Beware hidden costs aboard ship, on shore

www.boston.com -- Would you pay thousands for monthly Internet service?

You would if you used a month's worth of service on a cruise ship. The best deal you can get on the Web on a Royal Caribbean liner is $55 for 150 minutes. Calculate that over a month, and it could be more than $16,000.

No one would pay that, of course, but the point is this: On a cruise, there may be such a thing as a free lunch. But virtually nothing else is.

Vacationing on the high seas means running into hidden costs that only cruise veterans may know about. That wouldn't be me. I've done two voyages and was stunned both times by what costs extra and what's included.

To newbies: Insist on knowing the schedule of fees before you go. It won't necessarily reduce your costs, but you'll be less shocked when you're hit with them.

"The way cruise lines put it, they're not hidden costs; they're optional costs," said Paul Motter, editor of Cruisemates.com, an online trade publication. "No one is required to drink or go ashore. You choose to do it."

Well, yes, but try sitting in the sun on deck and not opting for a $5 fruity drink with paper umbrella or not going ashore in Jamaica for $94 per person for the canopy experience, zip-line ride included. I mean, what are you supposed to do, stay on board, read, and drink tap water?

You also get charged for all kinds of things on the ship, and it's easy to not notice since you pay for nothing in cash. They charge your cruise card and at the end, lob it all onto your bill. Some beverages are included, such as coffee and tea, but soda? Nope. It's often $6 per day for a cup you keep, or $36 for a six-day outing - ever drink $36 worth of soda a week at home?

"People familiar with cruising know the costs," said Motter, who has lost count of the number of trips he's taken since 1983 and worked as a stage manager for two years on a cruise line. "If you don't know, ask your travel agent or look on the cruise line's website; it's usually outlined."

Two things that usually aren't outlined are fuel surcharges and taxes, which Motter said generally make up less than 5 percent of the total cost. The average fuel levy is $10 per person per day, he said, capped at $140 for 14 days. The Enchantment of the Seas, which I was on in January, has a capacity of 2,446, meaning fuel surcharges on a full boat would total more than $145,000 for a six-day trip. READ MORE