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Compare what it would cost on land to have all of your meals and entertainment
provided, as well as transportation, fitness and sports facilities, social
activities, educational talks, parties, and other functions, and you will
soon realize the incredible value of a cruise. Further, a ship is a destination
in itself, which moves to other destinations. No land-based resort could
ever do that! Simply give yourself a vacation budget, and go to your professional
travel supplier with it. The rest, as they say, will be taken care of.
If a Seven-Day Cruise Is Advertised for $400 Per Person, is this too
Good to be True?
As a rule, yes! Consider that a decent hotel room in New York costs at
least $200 per night (plus taxes), without meals or entertainment; it
stands to reason that something is not quite as it seems. Before booking,
read the fine print. Look at all the additional costs such as tips to
cabin and dining room stewards, shore excursions, drinks (plus a 15 percent
gratuity), plus getting to and from the ship. That $400 per person could
well be for a four-berth cabin adjacent to the ship's laundry or above
the disco, but in any even, not in a desirable location (just like a $50
hotel room in New York).
Why Does it Cost More to Cruise in Europe and the Far East than in
the Caribbean?
The answer is twofold:
1) Almost all aspects of operations, including fuel costs, port charges,
air transportation, and supplying food to the ships, are much higher in
Europe.
2) Cruise Companies can make more money (called yield) than in the cut-price
Caribbean, where sun, sea, and sand are principal attractions. In Europe,
sight-seeing, architecture, culture, and other things are part of a more
enriching cruise experience.
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