Cruise tip: departing the ship
June 23rd, 2009We accidentally didn’t depart with our assigned group when leaving the Grandeur of the Seas last month. We had a few delays given the usual challenges of a one year old plus getting everyone breakfast in the dining room (which is not always speedy) and resolving our bill. We were supposed to have our statement in our room by the morning, but it had fallen off our door and had been tracked down the hallway somewhere. I had to wait in the long concierge line to request a copy. Everyone on the bill looked correct, except for the total! It was right, but I had a little bit of a shock when I saw it. The onboard expenses really add up!
So with all of this, we headed to the family lounge a bit late. When we arrived, we asked if our group had already been called, and it had. So we headed to the gangway and exited the ship. The exit was fairly speedy. I’m guessing that they were between groups, so the line wasn’t terribly long. It didn’t take us very long to get off the ship. I’m guessing that getting off late could have worked to our disadvantage, but it didn’t!
This is what the luggage area looks like when you get off with the rest of your group:
This is what it looks like when you get off after the majority of your assigned group:
Considering that four out of the six remaining suitcases were ours, it took us all of two seconds to find our stuff. Ah, the advantages of not following instructions.
Note: this is not necessarily a serious “tip,” just a fortunate mistake for us!
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June 23rd, 2009 at 11:43 am
Another tip.. When your wife puts a pair of shoes on the floor expecting to wear them the last day, don’t pack those in the suitcase you put outside the room the night before. She will not appreciate it.
June 23rd, 2009 at 12:27 pm
I thought cruises were generally all-inclusive except for things like alcohol and shore-excursions. What sorts of onboard expenses added up so much? I’m cruise-ignorant!
June 24th, 2009 at 5:26 am
Drinks that are included are coffee, tea, and certain juices at certain times. Sodas and alcohol are not included. You can get a soda package which we didn’t get this time but we certainly will next time. They allow you to bring drinks onto the ship, but it was too much of a pain. We’ll pay for the convenience of the soda package next time (like we did on our first cruise). We had spa charges this time for our massages. Tips are not included in the original price and can be billed to your cabin (you can elect to pay the “standard” or “suggested” tips and put extra in the envelopes if you feel that it is warranted). Gambling/Bingo are extra, of course. I think that there’s a fee for getting money for the casino, but the Bingo games can be put on the seapass (your room card which doubles as a credit card on the ship) without a fee. We didn’t buy anything in the onboard shops this time, but they have all kinds of souvenirs and other duty-free items. They also have these art auctions, but we haven’t participated in those either. Oh, and one big one for us - photos! The ship’s photographers tend to take your photos all over the place, especially on formal nights. We tend to buy more than the average family, I’m sure. Those can run $9.95-19.95 each, depending on the photo. That can add up in a hurry (for us!). Some ships have special restaurants that are extra, and most have a special coffee bar or ice cream shop that is extra (free soft serve by the pool, but there’s a Ben & Jerry’s, for example). Most things are included, but these other miscellaneous expenses can really add up!