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Sailing Past Cruise Surcharges
The Travel Tightwad · August 30, 2002

The Collesi's 50th anniversary cruise on Royal Caribbean's "Enchantment of the Seas" was supposed to be a festive occasion surrounded by family and visiting charming Mexican ports like Cozumel and Costa Maya.

And it was—until the bill for dinner arrived one evening.

"They charged $1.45 per soda for each child," remembers Roz Collesi, a Des Plaines, Ill., retiree. "They really nickeled and dimed us to death."

Her disenchantment is common. Cruise lines have sunk prices. According to the website Cruisemates.com, you can book a floating vacation for almost half the price you could five years ago, but they've piled on surcharges in order to make up the difference. The result: You may pay less for your cruise at the start, but by the time you reach your final destination, you may actually shell out more than you would have in the good ol' days of "all-inclusive" cruises.

One of the most prevalent charges is for beverages. Heather Flynn, a Galveston, Tex., college administrator, remembers the Carnival cruise to Mexico she recently took with her husband. "At lunch on the Lido deck, we were handed a rum punch," she says. "Only after I had it in my hand was I asked to sign for it."

The extras can boost cruise line profits by 20 percent or more, so the companies that run them aren't about to throw them overboard. (Some high-end lines, like Crystal Cruises, won't hit you with a lot of surcharges. But then again, you're paying a lot more for your vacation to begin with.) The trouble is in the disclosure. Cruise lines often don't tell their passengers what's included and what isn't, apparently hoping that when the bill arrives, they'll just sign with a shrug and say, "Well, I'm on vacation."

You don't have to do that. Here are some of the charges you might find on your next cruise, and some advice on how to avoid them:

Drinks. Bottled water can set you back $1.95. Soft drinks can cost upward of a dollar. And alcoholic beverages set you back anywhere from $2 for a draft beer to $5 or more for a cocktail.

How to get around it: Never, ever, assume that the drinks are on the house, or in this case, the ship. If someone hands you anything with liquid in it, ask how much it costs.

Beach towels. Beach towel rentals are known to be as high as $20 on some ships. If you don't return the towel, you're billed the full amount.

How to get around it: Use the towel in your cabin. Sure, it may not have a cruise ship logo on it, but in the unlikely event that you misplace it, you won't have to pay up at the end.

Prepaid tipping. Prepaid tipping adds about $10 a day to the price of your cruise. Carnival and Princess recently introduced this "convenience" for its passengers.

How to get around it: Many prepaid tipping services work like hotel resort fees: They're non-negotiable. If you would prefer to tip on your own, it's imperative to check with your travel agent and the cruise line before you set sail.

Photos. Photos that capture the moment can start at $7.95. They normally don't ask if they can take your picture, and they never explicitly say that there's a charge. (On cruises that are billed as "all-inclusive," can you blame anyone for thinking the snapshots are free?

How to get around it: Wave the photographers off and bring your own camera. You'll get more pictures and pay less for them.

This isn't a complete list of charges, of course. The cruise lines are constantly adding new ones in order to enhance their revenues. Generally speaking, the best way to avoid any unexpected surcharges is to inquire about them before you cruise. Find out what's included—and what's not—before you go. Get it in writing if possible. The single best way to reverse a surcharge is to carry documentation that promises the service you just accepted is included in the price of your vacation.

Christopher Elliott is a travel commentator based in Key Largo, Fla. All e-mailed questions may be edited, condensed or republished at the site's discretion.