How do you cruise so often?

[D-Roc]

Maybe I just have too much education .. but since you have no way to measure the savings or incomes of people who cruise a lot or people who claim to cruise a lot .. by definition whatever you believe about us, .. its a assumption.

 

...but of course I have a lot of mathmetical (<spelling error) background and statistics .. so I know what is known and what is assumed .. assumed means what you believe that cannot be proven. Look up the definition of assumption. People on here do get upset because I can be too literal.. but I know words, even if I cant spell them. .. ok, Im done. can lead a mule to water, but cant make him drink or learn what words mean.

 

 

I am happy for you.

 

I still see and know the truth.

[firefly333]

Not assumptions at all.

 

In order to be a fact, not a assumption, you would have to have access to a statically large enough sample of cruisers .. only cruisers who cruise a lot, and then have their financial picture.

 

The fact that people not in the sample, are in debt, has no bearing on the sample group of cruisers who cruise often.. (you bring up that other people are in debt as if this means the group who cruises often also has to be the same as the general public).

 

unless you can quote such a study .. then what you say is a assumption. this is how mathmetics works.

 

Example of a assumption .. Im assuming you really know what a assumption means, and just playing us. It could further be you love starting arguments, which you see online a lot.

[MissDiva1]

Not necessarily. We purchase Fun Ship Dollars from Bon Voyage pre cruise to have applied to our account before we sail. A little bit here, a little bit there. Then we aren't completely shocked at the end. If you develop a budget-whatever it may be, and stick with it, there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to walk on board and have everything taken care of other than gratuties for your excursions or room service.

 

I believe he meant that when your s&s is charged to your credit card that you don't actually pay for it until you receive your bill. Doesn't mean you don't have the funds to pay it, you just wait until the bill arrives. Some choose to give their money to Carnival to save...others choose to put our money in the bank and pay the bill when it arrives. Paid off and with accumilated points to go towards our next cruise. There is no reason you shouldn't be able to save and pay when your bill arrives either...

[D-Roc]

In order to be a fact, not a assumption, you would have to have access to a statically large enough sample of cruisers .. only cruisers who cruise a lot, and then have their financial picture.

 

The fact that people not in the sample, are in debt, has no bearing on the sample group of cruisers who cruise often.. (you bring up that other people are in debt as if this means the group who cruises often also has to be the same as the general public).

 

unless you can quote such a study .. then what you say is a assumption. this is how mathmetics works.

 

Example of a assumption .. Im assuming you really know what a assumption means, and just playing us. It could further be you love starting arguments, which you see online a lot.

 

 

 

Thanks professor, but I do not need a study to see how people are racking up the debt to pay for their lifestyle.

 

Besides, as a person who is so highly edumatcated (done that way on purpose) you should know how studies can be be manipulated to support any theory/hypothesis.

[molole]

I don't think a cruise is very expensive. A short cruise with Carnival often run less than $1000 for two, especially if you go off season. That is really not that much. I bet very few Americans are in a position not being able to afford the cruise itself.

 

It's the airfare, excursions and on board spending that add up. But you can use miles for airfare. And excursions and on board bills and entirely optional and controllable.

 

I am not surprised at all many can afford 7 to 10 cruises a year. In fact I would imagine frequent cruisers are some of the least likely to be in debt.

[steveNcindy]

Anyone notice they are offering meatloaf in the MDR now:confused:

[ilovetexas]

I don't think a cruise is very expensive. A short cruise with Carnival often run less than $1000 for two, especially if you go off season. That is really not that much. I bet very few Americans are in a position not being able to afford the cruise itself.

 

It's the airfare, excursions and on board spending that add up. But you can use miles for airfare. And excursions and on board bills and entirely optional and controllable.

 

I am not surprised at all many can afford 7 to 10 cruises a year. In fact I would imagine frequent cruisers are some of the least likely to be in debt.

 

Agreed, I find it the least expensive way for my family to travel. I realize that some people think that a balcony or suite is necessary, but I just don't care about them that much. I just got off Legend and had an extended balcony. I was RARELY on it.

 

We order liquor from Carnival and bring our mixers with us (they make weak, expensive drinks). Pics are purchased depending on my mood and how they turn out. I prefer to book shore excursions independently. The list goes on and on with ways I save money on a cruise. I am not cheap and don't keep myself from doing anything I want to do, I just don't spend extra money on things I don't care about.

 

And, like I said in a previous post, just feeding my teenage boys costs a fortune on a land vacation. :D

 

For those of you who don't think your S&S can be "paid" in advance, of course it can. Set aside cash for whatever shore excursions you plan on booking and your gratuities. Then budget your "extras" and have cash for those, too. When you get on board, go to the guest services desk and hand them the cash. See? None of it will end up on your credit card.

[dotheyes]

For those of you who don't think your S&S can be "paid" in advance, of course it can. Set aside cash for whatever shore excursions you plan on booking and your gratuities. Then budget your "extras" and have cash for those, too. When you get on board, go to the guest services desk and hand them the cash. See? None of it will end up on your credit card.

 

But if u do this u don't get the reward points frpm your cr card

[Carlyzmom]

The reason I don't cruise 2 or 3 times a year isn't because of money. I just can't talk my husband into it!! He likes it, but not too often. Boo! :confused:

[MissDiva1]

But if u do this u don't get the reward points frpm your cr card

 

Absolutely! I got another $400 obc for my next cruise using my card....

[mrmrs2]

Getting out of debt can be very, very difficult. I think that the cruises makes the venture out of getting out of debt easier for us.:p:p

[spyder209]

I charge everything on my credit card and pay the balance off in full at the end of the month. I then get cash back bonus. I also book my vacations through the credit card which will usually get me from 10 percent to 15 percent cash back bonus. I then take the cashback bonus and double it by using if for a giftcard for Carnival, RCCL, Travelocity (wherever I booked the vacation with). That way I don't have finance charges and the bonus helps me pay the vacation off before final payment is due.

[elcuchio24]

Not sure why everyone takes things so personal. I’m sure if you took a poll of a random ship you’d find: some people pay off everything before they go, some people pay off some, some people put it all on credit cards. Doesn’t make anyone a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ person depending on how they pay, it just mirrors to some degree the varying levels of financial responsibility in our culture today.

[MrsHeart]

I believe he meant that when your s&s is charged to your credit card that you don't actually pay for it until you receive your bill. Doesn't mean you don't have the funds to pay it, you just wait until the bill arrives. Some choose to give their money to Carnival to save...others choose to put our money in the bank and pay the bill when it arrives. Paid off and with accumilated points to go towards our next cruise. There is no reason you shouldn't be able to save and pay when your bill arrives either...

 

That is true, however we do not give Carnival a credit card. Our S&S is a cash account. With the credits from prepurchasing the Fun Ship Dollars, we do not need to give them anything.

[maldenmusic]

I'm a school music teacher and also give private music lessons. I save all the $$ i make from giving lessons and it goes into our "cruise" fund. Also save all loose change and it really adds up. Just took my 2nd cruise for this year with another one coming up in December. It's hard to find anything that costs less than cruising on Carnival.

[Vettebuf]

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

 

Melanie, you brought tears to my eyes. I'm near your age and DH is much older. I still work but we cruise at least twice a year and take 2-3 land vacations as well. Like you said, "life is too short"! I wish you many wonderful cruises.

 

To the OP,

30 years of a good job means 6+ weeks of leave.

Early saving and trying to be fiscally responsible means discretionary funds.

Planning early and using air miles means lower cruise costs.

[gtalum]

Everybody who does not use a rewards credit card subsidizes those of us who do. For that reason, I applaud the folks who pay for everything in advance! Thanks for paying an extra ~2-5% of everything for me! :D

 

In seriousness, it's not really anybody's business how anybody else pays for their stuff. Don't worry about it.

[tropicaledrink]

Everybody who does not use a rewards credit card subsidizes those of us who do. For that reason, I applaud the folks who pay for everything in advance! Thanks for paying an extra ~2-5% of everything for me! :D

 

In seriousness, it's not really anybody's business how anybody else pays for their stuff. Don't worry about it.

 

 

Where's the LIKE button? Oh wait, this isn't facebook.... :D

[NavarreCruiser]

Droc said"Its about going into debt and living beyond your means"

 

 

Wow are you wrong. It is called not taking vacations and living below our means when we were younger in order to save money and pay off our debt so we can afford to cruise 2-3x per year now.

 

Golfadj you said that right. Our kids are now grown with families of their own, but when they were young we tent camped a lot. We are fortunate to be able to cruise frequently but we will never go into any debt to do it.

[NavarreCruiser]

I see the truth everyday. So no it is not just my opinion. Why you jealous I know the truth?:D

Guess that makes you sad then.:p

 

 

For someone who lives in Canada you sure seem to know for certainty about the finances of AMERICANS who cruise frequently (a very small group). That is difficult to believe.

[NavarreCruiser]

Dude

U are so right about the credit card

We buy everything on our card ( haven't paid intrest in many many years)

I even tried to buy our car on it but the dealer would not take it lol

Love the points

Also it's about priorities

 

 

A little off topic, but about paying cash for a car or using a credit card. We also use reward cards whenever possible. The last 2 cars we bought the dealer did allow to put the first $3,000 to $5,000 dollars on a reward card. We cut him a check for the rest.

[DarthGrady]

My wife and I are happily child-free (or DINKs, if you prefer :D) and we live in Florida. We continuously keep an eye out for good deals, and don't spend a lot while on board. We generally do one big cruise a year (a week or more) and a few 3/4 night trips when we need a weekend away.

[Angelica1104]

DH and I love to cruise. We usually do 2 a year, always on CCL and one is always dead in the middle of hurricane season and one is always the week after New Years for pricing. We do ES, book inside or OV ( had a balcony once and never used it). Last yr during our Sept cruise, we decided to give up our daily Starbucks at about $7/day and paid for an extra cruise this May when our son graduated from college.

[Vettebuf]

Golfadj you said that right. Our kids are now grown with families of their own, but when they were young we tent camped a lot. We are fortunate to be able to cruise frequently but we will never go into any debt to do it.

 

Okay. We've heard from OIPK's and DINK's. How about FROT's (Fiscally Responsible Old-Timers)? We fall into that category.

[toby #1]

Children are all grown, only one grandchild to spoil.

 

Pay all credit cards in full each month.

 

Never lived beyond our means.

 

Look for bargins from food to cruises.