Skift Take
The base fares advertised by many cruise lines rarely indicate the proliferation of onboard charges that can send the cost of the cruise soaring. Travel advisors are stepping in by counseling clients about the added costs and, in some cases, presenting all-inclusive cruises as a better value.
With the proliferation of automatic tipping and extra charges for everything from spinning classes to cappuccino, it’s little wonder that base cruise fares seldom reveal the actual cost of the voyage.
While most luxury cruise lines still offer all-inclusive pricing, those in the mass-market and premium categories have embraced the concept of onboard charges, said Mike Weingart, president of Air Land and Sea Consultants in Houston.
The practice has negative ramifications for passengers and travel advisors alike, he added.
“I don’t think these cruise lines are happy unless the cost to get off the cruise is more than the cost to get on board,” he said. “And all of these charges are sans commission.”
Taking a more philosophical attitude, Janet Blackwell, owner of Tidewater Cruise and Travel in Bel Air, Maryland, observed that extra charges are enabling lower-end cruise lines to keep base fares at levels that are not much higher than they were 20 or 30 years ago.
"Yet today's cruises offer significantly more," she said. "If you want things like specialty coffee, premium ice cream, specialty dining or premium alcohol, you can get it. You just have to pay more."
However, Blackwell dislikes what she increasingly finds is a "Turkish bazaar" atmosphere on some cruise ships.
"I hate being assaulted by cruise line staff the instant I board, hawking things like their premium beverage package, their specialty dining package, their photography package, their bottled water package, you name it," she said. "This is not the experience I was hoping for when I booked a cruise."
Fee Frenzy
Not only are onboard charges unlikely to go away anytime soon, the practice is intensifying, much like the proliferation of resort fees, according to those who track cruise industry trends.
“The general trend with cruises seems to follow the road map seen in other places like Las Vegas,” said Tanner Callais, founder of the cruise site Cruzely. “Prices and extra costs continue to rise. While cruising can still be affordable, it’s also easy to spend a lot of money if you want to have it all and do everything.”
As cruise
