How do you cruise so often?

[msstarr22]

:( For the life of me I cannot figure out how everyone here can cruise so much? I am an average person from Ohio. Not rich by any means but we have money for a trip or two. I see some taking 5 or more cruises a year. I just don't get it.

[hubofhockey]

:( For the life of me I cannot figure out how everyone here can cruise so much? I am an average person from Ohio. Not rich by any means but we have money for a trip or two. I see some taking 5 or more cruises a year. I just don't get it.

 

Most people who do this are either retired or live in Florida or both. ;)

[bdstrom]

I wonder the same!

 

My guess is they live in Florida or somewhere near the port so they don't have to pay for airfare.

 

Other guess is they are travel agents, my travel agents usually get free or deep discounted cruise.

[Jimmy Geegitz]

We got hooked and try to do 1 a year but we skipped a year this year.

[SkyMaster]

We did 6, seven day cruises last year. It's far easier for us because we live within easy driving distance of 5 cruise posts, so don't have to pay for air travel, or motels before and after our cruise. We do, however have to pay for parking, which can get a little bit expensive, but nothing like your travel costs to, and from the port. We also book inside cabins, almost exclusively, and for the last few years, we've done Carnival almost exclusively, which in my opinion, offers the most cruise for the money. We've been to almost all the Caribbean ports many, many times, so rarely leave the ship, so don't pay for tours, and excursions. We drink a bit, but nowhere near as much as most people on a cruise, so we don't have that extra added cost. All in all, we cruise, we enjoy the ship, and the entertainment, and we relax while aboard. To me, it's a win-win situation!

 

"SKY"

[spideyfam]

My job offers OT for working Sunday. I work every Sunday throughout the year (except the three weeks I have off for vacations). It allows me to cruise 3 times a year including airfare. It sucks working 6 1/2 days a week but I would not be able to cruise as often as I do. I don't want to be 65 years old and say I wish I had traveled more. I can rest when I retire.

[beeg]

I think that it's the little choices that you make.

Last weekend we went to a movie in the theater, we usually don't but I couldn't wait for hangover2. We were a party of four. Four tix= $48.00, four popcorns/drink= $52.00.

$100.00 total,right? If we did this every weekend that's $5,200./year. That's some serious DOD money!

[LHP]

The past 4 years, we averaged 7 cruises a year.

 

How? Number one we are very BLESSED.

Secondly, we are responsible with those blessings. We don't have any debt.

Thirdly, hubby has been with the same company for 30+ years, so he has 7 weeks of vacation a year.

 

We rarely book balconies (usually an OV).

We don't spend a lot of money on gambling, spa etc.

We don't cruise during high season (when school is out).

We try to keep it to $100 per person per day for the 3 of us.

 

We also hit Nascar races and do some land trips...but mainly cruises are our vacation of choice.

 

Fourthly (if that is a word)....our oldest son got a full 4 year academic free ride...so we are spending his college fund on cruising (since he didn't need it)...lol

 

But we started out just like everyone else doing one or two a year....when we retire (in 4 years)...then we are going to go on the longer cruises like 20+ days.

[LitchfieldParkCruisers]

If you can avoid airfare, cruising is relatively inexpensive when it comes to vacations..you can blow a lot of extra money in the casino, on alcohol, shopping or excursions, but you could actually just pay the price of the cruise and not really pay much more. Another thing we like is you can book your cruise long before it's time to sail..then pay towards it till it's paid off...then you can keep paying a little bit each month till you cruise and build up a little stash against your sail and sign account...before you know it..it's time to cruise, it's all paid for, and you have the extra money you need for incidentals. It's so much easier to pay a little bit a month on your vacation rather than saving up for months and paying all at once.

Just our opinion..

 

LPC

[shwabob]

I'm somewhat lucky and get semi-annual bonuses twice a year that tend to help a lot. But usually I just set aside a chunk of my checks every week into savings and let it build up over the year.

 

Living in FL means not having to fly (the exception being our last cruise out of San Juan) and cruises are a great value. We just booked our November cruise because it was such a good deal even compared with just going to Orlando, Daytona, or Miami for a weekend it was cheaper.

[Nezmo]

If you book 1As and don't spend a lot onboard I can see it easily.

 

And yes, living on top of a port must help.

 

I don't cruise for cruising sake. I'm not one of those with the mantra "as long as I'm on a ship I'm happy." Rather, I like to be comfortable and get the best I can go for so I go all out and am happy with one trip or less a year. I would not be happy with five cruises a year if I had to stay in a tiny room.

[golfadj]

It is all about choices.

 

When we were younger we saved our money so when we got older would have more.

 

Also on many of our cruises we do inside or OV's. Also watch our expenses on cruises.

 

As a result we can do 2-3 per year.

[klmorg]

If you book 1As and don't spend a lot onboard I can see it easily.

 

And yes, living on top of a port must help.

 

I don't cruise for cruising sake. I'm not one of those with the mantra "as long as I'm on a ship I'm happy." Rather, I like to be comfortable and get the best I can go for so I go all out and am happy with one trip or less a year. I would not be happy with five cruises a year if I had to stay in a tiny room.

 

Exactly what I was thinking... (and a nice balcony room is a MUST for us, along with plenty of spending moola)

[ChefSusan]

I work from home and my husband's job gives him incredible flexibility. That plus living in Florida makes it very easy to drive to a port and get away!

[tiggerman101]

Duel Income No Kids

No Debt

Live in Major city and can get good air to a lot of places

Get a lot of time off work

I pay for the trips, my partner pays for retirement investments

Utilize air miles for big trips (our two Europe cruises this year)

 

We don't really drink or gamble and our Sail and Sign bill is usually minimal. We do tend to splurge on cabins though. It is all about choices. We live very meager when we are not travelling.

[Essiesmom]

I'm retired, I saved very aggressively my last working years, so I am comfortable. I look for bargains. When I cruise, I am paying for two...either single suppl. or for my sister to go with me. I book insides unless there is a real steal on another class cabin. EM

[MSRussell]

I cruise because my husband died a couple years ago, and that is the only pleasure I look forward to.

At 62, life is too short, and I am going to live the remaining life like i want to.

Melanie

[Tapi]

I work for the airlines, so that means:

 

- Interline cruise discounts

- Free flights to the port of embarkation

- 15-17 days off every month

- Flexibility to travel last minute

:D

[KenMo]

I work for the airlines, so that means:

 

- Interline cruise discounts

- Free flights to the port of embarkation

- 15-17 days off every month

- Flexibility to travel last minute

:D

 

 

We can fly non-rev as well, but don't do it for cruises. I'm afraid of missing the ship.

 

Have you ever missed the ship flying non-rev?

[Calico Jack Sparrow]

Sometimes, when I see people's signatures with the lists of past cruises it makes me scratch my head in wonderment.

 

Even when the DW was getting 5 weeks off a year we never vacationed that often, Opting to keep most our time off close to home to save money for the other trips. Now that we've discovered cruising DW only gets 2 weeks off. We're lucky, and happy to be cruising at all this year.

 

However, we are going to plan another cruise for next year and I'm being creative to pay for it. Found some products I could sell on eBay and I'm using my profits to pay for our cruises. For us it's tougher then some of these other posters, because we are going to gamble. Not to mention at least a few DODs; a massage; couple of photos; souveniers and other bargains purchased in port; excursions. Yeah, we're gonna run up a tab.:D

[firefly333]

Iv paying airfare to 4 out of 5 of my next booked cruises... dont like it, because it means I cruise a little less often to make up the cost.

 

I only wish I did live in Florida. I used to live there but worked, and now Im not working, helping out my parents, and live in north TX .. go figure... but Im one who has been cruising a lot.

[HappyHappy1]

My GF and our children live below our means, having a small home without having to buy all of the latest and greatest electronics. We do not go out to eat regularly...only on special occasions. GF works a second part time job. We save every penny we can to vacation. Quite often...the airfare is more than the cost of the cruise.

 

This year we are doing a 12 day land vacation and two cruises, one of which is a girls cruise with our friends. No kids. We are planning a Christmas Cruise this year as a gift to the kids, which is pretty expensive (almost 3 times the cost of the week before Christmas), but its when the boys (teenagers) are out of school. In order to do the Christmas Cruise, we are saving now...booking early saver and will be staying in inside rooms, maybe a oceanview. It was financially easier when the kids were younger and we all shared a room, then we could book a balcony. Having to book two rooms means downgrading our room choice...which is fine with me. I love building the memories with my family and wouldn't trade them for anything!

[reno3]

The airfare is a killer :(

DH said if I wanted to cruise again next year I had to find a port that we could drive to....Pride in April 2012 :D

Also if you notice in some of the signatures that list all their cruises, some are 2 night and 3 night, off season. I even saw a 1 night.

We still have to cruise during school vacation week :(

[marshhawk]

DH and I both work, in fact I have a full time job (in the arts, so you know I don't make much) then I took on a part time job(not hourly, we get paid 20 bucks per gig) but I am hooked on cruising!

One a year is fine with me(wish I made more, please support the arts LOL). We don't go out to eat as much, we take our lunch to work, our other vacations are spent floating in a kiddie pool in the back yard.

Yes we have a mortgage, and credit card bills, and all the normal monthly bills, but everyone needs a vacation, and when I priced Disney for 4 days with the less expensive hotels it was 1600 for the two of us, but I can cruise with Carnival, see the real world not the Disney world and be fed for less than 1000 for the two of us for 7 nights, I'm choosing Carnival.

We also do not book the balconies anymore, porthole cabins are the same size if not two square feet smaller than a balcony room, and we don't spend our time in the cabin anyway except to change and sleep. So we went cheap and we cruise once a year. If it meant selling stuff to do it, then I didn't need the stuff to begin with, so I sell jewelry I make too. Gotta cruise!:D

[genegri]

DH and I are fortunate enough that budget is not a major concern.

 

Being young and active, we are not very picky about cabins. Balconies and suites are nice, but OVs are good enough.

 

We have residencies in NYC and Miami, which gives us access to many departure ports.

 

We don't drink and we don't gamble. Our on board expenses are very low. But excursions are important to us so we rack up the bills with those. :D

 

Our biggest limitation is vacation time. We only have enough days off to have one land vacation in summer and one holiday cruise in winter. Beyond that, only short trips and 3 night 4 night cruises over long weekends.

 

 

 

I work for the airlines, so that means:

 

- Interline cruise discounts

- Free flights to the port of embarkation

- 15-17 days off every month

- Flexibility to travel last minute

:D

 

Sugar! Life is so unfair!! :p