My Vacation Cruise Package – Beware of Extra Costs
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Have you bought a vacation cruise package? Back in 2019, I received a phone call about a Caribbean cruise package deal. It was for a discounted price and also included a few days stay in a couple of hotel resorts in Florida and the Bahamas. (Of course, they also required me to listen to a timeshare presentation.) Thanks to the pandemic, I wasn’t able to go, but they did extend the deadline a few times. Finally, this last summer when I called about it again (since we still had restrictions & a passport backlog in Canada) I was told that they would not extend it again. So, in mid-December…I went. This is what I learned…
I originally paid extra for a couple nights in a hotel on the Grand Bahama Island. Due the COVID restrictions, that weren’t lifted until after I booked, I had to put the extra nights in Florida. Since I had family in the Orlando area, I chose Orlando.
#1 Some things are misleading...
For my original package I was told that it included a $50 on-board credit. I received $24 toward the fuel surcharge and my friend received the same.
I was also told I would be given $500 in food vouchers. This was not true. First you have to know which restaurant you want to go to in Florida. You have to go to the website and look up “coupons” and then print them out. I don’t know about you, but I never take a printer with me when I travel. Some hotels might have a printer you can access but for saving such a small amount it wasn’t worth the hassle. Most of the coupons were only for a dollar or two off. There were a few “buy 1 entre & get 1 half off” but you had to spend $25-$50.
When I booked the vacation I had to pay a “refundable” deposit of $199 US. This, I was told, I would get back after I watched the presentation and showed up for the cruise. I was only “refunded” $150 after the presentation in GIFT CARDS! The other $50 I was supposed to get I assume was the $50 on board credit?
#2 There are extra fees and taxes for almost everything
Despite asking specifically what extra taxes and fees there were, there were a few surprises. To be fair, the person booking the reservations, didn’t know everything that the different companies charged. I already mentioned the fuel surcharge, that I didn’t know about. The port fee was $60US per person that is supposed to cover gratuities.
If you need to phone anyone or access the internet, you have to pay an extra fee for Wi-Fi. Even if you have a data plan it will not work on the ship. I didn’t bother with it, but my friend had to pay approximately an extra $7 a day so she could call her Mum.
And all the hotels and resorts have the standard hotel tax that varies from place to place, in addition to any state taxes.
Getting Onboard & Our Room on the cruise ship...
I paid a little extra to have an outside stateroom. As I’m a little claustrophobic, I need a window!
We also had to go through security, like they do at the airport, with all our baggage and items x-rayed. The whole process of boarding was a matter of “hurry-up-&-wait”. After we got in to pay (with a credit card) and get our room cards we found a small piece of floor in the hallway by the restrooms to wait for a few hours with hundreds of other people. The room cards were like a credit card, boarding pass and room key all-in-one. There were many tables where they had excursions, spa packages, food and drink packages or promotions you could buy. This is also where I got a reservation coupon for the complimentary dinner.
Our room had everything we needed, including a safe and life jackets. The bed was also very comfortable.
There was a small fridge, although we weren’t allowed to have any outside liquor with us. If we drank the water bottles in the room there would have been an extra $5 charge on our final bills.
The cruise ship may not have the same electrical outlets as your country...
The main socket outlets were 220 volts and compatible with plug types C,E, & F (which are mainly used in Europe, South America & Asia). I didn’t see the other plugs for 110 volts Type A & B (mainly used in the US & Canada) under the desk, until it was time to leave. There was a hairdryer provided, but if you have any other styling tools (blow styler, curling or flat iron) you will need an adaptor. Fortunately, I was able to borrow one from the main desk at no extra charge.
What can you expect on a cruise ship...
There were a couple of pools and hot tubs with bars nearby, a gym and a running track. They also had nightly entertainment in a few different places. There was a piano bar, a theatre and a casino. (I only saw the casino when we had to do a mock evacuation before we sailed.) As I already mentioned there was a spa where you could get a massage or other services. There were activities for children. If you are a shopper they also had a few different stores including a duty-free. If you bought alcohol there though, you couldn’t get it until you were off the ship.
#3 Food & Alcohol...Gratuities may already be included
The cruise ship had an all-you-can-eat buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner that is included in the vacation. There are also a couple of nice restaurants that you can pay extra for. We were given a complimentary dinner at one of them for one night. The food was very good and the staff were great.
Since the cruise ship was the Margaritaville we had to get into the spirit and have a margarita. They upsold us with this cup by promising a lower price for future drinks. I only bought the one so it was a waste of an extra $9 for a $2 cup I didn’t even want. I also didn’t notice until another guest pointed out that they automatically charge you an 18% tip.
Excursions...
You would probably expect to pay extra for an excursion off the cruise ship. If you just wanted to go and look around, you would have a very long walk though. My friend and I took the excursion to the hotel resort and market for $79 US each. A bus drove us about half an hour around the island while explaining everything we saw. There is still a lot of damage from previous hurricanes and flooding. We had access to the hotel beach and were there for about an hour while I read my book and Deb ran. The market place was a short walk from there. The vendors were all very friendly and persistent. We did end up buying beach cover-ups but most of the time we sat at a bar called Rum Runner’s Bar & Grill. I also tried conch fritters that were very tasty.
Going back on the ship we had to go through security again because we were returning from another country.
The car rental...More fees...
The package also included a car rental for eight days. Even if I hadn’t added an extra day to my trip, I still would have needed to pay for an extra day. Obviously, we didn’t need a car while we were on the cruise, so we would have had to pay extra for parking for couple of days (approximately $40US). I chose instead to not pick it up immediately and just use buses, trains and taxis while in Fort Lauderdale. It was still cheaper to do that, since it was close to Christmas, and the extra car rental was at least $85 a day (x two days).
At Budget car rental we got a red Hyundai Accent. We opted to prepay the gas which was less than $40 for a tank so we wouldn’t have to refill before returning it. We also prepaid for the e-toll transponder approximately $70 because we were driving five hours up to Orlando. I doubt we used $70 worth of tolls. They also didn’t show us how everything worked and I didn’t realize the transponder wasn’t even turned on until the last day!
If you are renting a car, be prepared to pay extra for each additional driver. Check with your insurance provider to see if you can use your own car insurance. It is obviously cheaper if you can.
Wyndham Summer Bay Resort...
We stayed at a Wyndham resort in Clermont which is just outside Orlando for four nights. They served a complimentary continental breakfast in the main building. There were a few separate restaurants and a cocktail lounge on the premises. There were also a few pools and a huge hot tub. Unfortunately the jets weren’t working when we were there. There was a shuttle bus to take us around, but it wasn’t too large to walk. Of course, all alcohol and food from the restaurants were extra.
Our last night in an Airbnb...
For our last night, since I booked an extra night, we got an Airbnb that was five minutes from the airport. There was everything we needed, including coffee & water. It had a nice porch area where we could relax and have a couple drinks before our return the next day. If you are staying close to the airport you may need to bring earplugs though to help you sleep.
At the Orlando airport I finally found a water station (after going through security) to fill my collapsible water bottle.
You can watch my vacation cruise review...
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