Budgetting for the extra costs of cruising

• Parking near the cruise port can cost from £6 to £12 a day. You may be able to find cheaper parking some distance away – check local car parks online before you arrive at the port. • Both soft drinks and alcohol often cost extra. Most cruise lines offer a prepaid drink card/account which offers unlimited drinks for a set price. One of these for the kiddies can be very cost-effective, as long as you’re sure the cruise ship carries the soft drinks that they like. Note that fresh fruit juices and milkshakes are not usually included in the card. • Prepaid service fee – sounds like something on your credit card bill, but in fact is the automatic tip system that some cruise lines use, usually running at about £5 per adult or £2.50 per child travelling, per day! If your ship doesn’t apply automatic charges, tips of around £5 per person per day are generally considered about the right level for your dining room service and cabin steward. • Internet access can be very, very, very expensive. I say again, expensive! Try to limit this cost as it really can rack up fast. Often it costs between twenty and forty pence a minute and with slow download times, this can soak up a lot of money for no great gain. If you must check your email or surf the net, consider a prepaid package, which usually costs about half the by-the-minute-rate.

Your mobile phone may cost you more than you expect too because of global roaming charges.