Variables Involved in Understanding Cruise Trip Costs, Part 1
Trips like cruises and international land tours require some significant planning, and cost is naturally a key factor for those taking part in such planning steps. Most will generally come up with a broad budget in advance, then use this range to inform their decisions on several factors involved in the trip itself.
At Cruise Lady: Latter-day Adventures, we’re proud to offer a wide range of cruises and land tours for trips with other members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, from our Panama cruises to Israel and Jordan land tours, plus many in between. As you’re getting started with your planning, what are some of the top factors that play a role in the costs you’ll be looking at during this process? This two-part blog series will go over a number of important variables to keep in mind.
Comparing Lines
For starters, you should enter this process knowing there are several different cruise lines out there with varying price structures, destinations and other factors. Many develop a loyalty to a certain cruise line – many of our clients return to us time and again for our focus on Church-related topics and common interest in such subjects, plus the quality of our staff and amenities.
If you have not settled on such a loyalty, you might look to compare certain qualities, certainly including price. Also look into factors like departure dates and departure cities, destinations, amenities and a variety of other factors that matter to you.
Base Advertised Price
In most cases, your starting point for specific comparisons or research on cruise lines begins with the basic advertised cruise price. Most cruise lines will list their prices based on the nightly price for the cruise itself, which will be impacted by things like the destination, the type of cabin chosen and the quality level of the cruise line to begin with.
Destination tends to be the item that impacts price the most. You can usually find relatively affordable cruises to areas like the Caribbean, for instance, but certain more remote islands that are tougher to get to might be more expensive. You’ll also notice big differences between indoor cabins versus balcony or upgraded cabins.
Transportation and Accommodations
Some cruise lines will list prices that include the cost of flights, transportation to and from the ship and various off-ship accommodations, but many do not. Many will leave customers responsible for getting to the port in time and at their own expense, and in such cases these costs must be included in your planning. Also inquire as to whether you’ll be spending any nights in specific destination cities and whether accommodation costs for those will be covered in your initial base price or considered an extra.
For more on determining the costs involved with a cruise you’re planning, or to learn about any of our cruise trips, speak to the staff at Cruise Lady: Latter-day Adventures today.