How Much Does a Cruise Cost

How Much Does A Cruise Cost?

• The time of year you choose to take your cruise
• How long you'd like to get away.
• Where you'd like to go
• The type of cruise you take
• Which cruise line you like
• Which ship you decide on
• The type of accommodations you select
• The number of people sharing your cabin
• The package inclusions in addition to the cruise fare
• The purpose of your trip
• How many cabins you book at one time
• What promotional offers are available when you make your reservation
• How quickly you are able to pay for your booking once you've been quoted the rates
• How old you are and the ages of your children
• Where you live or where you will be flying from
• If you've ever cruised before and if so, on which lines
• Which agency you choose to book with

At CruiseCheap.com, we want to make sure that you choose the cruise that's right for you. So we want to get to know you a little bit. In addition to the information listed above we also want to find out what your preferences are and what's important to you. Unlike other online retailers, we want you to call us and speak to us directly. We'll take the time you need and ask all the right questions.

If you're looking for your first cruise, it's natural to what to know the price. What you'll find is that the beauty of a cruise vacation is that virtually all aspects of your trip are included. So when you compare the cost of a cruise vacation to a comparable land-based option, you'll find that a cruise is a tremendous value.

For your benefit, we have created a Cruise Vacation -versus- a Resort Vacation chart that compares cost of a very popular cruise to three equally popular land vacations. This chart will show you that dollar for dollar, nothing beats a cruise vacation.

The prices on this chart are shown per person, based on two people in a room, for a 7-night vacation stay during the off-peak travel season, specifically between November 6-13, 2004. Air travel is priced from Chicago O'Hare airport using airline Internet fares. Room accommodations are as follows:

• Carnival Cruise Lines Carnival Triumph,
  Category 8A Oceanview Stateroom with Balcony;
• Marriott Frenchman's Reef in St. Thomas,
  Water View Room with Balcony;
• Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas,
  City View Room (sorry, no Balconies in Vegas *-);
• Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort,
  Standard Accommodation, no Balcony (Note: unlimited Walt Disney World park admission is also included in the rate.)

Meals for this chart are budgeted at $75 per person per day, broken down as follows: $10 for breakfast, $15 for lunch, $10 for snacks and $40 for dinner. These meal costs are conservative and may be higher in some island destinations! Cruises provide a great variety of choices all with consistently high quality cuisine; and it's included in your cruise fare.

Gambling is offered on cruise ships and in Las Vegas, but this is not considered a form of entertainment that was included on this chart. Entertainment would include lavish productions, comedy shows, live bands, discos, cover charges, piano bars, karaoke, etc.

Obviously, there are dozens of cruises and hundreds of hotels in these same destinations: some less expensive and some more costly. The seasonality of demand may also affect prices. These cruise and hotel properties were selected because they deliver a comparable experience among one another. The property comparison section of the chart shows how similar they are with respect to facilities and amenities.

Vacation Options
Property:	Carnival Triumph	Frenchman's Reef	Mandalay Bay	Caribbean Beach
Company:	Carnival	Marriott	Mandalay	Disney Vacations
Rating:
Num Rooms:	1379 Rooms	504 Rooms	3300 Rooms	2112 Rooms
Day By Day Vacation Comparison
Length of Stay:	7 Nights	7 Nights	7 Nights	7 Nights
Destination:	Caribbean	Caribbean	Las Vegas, NV	Orlando, FL
Home Airport:	Miami, FL	St. Thomas	Las Vegas, NV	Orlando, FL
Room Type:	Oceanview Balcony	Water View with Balcony	City View	Standard Accommodation
Day One	Fly to Miami	Fly to St. Thomas	Fly to Vegas	Fly to Orlando
Day Two	Fun Day at Sea	St. Thomas	Las Vegas	Magic Kingdom
Day Three	San Juan	St. Thomas	Las Vegas	Epcot Center
Day Four	St. Thomas	Still in St. Thomas	Still in Las Vegas	MGM Studios
Day Five	St. Maarten	Still here	More gambling?	Animal Kingdom
Day Six	Fun Day at Sea	What's next?	More Vegas?	Water Park
Day Seven	Relaxing at Sea	What's left?	Viva Las Vegas	Walking Zombie
Day Eight	Fly Home Refreshed and Rejuvenated	So ready to fly home	I wish I were already home	Fly home to rest and recuperate
Property and Amenity Comparison
Num Rooms:	1379 Rooms	504 Rooms	3300 Rooms	2112 Rooms
Restaurants:	4	4	16	1
Bars & Lounges:	11	4	3	1
Coffee Shop:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Snack Bar:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
24 Hr Dining:	Yes	No	Yes	No
Nightclub:	Yes	No	Yes	No
Casino:	Yes	No	Yes	No
Show Lounge:	Yes	No	Yes	No
Pools/Hot Tubs:	11	3	2	8
Sauna/Steam:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Spa/Salon:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Fitness Facilities:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Tennis Courts:	No	Yes	No	Yes
Kids Programs:	Yes	No	No	No
Baby Sitting:	Yes	No	No	No
Game Room:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Tour Desk:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Shops:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Room Service:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Meeting Rooms:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Rate Comparison
Property:	Carnival Triumph	Frenchman's Reef	Mandalay Bay	Caribbean Beach
Company:	Carnival	Marriott	Mandalay	Disney Vacations
Room Rate:	$860	$888	$974	$929
Airfare:	$289	$462	$156	$177
Transfers:	$30	Included	Included	Included
Baggage Handling:	Included	Included	Included	Included
Meals/Snacks:	Included	$525	$525	$525
Entertainment:	Included	$50	$250	Included
Gratuities:	$75	$140	$140	$140
Taxes/Fees:	$30	$53	$31	$38
Total Per Person:	$1,284 pp	$2,118 pp	$2,076 pp	$1,809 pp

And you should also know that in addition to being affordable, cruises have a higher percentage of satisfied guests than any other vacation experience. It's difficult to match the fun, adventure, variety, comfort and quality of cruise vacation options. And when you add it all up it's easy to see why a cruise is the best value in the travel industry. Call one of our cruise experts today to being planning your best vacation ever!

Notes about this comparison:

• All rates are based on off-peak travel specifically for the weeks of November 6 - 13, 2004. Rates were available as of June 1, 2004 when this page was created. Rates are for this chart comparison only and may be higher or lower based on availability.
• Rates can be higher or lower depending upon the dates of travel, number of people traveling, ship or resort you choose, age, loyal programs, room accommodations, transportation and a number of other factors.
• Airfare rates were provided by Gogo Tours and Orbitz and include airline taxes, fees and service charges.
• Approximate meal charges were estimated based on a daily meal allowance of $75 per person. $10 for Breakfast, $15 for Lunch, $10 for daily snacks, and $40 for dinner. These number are conservative and may be higher or lower depending upon guests individual dining preferences, choice of restaurant, and eating habits.
• Gratuities are based on a 20% service charge on meals and miscellaneous gratuities that are extended to bellmen, sky caps, or others who perform a performance-based service.
• Entertainment costs are based on a comparison to entertainment included on a cruise ship. This includes large productions, comedy shows, live bands, piano bars, cover charges, discos, etc. Disney Caribbean Beach package does include a weeklong pass to Disney World Parks.
• Taxes and government fees are additional and added by the various cruise lines and properties.