Cheapest Airfare To London - So You Want to Take a Cruise - Step #1 - Set a Budget

Most of us will experience the dream of a cruise ONLY once and you certainly want to ensure it is memorable (and for the RIGHT reasons), while there are many who are able to take numerous cruises. 000 and beyond so it can be the trip of a lifetime, cruises today can range from just a couple hundred dollars to well over $10. Well you've come to the right place, so you want to plan your first cruise.

Although the room selection is extremely limited the price trade off may be worth it, you can often find GREAT pricing on last minute cruises, and able to reach a port city with short notice, a last minute type of person, if you are a flexible. 1 year (if possible) is a good starting point. The further into the future your are able to plan for your trip the better off you will be as you will have a better selection of room choices and date options.

And possible unforeseen costs, tips, fUN money, excursions, there are the costs of getting to and from the cruise. The price of the cruise IS NOT the only money you will spend. Even on vacation we need to have a REALISTIC budget in place for our vacation, step #1: SET A BUDGET: Just like in real life.

*** It is a good idea to have the emergency number to the cruise line in those situations to advise them of your situation to see if they are able to offer any assistance. You are then on your own (and at your own cost) to get to the next port city to be able to again board the ship. The ship will not wait for you and you may miss returning before it departs, the ship will not guarantee those excursions and if you find yourself running late to the ship, however, *** A note about excursions: You most often times can book those same excursions on your own through the excursion company directly for a better price. Total excursion cost $570. And we go a bit bold and enjoy a $200 per person excursion at port #3, a $50 per person at port #2, so here let's say we book a $35 per person excursion at port #1. You may miss your opportunity as all excursions have limited capacity, if you wait until you are on board. You may want to research the excursions your cruise offers before you sail as they are able to be booked online before the cruise. Excursions can range from $35 - over $500 per person per port. On a 7 day cruise you generally will visit 2 - 3 port cities. Excursions offer unique experiences based on the port city are available. For a 7 day cruise this will be $168 - $210. Daily tips are estimated at $12 - $15 per passenger per day. And others will automatically be charged to this key card, wait staff, tips for the room stewards. You will need to place a minimum deposit of $100 per person in your cabin $200. So you will use the key card to make purchases. Each cruise line is a cash free zone for purchases on board. Your are assigned a key card which acts as your room key and as a credit card, once you get on the ship. Tip for the baggage handler for your 4 - 5 bags $10 CASH. Transportation from the airport to the hotel to the ship and back to the airport to return home $80. We fly in a night early and get a hotel $150, wanting to ensure we do not MISS the ship. Virtually all cruises from the US and going to foreign countries so a PASSPORT IS REQUIRED $200. And transfers but most often you will find better deals on your own, hotels, you can ask your cruise line if they offer a deal to include airfare. Many of us will drive / fly to the port city so the gas / airfare is another cost $400. Usually the down payment is $200 per person with the entire balance being required in full 90 days prior to sailing. 000, your cruise cost (including port charges) is just the beginning $1. Estimated budget for 2 people on a 7 day cruise (your budget may prove to be different).

The cost of souvenirs and other such FUN items can be as high as you want but we will call it good at $150. You will certainly want to have memories of your vacation. There are free gaming videos showing on your stateroom tv or many hold live classes daily, if you do not yet play and want to learn. The possible cost is solely dependant up to you and can very greatly. The odds are always in the house's favor, remember. Each ship has it's own casino. Gambling on board is very popular. You can request your room steward remove those if you prefer so as to not be tempted. These too have a cost if used, you will also find large bottles of water in your room. Many rooms will have a small fridge stocked for your benefit. Don't forget the mini bar. Let's say we have a reasonably fun time at $200. The cost of drinks on board are going to be very expensive. The cruise makes it real money once you are on board and liquor is a big money maker, keep in mind. Some package deals will include your liquor in the cost of the cruise but you do pay more up front. Unlimited soda cards are available for purchase with price varying by cruise line. And even some other purchases will have an additional tip added to the bill, drink, each purchase you make on board for food. And liquor will incur additional charges, shakes and malts, soda. And tea are also complimentary, coffee, milk, juice, water. Let's say your additional snaking is $25. Those are optional. Some even offer special dining options which will incur additional charges. Most ships have several other eating areas which may charge for special food items and these can be done on your key card. Dinner and room service food are included with your cruise fare, lunch, breakfast. Most of the food is FREE. Eating and drinking on board.

It is ALWAYS a good idea to advise your health insurance before leaving of where you are going and find out what / how they will cover such expenses. If injured or seeking medical assistance while in a port city you will need to pay those costs at the time of service and then try to get your insurance to reimburse you those charges when you return. Any infirmary charges will be added to your room key charge card. You should have a smaller sample of what your regularly keep at home just in case, you can bring any medication you need aboard. See your doctor before sailing for motion sickness patches to help prevent trouble, if you are prone to motion sickness. Trained medical personnel. The ship infirmary is available but costly and the staff are NOT U.S. Or may find themselves injured in some way, or otherwise ill, illness or injury: Many people may become seasick. This will potentially save you hundreds of dollars. Many do offer the option to add for a month additional coverage for calling worldwide, contact your cell provider before you leave. Using your cell phone or the stateroom phone; similar charges can occur while on the ship. But you will unknowingly pay outrageous per minute charges (possibly as high as $5 per minute) when calling home to check in on the loved ones, phone charges: Your cell phone may work. You are in a foreign country, possible unforeseen costs: Remember.

Do not attempt to keep your original time zone and try to count forward or backwards as you may be wrong and miss the ship departing. Keep your watch and or cell phone on the correct time zone you are in as this will be the ship's time and determines when they will be departing. Sometimes in a different time zone each day; most cruises will move through several time zones during their journey. Be aware of the changing time zones. It is a good idea to have the emergency number to the cruise line in those situations to advise them of your situation to see if they are able to offer any assistance. You are then on your own (and at your own cost) to get to the next port city to be able to again board the ship. The ship will not wait for you (unless on a ship sponsored excursion) and you may miss returning before it departs, missing the departure time: If you find yourself running late to the ship.

You will then have access to funds in order to expedite a replacement ID, while this may not assist you in case of a lost ID. Have credit cards in 2 different places (a pocket and a wallet) so if one gets lost you will still have the other. Do not keep everything in one place. Calling your credit card companies immediately to cancel and re-issue those cards is a must, your money and credit cards are gone as well, most likely if this occurs. Or call home in order to recover and have sent new identification documents, consulate or Embassy for assistance. You may need to call the nearest U.S. Without those you will not be able to return aboard the ship. Each person is required to have their government issued photo ID (drivers license) and and the on board room key as that identifies each person as being registered and able to board the ship, lost or stolen identification: When you are leaving the ship to enter a port city.

000 credit card should cover almost all of the above scenarios and allow you if needed to return home directly, a $5, unless you are in a catastrophic accident. 000, it is highly recommend you have with you a credit card able to cover for an additional $5, while it is nearly impossible to estimate what the possible unforeseen cost may be. And them immediately return to the ship, do so, if you are able to post bail or pay a fine. Consulate or Embassy for assistance. You should then also request the cruise line AND the police to contact the nearest U.S. The police captain's name and number and address to where you are being held as well as with what you are being charged, the city you are in, your ship, your name, give them ALL of the relevant information. They can then make those additional calls to your loved ones for assistance which you may not be able to make. When you booked the cruise they requested emergency contact numbers. Ask the police to call the cruise line emergency number. While you are on vacation do not let your common sense go on vacation as well. And other such pitfalls many can find themselves in when outside of the U.S, driving, drugs, be careful about drinking. Ignorance is no excuse, and just like here. Legal problems: Many countries will have different laws than the U.S.

This cost can vary and you will want to ask your booking company for those rates. You may want to look into purchasing travel insurance which may cover your costs in case you are unable to take the cruise, depending on your situation. 000 for possible emergencies, 195.00 plus keeping an available credit line of $5, so from the above your total estimated budget for the 7 day cruise for 2 is: $3.

The next article in my series is: So You Want To take A Cruise Step #2 When and Where To Cruise, if your are still reading this and I hope you are. Then you no longer need to worry about the money aspect while on vacation and can actually enjoy your cruise, if you have all of the above in place and already budgeted for. I have just found that not knowing all of the additional monies which can be spent on a cruise can cause a loss of enjoyment when you are actually on the cruise. The best way to visit the rest of the world, to me, i have found the several I have been on with my wife and children to be a blast and a cruise is. I did not scare you away from taking your first cruise, hopefully.