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Financial Planning for RCI Cruise


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I'm taking a 9 day cruise on December, going solo on Navigator. I was doing some financial planning and came up with the following expenses:

 

Cruise booking $1,386

Insurance $ 179

Refresh Drk Pkg $ 191

Grats $ 225

Airfare $ 253

Precruise Hotel $ 205

Kennel $ 143

Park n Fly $ 120

Excursions $ 200

Precruise Dinner $ 100

 

In addition, I'll have a minimal bar bill/corkage fee as I'm bringing two bottles of wine onboard. I guess I was struck by the $1,619 in additional expense to the cruise booking cost.

 

Anyone have any comments/advice on how to lower the expenses....

 

Lots of places you can save here you just have made choices that make the cost higher. You could make cuts to everything but the cruise fare, airfare, if you really wanted to. I know the first thing I would do is the DSC on principles alone.

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Dump the refresh package. Almost $200 for soda and juice? Come on. You’ll get way more bang for buck applying that to excursions. $200 for excursions basically is bus trips to shopping areas so ditch soda and up excursion budget.

 

Grats at 14.5 per day x 9 will be less than you quoted check your math.

 

Also park and fly coupons online for about $9 per day search around

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When you take a cruise, there are certain items to pay for. Cruise, air, parking, are examples of cost. These can vary from trip to trip. We watch our daily expenses at home so we can splurge on our cruises. This will give us a few $$$ extra to spend on our trip.

 

We book our excursions on our own. We don't get a drink package, unless it's included in the cruise fare. We drink the freebies, flavored water, lemonade, during the day. We are Diamond +, so we take advantage of our status and have our pre dinner drinks in the diamond lounge.

 

There are lots if ways to spend $$$ on a cruise, or save $$$ on a cruise. Hope this helps you some.

 

Sent from my XT1565 using Forums mobile app

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When you take a cruise, there are certain items to pay for. Cruise, air, parking, are examples of cost. These can vary from trip to trip. We watch our daily expenses at home so we can splurge on our cruises. This will give us a few $$$ extra to spend on our trip.

 

We book our excursions on our own. We don't get a drink package, unless it's included in the cruise fare. We drink the freebies, flavored water, lemonade, during the day. We are Diamond +, so we take advantage of our status and have our pre dinner drinks in the diamond lounge.

 

There are lots if ways to spend $$$ on a cruise, or save $$$ on a cruise. Hope this helps you some.

 

Sent from my XT1565 using Forums mobile app

 

 

 

Get a Sam's Club credit card. 3% back on travel, dining and gas. No annual fee.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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I'm taking a 9 day cruise on December, going solo on Navigator. I was doing some financial planning and came up with the following expenses:

 

Cruise booking $1,386

Insurance $ 179

Refresh Drk Pkg $ 191

Grats $ 225

Airfare $ 253

Precruise Hotel $ 205

Kennel $ 143

Park n Fly $ 120

Excursions $ 200

Precruise Dinner $ 100

 

In addition, I'll have a minimal bar bill/corkage fee as I'm bringing two bottles of wine onboard. I guess I was struck by the $1,619 in additional expense to the cruise booking cost.

 

Anyone have any comments/advice on how to lower the expenses....

 

Don't feel bad. On the upcoming TA on Jewel I paid about $1800 for the two of us in a balcony cabin and another $1300 on the beverage package. Now add in excursions, travel, hotel, etc. Its a vacation. Do what makes you happy and make adjustments where you can.

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Luckily she not a certified therapy pet. Plus I don't want to be the subject of another CC thread on this subject!!

 

See guys? It's working! ;)

 

Were I in your shoes I'd also plan for at least $500 in incidental expenses. I wouldn't feel obligated to use it, but that'll let you get a drink by the pool without getting upset that you're adding extra to the vacation cost. Anything left over at the end of the vacation goes into a next-cruise account.

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Cruise booking $1,386

Insurance $ 179

Refresh Drk Pkg $ 191

Grats $ 225

Airfare $ 253

Precruise Hotel $ 205

Kennel $ 143

Park n Fly $ 120

Excursions $ 200

Precruise Dinner $ 100

 

Ditch refreshment package. Juice is available at breakfast, and the ship water is fine.

We've also got 4 island stops so not sure how much soda/water you'll be drinking on board?

Have you thought about staying in Ft Lauderdale and taking one of the $13 pp transport options? Along with a decent, lesser expensive precruise dinner?

In any case, see you onboard!

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Insurance might be cheaper if you check insuremytrip.com.

 

I am happy with drinks included in the cruise fare - no need for refreshment package. If you must have soda just get the soda package.

 

Pre cruise hotel and dinner seem high.

 

Wish I could kennel my dog for your price! Used to paying $30-35 per night!

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On our recent cruise on Anthem, husband got the refreshment package. I got a water package and ordered sodas for the minibar, which could be taken anywhere in ship.

 

For 12 day cruise I ordered 24 sodas for minibar for $47.20 including gratuities. At 2 cans per day, cost less than $4/day. You could order 6 or 12 cans but the cost per can was a bit more. Soda package was a little over $10 per day including gratuities so the cans made more sense for me.

 

I got 12 pack of water for total of $46 but they had 6 packs as well. The ship's water was also fine, can fill up your own water bottle, just have to fill a glass and fill your bottle from that, for sanitary reasons.

 

I had tea, ice tea, juices and flavored waters from the fountains. Don't drink coffee.

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