Standby Cruising: A New Option for Bargain Seekers

[EvilEyeFleegle]

Hey...this seems cool. Going on a cruise for $49 a day!
The catch...you get 48 hours notice to board!

To participate, travelers choose an itinerary from the standby list on the website — current embarkation ports include Boston; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Montreal; Quebec City; San Diego; Seattle; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Whittier, Alaska — and pay for the trip in advance by calling Holland America or booking through a travel adviser.

Standby Cruising: A New Option for Bargain Seekers

Are you a flexible traveler? Holland America’s standby cruises may be for you. The cost: $49 a day, excluding fees, taxes and extras. The catch: It might be a hair-raising, last-minute scramble.

www.nytimes.com

In February, Barb McGowan took a seven-day cruise on Holland America Line, visiting the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and the Dominican Republic for just $343, or $49 a day, excluding taxes, port fees and extras. By comparison, Holland America currently lists a seven-day Caribbean itinerary in October from about $700.
The catch: She had just 48 hours’ notice.
Ms. McGown, a 64-year-old from Naples, Fla., who runs a restaurant franchise, took one of the line’s new standby cruises, which are aimed at travelers who live near departure ports and intended to fill ship vacancies.
“I look for deals, and this was an especially good experience,” Ms. McGowan said, praising the food and entertainment. “I was impressed enough to put down a deposit on a future cruise.”
Though the company does not heavily promote the new practice, it has attracted a following among the thrifty by dangling a bargain rate — $49 a person, whether sharing a cabin or traveling solo, before taxes and fees — on a web page that lists available departure dates to attract flexible travelers. Standbys should expect an inside cabin, according to the company, though ocean-view and veranda cabins have been assigned. (The company declined to say how many standby cabins it has offered.)
“Forty-nine dollars per person, per day is pretty exceptional,” said Colleen McDaniel, the editor of CruiseCritic.com, a website that reviews cruises, noting that the price covers all meals and entertainment.

To participate, travelers choose an itinerary from the standby list on the website — current embarkation ports include Boston; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Montreal; Quebec City; San Diego; Seattle; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Whittier, Alaska — and pay for the trip in advance by calling Holland America or booking through a travel adviser.

Standby List Program | Holland America Line

Join our Standby List Program for an upcoming cruise vacation. Call 877-724-5425 to join the standby list for select cruises.

www.hollandamerica.com

 

[candycorn]

Hey...this seems cool. Going on a cruise for $49 a day!
The catch...you get 48 hours notice to board!

To participate, travelers choose an itinerary from the standby list on the website — current embarkation ports include Boston; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Montreal; Quebec City; San Diego; Seattle; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Whittier, Alaska — and pay for the trip in advance by calling Holland America or booking through a travel adviser.

Standby Cruising: A New Option for Bargain Seekers

Are you a flexible traveler? Holland America’s standby cruises may be for you. The cost: $49 a day, excluding fees, taxes and extras. The catch: It might be a hair-raising, last-minute scramble.

www.nytimes.com

In February, Barb McGowan took a seven-day cruise on Holland America Line, visiting the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and the Dominican Republic for just $343, or $49 a day, excluding taxes, port fees and extras. By comparison, Holland America currently lists a seven-day Caribbean itinerary in October from about $700.
The catch: She had just 48 hours’ notice.
Ms. McGown, a 64-year-old from Naples, Fla., who runs a restaurant franchise, took one of the line’s new standby cruises, which are aimed at travelers who live near departure ports and intended to fill ship vacancies.
“I look for deals, and this was an especially good experience,” Ms. McGowan said, praising the food and entertainment. “I was impressed enough to put down a deposit on a future cruise.”
Though the company does not heavily promote the new practice, it has attracted a following among the thrifty by dangling a bargain rate — $49 a person, whether sharing a cabin or traveling solo, before taxes and fees — on a web page that lists available departure dates to attract flexible travelers. Standbys should expect an inside cabin, according to the company, though ocean-view and veranda cabins have been assigned. (The company declined to say how many standby cabins it has offered.)
“Forty-nine dollars per person, per day is pretty exceptional,” said Colleen McDaniel, the editor of CruiseCritic.com, a website that reviews cruises, noting that the price covers all meals and entertainment.

To participate, travelers choose an itinerary from the standby list on the website — current embarkation ports include Boston; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Montreal; Quebec City; San Diego; Seattle; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Whittier, Alaska — and pay for the trip in advance by calling Holland America or booking through a travel adviser.

Standby List Program | Holland America Line

Join our Standby List Program for an upcoming cruise vacation. Call 877-724-5425 to join the standby list for select cruises.

www.hollandamerica.com

The taxes and port fees are the things that really kill you when you’re cruising to anywhere that is desirable. Still, $50 a day is nice...

Vacations To Go usually has some nice deals in that space. Also just know that if you’re on Holland, your experience will be much different than if you are on Carnival or Royal.

 

[EvilEyeFleegle]

The taxes and port fees are the things that really kill you when you’re cruising to anywhere that is desirable. Still, $50 a day is nice...

Vacations To Go usually has some nice deals in that space. Also just know that if you’re on Holland, your experience will be much different than if you are on Carnival or Royal.

I've been on one Holland cruise..the Northwest Inner Passage--cost me about a grand...and I had a good time. Of course, I was in the Navy as a youth....so I doubt my expectations were all that high. BTW, I did bring my portable bar.

From the OP:

Once on board, charges for extras like cabin upgrades, Wi-Fi, alcohol and shore excursions can inflate the bill, though the thriftiest travelers try to avoid them.
Ms. McGowan sprang for the $17.50-a-day charge for an upgraded drink package (basic nonalcoholic drinks are included in the cruise) and took one shore excursion, focused on coffee growing, which she deemed a good value at $89.
On their Caribbean cruise, the Valloneys asked around for recommendations for good beaches, where they went to relax on port days, and waited until they were on land to check emails, in order to avoid paying for Wi-Fi on the ship.
“We didn’t miss it at all,” Ms. Valloney said. “For beverages, we would wait until happy hour, when it was buy one, get one free.”

 

[rightwinger]

I am surprised that all cruise lines do not do the same thing.

 

[EvilEyeFleegle]

I am surprised that all cruise lines do not do the same thing.

I imagine that some may see it as a short-term positive but a long-term threat to their bottom-line.
There's that danger of building expectations/demand and not being able to retreat from the price point without risk of backlash.

Cruises are a cash cow..any bargain is just a lead in to add-on charges. Avoid all that and you can have a good time for reasonable money....but don't go in expecting the Love-Boat experience..unless you're willing to pay the Love-Boat prices~

 

[candycorn]

I've been on one Holland cruise..the Northwest Inner Passage--cost me about a grand...and I had a good time. Of course, I was in the Navy..so I doubt my expectations were all that high. BTW, I did bring my portable bar.

From the OP:

Once on board, charges for extras like cabin upgrades, Wi-Fi, alcohol and shore excursions can inflate the bill, though the thriftiest travelers try to avoid them.
Ms. McGowan sprang for the $17.50-a-day charge for an upgraded drink package (basic nonalcoholic drinks are included in the cruise) and took one shore excursion, focused on coffee growing, which she deemed a good value at $89.
On their Caribbean cruise, the Valloneys asked around for recommendations for good beaches, where they went to relax on port days, and waited until they were on land to check emails, in order to avoid paying for Wi-Fi on the ship.
“We didn’t miss it at all,” Ms. Valloney said. “For beverages, we would wait until happy hour, when it was buy one, get one free.”

I’m not a big drinker but I’m always curious about the goofy prices for drink packages. First..the insanity of a cruise line charging your for hydration. Pretty sick to start with. But then the mentality of the couples I see with the executive drink package. Then, inevitably, I see them getting off at every port of call and almost certainly paying for drinks while their on shore--all the while being billed for them while they’re not on the ship. You’ve got to drink about 7-10 mixed drinks a day to get your money’s worth. All this is a way of saying...no thanks. I’ll have my rum and coke at the end of the day in the lounge listening to the piano player....if I feel like it.

 

[rightwinger]

Hey...this seems cool. Going on a cruise for $49 a day!
The catch...you get 48 hours notice to board!

Hard to get three restaurant meals for $49 a day

 

[candycorn]

I imagine that some may see it as a short-term positive but a long-term threat to their bottom-line.
There's that danger of building expectations/demand and not being able to retreat from the price point without risk of backlash.

Cruises are a cash cow..any bargain is just a lead in to add-on charges. Avoid all that and you can have a good time for reasonable money....but don't go in expecting the Love-Boat experience..unless you're willing to pay the Love-Boat prices~

I doubt the backlash is much of a deterrent. Carnival (I think it was them) just jacked up their charge for bottled water to like $4 a bottle or something like that. One thing I do is try to take a case of bottled water on the boat with me. Its worked in more than 1/2 the cruises I’ve taken. And if they pitch it before I board, I’m out $5 or whatever. If it gets delivered to my cabin, I have saved about $100 vs buying the bottles on board.

 

[rightwinger]

I’m not a big drinker but I’m always curious about the goofy prices for drink packages. First..the insanity of a cruise line charging your for hydration. Pretty sick to start with. But then the mentality of the couples I see with the executive drink package. Then, inevitably, I see them getting off at every port of call and almost certainly paying for drinks while their on shore--all the while being billed for them while they’re not on the ship. You’ve got to drink about 7-10 mixed drinks a day to get your money’s worth. All this is a way of saying...no thanks. I’ll have my rum and coke at the end of the day in the lounge listening to the piano player....if I feel like it.

I am shocked at what they charge for unlimited drinks.
To have to drink ten drinks just before you start to break even is a deal breaker. If you are with your wife, she has to also drink ten drinks.
I can do that for one or two days but I don’t want to do that every day for 7-10 days

 

[rightwinger]

I doubt the backlash is much of a deterrent. Carnival (I think it was them) just jacked up their charge for bottled water to like $4 a bottle or something like that. One thing I do is try to take a case of bottled water on the boat with me. Its worked in more than 1/2 the cruises I’ve taken. And if they pitch it before I board, I’m out $5 or whatever. If it gets delivered to my cabin, I have saved about $100 vs buying the bottles on board.

Each adult is also allowed to bring a bottle of wine onboard that you can drink in your room

 

[candycorn]

I am shocked at what they charge for unlimited drinks.
To have to drink ten drinks just before you start to break even is a deal breaker. If you are with your wife, she has to also drink ten drinks.
I can do that for one or two days but I don’t want to do that every day for 7-10 days

c’mon old man....you only live once... LOL.

 

[candycorn]

Each adult is also allowed to bring a bottle of wine onboard that you can drink in your room

Not into the whole wine thing. When I sailed out of Galveston, they just delivered it to my cabin. I wasn’t so lucky in other ports.

 

[candycorn]

I imagine that some may see it as a short-term positive but a long-term threat to their bottom-line.
There's that danger of building expectations/demand and not being able to retreat from the price point without risk of backlash.

Cruises are a cash cow..any bargain is just a lead in to add-on charges. Avoid all that and you can have a good time for reasonable money....but don't go in expecting the Love-Boat experience..unless you're willing to pay the Love-Boat prices~

According to one podcast I listen to; Carnival has 2 ships on order; each one costing a billion dollars. For that type of outlay, yeah, they have got to be making money big time.

 

[odanny]

There are cheaper options.

Ghetto Cruise

 

[odanny]

The taxes and port fees are the things that really kill you when you’re cruising to anywhere that is desirable. Still, $50 a day is nice...

The Ghetto Cruise (Carnival Conquest) is $11 a day, with all the taxes it comes out to $50 a day, but the guy said the 4 day cruise included a $50 comp at the bar. In the video the buffet food looks pretty bad, but I guess they have a nice pay restaurant with good food. Another way you're scammed, you got to settle or pay for better meals.

 

[candycorn]

The Ghetto Cruise (Carnival Conquest) is $11 a day, with all the taxes it comes out to $50 a day, but the guy said the 4 day cruise included a $50 comp at the bar. In the video the buffet food looks pretty bad, but I guess they have a nice pay restaurant with good food. Another way you're scammed, you got to settle or pay for better meals.

The buffet food on most cruise ships is very good. And they have table service on every cruise every evening. Both are included in your cruise fare. If you want the higher end stuff though; you've got to pay. It ain't cheap either.

One of the ships, Carnival Breeze, is one of their few "main line" ships that have both Guy Fieri's burger joint and his BBQ restaurant.

 

[DGS49]

If you book at the last minute, all of the good excursions will be filled. It's often the excursions that make the trip worthwhile.

The cost of alcohol on board ship is insane. If I couldn't go a week or two without booze, I'd shoot myself. Tap water, soft drinks, coffee and tea are free on every ship I've ever sailed on. Only fags drink bottled water. A "gratuity" of $10 or $15 per night per passenger is "recommended" by the cruise lines. You can decline or reduce the amount, but they make it a little uncomfortable to do so. As it should be.

But having said all that, if you can cruise for $50/night, YOU CAN'T GO WRONG! Do it! Vacations To Go has some fantastic deals at all times. I'm seriously considering a repositioning cruise next time it comes up. Thirty days or so, mostly just cruising at a very reasonable price. I have no trouble keeping myself occupied and having fun on board a cruise ship.