My son went on a cruise a couple of months ago and I warned him about some of the topics you also covered. One thing I heard on another channel was that if you go to the casino, go on the first night only. The odds are set to advantage the player on the first night hoping that the word will spread. I told him that and he listened. He won a little over $11,000 in three hours on the first night and didn't play during the rest of the cruise.
First-time players would have a better chance of hitting that jackpot to make you come back. Once you're on the list, they make sure you lose. Don't tell me that they couldn't set the odds of the machines. 😅
After cruising on Norwegian, my late wife and I decided to try a lower luxury line, Viking. It was nice, especially with the nicer rooms, not to have any extras. No speciality dining charges. No laundry charges. No drink charges. Since we didn’t have young kids, we didn’t need the water slides, etc.
I LOVE Viking! Classy service. Excellent food. No kids! Free Wifi. Great excursions that are included. If you added up the cost of all the included excursions, free Wifi AND 2 nights of specialty dining, the costs even out, in my opinion. Yes, their cruises are more expensive but they are worth it, in my opinion. We are never bothered with photographers everywhere you go. Good coffee…free! And not ENORMOUS ships to navigate.
@@Violet3017good point. After my last cruise, I felt ripped off by NCL and just out of curiosity, I compared my final cost (after all the nickel and diming) to the same itinerary I saw in the Oceania brochure that had just arrived. It wasn't exactly even but there wasn't much difference price-wise for what seemed to be a much better experience. Next time, I'll be looking at Oceania first.
You are 100% correct. I've been cruising for years and the prices have always been outrageous. A total ripoff, especially for water. They buy water in massive quantities, and they do not even pay a dollar a bottle and on Carnival a bottle of water is $3.50. On Royal Caribbean if you purchase wifi online begore you board they have the nerve to tack on a gratuity. My question is a gratuity for who? It's just disgusting what these cruise lines are especially knowing that the cruise lines pay the majority of the employees are paid slave wages. Just talk to all the foreigners working on the boats and you will be shocked at what they earn. This is why they push gratuities so hard because they want the cruisers to pay them because their salaries are ten times lower than the minimum wage. This is why cruise lines register their boats in foreign countries, this way they are not bound by any labor laws. How many times have you cruised and never see an American working there. And, Carnival is an American company but, they don't register their boats in America. It's just disgusting. When it comes to prepaid gratuities you're better off not getting it. Just tip the people you want in cash. And in case you don't know all of those gratuities they tack on to everything you buy, you can go to guest relations and have all of them removed. And one more thing, I spoke to one of the guys who owns a bus and does excursions, he told me he chatges Carnival $60 pp for four hour tour and for that tour Carnival was charging $289 pp. Cruise lines are a total ripoff.
My second comment: I was totally ripped off on Royal Caribbean Oasis in August 2017. Paid for what I thought was a beautiful tanzanite and diamond pendant to the tune of $1000. "Thank you! Lets us box it up and print the certificate of authenticity for you. Come back later for pick up." NEVER do that! Buy the one in your hand at the time of purchase and walk out with it. If they say NO, walk away. I was given a much smaller pendant and of a lighter color tanzanite. Looked great in the box under the weird jewelry store lighting. Realized the next day at home it was a switched-out piece. Told by an unrelated appraiser just this past year that she's helped dozens of folks reclaim their money on cruise ship jewelry rip-offs. Too late for me. But lesson learned.
The costs for bottles of water drive me absolutely insane on most ships - I find it SO expensive! For that reason, I always take a large bottle that I'll fill up throughout the cruise - I'm not paying $50 for water throughout my cruise, haha! Great video as always, Ilana!
I completely agree with you! I am actually slowly moving away from cruising over the next 2 years. It has become very expensive but you get less than you use to.
@@sf3413RCL was our first and favorite cruise line but as you mentioned they are now becoming ultra expensive. Lately we’ve been sailing on Princess. It seems to offer the best all around vale with Princess Plus.
@@sf3413we are doing RCL for our cruise next month and won't do them again most likely. they are becoming more and more pricey to the point of ridiculous. For example, their excursions, which are exactly the same as other lines, are 10 to 20% higher price than other lines'. We aren't even on board and I am annoyed with RCL.
I agree with everything! On our last cruise (in Oct) on the Carnival Celebration. We hardly spent any $. Our bill was under $150. Of course we tipped the room steward and the dining crew. We did have some specialty drinks etc, but really nothing else. We are happy with the dining room for dinner and really don’t care to spend the extra money on the specialty restaurants. We used to get a roll of quarters and play the slots just for fun, but everything is tied to your card, that we stopped. We like the act of putting those quarters in. Over the years we’ve done the massages, etc. but again they’ve gotten so expensive that we don’t bother (we’re already paying a higher price to cruise as it is) we are fine without it. One thing I was willing to pay for (just to say I did) was the roller coaster on the Celebration. But I was unable because I had fractured my shoulder 10 days before sailing. All the other stuff I can do without, bingo, the art auction and onboard shopping. Just not our thing. One thing that wasn’t mentioned (for those of us who drive to port. We live in FL) is the parking. It’s ridiculous it was $175 for a 7 day cruise. That was more than our onboard purchases. Crazy! Oh yeah we do purchase a case of water to have in our room. I do bring a refillable bottle, but I like having water all the time. I’m willing to pay the extra $17.
Hi Ilana, I always enjoy your videos, and we have learned so much from you! We are cruisers who sail in suites, buy all the packages and don't really worry about the costs. That said, my wife's experience in the spa on a Princess cruise was a good example of a rip-off. She had her nails painted and I think it ended up costing her over $250. The person kept asking her if she would like an "arm massage" or other treatments, without telling her that each one came with an additional cost. It turned out that the product used on her nails was like epoxy and once we returned home she had to go to a nail salon to have it removed which was an additional expense. Obviously cruise lines try to get you onboard at the lowest cost they can, and then try to make a profit on all the additional charges. One of my biggest complaints is the quality of the food. I don't really care about the cost, but we should be able to dine in a speciality restaurant if we want, and have an excellent dining experience. Sadly, that seems not always to be the case.
This is why I love Virgin Voyages!! Most of this stuff is included. But side note: I don't have kids. My big ripoff to add would be cabanas on the islands!
as a solo cruiser the surcharge was the thing that made me not book a cruise for the longest time. finally Norwegian did away with even though a solo still pays more than the listed price it's not double.
Just came back from a family trip to the Caribbean and it was an all inclusive resort. I take my son,daughter-in-law and 4 grandchildren every 4 years. I had hoped to take everyone on a cruise this time BUT WOW paying for 8 peoples drink packages,Wi-Fi,and a dinner or two was too much of an added cost . We would need 4 rooms and it was just too expensive. The Caribbean vacation had it all, drinks, specialty restaurants,Wi-Fi swim up rooms, water park and entertainment in the evening. I will never take them on a cruise it just seems to be a Big money grab. I forgot to mention our stay in the all inclusive resort had no lines! None we didn’t have to get in line for anything!
Agree💯… that’s why we now ‘cruise’ on dry land with Club Med. All inclusive, heaps of resorts all over the world and much, much better value for money!
I am so glad I found your channel. You have provided a wealth of information. I have many notes (and many amazon packages delivered ). I am feeling prepared for my upcoming cruise as a result of your outstanding videos! 👏
I advised my husband of this…it saved us. Plus I added the lemons(requested), to my water. I also saw some cruisers,bring their BruMate’s/Yeti/etc. this would be a bonus,on our next cruise
1. Specialty restaurants 2. Bottles of water 3. Cruise ship convenience store items 4. Spa treatment 5. Tips or ship gratuities 6. Cruise wifi 7. Professional photos 8 . Paying for items that used to be free 9. Getting better seating in theaters 10. Some onboard attractions 11. Cork fee 12. Cruising solo but paying double 13. Art Auction 14. Pre-owned vintage luxury items 15. The casino 16. Bingo and Deal or no deal 17. Room service 18. Shore excursions
I can't even get an accessible cabin though I'm Disabled! Apply in plenty of time but none. Offered inside cabins, too small , & shower unsuitable. But as a Solo costs me double, WHY ???
The last RC cruise we were on, there was no charge for many of the fitness classes. You just had to sign up in the app because space was limited. They never filled up, but this was in December.
We don't buy drink packages, rarely do excursions, and only choose a specialty restaurant if it has a great menu & reviews. I used to go to the spa but prices are outrageous and I can get a massage at my local spa before vacation. We bring water onboard and wine as allowed. Once we get to a port we buy water if needed. I found when we just stopped with all the add-ons and took advantage of what is still included, our bill is almost nothing at the end, and we still really enjoy ourselves. Also, those cabanas at private islands are unbelievably priced for what you get. On our last cruise the private island day was really windy and we ended up going back onboard early. Glad we didn't spend all that extra $$$.
@@debbie9929 I am in the same boat, so to speak as I also love to travel alone. I've only been on two cruises (would've been three if one of them did not get cancelled), but would love to go on more if not for that single supplement. Hmm, may have to check that out with NCL if indeed no single supplement!
I agree about the single traveler. It’s kept me from going on some cruises. They also lose out because I tend to spend a lot on the cruise in the casino, shopping, photos, so they lose out. I don’t mind that because I like to pay for what I’m getting. Paying for a phantom in my room, not so much
The MDR meals on the cruises that I have been on are usually as good or better than the average meal at a restaurant on land. Why pay more for a specialty restaurant than you would pay on land when you are already paying for the MDR meal?
Absolutely right. I've only been on two cruises - the MDR on Celebrity was the equal of any fine restaurant I've been to on land and NCL's was quite good too.
Solo balcony cabins sometimes cost more than a regular balcony cabin. Also last week on Holland, I took a $13 bottle of Moscato. There was a crew member at the port and was cgarging the $20 corkage fee. My wine was a screw top and the fee cost more than the wine. So I left the wine with him and got it at the end of the cruise.
I included Wi-Fi on my last cruise, only because I was solo, and didn’t want my daughter to worry. I take cruises to unplug. There is enough stuff to do that is not an extra cost.
going on my first cruise next week. your channel has been invaluable in helping me prepare. i agree that the prices of speciality restaurants, the spa, professional photos, wifi packages and excursions are absurd (found on cruise app), and that you can get the same or similar experiences on land for half the price.
You may pay more on some of the more premium cruise lines, but if you get a more pleasant cruise experience and aren’t nickled-and-dimed, it’s worth the extra cash. My wife and I are considering a Viking cruise for that reason.
That's exactly what I'm going to do next time. I compared the total cost of my last cruise on NCL to the same itinerary on Oceania and it looked like a much better value for not much more money.
The spa!! Totally agree! Plus the upselling makes you feel so uncomfortable and kind of nullifies the relaxation you're supposed to feel by going to the spa. I just now completely avoid.
Absolutely! I have never bothered to get a massage on board, and I’ve heard about the high pressure sales pitches that would really make me so frustrated that the relaxing massage would be pointless!
The solo supplement is ridiculous. I went on my first solo cruise a few months ago and got a really good price so it wasn’t too bad. I’m Looking into another solo cruise and I’m very limited because of the solo cost.
I did my first solo cruise last month & you’re right, you really have to look for the deals because that solo tax is ridiculous. I have found a few others like one to Hawaii & Alaska but I had to book them a year or more out to get the best price.
I agree too, why would anyone choose to buy these, " oh yes, look darling, look at these photos of us with a piece of steak in your mouth and gravy down your chin" not really, NO !!!
I am taking my 6th 7th 8th 9th and 10th cruises beginning in December through May. I am a Solo traveler and go on all these cruises solo. I have found Norwegian to be the only one that really accommodates a Solo traveler at an affordable price so that's who I'm beginning to travel with consistently
You might want to compare the NCL solo rates with the cost of other lines with solo supplements. They are often much higher which is what I found when trying to book a 7 day Caribbean cruise out of San Juan, comparing the Grand Princess and the Norwegian Epic.
@@JB-armybrby7 I was pricing out a 7 day Caribbean cruise out of Miami on MSC. The cruise fare for an inside was $360 and the single supplement was 20%>
I think I’m stating the obvious but I’m guessing the cruise lines main concern is that friends traveling together that would normally room together would each book their own room full size room. If each only had to pay half the fare the problem becomes evident. I think a great solution if to build ships with more solo cabins.
Not only that, but often the line will say there are no rooms available, but if you switch to 2 people traveling, it will say there is a room available.
I have seen some cruise lines offering solo cabins, but they were only inside cabins, solo cruisers want window and balconies too. There are so many new ships being built , why don't they address this issue?
@@markw639 Celebrity Edge doesn't charge double for singles, even in a veranda room. I almost booked a cruise in Australia but backed out when i added up all the extras such as water, gratuities, wifi, excursions, on and on. I'll just do a land tour where most things (even lots of excursions) are included. Also, I can choose how much I want to tip I could have pre-purchased liters of bottled water but I just didn't like the "shake down" feeling.
Whenever I get annoyed by nickel and dime add ons I take a step back and remind myself that these extras are helping to supplement a lower cost to my cruise fare. I can easily say no to something that is not a value to me. Thanks for the video as always great content and thanks especially for advocating for reusable bottles.
I still love my LV reverse monogram kislux clutch! It's versatile, fits a variety of items, and is definitely a workhorse! I think seeing it everywhere (like the LV speedy) is proof that it's already a classic.
Great advice as always!! Shore excursions have been getting very expensive!! Although I have to say we really enjoyed our helicopter to the Mendenhall glacier and also the white pass railway in Skagway!
My complaint #1 is standing in long lines for mandatory “authorizations” for almost everything. #2 disembarking for 1 night, so needing to drive to another city 100 miles round trip to get that passport check done in heavy traffic. It was not like we passed a test or something. What a way to begin a relaxing Cruise!
Gratuities definitely are out of control. Look, I'm all for people getting paid, but lets be brutally honest cruises at least starting in the US have foreign ports of call so they can avoid all those "silly" laws like minimum wage and other things for people working on the ships. Now I'm not advocating having a poor working class, but for god sakes PAY YOUR DAMN EMPLOYEES and don't use gratuities as a method to advertise lower prices and then bait and switch the customers. If I go to a premium restaurant why is their auto gratuity? Just raise all the fricking prices if you're automatically charging gratuity.
I have never removed my tips since I have always cruise off season. Now if I go during the summer and I have to pay twice the price then I’m sorry but I’m not paying the tip.
In June we were on Celebrity Edge Alaska. We were surprised and THRILLED that we didn't see a photographer anywhere onboard the entire week. NO photos taken anywhere. I think there was a photo studio onboard if you wanted that service.
Art auction....I found an amazing piece in Charcoal. The artist was there. The original piece was like $8000. He sold a me Litho of the work 5 of 100 For $200 (behind the cruise lines back he shipped to my house)
Love the Princess Premier bundle... it is great value. I have used it's photo package to grab a ton of "publicity shots" -- I wear different shirts and visit all the backdrops, try different poses etc... and I work with the photographers... if others want to come and grab their own photo I WAIT and let them in.
One thing you did not mention is the outrageous prices for the drink packages. We are doing a 7 night sailing on Carnival next month and the 1st thing you see on the website is the drink package & to prepay, it is $70.74/day. However in April 2025 we are doing a 5 night sailing on Carnival and to prepay the drink package for that sailing, the price is $82.54/day, a $12.50 increase!! As long as there is MASSIVE demand for cruising like it is now, the prices will continue to go up. 😢
Am on a ship right now sailing towards Brazil and Antarctica. One thing I hate about the casino onboard, which we sometimes have to walk through on our way to the theater, is the smoking!!! I won't ever spend time in the Casino, as the smoke just grosses me out! Good way to save money! We are fine with the water and coffee on board, don't need specialty restaurants, brought 2 bottles of wine and 2 12-packs of soda with us, never use room service, and heaven knows we don't need specialty desserts! I only bought the internet package for 1 device, but as an "elite" status, get it for half price. You can get plenty of exercise walking on the Promenade, and back and forth to your cabin. We are having a great time!
@@randymo3371 Seems like you have been hassled before about your smoking, the places you can smoke are becoming more scarce, and people more vocal about your smoking around them, get OVER it, you are even more of a minority.
Definitely agree about solo cruising/double up charge. I am super loyal to Norwegian because they have done so much for solo travel - studios and now single cabins at every level (except Haven). It amazes me that the other lines won’t wake up to it.
We have to keep in mind that nothing exists in a silo. For example, if bottles of water were cheaper or free, that will lead to more abandoned half empty bottles of water scattered around the ship. That's going to require more crew time so either costs will go up or quality of service will go down. Pick one. I think the free refill stations are the perfect resolution to this. We also have to remember that a lot of these are profit centers for the cruise lines. If they know that they can make significant profit in the spa, for example, they don't need to build in as much profit in the cruise fare. In a way, the people who are going to the spa at the higher prices are subsidizing your cruise. These are businesses, after all. The only true rip off in my book is any profit margin built into things like Dramamine. Maybe a person is normally fine but they're getting motion sick on this particular cruise. The cruise line should be making an effort to make the cruise enjoyable. That's not the time to be thinking profit.
I’d rather see paying extra for some activities on the ships instead of adding them to the cost to the cruise price. Being older we don’t go on the roller coasters or on some of the other attractions for the younger crowd so to have those added in on the cruise cost would be paying for activities we wouldn’t use.
I don’t know this for a fact, but watching a very trusted channel about cargo ships, is that all of their fresh water is produced onboard through one of two ways: reverse osmosis or evaporative condensation. The engines (and they are huge!) only run on fresh water, so they need to produce a lot every day. I assume the same is true for cruise ships. The shower and tap water on your cruise is very, very safe to drink. Plus…folks, don’t purchase bottled water!
Our last cruise Singapore to Sydney on Celebrity Solstice We spent nothing. The drinks package was just way too expensive. Much cheaper to purchase as required. There are a lot of extras that you really don’t need, but to each their own.🇦🇺❤️🚢
On my last carnival cruise out of new Orleans in February there were employees going around trying to sell organic orange juice and boxes of tea while I was trying to eat breakfast and I turned a few heads when I got loud. Leave me alone im trying to eat have you not got enough money out me already.
Although I'm traveling with family, I'm not staying with family. I splurged and purchased a balcony room but would have gone with a suite had they had specials for singles.
Did Holland America for the first time this summer and loved it, they still have free room service! (But added gratuities). We usually cannot justify the drink packages but wish that all of the cruise lines would get past adding the gratuities there, too. Hate getting “nickeled and dimed” the whole trip with drinks you’ve technically already paid for.
@@annjackson8054 I think that HAL continues to offer an overall quality product without compromising on what people love most. However I know some long time HAL cruisers might say things have changed
@@LifeWellCruised I agree! We love HAL and are looking forward to our next cruise with them in April on Rotterdam. Celebration is my favorite Carnival ship🥰 Enjoy and happy sails! 🚢
I bought a fake bag for kislux . I would not spend that money on a real bag. I would rather put the money in the bank. I really appreciate this video. Thanks!
Ilana, the photos are outrageously expensive, but it's the same for school photos. (I don't know how families with 3 or more children can afford school photos anymore!) A scam, but people buy them anyway. 🤷♀️
My advice, use the cruise excursions to find out what's available then go book directly through the provider. Every time we've done this it has been at a substantial savings AND we end up traveling with the cruise passengers anyhow. Be careful, though. Sometimes you have to provide your own transportation one or both ways.
On my last two cruises on NCL, every one of my excursions was $50 off, per port (some were even free) This was part of their free at sea. Hard to beat $50 off.
It's true. Have done my own tours, but it really depends on where you dock and how long you have. In Mexico, I would not recommend any tour not associated with the ship. And I almost missed my boat on a tour because the bus had met up with traffic after starting late waiting for other passengers. AND it was rush, rush, rush to get everything in. And, oh, those stupid shopping stops. The guides get large kickbacks. Sick of all of that. Now I mostly travel on land. In Europe I get a car or in unusual places I go with Gate1 tours. Worth the money, and they do a great job picking hotels . Way better value IMo
5:46 I got to tell you, I've done 10 cruises. I went with a friend on my last one where I usually go solo. We had a bunch of pictures taken and I just didn't really think much of it. When we started looking through them we found two or three that we loved, one of which I use as a profile picture now. Some of those professional photos came out really well and there was no way a smartphone would have been able to capture the same lighting angle and visual believe it or not. Again that was my first time after 10 cruises, but if you find one you really like you'll be impressed. It's worth taking a look at least and if you have status with the cruise line you're not going to pay near full price.
Holy Moly! A charge for room service? I know I haven’t cruised for awhile but that’s criminal!! Corkage fee for your own bottle of open wine?? Changes for in room movies? Charge for fitness classes? Charge for Bingo?? No way!! I’ve been tempted to take a cruise but I don’t think my blood pressure would tolerate it!! I’m sticking to land based luxury resorts.
We just booked our first cruise and looked at all the so-called amenities and their prices. They are awful. Thank you for talking about all these items. Yeah we thought the Wi-Fi was a rip off and so much more. The biggest one tip that I got from you was to bring your own water bottle. Thank you so much. The fact of buying water at the prices they were quoting is ridiculous. We’re gonna go bare bones since this is the first time. We’re not gonna get caught up in all this other junk that they’ve got and see how it goes. Again thank you.
My wife and I were on a cruise and happened by the art auction while it was in progress. We stopped and watched for a while and could not believe how high the bids were going! People were paying well into the five figures for paintings that were clearly mass-produced and were more like the novelty prints of the poker-playing dogs than real, legitimate art. At least one piece went for over $110,000. All I could think was if they want to get rid of that much money, hand it to me and I'll put it to better use than buying some of their "art." Keep up the great work, I really enjoy your videos!
I swear by Princess Plus as they include water bottles, gratuities, wi-fi, room service, two casual dinning, two premium desserts, two fitness classes, and ocean now delivery. With Premier you get all that along with photo package (four prints unlimited digital downloads), unlimited casual dinning, unlimited specialty dinning, priority seating at shows.
NCL is the best for solo cruisers. Just today, i was checking out a Transatlantic cruise on Holland America, for 2026, and discovered that their few solo cabins are all booked already. All other cabins are 2X the cost.
different cruise lines cater to different demographics. Been on 2 NCL cruises as a solo and would never ever set foot on an NCL ship again. Sad because price was ok but everything else was very disappointing. Just not my cup of tea.
Unless it's something one specifically wants to do most of the extra charges can be dodged on a cruise, The best parts are covered by the ticket generally speaking aside from drink packages.
Hi Ilana! I always enjoy your channel. Thanks for always coming up with new and interesting material. With regards to room service, we’ll be sailing with Celebrity in Concierge class and I understand that our package includes continental breakfast room service. Would we still need to pay gratuity on top of that? I would love to have a quick light breakfast before our shore excursions but I don’t want the hidden cost of gratuities. I should also mention that my package includes prepaid gratuities. Thanks for your help and happy cruising!
Many times, precruise upgrade offers a rip off. On a recent cruise, to upgrade precruise from an ocean view to a balcony would have been $600 total for the two of us. We waited until we were checking in and asked about upgrades and got the same offer for $150 total.
The thing I didn't like about cruises is that when you are sitting around on the deck or in a tender going to a port, they will offer you snack items such as sorbets and only after you take one, you are given the receipt to sign to charge it to your room. That is dirty pool, and you don't see that happen in an all-inclusive resort.
I totally agree with your list of rip offs. Most of the sessions they offer to learn about hair texture, back pain, etc are usually to sell you expensive products. However, once my daughter and I attended a session to see if we were using the right shampoo. At the end there was a raffle to win a haircut. Since there were very few attandees, we actually won. And I have to say, they gave her a very good haircut. If the prize is good and your chances are high, go listen for 30 minutes. You could win.
We always get the photo packages and the premium internet too ♥️ I cannot go without the internet lol and I love having my photos taken when all dressed up on the cruise 💓
I wish that cruise ships would ban the plastic water bottles.It is so easy to fill your personal water bottle at the water stations. I totally agree with extra charges at Specialty Restaurants.
I have seen the shore excursions in the Bahamas go to astronomical costs. Also the whale watching in Grand Turk is almost $500 for three people. That's more than the cruise fare😮
I have been in river cruises (Yangtze, Nile, Yang Tze, Irrawaddy, and Mekong) where I was in a single cabin that would not have been suitable for more than one person. In all of these cases, it was part of a larger land tour, and the single supplement (which included land accommodations), was reasonable (in the 15% to 20% range). I did get good deals on the supplement on ocean liners, but I had an agent negotiate it.
Perception is everything, I remember saving up for my first LV and some coworkers automatically thought it was fake because I was a young black girl. At that point I really stopped caring what people's opinions were, people will always have their opinions based on how you look. After this I shopped in kislux . If you drive a Bentley and get out of the car with a fake Hermes, no one will question you.
I think the biggest rip-off for me is paying double occupancy as a solo cruiser (my first solo is in April). I enjoy being alone in a cabin and my son and daughter-in-law have decided to take a break from cruising….grrr
Even sailing solo in the “solo cabins” is outrageous! NCL which states they are the cruise line for single people, is not. Checked out the price for two in an ocean view cabin vs solo inside and the solo was only $137 less.
Regarding the water bottles: I travel with a 30$ personal Brita bottle from Walmart and the local water tasted ok. I’m going to buy the 100$ Larq bottle because I think it’s more effective in cleaning your tap water.
Hi Ilana. Great video as always. I’m happy to pay extra for nearly all of these items if I choose to (which I mostly don’t) but paying the amount they charge for WiFi gets to me. I have aging parents and in-laws so completely disconnecting is just not an option for us. I wish all lines would just build WiFi into the basic cost of the cruise.🚢 ❤🎉
Bottled water - just bring a reusable bottle or cup and fill it at the buffet. We made the mistake of pre-ordering a bunch of bottled water on our first cruise, only to have to pack most of it home because we never actually needed them. I'm not sure if they still do, but NCL included 4 or 6 bottles of complimentary water on our last cruise. We'll find out this weekend... Cruise WiFi - here is the small print for NCL - you get 150 minutes per person included with your "free at sea" promotion. But if you upgrade the wifi to unlimited for a single person, it turns off the complimentary wifi for everyone else in that cabin.
I have been many cruises, and I do not pay any of the items that you mentioned. Regarding movies, I have an old DVD player and I bring DVDs with me, If I want to forgo the local shows, and watch them. Once I was on a Norwegian cruise, one of the waiters in the Lido area told me that, the same food that is served in the specialty dining rms, is the food that is served in the Lido area, so that is where I eat. On my last Carnival Cruise, a guy won $5000 in the Casino, so it was worth it for him, but not for most people. You mentioned that the water purchase was $20.00, I checked and it is up to $29.99 for 12 bottles of water, plus delivery charge on Carnival.
I actually tried deal or no deal for the second time in cruising and actually got selected and won enough to pay for cruise expenses. For me that’s a win and understand i may never be chosen again lol
Everyone of your comments rings true. One time I had a bellyache and went to the ship store for roleaids. They wanted $14 for a small roll. No deal. Next day we were in Halifax, NS and I bought a roll at a pharmacy for $1.50C. (Should have brought my own but forgot.) When Princess allowed free pizza's and calzones at Alfredo's the place was always packed and I bet they did well with drink tips but then they started to charge. Now I notice the place MAY be 50% full at best.
We love msc ,we like the different cultures on each cruise! We have cruised much mostly on NCL! But we are feeling more and more herded with many crowds, long lines for dinner and disembarking, much lately! We are enjoying celebrity when it is just us adults cruising, we enjoy the adult quiet space much!! We never are very concerned about food on any cruise.. we enjoy special restaurants and all breakfast & lunches in the dining rooms. We never do the buffet on any cruise! We enjoy being served , hot foods!
One of the best things about Virgin Voyages, no nickel and diming. Can bring 2 bottles of wine per cabin, no fees etc, gratuities, WiFi, and daily fresh water plus other stuff.
I am constantly ripped off as a solo traveller-paying a minimum of 75% more than couples. For example, Seabourn and they are not cheap to begin with. I eat less and drink less so the cruise line saves on that.
My son went on a cruise a couple of months ago and I warned him about some of the topics you also covered. One thing I heard on another channel was that if you go to the casino, go on the first night only. The odds are set to advantage the player on the first night hoping that the word will spread. I told him that and he listened. He won a little over $11,000 in three hours on the first night and didn't play during the rest of the cruise.
@@ron56pvi13 very interesting
Wow that's cool, what did he play?
@@justjessy0115 the only thing with adjustments would be slots I believe
First-time players would have a better chance of hitting that jackpot to make you come back. Once you're on the list, they make sure you lose. Don't tell me that they couldn't set the odds of the machines. 😅
Had no idea.
After cruising on Norwegian, my late wife and I decided to try a lower luxury line, Viking.
It was nice, especially with the nicer rooms, not to have any extras. No speciality dining charges. No laundry charges. No drink charges. Since we didn’t have young kids, we didn’t need the water slides, etc.
That’s a great point. We should compare more inclusive lines
I LOVE Viking! Classy service. Excellent food. No kids! Free Wifi. Great excursions that are included.
If you added up the cost of all the included excursions, free Wifi AND 2 nights of specialty dining, the costs even out, in my opinion.
Yes, their cruises are more expensive but they are worth it, in my opinion.
We are never bothered with photographers everywhere you go. Good coffee…free! And not ENORMOUS ships to navigate.
@@Violet3017good point. After my last cruise, I felt ripped off by NCL and just out of curiosity, I compared my final cost (after all the nickel and diming) to the same itinerary I saw in the Oceania brochure that had just arrived. It wasn't exactly even but there wasn't much difference price-wise for what seemed to be a much better experience. Next time, I'll be looking at Oceania first.
@@LifeWellCruised Is there a difference between american lines and european ones?
You can bring your own drink onto Viking too - not necessarily for general use but its nice to have a glass of wine on your balcony of an evening
You are 100% correct. I've been cruising for years and the prices have always been outrageous. A total ripoff, especially for water. They buy water in massive quantities, and they do not even pay a dollar a bottle and on Carnival a bottle of water is $3.50. On Royal Caribbean if you purchase wifi online begore you board they have the nerve to tack on a gratuity. My question is a gratuity for who? It's just disgusting what these cruise lines are especially knowing that the cruise lines pay the majority of the employees are paid slave wages. Just talk to all the foreigners working on the boats and you will be shocked at what they earn. This is why they push gratuities so hard because they want the cruisers to pay them because their salaries are ten times lower than the minimum wage. This is why cruise lines register their boats in foreign countries, this way they are not bound by any labor laws. How many times have you cruised and never see an American working there. And, Carnival is an American company but, they don't register their boats in America. It's just disgusting. When it comes to prepaid gratuities you're better off not getting it. Just tip the people you want in cash. And in case you don't know all of those gratuities they tack on to everything you buy, you can go to guest relations and have all of them removed. And one more thing, I spoke to one of the guys who owns a bus and does excursions, he told me he chatges Carnival $60 pp for four hour tour and for that tour Carnival was charging $289 pp. Cruise lines are a total ripoff.
My second comment: I was totally ripped off on Royal Caribbean Oasis in August 2017. Paid for what I thought was a beautiful tanzanite and diamond pendant to the tune of $1000. "Thank you! Lets us box it up and print the certificate of authenticity for you. Come back later for pick up." NEVER do that! Buy the one in your hand at the time of purchase and walk out with it. If they say NO, walk away. I was given a much smaller pendant and of a lighter color tanzanite. Looked great in the box under the weird jewelry store lighting. Realized the next day at home it was a switched-out piece. Told by an unrelated appraiser just this past year that she's helped dozens of folks reclaim their money on cruise ship jewelry rip-offs. Too late for me. But lesson learned.
Disgusting. And ILLEGAL.
The costs for bottles of water drive me absolutely insane on most ships - I find it SO expensive! For that reason, I always take a large bottle that I'll fill up throughout the cruise - I'm not paying $50 for water throughout my cruise, haha!
Great video as always, Ilana!
I completely agree with you! I am actually slowly moving away from cruising over the next 2 years. It has become very expensive but you get less than you use to.
@@sf3413 have you considered trying other lines?
@@LifeWellCruised That's a really good idea. I only do RCL. Creature of habit.
@@sf3413RCL was our first and favorite cruise line but as you mentioned they are now becoming ultra expensive. Lately we’ve been sailing on Princess. It seems to offer the best all around vale with Princess Plus.
@@sf3413we are doing RCL for our cruise next month and won't do them again most likely. they are becoming more and more pricey to the point of ridiculous. For example, their excursions, which are exactly the same as other lines, are 10 to 20% higher price than other lines'. We aren't even on board and I am annoyed with RCL.
@sf3413 this will probably be my last cruise. I can afford it but it's the principal of their new pricing
I agree with everything! On our last cruise (in Oct) on the Carnival Celebration. We hardly spent any $. Our bill was under $150. Of course we tipped the room steward and the dining crew. We did have some specialty drinks etc, but really nothing else. We are happy with the dining room for dinner and really don’t care to spend the extra money on the specialty restaurants. We used to get a roll of quarters and play the slots just for fun, but everything is tied to your card, that we stopped. We like the act of putting those quarters in. Over the years we’ve done the massages, etc. but again they’ve gotten so expensive that we don’t bother (we’re already paying a higher price to cruise as it is) we are fine without it. One thing I was willing to pay for (just to say I did) was the roller coaster on the Celebration. But I was unable because I had fractured my shoulder 10 days before sailing. All the other stuff I can do without, bingo, the art auction and onboard shopping. Just not our thing. One thing that wasn’t mentioned (for those of us who drive to port. We live in FL) is the parking. It’s ridiculous it was $175 for a 7 day cruise. That was more than our onboard purchases. Crazy! Oh yeah we do purchase a case of water to have in our room. I do bring a refillable bottle, but I like having water all the time. I’m willing to pay the extra $17.
Hi Ilana,
I always enjoy your videos, and we have learned so much from you!
We are cruisers who sail in suites, buy all the packages and don't really worry about the costs. That said, my wife's experience in the spa on a Princess cruise was a good example of a rip-off. She had her nails painted and I think it ended up costing her over $250. The person kept asking her if she would like an "arm massage" or other treatments, without telling her that each one came with an additional cost. It turned out that the product used on her nails was like epoxy and once we returned home she had to go to a nail salon to have it removed which was an additional expense.
Obviously cruise lines try to get you onboard at the lowest cost they can, and then try to make a profit on all the additional charges.
One of my biggest complaints is the quality of the food. I don't really care about the cost, but we should be able to dine in a speciality restaurant if we want, and have an excellent dining experience. Sadly, that seems not always to be the case.
This is why I love Virgin Voyages!! Most of this stuff is included. But side note: I don't have kids. My big ripoff to add would be cabanas on the islands!
as a solo cruiser the surcharge was the thing that made me not book a cruise for the longest time. finally Norwegian did away with even though a solo still pays more than the listed price it's not double.
Para mí fue un buen consejo... Comprar en las tiendas del barco el último día... Rebajan mucho l'os preciós. Conseguí gangas 🎉🎉🎉
I'm in agreement about the specialty restaurants.
Just came back from a family trip to the Caribbean and it was an all inclusive resort. I take my son,daughter-in-law and 4 grandchildren every 4 years. I had hoped to take everyone on a cruise this time BUT WOW paying for 8 peoples drink packages,Wi-Fi,and a dinner or two was too much of an added cost . We would need 4 rooms and it was just too expensive. The Caribbean vacation had it all, drinks, specialty restaurants,Wi-Fi swim up rooms, water park and entertainment in the evening. I will never take them on a cruise it just seems to be a Big money grab. I forgot to mention our stay in the all inclusive resort had no lines! None we didn’t have to get in line for anything!
You’re a great parent. I wish I can do the same when my daughter has her own family, hopefully not too soon 😂
Agree💯… that’s why we now ‘cruise’ on dry land with Club Med. All inclusive, heaps of resorts all over the world and much, much better value for money!
Cabana/bed rentals on the ship or private island are ridiculously priced and the attendant will request a cash tip 🙄
@@mangue17 ooooh interesting
I am so glad I found your channel. You have provided a wealth of information. I have many notes (and many amazon packages delivered ). I am feeling prepared for my upcoming cruise as a result of your outstanding videos! 👏
A reusable water bottle is a money saver. On our last cruise, we constantly filled our bottles either at the gym or at the lido self service station.
@@CarboneCat I’m with you 👏
But....Please don't refill them directly, use another cup.
@@AM-dr9qd indeed.
I advised my husband of this…it saved us. Plus I added the lemons(requested), to my water. I also saw some cruisers,bring their BruMate’s/Yeti/etc. this would be a bonus,on our next cruise
And try not to fill when you're holding up other people in line. Thanks!@@AM-dr9qd
1. Specialty restaurants
2. Bottles of water
3. Cruise ship convenience store items
4. Spa treatment
5. Tips or ship gratuities
6. Cruise wifi
7. Professional photos
8 . Paying for items that used to be free
9. Getting better seating in theaters
10. Some onboard attractions
11. Cork fee
12. Cruising solo but paying double
13. Art Auction
14. Pre-owned vintage luxury items
15. The casino
16. Bingo and Deal or no deal
17. Room service
18. Shore excursions
I can't even get an accessible cabin though I'm Disabled! Apply in plenty of time but none. Offered inside cabins, too small , & shower unsuitable. But as a Solo costs me double, WHY ???
Drinks packages. Cruise lines would not sell them unless they were advantageous to themselves.
In Cozumel, we paid $60 per person as an excursion to the beach, ran into people from our ship who paid $15 for taxi to get to the same beach…
Going to Alaska next July and am a single cruiser. Hate having to pay for double occupancy!
Same!🤦🏿♀️
But you do receive double points as a single
Take a look at NCL. Their solo costs are reasonable. They even have solo balconies.
Consider yourself lucky, I have to may for my wife and kids! lol 😂
take the zip line at Icy Point, The other excursions i couldn't care less and I did them so I know, maybe the whale watch maybe
I refuse to pay for fitness classes anymore, since they spend at least 10 minutes of the class trying to sell something.
I also don't pay for them or visit the spa for any hair or spa "demos" all of them are just a big commercial to get you to buy the products,
That’s good to know. I was thinking about that. I’m not gonna do that now. I’ll bring my own earbuds and use my own cell phone.
Instead of the classes, I got up early and walked the stairs and around the top deck. Nobody was around and saw gorgeous sunrises.
The last RC cruise we were on, there was no charge for many of the fitness classes. You just had to sign up in the app because space was limited. They never filled up, but this was in December.
We don't buy drink packages, rarely do excursions, and only choose a specialty restaurant if it has a great menu & reviews. I used to go to the spa but prices are outrageous and I can get a massage at my local spa before vacation. We bring water onboard and wine as allowed. Once we get to a port we buy water if needed. I found when we just stopped with all the add-ons and took advantage of what is still included, our bill is almost nothing at the end, and we still really enjoy ourselves. Also, those cabanas at private islands are unbelievably priced for what you get. On our last cruise the private island day was really windy and we ended up going back onboard early. Glad we didn't spend all that extra $$$.
Smart thinking!!
sounds like my my hubby and I ... :)
I totally agree with you on the solo supplement! I chose to cruise NCL now since they have no single supplement!
That is interesting. I love to travel alone but it is usually so expensive
@@debbie9929 I am in the same boat, so to speak as I also love to travel alone. I've only been on two cruises (would've been three if one of them did not get cancelled), but would love to go on more if not for that single supplement. Hmm, may have to check that out with NCL if indeed no single supplement!
I agree about the single traveler. It’s kept me from going on some cruises. They also lose out because I tend to spend a lot on the cruise in the casino, shopping, photos, so they lose out. I don’t mind that because I like to pay for what I’m getting. Paying for a phantom in my room, not so much
Ditto!
The MDR meals on the cruises that I have been on are usually as good or better than the average meal at a restaurant on land. Why pay more for a specialty restaurant than you would pay on land when you are already paying for the MDR meal?
Specialty restaurants can be so much better. I did four on my last cruise. Of the four, three were Excellent, one was Meh.
Absolutely right. I've only been on two cruises - the MDR on Celebrity was the equal of any fine restaurant I've been to on land and NCL's was quite good too.
Solo balcony cabins sometimes cost more than a regular balcony cabin. Also last week on Holland, I took a $13 bottle of Moscato. There was a crew member at the port and was cgarging the $20 corkage fee. My wine was a screw top and the fee cost more than the wine. So I left the wine with him and got it at the end of the cruise.
I included Wi-Fi on my last cruise, only because I was solo, and didn’t want my daughter to worry. I take cruises to unplug. There is enough stuff to do that is not an extra cost.
Like what? Name me just 5.
@ Have you ever cruised? I’m just curious.
going on my first cruise next week. your channel has been invaluable in helping me prepare. i agree that the prices of speciality restaurants, the spa, professional photos, wifi packages and excursions are absurd (found on cruise app), and that you can get the same or similar experiences on land for half the price.
@@laur83 what’s your cruise?
Went on our first cruise two weeks ago and will never go on another. Biggest rip off vacations ever
A lot of these are reasons that we cruise on Oceania. No art auction, no photos, no extra charges at specialty restaurants and a lot fewer passengers.
@@kathrynblack9152 that’s a great point. Sometimes the more “expensive” cruise lines can offer a better value
You may pay more on some of the more premium cruise lines, but if you get a more pleasant cruise experience and aren’t nickled-and-dimed, it’s worth the extra cash. My wife and I are considering a Viking cruise for that reason.
That's exactly what I'm going to do next time. I compared the total cost of my last cruise on NCL to the same itinerary on Oceania and it looked like a much better value for not much more money.
RC nickel and dimes you to the max. So over all the extra charges...I limit it as much as possible.
The spa!! Totally agree! Plus the upselling makes you feel so uncomfortable and kind of nullifies the relaxation you're supposed to feel by going to the spa. I just now completely avoid.
Absolutely! I have never bothered to get a massage on board, and I’ve heard about the high pressure sales pitches that would really make me so frustrated that the relaxing massage would be pointless!
Yes agree the crazy prices they charge and then add on gratuities? They are price gouging!!
The solo supplement is ridiculous. I went on my first solo cruise a few months ago and got a really good price so it wasn’t too bad. I’m Looking into another solo cruise and I’m very limited because of the solo cost.
I did my first solo cruise last month & you’re right, you really have to look for the deals because that solo tax is ridiculous. I have found a few others like one to Hawaii & Alaska but I had to book them a year or more out to get the best price.
I detest when they try to take photos in the dining room. We have food in our mouth and we want to eat our meal hot.
I agree and these photos never turn up any good.
I agree too, why would anyone choose to buy these, " oh yes, look darling, look at these photos of us with a piece of steak in your mouth and gravy down your chin" not really, NO !!!
Facts. I always make a concerted effort to be kind and respectful to the crew but damn can I eat in peace?
@@debratrani8583 lol I hear you
And eat in peace
I am taking my 6th 7th 8th 9th and 10th cruises beginning in December through May. I am a Solo traveler and go on all these cruises solo. I have found Norwegian to be the only one that really accommodates a Solo traveler at an affordable price so that's who I'm beginning to travel with consistently
You might want to compare the NCL solo rates with the cost of other lines with solo supplements. They are often much higher which is what I found when trying to book a 7 day Caribbean cruise out of San Juan, comparing the Grand Princess and the Norwegian Epic.
I recently completed a 12 day cruise around Japan with NCL as a solo traveller and had to pay extra for single supp!!
@@JB-armybrby7 I was pricing out a 7 day Caribbean cruise out of Miami on MSC. The cruise fare for an inside was $360 and the single supplement was 20%>
Traveling solo and having to pay double is absolutely ridiculous. It's such a rip off it's the biggest rip off of all I think.
@@MiaHessMusic I keep seeing mention of solo cabins. Any experience with them? I’ve seen a big uptick of solo cruisers lately
I think I’m stating the obvious but I’m guessing the cruise lines main concern is that friends traveling together that would normally room together would each book their own room full size room. If each only had to pay half the fare the problem becomes evident. I think a great solution if to build ships with more solo cabins.
Not only that, but often the line will say there are no rooms available, but if you switch to 2 people traveling, it will say there is a room available.
I have seen some cruise lines offering solo cabins, but they were only inside cabins, solo cruisers want window and balconies too. There are so many new ships being built , why don't they address this issue?
@@markw639 Celebrity Edge doesn't charge double for singles, even in a veranda room. I almost booked a cruise in Australia but backed out when i added up all the extras such as water, gratuities, wifi, excursions, on and on. I'll just do a land tour where most things (even lots of excursions) are included. Also, I can choose how much I want to tip I could have pre-purchased liters of bottled water but I just didn't like the "shake down" feeling.
Agree on most, specially specialty restaurants and the solo fee.
Whenever I get annoyed by nickel and dime add ons I take a step back and remind myself that these extras are helping to supplement a lower cost to my cruise fare.
I can easily say no to something that is not a value to me.
Thanks for the video as always great content and thanks especially for advocating for reusable bottles.
@@craigwalz6508 great point!
I still love my LV reverse monogram kislux clutch! It's versatile, fits a variety of items, and is definitely a workhorse! I think seeing it everywhere (like the LV speedy) is proof that it's already a classic.
After seeing this I wonder why anybody sets foot on cruise ship.
I've been on many cruises. I'm with you. They will price themselves out of business. Far different than even 5 years ago
Exactly.
You didnt mention the jewellery shops. They hype up all the products that can be purchased cheaper elsewhere.
Good point - thanks for adding
Great advice as always!! Shore excursions have been getting very expensive!! Although I have to say we really enjoyed our helicopter to the Mendenhall glacier and also the white pass railway in Skagway!
I wish we could say the same. White pass train derailed and was a disaster and dangerous
My complaint #1 is standing in long lines for mandatory “authorizations” for almost everything.
#2
disembarking for 1 night, so needing to drive to another city 100 miles round trip to get that passport check done
in heavy traffic.
It was not like we passed a test or something.
What a way to begin a relaxing Cruise!
I paid for the Bolt twice on Mardi Gras and I did not regret it! Most of the items/activities you have listed, I totally agree with.
@@tamarajoneshill4037 I may have to take back any criticism of Bolt. Did it today and I agree -,worth it 😂
@@tamarajoneshill4037 wow at least you got to experience the Bolt. It was closed the entire time of our 7 day cruise...
Agree with all your points.
kislux have a stunning collection!! Truly inspirational-found your channel recently, lots of love
First time kislux kuch different colors ka LV bag dekha..very elegant....good choice
Gratuities definitely are out of control. Look, I'm all for people getting paid, but lets be brutally honest cruises at least starting in the US have foreign ports of call so they can avoid all those "silly" laws like minimum wage and other things for people working on the ships. Now I'm not advocating having a poor working class, but for god sakes PAY YOUR DAMN EMPLOYEES and don't use gratuities as a method to advertise lower prices and then bait and switch the customers. If I go to a premium restaurant why is their auto gratuity? Just raise all the fricking prices if you're automatically charging gratuity.
@@Mike__B I wonder when people are going to really want some change
I feel the same about eating in American restaurants. Pay a living wage, and don't rely on my tip as a supplement
I have never removed my tips since I have always cruise off season. Now if I go during the summer and I have to pay twice the price then I’m sorry but I’m not paying the tip.
If you take off gratuities, can you then put on a lesser daily gratuity? I like the idea of spreading the tips around to the people behind the scenes.
@@laurad4839believe it or not, most of the wait staff in our restaurants would rather keep it the way it is.
Bingo is way too expensive. I would not get that again!
Just did a NCL cruise, hadn't cruised since 2010 and I hated all the extra cost....totally over the top now.
That is the supreme line of nickel and diming.
I agree with all of the RIP offs. I have learned from past cruises what to avoid and it has helped me enjoy my cruise better...
In June we were on Celebrity Edge Alaska. We were surprised and THRILLED that we didn't see a photographer anywhere onboard the entire week. NO photos taken anywhere. I think there was a photo studio onboard if you wanted that service.
Art auction....I found an amazing piece in Charcoal. The artist was there. The original piece was like $8000. He sold a me Litho of the work 5 of 100 For $200 (behind the cruise lines back he shipped to my house)
@@crazy4dariver wow! That was a good deal
Nice deal, but maybe not mention it online. Just saying.
Well done you. And the artist made a usefull sale ❤
I love your videos! Always so informative! Thank you!
Thanks for watching, I appreciate it!
Love the Princess Premier bundle... it is great value.
I have used it's photo package to grab a ton of "publicity shots" -- I wear different shirts and visit all the backdrops, try different poses etc... and I work with the photographers... if others want to come and grab their own photo I WAIT and let them in.
One thing you did not mention is the outrageous prices for the drink packages. We are doing a 7 night sailing on Carnival next month and the 1st thing you see on the website is the drink package & to prepay, it is $70.74/day. However in April 2025 we are doing a 5 night sailing on Carnival and to prepay the drink package for that sailing, the price is $82.54/day, a $12.50 increase!!
As long as there is MASSIVE demand for cruising like it is now, the prices will continue to go up. 😢
@@stevengolden9009 wow!! Pricey
Am on a ship right now sailing towards Brazil and Antarctica. One thing I hate about the casino onboard, which we sometimes have to walk through on our way to the theater, is the smoking!!! I won't ever spend time in the Casino, as the smoke just grosses me out! Good way to save money! We are fine with the water and coffee on board, don't need specialty restaurants, brought 2 bottles of wine and 2 12-packs of soda with us, never use room service, and heaven knows we don't need specialty desserts! I only bought the internet package for 1 device, but as an "elite" status, get it for half price. You can get plenty of exercise walking on the Promenade, and back and forth to your cabin. We are having a great time!
On my last two cruises, only part of the casinos allows smoking.
@@billkallas1762 The smoke does not stay in only part of the casino, and if you are never around smokers, you become more sensitive to it!
Get OVER it already...leave us the heck alone. You are not perfect either...though non smokers think they are. Peace
@@randymo3371
Seems like you have been hassled before about your smoking, the places you can smoke are becoming more scarce, and people more vocal about your smoking around them, get OVER it, you are even more of a minority.
@@cynthiaporitz1459 The areas are walled off. One area is non-smoking..
We're booked on Sun Princess middle of 25. No excursions booked yet. Prices start as high as $199.00 per person. YIKES. Excursions have skyrocketed!
As an Art Major and collector do not buy art from cruise ships. Do not buy used purses, watches or any high end item.
The pieces I saw on this video were just high contrast, highly saturated , all the colors, like those old blacklight pictures from the seventies.
Definitely agree about solo cruising/double up charge. I am super loyal to Norwegian because they have done so much for solo travel - studios and now single cabins at every level (except Haven). It amazes me that the other lines won’t wake up to it.
We have to keep in mind that nothing exists in a silo. For example, if bottles of water were cheaper or free, that will lead to more abandoned half empty bottles of water scattered around the ship. That's going to require more crew time so either costs will go up or quality of service will go down. Pick one. I think the free refill stations are the perfect resolution to this.
We also have to remember that a lot of these are profit centers for the cruise lines. If they know that they can make significant profit in the spa, for example, they don't need to build in as much profit in the cruise fare. In a way, the people who are going to the spa at the higher prices are subsidizing your cruise. These are businesses, after all.
The only true rip off in my book is any profit margin built into things like Dramamine. Maybe a person is normally fine but they're getting motion sick on this particular cruise. The cruise line should be making an effort to make the cruise enjoyable. That's not the time to be thinking profit.
Some good points
I’d rather see paying extra for some activities on the ships instead of adding them to the cost to the cruise price. Being older we don’t go on the roller coasters or on some of the other attractions for the younger crowd so to have those added in on the cruise cost would be paying for activities we wouldn’t use.
I don’t know this for a fact, but watching a very trusted channel about cargo ships, is that all of their fresh water is produced onboard through one of two ways: reverse osmosis or evaporative condensation. The engines (and they are huge!) only run on fresh water, so they need to produce a lot every day. I assume the same is true for cruise ships. The shower and tap water on your cruise is very, very safe to drink. Plus…folks, don’t purchase bottled water!
I tend to cruise on Princess cruises and I buy the Princess plus. No complaints and I just arrive early for the shows I want
@@cindystalkup952 I do love those princess packages
Our last cruise Singapore to Sydney on Celebrity Solstice
We spent nothing.
The drinks package was just way too expensive.
Much cheaper to purchase as required.
There are a lot of extras that you really don’t need, but to each their own.🇦🇺❤️🚢
We were on the Solstice in Alaska in September and the LAUNDRY costs were 2x the price of Holland America which we were on the following week.
On my last carnival cruise out of new Orleans in February there were employees going around trying to sell organic orange juice and boxes of tea while I was trying to eat breakfast and I turned a few heads when I got loud. Leave me alone im trying to eat have you not got enough money out me already.
Although I'm traveling with family, I'm not staying with family. I splurged and purchased a balcony room but would have gone with a suite had they had specials for singles.
Did Holland America for the first time this summer and loved it, they still have free room service! (But added gratuities). We usually cannot justify the drink packages but wish that all of the cruise lines would get past adding the gratuities there, too. Hate getting “nickeled and dimed” the whole trip with drinks you’ve technically already paid for.
@@annjackson8054 I think that HAL continues to offer an overall quality product without compromising on what people love most. However I know some long time HAL cruisers might say things have changed
@@LifeWellCruised I agree! We love HAL and are looking forward to our next cruise with them in April on Rotterdam.
Celebration is my favorite Carnival ship🥰 Enjoy and happy sails! 🚢
I bought a fake bag for kislux . I would not spend that money on a real bag. I would rather put the money in the bank. I really appreciate this video. Thanks!
Ilana, the photos are outrageously expensive, but it's the same for school photos. (I don't know how families with 3 or more children can afford school photos anymore!) A scam, but people buy them anyway. 🤷♀️
My advice, use the cruise excursions to find out what's available then go book directly through the provider. Every time we've done this it has been at a substantial savings AND we end up traveling with the cruise passengers anyhow.
Be careful, though. Sometimes you have to provide your own transportation one or both ways.
On my last two cruises on NCL, every one of my excursions was $50 off, per port (some were even free)
This was part of their free at sea. Hard to beat $50 off.
It's true. Have done my own tours, but it really depends on where you dock and how long you have. In Mexico, I would not recommend any tour not associated with the ship. And I almost missed my boat on a tour because the bus had met up with traffic after starting late waiting for other passengers. AND it was rush, rush, rush to get everything in. And, oh, those stupid shopping stops. The guides get large kickbacks. Sick of all of that. Now I mostly travel on land. In Europe I get a car or in unusual places I go with Gate1 tours. Worth the money, and they do a great job picking hotels . Way better value IMo
5:46 I got to tell you, I've done 10 cruises. I went with a friend on my last one where I usually go solo. We had a bunch of pictures taken and I just didn't really think much of it. When we started looking through them we found two or three that we loved, one of which I use as a profile picture now. Some of those professional photos came out really well and there was no way a smartphone would have been able to capture the same lighting angle and visual believe it or not. Again that was my first time after 10 cruises, but if you find one you really like you'll be impressed. It's worth taking a look at least and if you have status with the cruise line you're not going to pay near full price.
Holy Moly! A charge for room service?
I know I haven’t cruised for awhile but that’s criminal!!
Corkage fee for your own bottle of open wine??
Changes for in room movies?
Charge for fitness classes?
Charge for Bingo??
No way!!
I’ve been tempted to take a cruise but I don’t think my blood pressure would tolerate it!!
I’m sticking to land based luxury resorts.
And at the end of the day you will spend more with a resort
We just booked our first cruise and looked at all the so-called amenities and their prices. They are awful. Thank you for talking about all these items. Yeah we thought the Wi-Fi was a rip off and so much more. The biggest one tip that I got from you was to bring your own water bottle. Thank you so much. The fact of buying water at the prices they were quoting is ridiculous. We’re gonna go bare bones since this is the first time. We’re not gonna get caught up in all this other junk that they’ve got and see how it goes. Again thank you.
I agree with all of these
My wife and I were on a cruise and happened by the art auction while it was in progress. We stopped and watched for a while and could not believe how high the bids were going! People were paying well into the five figures for paintings that were clearly mass-produced and were more like the novelty prints of the poker-playing dogs than real, legitimate art. At least one piece went for over $110,000. All I could think was if they want to get rid of that much money, hand it to me and I'll put it to better use than buying some of their "art." Keep up the great work, I really enjoy your videos!
I swear by Princess Plus as they include water bottles, gratuities, wi-fi, room service, two casual dinning, two premium desserts, two fitness classes, and ocean now delivery. With Premier you get all that along with photo package (four prints unlimited digital downloads), unlimited casual dinning, unlimited specialty dinning, priority seating at shows.
Just go to the photo spot after hours n take your own pics.
We’ve done that.
Real easy to do with today’s phones, and you can make as many copies as you want.
They have writing on the pictures now as people used to do that, so they outsmarted them lol
NCL is the best for solo cruisers. Just today, i was checking out a Transatlantic cruise on Holland America, for 2026, and discovered that their few solo cabins are all booked already. All other cabins are 2X the cost.
different cruise lines cater to different demographics. Been on 2 NCL cruises as a solo and would never ever set foot on an NCL ship again. Sad because price was ok but everything else was very disappointing. Just not my cup of tea.
Unless it's something one specifically wants to do most of the extra charges can be dodged on a cruise, The best parts are covered by the ticket generally speaking aside from drink packages.
Hi Ilana! I always enjoy your channel. Thanks for always coming up with new and interesting material.
With regards to room service, we’ll be sailing with Celebrity in Concierge class and I understand that our package includes continental breakfast room service. Would we still need to pay gratuity on top of that? I would love to have a quick light breakfast before our shore excursions but I don’t want the hidden cost of gratuities. I should also mention that my package includes prepaid gratuities.
Thanks for your help and happy cruising!
Many times, precruise upgrade offers a rip off. On a recent cruise, to upgrade precruise from an ocean view to a balcony would have been $600 total for the two of us. We waited until we were checking in and asked about upgrades and got the same offer for $150 total.
The thing I didn't like about cruises is that when you are sitting around on the deck or in a tender going to a port, they will offer you snack items such as sorbets and only after you take one, you are given the receipt to sign to charge it to your room. That is dirty pool, and you don't see that happen in an all-inclusive resort.
That is kind of slippy doodle.
I totally agree with your list of rip offs. Most of the sessions they offer to learn about hair texture, back pain, etc are usually to sell you expensive products. However, once my daughter and I attended a session to see if we were using the right shampoo. At the end there was a raffle to win a haircut. Since there were very few attandees, we actually won. And I have to say, they gave her a very good haircut. If the prize is good and your chances are high, go listen for 30 minutes. You could win.
We always get the photo packages and the premium internet too ♥️ I cannot go without the internet lol and I love having my photos taken when all dressed up on the cruise 💓
I wish that cruise ships would ban the plastic water bottles.It is so easy to fill your personal water bottle at the water stations. I totally agree with extra charges at Specialty Restaurants.
💯
On Holland America the water comes in glass bottles or aluminum cans. No plastic allowed. I love it!
I have seen the shore excursions in the Bahamas go to astronomical costs. Also the whale watching in Grand Turk is almost $500 for three people. That's more than the cruise fare😮
Imagine swimming with pigs is 199$ per person, thank God I don’t like pigs 🐷 😂😂😂
I have been in river cruises (Yangtze, Nile, Yang Tze, Irrawaddy, and Mekong) where I was in a single cabin that would not have been suitable for more than one person. In all of these cases, it was part of a larger land tour, and the single supplement (which included land accommodations), was reasonable (in the 15% to 20% range).
I did get good deals on the supplement on ocean liners, but I had an agent negotiate it.
Perception is everything, I remember saving up for my first LV and some coworkers automatically thought it was fake because I was a young black girl. At that point I really stopped caring what people's opinions were, people will always have their opinions based on how you look. After this I shopped in kislux . If you drive a Bentley and get out of the car with a fake Hermes, no one will question you.
I think the biggest rip-off for me is paying double occupancy as a solo cruiser (my first solo is in April). I enjoy being alone in a cabin and my son and daughter-in-law have decided to take a break from cruising….grrr
Is it on NCL?
@ I have just cruised carnival
Even sailing solo in the “solo cabins” is outrageous! NCL which states they are the cruise line for single people, is not. Checked out the price for two in an ocean view cabin vs solo inside and the solo was only $137 less.
Regarding the water bottles: I travel with a 30$ personal Brita bottle from Walmart and the local water tasted ok. I’m going to buy the 100$ Larq bottle because I think it’s more effective in cleaning your tap water.
Agree. I am a solo traveler going on a 51 day trip and charged double for the room and gratuities.
Yes if you are paying for a specialty restaurant you should have to pay anything additional there. The convenience store has outrageous prices.
I've never had to pay extra on NCL.
Great video keep it up!👏🏾👍🏾
Hi Ilana. Great video as always. I’m happy to pay extra for nearly all of these items if I choose to (which I mostly don’t) but paying the amount they charge for WiFi gets to me. I have aging parents and in-laws so completely disconnecting is just not an option for us. I wish all lines would just build WiFi into the basic cost of the cruise.🚢 ❤🎉
Bottled water - just bring a reusable bottle or cup and fill it at the buffet. We made the mistake of pre-ordering a bunch of bottled water on our first cruise, only to have to pack most of it home because we never actually needed them. I'm not sure if they still do, but NCL included 4 or 6 bottles of complimentary water on our last cruise. We'll find out this weekend...
Cruise WiFi - here is the small print for NCL - you get 150 minutes per person included with your "free at sea" promotion. But if you upgrade the wifi to unlimited for a single person, it turns off the complimentary wifi for everyone else in that cabin.
I have been many cruises, and I do not pay any of the items that you mentioned. Regarding movies, I have an old DVD player and I bring DVDs with me, If I want to forgo the local shows, and watch them. Once I was on a Norwegian cruise, one of the waiters in the Lido area told me that, the same food that is served in the specialty dining rms, is the food that is served in the Lido area, so that is where I eat.
On my last Carnival Cruise, a guy won $5000 in the Casino, so it was worth it for him, but not for most people. You mentioned that the water purchase was $20.00, I checked and it is up to $29.99 for 12 bottles of water, plus delivery charge on Carnival.
I actually tried deal or no deal for the second time in cruising and actually got selected and won enough to pay for cruise expenses. For me that’s a win and understand i may never be chosen again lol
Everyone of your comments rings true. One time I had a bellyache and went to the ship store for roleaids. They wanted $14 for a small roll. No deal. Next day we were in Halifax, NS and I bought a roll at a pharmacy for $1.50C. (Should have brought my own but forgot.) When Princess allowed free pizza's and calzones at Alfredo's the place was always packed and I bet they did well with drink tips but then they started to charge. Now I notice the place MAY be 50% full at best.
We love msc ,we like the different cultures on each cruise!
We have cruised much mostly on NCL! But we are feeling more and more herded with many crowds, long lines for dinner and disembarking, much lately! We are enjoying celebrity when it is just us adults cruising, we enjoy the adult quiet space much!!
We never are very concerned about food on any cruise.. we enjoy special restaurants and all breakfast & lunches in the dining rooms. We never do the buffet on any cruise!
We enjoy being served , hot foods!
One of the best things about Virgin Voyages, no nickel and diming. Can bring 2 bottles of wine per cabin, no fees etc, gratuities, WiFi, and daily fresh water plus other stuff.
Not much of a value when you are paying 60% more.
I agree especially when you are going to a specialty restaurant, I see some are extra charges.
I am constantly ripped off as a solo traveller-paying a minimum of 75% more than couples.
For example, Seabourn and they are not cheap to begin with.
I eat less and drink less so the cruise line saves on that.