How do you save up for a cruise ? post it

[pris993]

I am simi retired, retired in 1999, working part for fun money... all that goes to travel... we do usually two cruises a year... sometimes 3. Been cruising and travel since the early l980s....

[Robinsoncruiseso]

We are both still working but have lots of vacation time. We put $400 per month from my pay into our vacation fund, plus add a bit from DH monthly bonus. Plus we drink all our coffee at home, so no $5 mocha lattes for us. This allows us about three full weeks of vacation a year, plus several more little get-aways...all paid for prior to going. We also put EVERYTHING (except mortgage and car payments) on our airline cards so that our airfare is paid or deeply discounted. We stay in the lower of the price range balcony cabins and watch for deals with lots of obc. Our shipboard account is usually under $200 for a week cruise, so we come back basically owing nothing.

[maryjaden]

I use cash for my day to day expenses (food, gas, etc) monthly bills (utilities, etc) I pay on my RCI credit card. At the end of the day any misc change, $1 & $5 bills go into a drawer. I use the points from my cruise card for OBC on the ship. This usually pays for 1 cruise per year in a balcony cabin. If I want to upgrade, I take that amount out of regular savings.

[B4RK3R]

Both myself and my Fiance save $100 out of each paycheck (400 a month) and save every 5th monthly paycheck, which happened 2 or 3 times a year. We also save our taxes.We usually return from our cruises with plenty of cash.

[nyllrap]

We are retired, and am fortunate enough not to have to actually save for cruises. Having said that, we are frugal in general, and have always lived well below our means. I don't like to feel like I am not getting my money's worth, so pretty much we have always watched our pennies. Because of that, we cruise 2-3 times a year, although even while on vacation continue to be frugal. We have a blast no matter what!

[champagne123]

I just keep getting further and further into debt. :o

[Joebucks]

By not having kids!!!!

 

I've also been cutting all expenses as much as possible. I did two cruises this year. Next year I think I need three.

[Cruise Junky]

By not having kids!!!!

 

 

 

Ditto :cool:

[agnesd]

We retired with the knowledge and budget that we could spend about $25,000 a year on travel. We probably average 20K a year for the past 8 years since retirement on travel. Didn’t do much traveling before we retired. We charge everything on American Express and pay off monthly and get cash back I guess from the people that don’t pay off monthly.

 

 

 

 

That's our formula! Travel while we can!!

 

 

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[davekathy]

If you don't spend it your kids will.

[NMLady]

We have antenna tv, so no cable/satellite bill, rarely eat out, no Starbucks or fast food meals, we don't buy steak, and we keep those monthly savings tracked separately for cruise fund.

Our Capitol One Quicksilver card pays 1.5% so we charge everything on that card, pay it off in full every month, and use that 1.5% to help fund cruise.

Edited September 2, 2017 by NMLady

[NMLady]

I realize this is an old post, but wondered how people do it nowadays. Are we using our credit cards and making payments for months and months afterwards or are we saving dollars ahead of time somehow. What are some of the tricks to saving.

I had read on another page that 78% of the working folks are living pay check to pay check. Does that mean that only the retired or wealthy are cruising?

Also had read about cruisers using their stock dividends and or asset income. Having lost more money then I care to count in a couple of crashes/down turns, I will probably never be able to count on those types of funds for vacation.

Just curious on people's thought now in 2017.

 

We do not book a cruise until we know we have the funds or can budget for it. We pay credit card off in full every month.

[navybankerteacher]

Life is a bit too complex to think about just saving for a cruise. Our approach for many years has been to save - period. If past years savings combined with what we put away now means we have enough discretionary funds to cruise - we cruise. Or we do something else we might want to do.

[Greselda2251]

We are retired, and we live close to many "one arm bandidt" houses:D We have been able to completely pay for our last 3 cruises from a "point" system offered by one of these establishments, in addition to pocketing $$ for our cruise incidentals....a win win for us!!;)

[Bookish Angel]

We live frugally and have no debt so no need to save up. We pay for almost everything on a cash-back credit card.