Affordable Cruises – A Look at the Hidden Costs

We all need to get away from time to time and I can think of no better way of doing it than by taking advantage of affordable cruises. And the great news is that there are a seemingly endless array of choices to be had when it comes to cruises whether they be 3 day, 5 day, 7 day or longer.

Because the focus of this article is on the cost of a cruise we’re going to take a little bit of a different spin on things and look at some of the hidden costs that are buried in fine print but quickly add up for the consumer.

First off there is the base cost of the cruise and that consists of your accommodations, snacks and food, entertainment and all the other amenities that the ship offers that passengers have access to. This varies based upon several factors but the main one is the length of the cruise. When cruise vacations are advertised these are the prices that we see.

Miscellaneous and “Hidden” Costs

Here’s where things get a little bit sticky when looking for affordable cruises. There are costs and fees associated with every cruise available on the open seas no matter what travel company, ship or cruise line we are talking about. They’re usually buried in fine print or just not associated with the overall cost of the cruise.

The first expense that must be taken into account is how you’re going to get to the ship. For the vast majority of people that means flying and as we all know, airfare can be rather costly. And if you choose to drive your car to the ship’s port you still have to pay for gas and parking for your vehicle. So let’s include these in the price of your cruise.

Of course if you do fly to the city where your ship is docked you still need to get to the port from the airport and that means additional costs for car service such as a taxi or a limo. And of course the airlines love to sprinkle in their fees so you can add those to the mix as well.

When you book your trip you have the option of taking travelers insurance. Travelers insurance protects people in case they need to cancel their trip. But also covers people from medical insurance that may no longer be covered by their own policy because they visit ports of call outside the United States during the cruise.

Onboard Expenses

I certainly wouldn’t consider these to be hidden costs per se but they are expenses nonetheless. While a great many things are included in the base price of affordable cruises others such as alcohol, shopping, spa visits, gambling in the ship’s casino and gratuities and tips all must be paid for by the passenger in addition to what they have already paid to board the ship.

Now the intent of this article is certainly not to scare anyone out of taking a cruise because of its cost but rather to remind them that when we are seeking affordable cruises there are a great many factors to take into account other than just a listed price that we see advertised.