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Budget-savvy travellers know that all-inclusive is the way to go – but which lines are best for you, and what do they offer?
Nothing bursts a feelgood bubble like
seeing that final bill slipped under the
cabin door.
Yet as their holidays come to an end, all too many cruisers are left
counting the cost of that nightly round
of drinks with new friends, or that
speciality dinner to celebrate a big event.
Fortunately, there is an alternative – and
that’s going all-inclusive.
Knowing in advance exactly how much your cruise
will cost – not just your air fare, cabin and standard
meals, but all the extras you enjoy along the way – is
a huge help in these difficult economic times. Quite
simply, it means you can set a budget and stick to it,
with no nasty surprises at the end.
Choose carefully, and even last-minute cruises
sometimes include a few welcome add-ons. But if
you’re booking a long time in advance – perhaps for a
special celebration or a bucket-list adventure – there’s
a wide range of excellent all-inclusive deals to cover
your drinks, a few nights in the speciality restaurants,
and maybe even your excursions too.
Whichever deal you pick, make sure it also covers
the gratuities charged per person per night, as these
can seriously mount up. And you’ll also want one that
allows you plenty of time online so that you can keep in
touch with the folks back home.
All-inclusive has long been standard for top-end
cruise lines but it’s spreading throughout the market
as more cruisers catch on to the peace of mind it
brings.
So here’s how to make the most of going all-in,
whether you’re on a tight budget, travelling with your
family or just want to live the high life…
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Best for luxury lovers
Small ships usually offer the best in luxury ocean cruising. There’s an intimate atmosphere, and most staterooms have a sea view so you feel special from the moment
you step on board.
High-end all-inclusive deals cover
most drinks on the ship, as well as
speciality dining and staff gratuities,
but not all will include flights and
transfers.
For UK cruisers, Saga
is a great option because it offers
complimentary chauffeur transfers
from your home to the ship and back.
The line’s two new vessels, Spirit of
Adventure and Spirit of Discovery,
each have three speciality restaurants,
where all guests can dine for no extra
charge. All drinks, wi-fi, onboard tips
and some excursions are also free.
Moving still further upmarket,
Oceania Cruises has always included
free speciality restaurants, wi-fi, room
service and barista coffee, but its OLife
Choice offer adds air travel and either
eight free excursions, a free drinks
package or up to $800 shipboard credit.
Topping the lot is Regent Seven Seas
Cruises, with air travel, transfers and
unlimited excursions all covered by
your upfront fare, as well as gratuities,
an open bar, wi-fi and 24-hour room
service.
Yes, the cruises are pricey,
but you also get free laundry, so at least
you can go home with clean clothes.
When it comes to river travel, several
lines offer all-inclusive luxury but
possibly the best is Uniworld, which
sails in Europe, Egypt, southeast Asia,
South America and India.
It includes all
flights and transfers – international and
domestic – along with gratuities, wi-fi
and all drinks. You also get curated
excursions, fitness classes and nice
little extras such as free bicycle hire.
Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas is great for families. Credit: Royal Caribbean
Best for families
Cruises make excellent family holidays
and they’re great for multi-generational
breaks too –if you pick the right line and ship.
The bigger the ship the more there
is to do for all ages, so you may find
children’s aqua parks as well as adult
slides, for instance, or there could be
mini-golf, sports courts and a range of
children’s clubs for two to 17-year-olds,
run by trained staff.
These are usually
free for all passengers but the big
benefit of going all-inclusive is not
having to pay gratuities for the whole
family – children included.
One of the best family-fun cruise lines
is Royal Caribbean, with free activities
including climbing walls, FlowRider
surf pools, laser tag, ice skating and
more.
Guests can create their own
all-inclusive deal by adding flights,
transfers and drinks packages – with
unlimited soft drinks for children –
when they book.
Princess Cruises also offers children’s
clubs, mini-golf and sports courts.
Its
Princess Plus option adds free drinks,
gratuities and wi-fi for every guest, so
children can use their own electronic
devices, while Princess Premier gives
free wi-fi for up to four devices per guest,
as well as a range of other benefits
including two speciality dinners.
Norwegian Cruise Line is equally
family-friendly, with masses of onboard
activities – even go-kart racing and
ziplines on newer ships – and its Free
At Sea and Free At Sea Plus deals are
similar to those offered by Princess.
River cruise lines generally welcome
families but few have children’s
facilities. One exception is A-Rosa,
which provides kids’ clubs and
entertainment programmes for children
aged four to 15 on special family cruises.
Seabourn cruises: great for foodies. Credit: Seabourn
Best for foodies
Cruise lines pride themselves on their
cuisine, with speciality restaurant
menus often devised by Michelin-
starred chefs.
Their signature dishes
are sometimes served in the main
dining rooms too – but if you’re on an
all-inclusive ship, or you’ve upgraded
to an all-inclusive package, you can be
certain that you’ll be enjoying food of
the highest quality.
Seabourn offers complimentary
dining at all its restaurants, as well as
including drinks, gratuities, onboard
activities and some excursions with
certain packages.
The Grill, on all
Seabourn ships, has a menu devised by triple Michelin-starred Thomas
Keller, and this too is complimentary – but it’s so highly regarded that only
one reservation is permitted per voyage.
Michelin-starred chef Cornelius
Gallagher is vice president of food
and beverage operations for Celebrity
Cruises, where an upgrade to all-inclusive covers your tips, drinks and
wi-fi.
You can also add a speciality
dining package so celebratory meals
are pre-paid at cheaper rates.
Oceania Cruises proudly offers ‘the finest cuisine at sea’, and all its restaurants are complimentary,
including the acclaimed Asian eaterie
Red Ginger.
Its latest ship, Vista, will
set sail in May with new restaurants
Ember – for American classics – and
health-focused Aquamar Kitchen.
SeaDream Yacht Club is another
high-end all-inclusive option, taking just
112 guests on each of its two small ships.
Those fortunate few can look forward to
exceptional service, with an open bar
serving Champagne, and complimentary
beach barbecues on Caribbean cruises.
Make sure to pack comfortable clothes for activities like walking tours at your stops. Credit: Uniworld
Best for culture vultures
Some people cruise to see wildlife, some
to experience spectacular countryside.
But almost all are interested in the
culture of the countries they visit – so
art galleries, museums, mosques and
cathedrals
are always high on the to-do list.
There’s a lot to be said for simply
walking into town with a tourist map
and finding places that interest you,
but often it’s more time-efficient and
rewarding to join a ship’s excursion.
With an official trip, there’s no
queuing for tickets, no getting lost and no need to worry about missing the sail away (if a ship’s excursion is late,
the captain will wait).
But convenience
comes at a price, so if your cruise
includes complimentary guided
excursions, you’re quids in. Seabourn,
Saga, Oceania Cruises, Emerald Yacht
Cruises, Viking and Silversea all offer
these, along with additional paid-for
trips for maximum choice.
Many river lines offer daily guided
walking tours, with some – such as
Riviera – really pushing the boat out
with included coach travel and tickets
to see attractions.
On Riviera’s all-inclusive Rhone
cruises, for example, the daily tours
include tickets to the Popes’ Palace in
Avignon, a coach tour of the Ardèche
Gorges and a visit to the famous Roman
Pont du Gard bridge and museum. You
could organise all that for yourself but it would be costly, take a lot of research,
and you’d still have to worry about
getting back to the ship in time.
Get your moneys worth with Marella Cruises. Credit: Marella
Best for value
You could say that all cruises are
great value because they include
accommodation, food, and travel from
one exciting destination to another.
Going all-inclusive improves the deal
even more, but real value for money
depends on knowing exactly what you
want from a cruise, and then finding
the line that best provides it.
For example, if old-school luxury with
a touch of glamour is your ideal,
consider Azamara. If you’re looking for
a friendly British holiday vibe, try
Marella – and if you prefer to stay
closer to land, then perhaps TUI River
Cruises is for you.
Boutique line Azamara includes
gratuities and drinks on all cruises,
with packages available for its speciality
restaurants. Some itineraries include
flights and transfers, while AzAmazing
Evenings – often private cultural tours
– are offered to all guests.
Marella is a popular provider of
all-inclusive packages for the British
market, with no gratuities to pay and
complimentary non-premium drinks in
its bars and restaurants.
Most fares also
include flights – a big bonus on Marella
Discovery’s US itineraries, starting this
year. And Marella’s parent company,
TUI, includes flights, transfers, tips and
drinks with meals on its three adults-
only European river ships.
Finally, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is
offering free door-to-door transfers or an
all-inclusive drinks package on selected
cruises this year.
‘Freedom Fare’ offers
apply to voyages of 16 days or fewer,
between 6 September and 31 October,
and include departures from Liverpool,
Rosyth, Dover and Southampton
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Source: Worldofcruising.co.uk