Bermuda With the Kids or Mediterranean Without Them?

[Bound4Bermuda]

Next month we're taking the whole family on a 5-night RCI cruise to Bermuda. Well, last night I got a Cruise Critic "spam email" about an NCL 12-night Mediterranean cruise that included airfare and hotel for two nights in Barcelona for $1600pp--that would cost the same for hubby and I to go that the family cruise to Bermuda is costing ($3,000)! :eek: And I thought it was cheap for Bermuda! Wow! That Mediterranean deal can't be missed...except that I will miss it. :( (I don't have all the details--deleted the spam email it since I wasn't planning on booking two cruises, but maybe some of you received it, too.) I joked to hubby that we should do that instead--especially since one of the ports is Athens, my "bucket list" destination. ;) Now, I wouldn't actually ditch my kids last minute to make the switch. But I also can't justify to hubby that we should book THAT one, too--especially since he'll be losing his job soon. I also promised him no more "big vacations" for a long time after this one (since he's a big long-term planner with savings). My husband went alone on a cruise of Italy several years ago that cost him $6,000, which is why I didn't even THINK to look into European/Mediterranean cruises for us--who knew you could feasibly go for a QUARTER of that price?!?

 

I'm feeling a little bummed that I'm letting that opportunity slip by, so let me live vicariously through you! Tell me your Mediterranean cruise tales! Did you go with or without the kids? How much did it cost you? Was it "worth it," i.e., did you feel like you got to see enough of each city/country?

[epixx]

We have sailed 3 Mediterranean cruises with 2 kids, who were 11 and 7 the first time we went and 15 and 11 on the most recent trip. We always share an inside quad cabin during peak Europe season (August). We have never spent more than $7800 for the 4 of us, including cruise fare, taxes, and airfare. When the kids were younger, we had to limit our expectations for how much we could see in a day, but now the only limitations are the parents! Yes; it was definitely worth the money, but I, personally, would not go without the kids because I wouldn't enjoy it nearly as much. Have a great family vacation to Bermuda.

[notentirelynormal]

This should help you feel better about not going - the extra expenses for the Med can be BIG. Even if you took ship excursions rather then private, they are expensive and you wouldn't see as much. Doing it on your own could be done of course but you would still rack up some good expenses unless you really watched your dollars/euros. If DH is losing his income soon, I'd rather have a great time with the kids then without them. Personally, I love cruising with my family and still try to do that even though they are grown with kids of their own. I'm trying to figure out how to afford to take them all to Europe - but its the extras that would kill me, like the air fare and hotel for a few nights.

[crusinmama06]

but its the extras that would kill me, like the air fare and hotel for a few nights.

 

Yeah but the OP says the $1,600pp includes airfare and hotel. Maybe we should start packing? I've always wanted to go too! :D:D:D

 

Bound4Bermuda -- to answer your original question. Have you run the prices yourself. See what each individual portion of the trip cost at its cheapest? Maybe its not too far off that you can do it again, someday when your husband's job market has stabilized.

 

I just did a quick look and there are Costa Med cruises leaving for $499 for 11 days and a Royal Caribbean (Vision of the Seas Med), 9 nights for the same. So before you think that this is a once in a lifetime deal and you throw the kids overboard (so to speak ;)) -- know that the spam email did its job. It got you thinking that a Med cruise is within your reach.

 

Add about $800 (or more) for your flights.

 

My point is, every year at this time, the deals start coming out of the wood work for the Med.

 

So if not this year, then maybe when things have calmed?

[Bound4Bermuda]

This should help you feel better about not going - the extra expenses for the Med can be BIG. Even if you took ship excursions rather then private, they are expensive and you wouldn't see as much. Doing it on your own could be done of course but you would still rack up some good expenses unless you really watched your dollars/euros. If DH is losing his income soon, I'd rather have a great time with the kids then without them. Personally, I love cruising with my family and still try to do that even though they are grown with kids of their own. I'm trying to figure out how to afford to take them all to Europe - but its the extras that would kill me, like the air fare and hotel for a few nights.

 

That's a very good point. I'm sure by the time you add on all the excursions--and then double it for US$ to Euro conversion--you probably double the cost of the trip! Well, as was mentioned, now that I see that it's a lot cheaper than I thought it as (especially if you book during sales), it's definitely something to keep in mind for the future. I'm sure this is something we will do someday. Maybe not for a long time, but someday for sure! ;)

[chipmaster]

:eek: What did I miss? Unless you got huge savings or your are totally confident that your hubby has such valuable skills that he will get a new job of equal pay, or that his loss of income really doesn't effect anything how do you even think about a vacation that will cost easily several thousand/person or more.

 

European has many hidden costs! Airfare, cruise, tips, misc stuff on ship ( wine, photos, souveniors, speciality resturants ), hotesl ( you do plan to come in a day early ), Tours ( easily 100-300person/port ).

 

 

Maybe its me, but if you do have $ for one last "big" vacation before serious tightening I'd alway think of doing it with the kids versus just "me".

 

Good luck!

 

 

.. But I also can't justify to hubby that we should book THAT one, too--especially since he'll be losing his job soon. I also promised him no more "big vacations" for a long time after this one (since he's a big long-term planner with savings).?

[Bound4Bermuda]

No. We're not doing both cruises. Sticking with the family one to Bermuda. As I said in my initial post, just wanted to live vicariously through those of you who have taken a Mediterranean cruise. :p But, yes, we can afford to take the one we already have booked. Technically we COULD afford both since we have several hundred thousand in savings and our house is paid off and we have no debt, etc., but we're pretty thrifty and hardly ever take trips, etc., which is why we do have so much in savings--my husband never lets us spend it! ;) (Boy, I think I'm coming off as a bit entitled or something. I'm really not. I do like that we're good at saving money. I'd just LOOOOOVE to take a Mediterranean cruise someday and hope I can talk my hubby into it in the future! :D)

 

:eek: What did I miss? Unless you got huge savings or your are totally confident that your hubby has such valuable skills that he will get a new job of equal pay, or that his loss of income really doesn't effect anything how do you even think about a vacation that will cost easily several thousand/person or more.

 

European has many hidden costs! Airfare, cruise, tips, misc stuff on ship ( wine, photos, souveniors, speciality resturants ), hotesl ( you do plan to come in a day early ), Tours ( easily 100-300person/port ).

 

 

Maybe its me, but if you do have $ for one last "big" vacation before serious tightening I'd alway think of doing it with the kids versus just "me".

 

Good luck!

[Onessa]

. . . , so let me live vicariously through you! Tell me your Mediterranean cruise tales! Did you go with or without the kids? How much did it cost you? Was it "worth it," i.e., did you feel like you got to see enough of each city/country?

 

We've cruised the Med four times and did land trips in Europe many times as well -- with our kid (DD now 15YO) with us each time (at least each time since she was born!)

 

We travel spring (late April, May) or fall (mainly November). Last three US Thanksgivings we have been in the Med (in HI the year before!). Cruises and airfare are really very reasonable during the "off season". Europe can be a great family vacation. We minimize our excursion costs by using public transportation. Some pre-research, a little shoe leather and a couple of Euros can get you on most urban trains (into or around Rome, Barcelona, Athens, etc.).

[graceinmelbourne]

We just got back from a Mediterranean cruise on RCL Brilliance of the Seas with our two kids ages 13 and 10. We had a really wonderful time and I would highly recommend it. As it was September there were only 30 kids on board and most of them were fellow Australians as it was school vacation time here. The kids loved the ship and loved the ports and they got to see some amazing places and sights. Europe is expensive though and if you did ships tours in each port it would add up. We did our own thing in each port except for Rome where we did a private tour. Maybe something to think about for the future.