Royal Caribbeans 9-Month World Cruise, According to the Passengers
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Snacks in the in-room fridge/minibar incur a charge on most cruise lines. All cruise lines include meals at several onboard restaurants in their cruise fares, but most also give passengers plenty of ways to spend money on dining and snacks. For comparison, my most recent Alaska cruise was a five-night sailing with only two ports of call. The taxes, fees and port charges totaled a whopping $373.64 per person. I recently booked a 15-night transatlantic sailing between Rome and Tampa, with four stops — three in Europe and one in the Bahamas.
Passengers Open Up About What It’s Like to Go on a 9-Month Cruise Around the World
Cruise ships will do your laundry for you — for an extra fee, of course. You'll find a laundry/dry cleaning bag in your closet or in a drawer. Charges for cruise ship laundry services range from $6 per piece for washing and ironing shirts to $15 for a dress.
Travelers
Taking place on the Serenade of the Seas, the cruise will tour the Americas, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Mediterranean, and Europe. Passengers can choose to board for the full nine months, or simply join for one of the various legs. Obviously, the full nine months will set passengers back a hefty sum, ranging from $54,000 to $117,000 per person. Even as a seasoned cruiser, taking a cruise quite that long is hard to fathom.
Port fees and taxes
Celebrity offers free drinks in the casino while gambling, so my extra drink cost was zero. Other extra food charges can be as simple as a fee for special menu items when dining in a complementary venue. Most cruise lines give you the opportunity to pay crew tips at the time of booking. If you choose not to pay in advance, the auto-gratuity will be added daily to your onboard bill. In most cases, unless there is a special at the time you book your cruise, you will pay extra for having any number of guests in a cabin other than two.
Specialty DiningOne of the good things about cruising is that all the food you can eat is included in the price of the cruise fare. But in the past few years the cruise lines have started to offer specialty dining as well. These are separate restaurants from the main dining room that offer things like Italian food, Mexican food, or steaks. You don’t have to eat here, but compared to the prices you’d find on land, these specialty restaurants are a deal (think $35 a person for a steakhouse meal). However, they still cost extra and you’ll want to include the cost when budgeting. After you add those up, you can begin to add onboard extras like specialty drinks or drink packages, Wi-Fi and food options that aren't included in the cruise fare.
Excursions can be fun and make a memorable experience when in port. Cheap excursions run about $50 while the most expensive can be $150 per person. If traveling with kids, their ticket is usually a little cheaper, but not by much.
Hotels With Cruise Shuttles For Every Major Port in America
Salon charges are likely to be higher than most of us pay at home, but a little cruise pampering never hurt anyone. Services like massages, scrubs and wraps can soar well into the $200 per treatment range, and medi-spa offerings like acupuncture or teeth whitening are even more. Use of fitness equipment is complimentary, but classes or private time with a trainer will add to your bill. You might also spend money on extra-fee gelato, ice cream sundaes, fancy snacks or baked goods at onboard coffee shops.
What is the starting price for the Ultimate World Cruise and its 4 individual segments?
While most onboard entertainment is free, you can expect to pay extra for a handful of over-the-top activities. Carnival Cruise Line's rollercoaster, Norwegian Cruise Line's go-karts and Royal Caribbean's iFly skydiving experience are examples of extra-fee activities. I carry my own water bottle that I fill at the drink stations, plus we had two bottles delivered each day in AquaClass, so I didn't pay for any water on my Celebrity cruise. Also, because of our cabin class, smoothies were served daily at no charge in the exclusive Blu dining room. Cruise fares can be as cheap as $179 for a four-night Carnival cruise or as expensive as $11,000 per night for the top Regent Suite on Regent Seven Seas Cruises' newest ships.
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion. When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information. During my Mexican Riviera cruise, I took advantage of a status offer on Celebrity and had them launder a full bag at no charge. There simply are too many variables when it comes to cruising to leave it all up to chance.
NCL charges the corkage fee at embarkation, regardless of where you plan to consume the wine. Soda costs extra on all big-ship cruise lines except Disney Cruise Line and will run you $4.50 to $6 when ordered individually. If you're addicted to Diet Coke or other soft drinks, budget for a soda package, which gets you unlimited consumption for a flat daily rate. The majority of the smaller segment itineraries are priced around $1,200 per person.
A Deep Dive Into the 9-Month Ultimate World Cruise - E! NEWS
A Deep Dive Into the 9-Month Ultimate World Cruise.
Posted: Sat, 17 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
The only left to do is figure out how one packs for 274 days. Your once-in-a-lifetime journey begins December 2023, embarking from in Miami on the first segment of the Ultimate World Cruise℠ — the Ultimate Americas Cruise. Go from postcard-perfect Caribbean shores—including the ABC islands —to viewing abundant wildlife like sea lions, penguins and whales roaming glacier-studded Antarctica as you round Cape Horn. Along the way, discover World Wonders in South America, including man-made marvels and extraordinary natural phenomena. It’s seven continents, more than 60 countries, 8 World Wonders, and endless adventures — all one voyage.
You can spend 274 nights bonding with like-minded explorers over global discoveries across all seven continents. Or pick a corner of the globe and explore every inch of it on one of four Ultimate World Cruise℠ segments — each an immersive voyage of 60+ nights. Connect with countless distinct cultures, soak up the most spectacular landscapes on Earth, and marvel at World Wonders that showcase mankind’s boundless imagination. If several months at sea still seems too long, travelers can also join shorter legs of the Ultimate World Cruise ranging from nine to 29 nights, starting at over $1,760 per person.
If spending most of the year on a boat eating buffet food doesn’t sound appealing, you can just go for one of the trip’s “segments,” which still entails being on the ship for months at a time. Wrapping your head around what you might do on a cruise for nine months can be hard, but thankfully there are plenty of “day in my life” videos that can help you out. Unless your cruise fare specifically states there are alcoholic beverages included, you'll pay extra for beer, wine, cocktails and spirits in any venue onboard. You have the option to either purchase drinks as you go or buy a package. Cocktails average between $10 and $17 on most ships but can be higher for specialty drinks or with premium call liquors.
Ports like Galveston and Port Canaveral are located far from the nearest airports and you can expect to spend between $40-60 each way for the cheapest options. Ports like Tampa, Port Everglades, and Miami are just a short ride away and you can get to the port for about $10 per person. Also watch out for destinations where the ship docks some distance from the city you are expecting to see. This happens frequently in Europe — Rome, Athens and Venice, for example.
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