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| Fans explore Key West , Florida with Richard Hatch from Battlestar Galactica on one of my earlier cruises. |
This kind of cruise is much less risky for the fan who wants to cruise with the stars. Typically you may have three or more guests on this kind of cruise so if someone drops out, the cruise still goes on. (The best operators will try to find a replacement if a featured guest drops out.)
Unfortunately, guest cancellations happen more often than you might think. One recent Star Trek themed cruise did not get many fans to attend their pricy shindig, so several of their top stars cancelled, or were cancelled. Fans were not happy with that! On the 2008 Galacticruise, some major guests couldn't attend because of professional opportunities, but the promoters kept the fans happy by adding a couple more guests at almost the last minute.
The one difficulty in running this kind of cruise is that bringing guests on the ship can get very expensive. Just a cabin and airfare can cost around $2000 or more per guest! That does not include any appearance fee the guests charge, which can run into several thousands of dollars for popular TV stars.
So, generally speaking the more guests, and the more popular the guests, the higher the price the fans have to pay. Is it worth it? Does it have to be so expensive, or can you save thousands by shopping around?
For some of the cruises the fans happily pay $500, $700 or even $1,000 premium per person above the actual cruise price. Some cruises basically double the price of just the cruise alone. Personally, I think that is too much to charge. Even if I were sailing with William Shatner or Tom Cruise, I'd never pay twice as much as I should for a seven day cruise. I don't think you should either!
Fortunately, paying a high price tag does not always have to the case. For some actors, it's not all about the money. Some guests on the 2008 Galacticruise waived an appearance fee. Some actors just want to experience a cruise and enjoy the attention from their fans and like giving back to the fans who helped make them a success. These are the kind of guests I seek out for cruises, those who truly appreciate and enjoy their fans and cruises. They cost you less too, and make the event not only a better experience, but more affordable too.
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| Richard Hatch signs autographs at a party on the cruise. |
Not the actors who are in it just to make a buck, appear on stage and sign autographs for an hour then become unavailable for the remainder of your cruise.
It's not that the guests shouldn't make a buck. Actors have to pay bills too, just like you and me. It's just that I don't think they or the promoters should "gouge" the fans or pick their pockets out of greed or just to feed a massive ego. You shouldn't stand for it either, and you can choose not to.
That's why I keep my cruises at a reasonable price. Yes, there are expenses to pay, and I do want to give our guests a fair payment too, so there is a modest event ticket price above the cost of the cabin. Still, even with the event fee added, Galacticruise is around half the price of many of the other cruises out there.
Which cruise is right for you? Check them all out. Then come back to us. Even though Galacticruise costs less, you'll still meet great guests and have a fun experience you'll remember the rest of your life.
The money you save is money you can spend on shore excursions, duty free shopping, spa treatments or even your air fare. Or you can just save it to pay next month's bills!
So make your next fan cruise Galacticruise. Or you can book another cruise at twice the price. Either way, you'll have fun and join a small and elite group of fans savvy enough to vacation with Hollywood TV stars.
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