For Cost-Conscious Cruising, Watch Charges for the Extras

Recently, the largest cruise ship in history--the 2,600-passenger Grand Princess--began service. And last month, the Disney Magic, promoted as the most innovative cruise ship of all time, took to the seas with dining rooms that change color from course to course. Still other whiz-bang-equipped behemoths are currently in construction. In cruising, the developments are so dramatic and the expansion in capacity so great as to make this the halcyon era of ocean vacations.

Not only are the ships colorful and their itineraries interesting, but prices have never been so low for a seagoing cruise--not simply from discount cruise brokers, but often from the cruise lines themselves. Prices of $799 or $899 for a weeklong cruise (in an inside cabin, per person, plus round trip air fare) have become commonplace.

Warning: The radical cut in cruise ship prices has been accompanied by a general increase in the cost of purchases made aboard ship. Items that used to be free (even the in-room movies on one cruise line) are now added to your bill. Cocktails that were once a travel bargain are now almost uniformly $4.50 apiece, and soft drinks taken with a meal are charged for. Shore excursions can now total hundreds of dollars per passenger in the course of a week.

Want more examples? Open that bottle of mineral water found on the coffee table, and it goes on your tab. And is it just your imagination, or do the slots in the on-board casinos seem to pay off less often than in Las Vegas or Atlantic City?

The response should be one of constant caution. Leave the mineral water unopened, the in-room movie unplayed. Shun the ship’s casino. Arriving at a port, round up another couple to share a taxi for sightseeing. Look for local transportation, such as a public bus, that may take you cheaply from dockside to a key attraction. For example, a public bus that costs $1.50 will take you to the Mendenhall Glacier outside Juneau, Alaska; to which other passengers have paid $30 for a tour.

And no matter how inexpensive the rates of the new ships, give some thought to the lower costs of the older, classic ships. A significant number of cruise passengers are currently opting for the greater intimacy, stronger maritime flavor and somewhat larger cabins of the older, less expensive ships. That’s why some smaller, older ships operated by outfits such as Premier, tel. (800) 373-2654, Regal, tel. (800) 270-7245 and Commodore, tel. (800) 545-5609, continue to do well.

Some other tips: Cruises in European waters are considered good alternatives to the higher prices of first-class European hotels and restaurants. Consider buying such a European cruise separate from air fare; some passengers find they can obtain air fares from consolidators for less than the cruise line’s price.

Consider one of the increasingly popular three-night or four-night cruises, to which several cruise lines are now assigning their best ships.

Consider, if you’re a family of four, booking a single cabin for the entire family. By booking on that basis, some cruise consolidators (such as the Cruise Line Inc., tel. [800] 777-0707) have recently offered rates as low as $450 per person for a weeklong cruise.