This page explains some of the costs and fees that you are required to pay when you book one of our cruises.

The Cruise cost:

This is the cost of your cabin on the cruise ship. Prices change all the time – the cruise lines put on sales and various discounts, your cabin location and type also play a role. We sometimes are able to benefit from group pricing which reduces prices below advertised cruise line prices. We always provide the best price we can attain – Tara is very good at doing this.

Port Fees: These are above the cost of the cruise but included in your quote from Tara. These are fees that the ship is charged for using the various ports around the world and is passed on to the cruise passengers.

Taxes: There are few things in life as certain as taxes… there are taxes and you’ll have to pay them too.

Group Benefits:
Your cruise charge will include a $50 – $75 component for being part of the group and benefiting from the group inclusions. This covers the costs related to creating a group experience that is above and beyond what you would get as an individual passenger. This includes:

  • Group-organized shore excursions that introduce you to the destination. We’ll allow some time to explore on your own also, and there will be some group geocaching options. Please note – this does not apply to all port stops and will vary from cruise to cruise.
  • Custom pre-built Pocket Queries, largely based on favourite points, ready for the cruise and our private excursions/tours.
  • Group dining so that you can share your adventures with other geocachers in a relaxed meal setting.
  • A private group meet-and-greet on day-one so that everyone gets to know each other and touch-base on some logistics related to the adventure.
  • Group ship-board activities on at least one sea-day, for example mini-golf or a scavenger hunt with prizes.
  • Optional evening meet and greets to connect about the day and arrange evening social time.
  • Custom coin and tag, lanyard and geo-luggage tags.
  • Option to pre-order group T-shirt.
  • Photography Seminar by Chris Edley to help you get the best out of your travel photos.
  • Private group wrap-up on the last day to discuss logistics of departure, go over any EarthCaches or Virtuals that might have answers sent by one team for the group, and any last minute discussion points.

Other costs you should allow for:

Pre and post-cruise travel and accommodations Obviously, you will need to get to the start point for the cruise and get home again. We recommend allowing for a few days to recover from jet lag so that you can fully enjoy the cruise ship and destinations. This means there could be a few days of accommodations also. Tara can help with all of the pre-cruise bookings for you including transfers as necessary. In some cases we will be organizing optional pre-cruise tours and activities. In most cases cruise ships return to their terminal port in the morning so you can catch afternoon flights home, if you’re not staying for further adventures. Ship to airport transfers can be arranged by Tara.

Gratuities: Gratuities on the ship may be pre-paid or they will be added to your on-board bill. You will also have the ability to add extra tips for exceptional service – the cruise line will give you lots of opportunities to add extra tips – this is optional. During shore tours, tips for tour guides are appreciated if you feel they have helped you enjoy the tour experience. Our tour costs do not include tips, so feel free to hand the guide a cash tip at the end of the tour if you enjoyed your time with them.