I’ve been fortunate to take several cruises over the past decade, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed each experience. The overall value is great, and I believe a cruise provides a wonderful introduction to a region, allowing one to get a general overview of several ports. With some you may decide, “Been there, done that, don’t need to return,” while others will have you choosing to add them to your list of places to return to so as to completely explore them.

If you’re not careful, though, onboard charges can quickly add up, and that final bill may be a bit of a shock. Depending on the cruise line and itinerary, you may pay for pop, alcoholic beverages and specialty coffee drinks; Internet access; laundry and dry cleaning; and shore excursions. If you choose to indulge in spa treatments, gaming in the casino, or classes or time with a trainer in the fitness center, include that in the final sum — plus tips or “hotel service fees” for the staff.

Know what your cruise fare includes, what the additional charges may be and plan your travel budget accordingly. Holland America Line, the company I’ve experienced, offers a host of packages which bundle several items together (like a spa or gaming package) for an overall reduced price. Once on board, I’ve learned that one can also take advantage of special packages offered on a day-to-day basis.

On our last cruise, we discovered the Cellarmaster’s Package, which offered items we would have purchased anyway combined into an attractively priced set. It included two dinners for two at the ship’s Pinnacle Grill, a specialty restaurant serving Sterling Silver beef and premium seafood in indulgent proportions and an elegant atmosphere; three wine tastings (for two); five bottles of wine (our choice from a select list) available in our room or at dinner; and a house bottle of wine and corkscrew.

We enjoyed the wine tastings, led by Ingo, the ship’s German cellarmaster, a thoroughly amusing host who took the time to get to know his guests and shared a few extra, special bottles with us. The Pinnacle Grill dinners were decadently wonderful, including the most enormous Porterhouse steak I’ve ever seen, a rich lobster mac ‘n’ cheese dish and a flamboyantly presented Baked Alaska.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor