How to know whether you’re getting the best deal on a vacation or cruise.
When most of us look at a vacation or cruise price that’s as far as we get… “Oh, I can afford that, let’s go”. But just because a vacation is affordable, it MAY NOT give you the best VALUE. Let’s look at vacation the way my brother, the millionaire does it.
Affordable Price AND Best Value
While on the surface a vacation may seem affordable, does it give us the best value? As we all know when planning a vacation there are several “hidden” costs.
As an example, if you book a cruise, you’ll generally see an ad for a fare…and that’s it. No mention is made of the port fees, taxes, and other charges which on some cruises can nearly double the fare! Then there are tips/gratuities that need to be paid for…you won’t find them generally advertised.
Throw in a drink package, WIFI package, shore excursions, etc. and your $1200 cruise may just have doubled!
Granted, you DON’T have to buy a drink package, you can pay-as-you-go and if you’re not an alcohol drinker, you can save a bundle. If you’re on a cruise to relax, you can probably get by without the WIFI connection. Shore excursions, souvenirs, specialty dining, and specialty coffees are also unnecessary for a great cruise.
So how can we figure out the best deals for a cruise?
Let’s take three items that you’ll have to pay on ANY cruise:
- Cruise Fare
- Port fees, charges, and taxes
- Gratuities, yes, I know you DON’T have to pay these…but please do!
Here’s an example: Let’s suppose we’re taking a 7-day cruise in January on the Carnival Jubilee, Carnival’s newest ship. As you can see in the chart below, for an inside cabin, the big three are:
Fare: $1129
Port fees, charges, and taxes: $118
Gratuities: $112
Now let’s look at the same cruise (same ports from Galveston) on Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas, and Oasis-class ship:
Fare: $696
Port fees, charges, taxes: $135
Gratuities: $112
Keep in mind that on a cruise, even without the add-on packages you’ll be able to drink coffee, tea, milk, lemonade, and water. You’ll have several dining venues with included meals. You’ll also have a place to stay, daily room cleaning, and other amenities.
In all fairness, the Carnival Jubilee is a new ship and will only be on its third cruise out of Galveston on 6 January so new ships tend to be a bit more expensive, but you can see there’s about a $60 per day savings on the Harmony of the Seas. That adds up to over $400 per person.
In fact, for the price paid on the Jubilee, you can get a balcony cabin on the Harmony and STILL save money in your pocket.
Finally, on both of these particular cruise lines if you happen to own 100 shares of their company stock you’ll also receive $100 in onboard credit which can be spent on shore excursions, drinks, souvenirs, etc.
This works for all-inclusive vacations and tours as well!
You can use the per person/per day formula when looking at all-inclusive resorts as well. These are usually simple, especially with the all-inclusive resorts since everything is included, just divide the amount you pay by the number of days and divide by two to get the per person/per day cost.
For example, a Last Minute Special at Sandals Royal Caribbean staying 3 nights in a Romeo and Juliet Walkout Butler Suite with Patio Tranquility Soaking Tub next month is $2640. That equates out to $440 per person/per day. Note that this does NOT include airfare. If you can, use reward miles, if not, you’ll want to include that price into your total before doing the math.
One FINAL example. We’re on the Norwegian Prima leaving NYC for a 14-day cruise in December. With some of the discounts, 10% military, and early booking, this is what we ended up with AND I’ll show you whether it’s worth it to purchase a drink package or other add-on:
Fare: $1255
Port Fees: $557
Gratuities: $280
Using the above example if you purchase a couple of glasses of wine, beer, or a cocktail ($12-$14 per drink) or two, you may not need the drink package. On the other hand, if you’re planning on a breakfast mimosa, an Irish coffee, a couple of drinks at the pool or at lunch/dinner, then cocktails or nightcaps before bed…you might want to go with the package.
And that, ladies and gentlemen is how you find out whether you’re getting a good deal on your vacation AND determine whether to purchase the drink package or other add-ons.
Is this information new to you? Is this how you plan your vacations? Make a comment below.
