Hotmail
Cruising for a bruising
Think about childcare. Waiting until your kids are old enough for the kids’ clubs makes sense on many levels. One is that it will save money on childcare. Dropping your child at the kids’ clubs is free. Hiring an in-cabin sitter, or dropping your little one in the nursery or nighttime group babysitting room isn’t. Count on $5 to $10 per hour for the first child.
Mix-n-match activities. Every cruise line offers a range of free entertainment, games, and activities. But some of the more interesting activities come with a price tag—perhaps $10 to attend a yoga class or $40 for a cooking class. Build your daily itineraries by mixing free with fee. By the same token, you should set a daily budget for the casino or stay away completely if you can’t afford to lose.
Hit the spa on port days. Really, now. You knew the 90-minute, four-hand massage wasn’t going to be cheap. But you don’t have to pay top dollar. There are two golden rules about shipboard spa treatments: (1) Book immediately after getting on the ship. Appointment times for the entire cruise will be booked solid before the first nightfall. (2) Spa visits are cheaper on port days. When everyone goes ashore, prices tumble. And by the way, you’re expected to tip the beautician or masseur who treats you, either in cash or by adding it to your shipboard account.
Unplug. How badly do you need to touch base when you’re away? Ship-to-shore calls home are cheaper now that most ships have cell phone coverage, and more Wi-Fi has made it cheaper, but still not free, to send an e-mail. But you will pay international roaming charges for those cell calls—so why not just turn your phone off? Warn your kids before you sail that the ship’s pricey Internet café won’t play a big part of their life onboard.
Curb indulgences. Those lattes and hits of Haagen-Dazs really add up. Give yourself a daily limit for non-inclusive treats, and stick to it. Remember when the ship’s photographer took those great shots of the kids frolicking on the Lido deck? They can be yours for $5 a pop. Staged family portraits can cost five times more. Obviously, tee-shirts, toys, and other gift-shop items cost extra.
Stay healthy. Don’t forget the hand sanitizer. The ship’s doctor will charge you for an office visit, and you’ll also pay for any medication he might prescribe. But don’t expect to just hand over your insurance card. Ask your health insurer before you go if you’re covered outside the US. Chances are that, even if you are, you’ll have to pay up front and be reimbursed later. The way around it? Buy third-party travel insurance. 
Budget ahead for tips. First, the good news: You don’t tip the captain, purser, or other officers, who are salaried professionals. The bad news? You tip virtually everyone else who works on the ship. It’s become increasingly common for cruise lines to help you do the math and, bless ’em, automatically add a gratuity charge to your shipboard account. On most cruises, the going rate is $10 per person, per day of the cruise. This takes care of the restaurant and cabin staff (restaurant manager or head waiter, waiter, assistant waiter, busboy, and cabin steward). On more upscale cruises, the per diem tipping rate may be higher in order to include the maitre d’, head housekeeper, and butler. It’s usually okay to tip half of that for each child under 12 sharing the same cabin. So, a family of four on a 7-night cruise is looking at a minimum gratuity charge of $210—cash in the envelope, please.
Oh, and don’t forget to tip the porter who carries your bags at the pier. Figure a dollar or two per bag.
WeJustGotBack.com is an authoritative online guide to family trip-planning. The site features reviews of kid-friendly hotels and resorts, expert planning advice, readers' travel tips, destination insider guides, vacation deals, and more. Subscribe to our newsletter to hear about resort specials and exclusive, money-saving offers.
- Discuss Story On Newsvine
-
Rate Story:
View popularLowHigh - Instant Message
MORE FROM FAMILY |
 Family Section Front |
| Add Family headlines to your news reader: |
Resource guide