My first cruise
Oosterdam Cruise Review to Alaska - Inside Passage
Contributor Level:
Deck Hand
Cruises: 1 cruise (first)
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 53
Review summary
I was stunned to see a bill at the door last day of almost $1500 for all the assorted charges - they charged about $15 a day per person for the room to be cleaned... in the Crows Nest coffee, tea, etc, was not free as it was around the ship... felt nickeled and dimed all throughout. I could have taken my daughter to Europe for what this entire cruise cost us.Embarkation
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Service and Staff
very friendly staff
Ship Quality
people cleaning it all the time.
Cabin / Stateroom
tight quarters, but clean
Ship tip
Bring a deck of cards to help pass the time of seeing all that water for hours and hours
Thumbs up
0
Ports of call
Could not find a place for lunch - just shops trying to get you to come in and spend money
Lots of shops and places to spend your money I took one look at it and went back to the ship.
we got there so late in the evening and only had maybe 3 hours - did not leave the ship - the bus to get into town was $18-20 each way - I was in a party of 4 we all agreed that there would be nothing open of interest for the roughly $200 expense just to get to town. Stayed on board. We were looking forward to seeing the gardens and tea rooms but none were open at 6:30 pm.
Disembarkation
3 Comments
CruzeFan 5 years ago
Not sure if this was your first cruise or not, but the charges you mentioned are common and additional on almost all cruise lines and is listed in the information when you book the cruise. The daily service charge is for cleaning the room, food service and behind the scenes workers who prepare the food, wash the linens etc. The additional charges for beverages and specialty foods and other items (Other than what is provided free in the dining rooms) is also common across all mainstream cruise lines. The websites and information on board provides information on what is and is not included in the base cruise fare. It is always good to read the details and fine print so you are not surprised by getting a bill. The general rule should be that if someone asks for your room card when you order food or a drink and asks you to sign something, then there is a charge. There are cruise lines that offer an all-inclusive experience where you were not charged additional fees, however the base cruise fare will be 2 to 5 times what Holland America charges.