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.