Posts from — April 2007

Once upon a time, luxury cruises were only for the rich. Others certainly did travel by ship, even 100 years ago. But they were transported in ’steerage’, a dingy and uncomfortable accommodation. In the 1950s, cruises became the in thing among those with a little spare cash, even when they weren’t wealthy. Today, even those on a modest budget can usually afford a cruise.

If you’re one of the latter, though, you’ll want to plan carefully in order to get the maximum value from your travel investment. A few easy-to-learn facts can help you do just that.

First, observe that the price is not always ‘the price’. That is, there is often a price listed in the Sunday travel section, or displayed online, but that is not necessarily what you’ll pay to get what you want. Like many advertisements, they list the lowest possible price available.

What you get for that price will often not be what the average person would want. Even when it’s acceptable, it’s sometimes not available by the time you respond to the ad. The advertisers aren’t, strictly speaking, being fraudulent. They expect everyone to know by now, that they have other - usually higher priced - offers.

The price displayed also typically only includes the basics. Even that usually is a pretty good deal, since it covers accommodations, meals, onboard entertainment and some basic facilities. What it doesn’t include are extras like spas, massages and some special ship board entertainments.

Also, while it includes basic meals, it generally doesn’t include in-between snacks, sodas, alcoholic drinks and lots of other extras that can add up to a hefty additional amount. You can forego those, of course, but few will. The idea of a cruise, after all, is to indulge yourself, not merely to go from one country to another by ship.

That basic charge also does not usually include port fees, taxes and other charges added by the governments where the ship docks. Some countries have regulations requiring advertisers to include that amount in the price displayed or state clearly that the price shown doesn’t include them. But there are many loopholes.

Those port fees and taxes can add an additional $100 or more depending on the cruise. If you dock several times, you can expect it to be more. Those fees allow for infrastructure maintenance and other needs to be met. A cruise line will typically pass them onto the customers in one form or another. They’re in business to make a profit, after all.

Sometimes you will need to add in air transportation charges, other times those will be included in the package. Check the specifics of your planned itinerary.

Insurance is usually not included, but you may want to seriously consider it. Some U.S. insurance companies have ‘fine print’ clauses that releases them from liability if you’re injured or become ill while out of the country. Cancellation insurance, in case you can’t make the journey, is another option to consider.