Student travel involving Greek cruise extensions offer educational benefits but raise concerns over steep costs and alcohol consumption. A Mediterranean student tour marketed under $3000 can rapidly escalate to $3800, and that's not including spending money. Teenage drinking aboard cruises increases anxiety for parents enrolling teens on Aegean cruises. Student tour companies frequently fail to publish full costs and leave the alcohol issue up to group leaders.
Tour Extension Costs for Mediterranean Cruises
Cruise extension costs vary, from $470 (2009 prices) for a 3-day option to $600 for 4 days. Companies like EF Tours, NETC, and Explorica still manage to keep the total tour cost (10-12 days) under $3,000, depending upon departure gate, but this does not reflect true costs after adding tips, drink cards, and the costs of optional island excursions.
Louis Cruise Line is typical of operators satisfying the student cruise market. Tips are mandatory and must be paid at departure. The average tip, calculated on a daily basis, runs as high as 20 Euro per day or $82 for a 3-day cruise. Cruise lines also sell drink cards. A flat fee of 23 Euro ($31) purchases a soft drink card good for the duration of the cruise while a fee of 35 Euro ($47) allows the holder to order unlimited alcohol covering most beers, some mixed drinks, and steep discounts on cocktails. The drinking age throughout most of Greece is 15. American students have no legal limitations buying the cards and consuming as much alcohol as they desire.
Costs of Optional Island Excursions While on a Greek Mediterranean Cruise
There are two stops each day at ports of call like Mykonos, Patmos, Kusadasi, and Santorini. Although all passengers may debark and explore on their own, cruise lines offer excursions that cost from 55 Euro to 75 Euro ($102). The excursion at Kusadasi in Turkey, for example, takes the passenger to the House of Mary and the ruins of Ephesus at an average cost of 70 Euro ($94) for the 6.5 hour tour. Similarly, the Knossos excursion in Crete costs 60 Euro ($75) per person and includes a brief walk through of the ruins of King Minos' palace as well as free time in downtown Heraklion. Participating in all of the excursions can cost as much as $600, a significant increase in the overall price of the tour.
In some locations, sites are accessible without paying excursion costs. On Patmos, it is possible to travel to the Monastery of St. John by bus for $10 on a self-guided tour versus the $65.00 cost of a cruise sponsored guided tour. To minimize costs, travelers can prioritize those excursions that are only available through the cruise such as Ephesus.
Teenage Drinking Aboard Cruise Ships in Greece
The ability to purchase unlimited alcohol while on board may pose the greatest concern when enrolling students on a cruise. The absence of a drinking age and proper controls makes such cruises highly popular with students, but creates a significant supervision problem. Tour operators publish no guidelines on this and subordinate the issue to group leaders, usually teachers.There are no laws restricting student drinking. This is a factor that must be considered when enrolling a student on a cruise extension.
All passports are collected before departure and held for the duration of the cruise. This results in the inability to check student ages even if a drinking age policy was followed. Passports are returned only after all outstanding fees have been paid at debarkation.
Benefits Versus Costs of Cruise Extensions on Student Summer Trips to Greece
While the educational value of an Aegean cruise extension is clearly evident, additional costs should be considered when deciding to enroll. Although tips are mandatory, the service aboard cruise ships is superb and every meal is included. This includes a buffet catering to American student tastes as well as a formal dining room featuring free-style seating. Parents, teachers, and students should carefully weigh the benefits as well as the negatives when considering a cruise extension. The cost effectiveness of a cruise should be balanced by the overall educational value.
Students enrolling on cruise extensions should be prepared to pay up to $750 beyond the actual extension cost if they plan to participate in all offered excursions, pay the tips, and buy a drink card. Parents should be aware that unlimited alcohol consumption is often part of the cruise experience.
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