Topic: Hidden Costs of Cruising - What the cruise lines don't tell!

QUOTE:

You are correct Jim, no cost on the launderettes on PO for any of the above.CG

No charge on Cunard either, and they provided 'free' soap powder.

QUOTE:

I read today where RCI down under apparently bill shore excursions directly to your CC and not your onboard account. Interesting I thought... then realised that doing it this way the passenger would not be able to use any free OBC towards excursions! Cunning?

Fred Olsen also require immediate payment for excursions booked before travel; and if you pay by CC, a 2% 'handling fee' is added to the bill!

QUOTE:

Fred Olsen also require immediate payment for excursions booked before travel; and if you pay by CC, a 2% 'handling fee' is added to the bill!

To be fair to FO, most of them do that, and it's not really the lines' fault - they're just passing on the CC companies' charges. Tip: pay for only a small amount (£10 is sufficient) on the CC, and put the rest on a debit card; you'll still qualify for CC protection on the whole lot, provided it's for a single item (and there's some greyness in this area, so might only apply to a holiday paid in full). See Martin Lewis's article here: Section 75 refunds: Free protection for ALL spending...

Shocked. I sail Costa or MSC,
I thought PnO and Cunard were a class above me
Washing machines?
Who goes on a cruise and does their own Washing? Butlins maybe but not on a cruise surely
£3k for a cruise and pay £2 to use a laundrette,
If it was a world cruise then if you can afford the world cruise you can afford to have your Laundry done
Three week cruise you either take enough clothes or if limited due to flight regulations you just pay for an extra case or pay onboard for your laundry

Why would a cruise ship provide a DIY washing room?
Because you want to go home with no washing, Well even COSTA on last day of cruise will wash and iron all your clothes for 60p an item

Jimbo

QUOTE:

Shocked. I sail Costa or MSC,
I thought PnO and Cunard were a class above me
Washing machines?
Who goes on a cruise and does their own Washing? Butlins maybe but not on a cruise surely
£3k for a cruise and pay £2 to use a laundrette,
If it was a world cruise then if you can afford the world cruise you can afford to have your Laundry done
Three week cruise you either take enough clothes or if limited due to flight regulations you just pay for an extra case or pay onboard for your laundry

Why would a cruise ship provide a DIY washing room?
Because you want to go home with no washing, Well even COSTA on last day of cruise will wash and iron all your clothes for 60p an item

Jimbo

We cruise as a family and I would much prefer to do some washing while I am away than come back with mountains to work my way through. I always make a point of choosing a cabin close to the launderette!

The washing machine on P&O Ventura takes 18 minutes to wash a huge load so it makes sense to me to do it that way. In fact, I arrived in Southampton on Sunday and was back in work on Monday so it was a godsend to me

QUOTE:

Stelios the Easyjet man has more than tested the water with the idea of 'pay for everything onboard' and failed miserably.

Easycruise, as it was known, is dead and buried after just two years of operation............Wilba

Their were bigger issues with Easycruise and not only those mentioned.

QUOTE:

Shocked. I sail Costa or MSC,
I thought PnO and Cunard were a class above me
Washing machines?
Who goes on a cruise and does their own Washing? Butlins maybe but not on a cruise surely
£3k for a cruise and pay £2 to use a laundrette,
If it was a world cruise then if you can afford the world cruise you can afford to have your Laundry done
Three week cruise you either take enough clothes or if limited due to flight regulations you just pay for an extra case or pay onboard for your laundry

Why would a cruise ship provide a DIY washing room?
Because you want to go home with no washing, Well even COSTA on last day of cruise will wash and iron all your clothes for 60p an item

Jimbo

We don't use it much but it is very handy for the kids clothes...chocolate, paint, sand, drinks, etc to give them a quick clean or rinse and dry

QUOTE:

Shocked. I sail Costa or MSC,
I thought PnO and Cunard were a class above me
Washing machines?
Who goes on a cruise and does their own Washing? Butlins maybe but not on a cruise surely
£3k for a cruise and pay £2 to use a laundrette,
If it was a world cruise then if you can afford the world cruise you can afford to have your Laundry done
Three week cruise you either take enough clothes or if limited due to flight regulations you just pay for an extra case or pay onboard for your laundry

Why would a cruise ship provide a DIY washing room?
Because you want to go home with no washing, Well even COSTA on last day of cruise will wash and iron all your clothes for 60p an item

Jimbo

No way am I sending all the underwear to a ship's laundry! I look on using the washing machines on board as part of life in the same way I take a shower....a very small, necessary chore which happens frequently! I don't find either a chore at home, and on board it doesn't take as long....it's quite pleasant; I love returning to the cabin with freshly washed and ironed clothes- and no nasty detergents to irritate, either!
Hmmm- a way of life for me, but I don't think OH has ever dreamed of it.....
Jo.

Great guide for new cruisers.
A couple of points - drinks prices vary hugely between lines, even those owned by the same company;
Golden Princess charged me $8.00 for a (large ) can of Fosters - a pint of Stella on P&O is £3.25.I know that P&O "benchmark" drinks prices against all UK high street pubs on a quarterly basis.
First impressions matter - after boarding Golden and visiting the buffet, all the staff were interested in was selling drinks deals for sodas - unless you drank loads of these it was expensive, the same applied to the coffee deal - from memory you had to drink 30 speciality coffees in 14 days to save around $5.00.
I have made the point before that the industry is attempting to "un-package" THE HOLIDAY secretly - to hold down headline prices. You need to research properly to avoid "hidden" costs, there are even some charges creeping in for room service items that were previously included in the price - could this be the thin end of the wedge?
All lines are looking to add "additional revenue streams" and it's not going to go away.

My tip is on Med cruises don't buy anyththing on board you can put off until you are out of site of Spanish land! Save yourself 8% by ordering your wine the night before or not dining in the speciality restaurants while in Spanish waters. Dining in the white room on P&O cost me an extra £7.20! Bloody Spanish moneygrabbers

"Well even COSTA on last day of cruise will wash and iron all your clothes for 60p an item"

Yes, but not very well! Don't send anything white to the laundry on Costa, unless you want it back grey or tie-dyed