Sergeant Major

My Travel Planner called PCL today, they said the 2022 World Cruise Itinerary & open booking will begin in about 2 to 3 weeks. The 2021 WC was opened for booking a bit earlier on March 27, 2019. Of course this is only an estimate as of yesterday.

5 hours ago, shamrockace said:

We are looking at the 2022 Princess World Cruise and are hoping for similar Early Booking.  Plus, Hubby will get military credit.  Sgt, Major, can you advise what type of a room you book?  We've always done an inside room for financial reasons as well as the only thing we do in a room (well, almost 😉 ) is sleep and change.  But this will be a lot longer than our normal trip.  We travel light as we are used to traveling double on a motorcycle.  Thanks in advance.

We booked a balcony for this one. It is our first world cruise, and with it being 4 months long, we wanted to make sure we wouldn't have any regrets. The price difference was fairly reasonable. Perhaps on a future world cruise, we might opt for an oceanview cabin to save a bit more, but then again, we might keep going for the balcony rooms; time will tell. The private balcony for morning coffee, an occasional meal, sun bathing (during certain times of the day), book reading, and/or a quick shot of fresh sea air sounds good for a long trip like this. I am sure we would be happy with just about any room that isn't located below a night club or the pool deck. We look forward to meeting the both of you!

On 12/1/2019 at 2:41 PM, aungrl said:

Where in Southern Illinois?  I grew up in Carmi....not that usual to run into someone else from the area!

I grew up in the countryside near several small towns: Greenville, Pocahontas, Sorento, and Woburn. These towns are located in Bond County, IL which is about 47 miles east of the Mississippi River. Carmi, IL is 86 miles (straight line distance) southeast of Greenville, IL.

Just now, jertom said:

Thanks for the explanation. $585 a year is a good deal. I assume that is a membership that allows camping at multiple campgrounds all around the country ?

Jertom,

Yes, the 108 campgrounds, included in our membership, are all owned by the same corporation, and are spread around the USA. The more we use the system, the lower our overall, nightly camping cost, since the yearly maintenance fee is the only cost going forward.

On 11/1/2019 at 5:49 AM, jertom said:

 

Wow, just the 150 timeshares boggles my mind ! It seems like a lot of yearly fees to pay. Not to mention whatever fees the 108  campground memberships require.

jertom,

The campground membership has cost us around $20K with all previous upgrades & 9 years of past annual maintenance fees, but now the only cost going forward is the $585.00 per year annual maintenance fee for up to 365 days of pre-paid camping. The campgrounds include everything prepaid (water, electric, sewer, trash, property taxes, maintenance, lawn care, etc. as well as all amenities such as pool, Jacuzzi, gym, other rec facilities, lodges, day rooms, restrooms, etc.), so that is how we save enough money to also do cruises. Got to pay to play, but campground membership(s) can be a big money saver in the long run.

3 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

Unlikely we would be in CA before Jan 17th, as our Grandson's birthday is the 15th. Normally depart a day or 2 after that. In Indio, we stay at Indian Waters RV Park, but have also stayed in both W'Marks.

OK, a meet-up will happen sooner or later, we frequent too many of the same hang-outs.

Just now, Heidi13 said:

Planning for a couple of months in Indio, CA in Jan 21, then in the Spring 21 a couple of months at the W'Mark Kihei.

The 2021 World Cruise leaves on Jan. 17th, but we could grab a timeshare in Indio/Palm Springs during the first week of that month. Thanks for the heads up, when the time comes, I will make the reservation(s) and then get back in contact with you guys. Enjoy your two upcoming WCs, and your trip to Hawaii. Nice!

On 7/8/2019 at 11:25 AM, Heidi13 said:

Prior to our first WC (May 2015 with Princess, R/T Sydney) I created an Excel spreadsheet to develop an estimate of our total costs. How much you spend on the entire cruise is entirely personal, but in our opinion, if we are spending over $60K on a cruise we will wait until we have sufficient money to afford the on-board spend & tours.

 

Comparing our 2020 Viking Cruise (119 nights) $59,700 with the 2020 Princess R/T Sydney (106 nights) S35,900. Both balcony cabins on lower decks close to m'ships. Viking cabin about 50% bigger. Note - all pricing in CAD$. Additional costs:

 

- On-Board Credit  None (Princess)          $8,000.00 (Viking - available for shops, spa services and optional tours)

- Gratuities              Included                       Included

- Taxes/fees           $2,335.50                     Included

- Flight(business)  $8,000.00                     Included

- Visas                     $1,000.00                     Included      (based on Viking's cost to provide our Visas)

- Bar bill                   $3,000.00                    Included       (used a fairly low number for a 15-week cruise - $100pp/week)

- Tours                     $8,200.00                     Included      (estimated at $100 pp/port, which is again fairly low)

- Internet                 $1,600.00                     Included      (based on 20 mins/day at Princess prices)

- Specialty Dine           750.00                     Included       (based on once per week)

- Laundry                      200.00                     Included       (based on $12/wk + soap, etc, which are all included on Viking)

- Transfers                   160.00                      Included       (based on $40pp at both ends of cruise) 

- Spa/Sauna                    ??                           Included      (sauna/ice room/heated beds/therapy pool all included on Viking)

 

On Princess & other mainstream lines you will also have possible spending on Photogs, Casino, Art Auctions & the plethora of additional selling that arrives in the post-box daily. None of these exist on Viking.

 

Notes - You can certainly reduce the flights by going economy, but for us no way we are spending 15 + hrs shoe horned into the back of the plane. Visas can also be done cheaper by visiting the embassy/consulate for every Visa you require, but unless you live in a major city with consulates you may require a Visa service provider. If you must travel to cities with Consulates, that is an additional cost.

 

The other on-board spends, I believe are minimal and are lower than our spend on the 2015 WC. I have provided comparisons to Viking, but note that Oceania would provide a similar result. Hopefully Go-Bucks can provide a perspective on Oceania. 

 

Hope this helps to qualify the real costs of World Cruises on Premium & mainstream lines.

This is enlightening to see these side-by-side 2020 Viking & Princess World Cruise comparisons. Since my wife & I have some different spending habits, and with the 2021 Princess World Cruise Early Booking Benefits being much better in 2021 than it is for 2020, the Viking cruise would still be nearly double the price for us. Thanks for sharing this info, it actually makes me feel better about my upcoming 2021 Princess WC now, but I will also be keeping a closer eye on price comparisons for future WCs. I see you also have an RV & timeshares, so perhaps we will see each other sometime in the future. We are enjoying your blog too. Keep enjoying life to the fullest, and Safe Travels!

42 minutes ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

We took advantage of the real estate crash in the States to buy our little condo in Florida--at the time you couldn't hardly buy a garage for that in Toronto. We spent 8 great winters there so far.

Good for you on getting the condo during the real estate crash, and saving the most money possible. We got our RV & added greatly to our timeshares during that crash, and got some great deals. We couldn't sell our real estate at that time, so we did a Lease Option and got rid of our CA real later on while we were already traveling full-time. We took one step back and two steps forward, and kept our Eyes on the Prize.

"Be Fearful When Others Are Greedy and Greedy When Others Are Fearful." -- Warren Buffett

On 6/7/2018 at 9:38 AM, Heidi13 said:

The base fares on World Cruises vary significantly and the primary reason is what is included. With the main stream cruise lines the base fare generally gets you onboard with basic meals, unless you have loyalty benefits. With Viking and Oceania, their World Cruises are fully inclusive. There are others, but these are the 2 we researched in detail.

 

Our 2015 WC with Princess, the base fare was a little more than 1/2 the base fare of our upcoming 2020 Viking WC. Once I consider all costs, I project the daily cost of the Viking Cruise will be identical to slightly less than the 2015 cruise. Only difference is we pay everything up front.

 

Yes, you can do it cheaper, but isn't a WC a once in a lifetime holiday. Will you be happy saying you have been round the world, or do you actually want to see some of the world.

 

If you go mainstream mega ship, some costs to consider:

- laundry: ship service costs a fortune and the self-service machines aren't cheap. On Viking the self-service machines are free.

- Wi-fi: in addition to being slow, it is very expensive. Can you survive without internet for 4 months. In port you can follow the crew to free internet providers, but that reduces time for exploring. Viking provides free, unlimited internet access.

- Gratuities: budget on $2.5K to $3.5K. On Viking tips are included

- Drinks: most mainline ships provide tap water, tea/coffee/juice in buffet. Specialty teas, coffee, bottled water and all bar drinks cost extra. Bar prices are not cheap. Our Viking cruise is virtually all-inclusive, with ultra-premium spirits probably the only extra. They provide free bottled water for going ashore.

- Excursions: with up to 50 ports of call, figure on many thousands of dollars, regardless of whether you use ships tours or private tours. With our Viking cruise we have a free tour in every port and almost $9K OBC for additional tours

- Visas: number of Visas vary by itinerary, as some WC's require many Visa's. Getting some Visas can be expensive, especially if you have to use a Visa procurement company. For our next WC, Viking is paying for all Visas, all we require is sufficient passport photos and post them with our passports to Viking's Visa procurement company.

- Airfares: these obviously vary significantly. In 2015, we required RT Vancouver to Sydney. In 2020 we require flight to LA and back from London. Long haul, we choose not to fly cattle class. With Viking, free business flights are included.

 

 

This is a brief summary of some of the major additional costs on a mega ship mainstream line, but also suggest you consider they are expert at removing pax from their money. Hopefully this will give you a few items to research when selecting a World Cruise.

Wow, this post has really given me so much insight to ponder. In the future, I will be looking at Viking World Cruises with a new set of eyes now. Thanks Heidi13.

Jan. 2020 is coming up quickly. Congratulations, looks like a trip of a lifetime. Enjoy!

1 hour ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

Meanwhile, we will scrimp and save to have that incredible luxury to sail in 2021 for four months on a wonderful ship, albeit the smallest cabin on that ship!

 

And yes, it would be great to meet someday.  Where do you hang out in your RV when you're not travelling?

We are like you, we scrimp & save, and live within our means while enjoying life. I am the Frugal One, so my wife has to work on me to get me to free up some extra money so we can also splurge now & then. We sold our CA home at a loss to be able to get on the road traveling while we still are young enough to have quality of life. We have lived without any kind of medical insurance coverage for 9 years now & will not have any until Aug. 2020 (not by choice), we got slammed in 08/09 when the stock market crashed (nothing ventured, nothing gained), we bought our RV when 5 years used (let someone else suffer the 80% depreciation), and we just replaced the engine & transmission in our 2004 Ford Explorer because it was cheaper than buying something else new or used (love living debt free), and so on.  We never try "Keeping Up With The Joneses."

We see the value, economy, and many other advantages of seeing the world by use of World Cruises. Also, I never get jealous of others, but rather I am truly happy for them. I am envious for your travel accomplishments, and I hope to follow in your footsteps to see the world. I may never do a high-end cruise, but that is just me & my extreme frugality. I will do both quality & quantity to enjoy life as much as possible. I may someday cruise on a high-end cruise ship, but when I do I will have likely grabbed a last minute cancellation on an all cash deal. That is the way my brain works. 🙂

Since our RV is our primary residence & timeshares are our secondary residence, we are always on the move. We slow travel most of the time throughout the USA, Canada & Mexico staying 2 to 4 weeks at each campground or timeshare and then move again. It allows us to thoroughly explore the surrounding areas by SUV while conserving on fuel costs with the RV. We have 108 membership campgrounds were we can camp for free; so even if we stay at each one of them for one month each, it takes 9 years just to visit them all one time. We also have 100s of discounted campgrounds. As far as timeshares go, we have about 150 of them we can now live in with just the yearly maintenance fee costs, as well as 100s of discounted timeshares. We could live 12 months per year in campgrounds, timeshares, or cruise ships, but choose to do varying amounts of time in each. My linked website shows our past, present, & future travel plans under the TRAVEL LOG section. We are currently in the PNW while doing some cruises out of Seattle & Vancouver. We will be down in Southern California by Thanksgiving & Christmas of 2020, and then off on our 2021 World Cruise out of LA in January. Home is where we sleep each night! Thanks again for sharing all of your knowledge. I would love to meet you someday! I am still in search of the BEST TRAVEL AGENT, and I bet you know their name. 🙂

Looks like this post has been quiet since Oct. 2018, so let me revive it. I retired as an Army Sergeant Major/E9 in 2007 after 4 years active duty US Marines, 2 years California Army National Guard, and 22 years US Army Reserves for a total time in service of 28 years. Only one more year remaining of gray area retirement benefits, and then the full retirement benefits kick-in such as a lifetime pension and medical/dental coverage.

I currently live in an RV full-time as well as timeshares & cruises. I take advantage of military RV campgrounds and get to see all the bases I never got to visit while still serving. I always take advantage of the Commissary & PX/BX when on any military bases. The United Service Organizations (USO) is available to retirees on a Space Available basis, and that is just about all the time. The USOs make great resources when traveling (including cruising), and can be found on many bases, large airports, and downtown areas in larger cities. I also love it when cruise lines give discounts to veterans, and I "Especially Love" the Princess Military Cruise Benefit Program.

If you ever want to take the attention away from the Ship's Captain, simply wear your Dress Blues or Mess Dress Uniform to the formal dinners. I did this on a 15 day cruise to Hawaii with 2 or 3 formal nights, and will not do so again. You will become the center of attention, like it or not. 🙂

I want to say hello to all veterans & their families, and say Thank You For Your Service. May you have safe travels, a long & healthy life, and get to enjoy as many cruises as you possibly can!

5 hours ago, Aquadesiac said:

Love your website and blog, Don. I blog about our travels too, but my small musings aren't as comprehensive as yours. Is there a way to subscribe so I'll be notified by email when you have a new post?

 

Looking forward to meeting you and Debbie on the Island Princess

Thanks Aquadesiac. Our retirement website is more for travel planning for me rather than blogging. It also allows our family & friends to keep up with our travels, so they know where we are & what we are doing. Most of our relatives think we live a crazy, gypsy type of lifestyle and they tell us they need a normal sticks & bricks home with roots planted in one place. To each his own & variety is the spice of life. We both worked hard, it is now time to see the world & enjoy the fruits of our labor, because life is so short & a long life is never promised.

I don't have any kind of newsletter, most simply drop in now & then when we are on their minds. We do book a lot of timeshares, and always welcome family & friends to come stay with us whenever they can. We often book two bedroom suites, but even the one-bedroom units often have a spare sofa sleeper or Murphy bed for guests. I also see you are from Missouri, and I was born & raised in Southern Illinois. Some of my favorite parts of Missouri are the Mississippi River Valley, Branson, Lake of the Ozarks, and of course the Ozark mountains. We look forward to meeting up on the cruise. We feel like we are going to make lots of new friends.

3 hours ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

 

Wow, living the life, aren't you?

Wendy, funny you should say that, we have thought the same of your many cruises. We love the fact you travel on many high-end cruises; you are an inspiration. We hope to also meet you in person some day too. One thing age has taught me is to learn from others experiences, and you are a wealth of information on cruising.

My goal is to live a champagne lifestyle on a beer budget. Now that the budget is going to start getting better with me turning 59 1/2 in six months, and then my wife doing the same in 4 1/2 years, the purse strings are going to free up and allow world cruises to become a reality too. Thanks again.

1 hour ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

Wow, that's ambitious!  And I presume you like Princess?

Since we live full-time in our RV & timeshares, we look at cruises as our retirement vacations. So far PCL and HAL are our favs, but we actually haven't taken a bad cruise on any cruise line so far. (knock on wood). I appreciate all the help I have gotten from your many posts, thanks Wendy.

Great info about westbound vs. eastbound cruises, and travel agents that are allowed to book earlier than the official "cruise line" release dates.

Good information to know here about prescriptions going out longer than 90 days. Thanks.

We are booked on the 2021 Princess World Cruise - Roundtrip Los Angeles. We are also looking at possibly booking a world cruise for every other year, with a some type of Grand Adventure or back-to-back Seasonal Cruises on the odd years. We love cruising, and now have the time to do much more of it.