise.  I only bought one Captains & Diet Coke (at a hefty $14+tip) during one of our dinners.

I mention CoCo Cay as one of our port days. This is a private island owned and operated by Royal Caribbean. The day we were there, one of their much larger ships was also in port with Grandeur. I was a bit concerned that with potentially 6,000-7,000 people "at the beach" it would be crowded and people would be annoying. WOW I couldn't have been more wrong. With several themed areas including some with additional charges (like the huge water park), we took up at their South Beach area which was well furnished with beach lounges, restrooms, dining and of course, a great beach with a swim up bar. As they like to say, it was a perfect day at CoCo Cay.

For my first cruise experience, this vacation cost me right about $2,600.  That includes transportation from Milwaukee to/from the port in Tampa and the expenses the day before the cruise. On the ship we were in a double occupancy shared oceanview stateroom,  This would be the most I'd spend on a cruise (on a daily basis), mainly because I learned about casino offers and "free cruises" provided through Royal Caribbean's Casino Royale reward program.

But more about that another time . . . because math is hard and quickly becomes convoluted when calculating gambling expenses against future (cruise) opportunities and comps.

I also plan on writing more (with lots of photos) about the total cruise experience . . . aboard the ship, as well as in port and the excursions.

"Never" Say "Never"

After enjoying more than 10 trips to Alaska between 2006 & 2020, I swore to NEVER set foot on a cruise ship.  My idea of the perfect size boat was something along the lines of this, one of the many in the Alaska Marine Ferry fleet.

My perception of "cruise people" and the experiences available in port were not positive.  David & I had seen the worst in behaviors of people who seemingly had an entitlement attitude towards travel.  More than once we experienced firsthand just how rude and obnoxious tourists could be.  To see an entire breakfast buffet wiped out by a group of cruise guests, as they stuffed their ziplock baggies and backpacks with everything from fruits to fresh bakery and bacon & sausage, was disgusting.  Fortunately as guests in the lodge, we were taken care of after their cruise charter bus pulled out.

I also witnessed the cranky side of vacationing, watching grumpy husbands and wives bicker about the most trivial things.  No doubt, being in close quarters on a ship and then having to go out and deal with literally thousands of tourists in port, can take a toll on even the nicest of people.

Sometimes just watching the cruise people doing their excursions in port provided David & me with free entertainment.  In Skagway, this guide had her guests playing follow the leader while barking and flapping their arms. My oh my did they look silly!

In Hoonah we sat in on a stage presentation about the Huna Tlingit people.  I felt like their history was being told through the lens like being in Disneyland.  It was contrived and not very respectful of their culture . . . very disappointing.

 

 

 

 

 








We have made some wonderful friends in Alaska, making travel both affordable and enriching.  After discovering Alaska, and experiencing all of her splendor by land, air and sea on our own . . . it seemed impossible to imagine ever wanting to do so by cruise ship!