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Caribbean Cruise - What Do You Get For The Price?
As with all types of holidays, one must check when booking a Caribbean cruise precisely what is and isn't included in the price. However, there are some industry standards that can act as a guide in order that from the outset you can know more or less what to expect for the price of your Caribbean cruise.
The majority of Caribbean cruise companies tend to offer a more or less all-inclusive service, meaning that everything that you use on board the ship is included in the price. These all-inclusive deals often don't include alcoholic beverages, or will only include local alcohol however all meals; snacks, hot and soft drinks will be included. In addition to the food and drink that is provided, the price will include the room itself and use of the onboard facilities like the swimming pools, gym, theatres, cinemas and climbing walls. Extras such as beauty treatments and massages will usually cost extra.
Off board activities are generally not included in the price of a cruise although the transfer to the mainland will be. Most cruise companies will work in partnership with local tour operators to provide a variety of activities and tours whilst in port, all of which will cost an extra sum and should be taken into account when budgeting a trip.
Tipping is a standard custom onboard cruise ships to the point that it has become more or less statutory. Some companies will include the tip in the price which will be paid up front; others will automatically add it as an extra to the price quoted to you, like in a restaurant when they automatically add service. Others still will not add but expect you to leave a tip. Which ever way, it is important to know what your cruise operator does, as the custom tip is $10 per day per person and so can make quite a difference in your budgeting. Almost every cruise line now adds these tips, for each person in the cabin, automatically to your bill when you board your Caribbean cruise. They started this in 2002. We totally disagree with this policy. By adding the tips to your bill automatically, it reverts to an expense-which should be quoted when you buy the cruise! A tip, by definition, is at YOUR discretion-not the cruise line's. When confronted with this, simply go see the purser and have them remove it from your bill. When they ask why? Simply tell them that you prefer to pay it yourself.
President of All Aboard Cruises Corp
Royal Caribbean cruises
Source: www.a1articles.com