$25 deposit is no more - how to save up for deposit?!

[germanbini]

I really liked the Carnival feature of the $25 deposit for group cruises... it made it so much easier to pay by the month.

 

How do you save money for the deposit? Have you ever only booked one or two people and then added others to your cabin later as you got the money? Any hints or tips?

 

We want to go on another soon - last one was a few years ago now!

[JanineM]

Check out Dave Ramsey's website for help with your financial planning. He gives solid, common sense advice.

 

But what he would probably suggest is things like:

- no more Starbucks

- sell the car that has a payment and buy a beater

- don't eat out

- cut back on all non-necessary shopping (i.e., clothes, movies, video games)

- buy generic food at the grocery store

- take some clothes you don't want to a consignment store

- sell stuff on eBay

- have a garage sale

- sell your old textbooks online

- cut back on your cable tv services (like HBO)

- give each other "cruise savings" instead of holiday & birthday presents

- go to the library instead of buying books

- throw all of your spare change into a big jar.

 

Just save for the deposit the same way you would save for the fare, your flight, your spending money, Christmas, mortgage, etc., etc. :)

[dulcimergirl]

I understand totally its the huge deposits that used to stop me from booking also.

I solved that problem by purchasing a Next Cruise certificate when onboard. Only 100 per person and you can hold it quite a while.

I enjoy cruising and have no problem paying every payday for the cruise, the whooping big deposit was such a pain. Now the 200 per cabin deposit works for any cruise I find. I just put my 200 deposit on my Oasis cruise for 2012. I pay on it every payday, and will have both the tickets paid off and several hundreds on my onboard account by cruise time. Plus the 100 OBC for the Next Cruise purchase. As long as you book far enough out, there should not be a problem.

 

Yes, my rent, insurance, car, food, savings, etc come first. It doesn't take much to pay off a cruise in over 600 days..lol I also opted for my first balcony!

This pertains to RCCL, don't know how other lines handle it.

[paul929207]

Princess has a similar program where you put down $100 per person and that covers the deposit and gives an on board credit of $25 to $250 depending on the length of the cruise and whether you have an inside or outside cabin

[sail7seas]

HAL also has the low deposit and OBC if you book a future cruise while aboard or buy a Future Cruise Deposit you can use up within 4 years for whatever cruise you choose to book (with a few exceptions).

[germanbini]

I have been on plenty of cruises and paid towards it monthly. On the longest cruise we went on (it was like a 13 or 14 day cruise), my husband had just become unemployed a month or so before that, and yet we went and had a great time anyway! We had paid for it a little at a time, like layaway, and it was already paid for so we made the best of it.

 

He's since passed away, I've moved to the country and have had to downsize quite a bit. Of course the current economy affects everyone, but some more than others. Some of us may not be as well-off as some other people here, but still want to enjoy a vacation. A vacation is also an investment, you know. I'd rather have a memory than a piece of paper saying I own stock in some investment of uncertain future.

 

I bet I have more farm animals than most of you here, too. My boyfriend and I both have part time jobs, but plenty of food and what we need. I may not be rich but I try to enjoy my life.

 

I didn't come here for judgement but for advice. Didn't you guys ever hear the saying, if you can't say something nice...

 

:: sigh ::

 

I will just find another way to pay for it a little at a time; maybe I'll just make a savings account specifically for cruises, and then take the deposit out of it when I see a good deal.

 

PS thank you to Sail7Seas, Waterbaby, and dulcimergirl (and Paul on the 2nd post) for the friendly helpful advice. :)

[lady_cruiser]

To the OP: Forget some of these answers. Not all of us have instant access to money to pay for a cruise right off the top. The majority of us has to save for it and we are constantly looking for new ways to save money.

 

I think that you are wise to want to find ways to save money first to pay for your deposit without having to rely on credit cards to pay for everything that I consider unnecessary.

 

If you go to work and eat out try brown bagging it instead. Do you like to get a Mocha or other specialty coffee. STOP IT! Bring coffee from home and then add a tsp. of the International Flavors to your coffee to add flavor to it.

 

Do you and your family go to McDonalds or other fast food restaurants to save time? Stop that to! Fix family meals at home instead. If you work all work, cook on weekends and freeze to eat later. Make meals that are inexpensive but goes a long way. Spaghetti & meatballs, meat loaf, roast beef and vegetables, etc. All these dishes can be used as meals more than once. And the family time you have eating together can be used to get together to plan your vacation plans.

 

As far as paying for the cruise once you deposit is down. Pay for it as you go. That way if you have any price drops between your initial booking and your final payment due date you can take advantage of that to.

 

Good luck !

[manmtnmike]

I have been on plenty of cruises and paid towards it monthly. On the longest cruise we went on (it was like a 13 or 14 day cruise), my husband had just become unemployed a month or so before that, and yet we went and had a great time anyway! We had paid for it a little at a time, like layaway, and it was already paid for so we made the best of it.

 

He's since passed away, I've moved to the country and have had to downsize quite a bit. Of course the current economy affects everyone, but some more than others. Some of us may not be as well-off as some other people here, but still want to enjoy a vacation. A vacation is also an investment, you know. I'd rather have a memory than a piece of paper saying I own stock in some investment of uncertain future.

 

I bet I have more farm animals than most of you here, too. My boyfriend and I both have part time jobs, but plenty of food and what we need. I may not be rich but I try to enjoy my life.

 

I didn't come here for judgement but for advice. Didn't you guys ever hear the saying, if you can't say something nice...

 

:: sigh ::

 

I will just find another way to pay for it a little at a time; maybe I'll just make a savings account specifically for cruises, and then take the deposit out of it when I see a good deal.

 

PS thank you to Sail7Seas, Waterbaby, and dulcimergirl (and Paul on the 2nd post) for the friendly helpful advice. :)

 

Sorry for the others...

What we did when we began cruising...was to imitate the "Lay away" plan, put aside the amount of $$ you'll need as soon as you step off your last cruise.

It really is similar to the Monthly payments except you're saving to achieve the $$.

Good luck!!

 

Mike

[MCC retired]

OP wants to go on another cruise soon ?

Wants to save up for the deposit ?:eek:

I don't believe that this is a serious posting.:confused:

But if it is , sorry, but your cruise won't be too soon .

Still, start saving for it now.:)

[firefly333]

I didn't come here for judgement but for advice. Didn't you guys ever hear the saying, if you can't say something nice...

 

:: sigh ::

 

I will just find another way to pay for it a little at a time; maybe I'll just make a savings account specifically for cruises, and then take the deposit out of it when I see a good deal.

 

PS thank you to Sail7Seas, Waterbaby, and dulcimergirl (and Paul on the 2nd post) for the friendly helpful advice. :)

 

So praising the replies you LIKED is judgemental .. dont judge least you be judged.

 

People are posting their opinions. There are no right or wrong answers to opinion threads.

 

I happen to agree, that I would wait until I had the deposit saved up before I booked. Find a cookie jar and throw in your change until you have the deposit saved up. I cut corners on grocery shopping, dont eat out a lot, and save all my extra money for cruising.

 

I cruise multiple times a year, so just having a lower deposit wouldnt help me much if I couldnt put down all the deposit, I would be hurting by the time those final payments started rolling around.

[AWCHIEF]

OP: I do feel for you, but no sympathy. As a solo cruiser I have always had to pay the full deposit. It is just another example of discrimination against those of us that choose to cruise alone. I put X amount aside each pay day to pay for my vacations. Out of site and out of mind in a seperate saving account. It adds up pretty fast. I have been doing it that way for many years and I don't really miss the money.

[polySeraph]

How do you save money for the deposit? Have you ever only booked one or two people and then added others to your cabin later as you got the money? Any hints or tips?

 

Hi OP, You are smart to be saving for your future expenditures.

 

My daughter (in graduate school) and her musician husband get by on incredibly little income but they have achieved some remarkable financial goals. They do this by always planning one step ahead. They've paid off ALL their student loans and car loans and have saved up an emergency fund. They pay the balances every month on their credit cards so they don't have to pay any interest. (My daughter calls paying interest "spending money to buy air.")

 

She and her husband want to go on a cruise when she finishes graduate school (in 2012) so they have set up a special cruise savings fund. Any birthday or Christmas money goes into the fund. So does their tax return and anytime her husband gets a check from an unexpected gig, that goes in there as well. She's also doing research on cruising so that when she's ready to "pull the trigger" she'll know what she wants and what she's getting for her money.

 

Wrt the deposits, I've only cruised NCL so I can't help you with Carnival. I know that NCL sometimes has promotions where they offer 50% off the usual deposit. Usually it's pretty easy to add additional people to the room. (Sometimes if the ship fills up, they won't let you add that 3rd or 4th person even if it's a 4-person room. Something to do with max occupancy, I think.) If the price drops before final payment, NCL will usually pass the reduction along to you if you call and ask.

 

Best wishes for a great cruise!

[silverado44]

We don't have to save for the deposit. DW and I put $1k in the travel account each month and pay off the cruise in full when we book.

[spookwife]

how large are these deposits that you cannot afford to put that much down?

 

I always book with the minimum deposit and then pay a little each month despite actually HAVING a seperate cash reserve account that was set up exactly for vacations. my CR fund is earning interest and I can still pay on the cruise without sacrificing much.

 

my deposits have never been more than $250/pp. if you do not have $500 saved up then how can you expect to pay off the rest of it, even booking as far out as possible and paying a little each month until final payment is due?

[Morgsmom]

 

Wrt the deposits, I've only cruised NCL so I can't help you with Carnival. I know that NCL sometimes has promotions where they offer 50% off the usual deposit. Usually it's pretty easy to add additional people to the room. (Sometimes if the ship fills up, they won't let you add that 3rd or 4th person even if it's a 4-person room. Something to do with max occupancy, I think.) If the price drops before final payment, NCL will usually pass the reduction along to you if you call and ask.

 

Best wishes for a great cruise!

 

Actually, it is sometimes (oftentimes?) problematic to add people to cabins later. First, they won't let you book a cabin for 4 (usually) with only 2 people in it. Second, you might see some great rate but those are double occupancy rates; the minute you put in 3 or 4 in any internet search engine the 'base fare' changes for 1 & 2 because there are only so many cabins that will accomodate more than 2 guests. Lastly, depending on the cruise line, you might pay the prevailing fare to add the 3rd or 4th not the fare as it was when you originally booked.

I would NOT plan on adding guests later.

 

Obviously there are as many financial situations represented on this board as there are cruising styles. Some scrape up change for year to grab a $299 pp 7 night inside cabin in hurricane season; some (like PP) have the means to deposit $1,000 a month into travel savings and might live the 'suite life.' In either case we all share a LOVE (shall I say mini-obsession) with cruising, so let's respect what it takes to get our behinds on the ship because once we are onboard we are all equal. :o

[geoherb]

We generally book our cruises either close to or after the final payment date. I tried to time the charge to my credit card for our upcoming cruise so that it would not hit my September statement but my October one instead. It did not work. But fortunately I had enough saved up to cover it all, just had to move some money around.

 

We have several different bank accounts. I use one for non-mandatory items and try to put at least $100 a month in it. When it comes time to pay off a cruise, the money is there. Between final payment date and the actual cruise is time enough to save more to pay off all the incidental expenses--tips, drinks, shore excursions, etc.

[RoofingPrincess]

Set up a special savings account for vacations. Do what you can to save money and put that money in the vacation account. That way you'll have money to pay your deposit and then, later, the rest of your cruise payment and money for onboard expenses.

I got a money market account with Capital One Bank, and the only thing I use it for is when I travel. Since my travels have started taking me out of the country, getting foreign currency became a concern. The best exchange rates are at ATMs, but some US banks charge a foreign transaction fee. CapOne does not, which is why I set the account up with them. It's also a safety measure for me; if something happens while I'm traveling and this account is compromised, it's NOT the account (or even the same bank) with my direct deposit paycheck and my direct bill-pays attached to it, so it wouldn't be as big of a hassle.

I do, however, get hit with ATM usage charges when I use the card at ATMs here in the US... the ones levied by the banks owning the machines.

[silverado44]

People, Shut up. Not everyone can afford all things. OP stills wants to go on vacation and hooray for them. This sort of thing is the very thing that erks me. So you have money, big deal. More aside and let us Po folks have a shot. You might find we are just like you except more fun to be around. Give it a a rest.

 

 

Doubt it.

[Trevoli]

Like RoofingPrincess, I set up a seperate savings account at my bank several years ago, specifically for travel. Automatic deposits are made every pay period into the account, and honestly, you won't miss it after a while. A couple times a year, I increase the amount by $25. It's such a small amount that I don't miss it from my paycheck, but, over many months, it adds up.

 

When the time comes to take any kind of vacation, the money is there, not only for the deposit and final payment, but spending $$ as well.

 

It's way better than charging everything, and then taking forever to pay it off, which is what I did when I first started cruises many years ago.

[aohkay]

Doubt it.

 

:D :D :D :D Love your answer!

[firefly333]

Doubt it.

 

thank you. I was tempted to answer the "shut up" comment but couldnt think of something nice to say.

 

People should be allowed to respond how they want, not just how other people want them to post.

 

If I had so much trouble coming up with a deposit, I know myself, Id wait. I also read the thread about some lady who had a medical issue and no credit and some church finally got her home .. because she had no extra money to tap into. I also cruised with the Crazies and one guy I was with had heart issues and Carnival almost insisted he be taken off the ship, again in Cozumel. They reluctantly let him stay on the ship if his wife wheeled him around in a wheelchair which she did.

 

I would never cruise if I didnt have enough credit to not only pay off the cruise but to cover emergencies. I myself have paid out hundreds when the unexpected hit. (Ike hit Galveston where I was parked)

[germanbini]

We don't have to save for the deposit. DW and I put $1k in the travel account each month and pay off the cruise in full when we book.

I love this one... between he and I we don't make $1K per month put together, but more power to you! :)

 

Thanks guys, I feel better. We do save our change in a jar and cash it in at the end of the year; sometimes we are in the hundreds of dollars! We hardly ever go out to dinner, but the less the more money for the cruise fund now. If I could just get him to stop smoking, we'd probably have the money real quick! ;)

 

BTW we are a lot of fun to be around. :D

 

PS I like the idea of the savings account - but my work doesn't offer direct deposit - it was so much easier saving when it was "out of sight, out of mind" as you said. And as far as emergencies, I always get the travel insurance from TravelGuard, just in case!

[Cuizer2]

I really liked the Carnival feature of the $25 deposit for group cruises... it made it so much easier to pay by the month.

 

How do you save money for the deposit? Have you ever only booked one or two people and then added others to your cabin later as you got the money? Any hints or tips?

 

We want to go on another soon - last one was a few years ago now!

 

Then you should have started saving a few year ago, if that is how you do it. Personally I put money away every month into an account that I use for vacations. I don't wait until I want to go to start saving for the trip.

[spookwife]

We don't have to save for the deposit. DW and I put $1k in the travel account each month and pay off the cruise in full when we book.

 

Someday..

 

currently I am paying off my Student loans so that Thousand is spoken for.,. but they will be paid off 8 years early. Unfortunately, as soon as that is taken care of we have to buy a car when DH returns from his stint overseas.

 

if I play my budget cards right, maybe in 2 years we can start our Cruise fund...In the meantime, I dream oif the time when he can actually plan leave far enough out and NOT have to worry about having it canceled at the last minute

[sjcruiser]

I know people who use Ramsey's type of techniques to pay for any type of vacation, not only a cruise. I think you just have to make up your mind as far as finances what's a priority.