For those who cruise a LOT - how do you do it?

[marco]

To paraphrase an earlier poster: We could live in a house that costs 2 to 3 times as much to buy and maintain, we could have a much more expensive car and buy a new one every 2 years and have a boat, and an RV. We don't. Also, we don't stop at DD every morning, we don't go out to higher end restaurants a couple of times a week, we occasionally go to shows, concerts productions, not 2 or 3 (or more) times a month. Folks we know, do, and it's a couple a hundred $$$ a pop! We shop sales for just about everything, and no one in our house has a piece of Prada, Coach, Burberry, Tiffany or Armani. And regarding the cruise itself, we don't book the super deluxe penthouse suite on a ship, we don't buy photographs or "stuff", we rarely even go in the casino, we maybe only once a cruise will dine in a surcharge restaurant (and depending which line we're on, sometimes never) and we don't drink a lot (and run up a high onboard bill). It all adds up, so after we do the math...oh, ya'....there's enough in the piggy bank to take 2 or 3 trips a year!

[iahawkize]

Like all the rest said HOWEVER, it helps to live near or within a few hours driving time to a port. With Canaveral, Tampa, Miami and Ft Lauderdale being only a 2 to a 4 hour max car ride one can get the " pack & go specials up to 1 week prior to any cruise. Sure you won't get your perfect cabin but it works! ALSO booking far out saves money as well. My 11/1/14 cruise has doubled in price since I booked 1/5/14

[iancal]

All that...we always lived below our means. Kept our cars for 15-18 years. Never incurred consumer debt. Bought used if we could not afford new. Sound investments, real estate appreciation. We travel often but we also travel carefully and get the most value we can out of our travel dollar. Now we have the time and the resources to travel where we want and as often as we want.

[barante]

First: When Katherine Graham owned the Washington Post she was riding in an elevator with a reporter and telling the scribe about her latest trip to a Swiss ski resort.

 

"Unfortunately, I can't do it on my salary," said the reporter.

 

"But my dear," said Graham, "no one does it on their salary."

 

Which is another way of stating the obvious: Many common-sense suggestions have been offered but the one prerequisite that is required is a steady cash flow that allows cruising.

 

Once that hurdle is overcome, planning is a must. I spend a lot of time looking at deals -- cheap prices and interesting itineraries. Whenever I spot a cruise that excites me and is affordably priced, I act immediately -- after researching deck plans and reviews.

 

Two years ago we spent the month of November in Southeast Asia on a cruise, in which one 14-day-leg cost just $500 pp. in an inside cabin (should have upgraded to a suite!)

 

This was Costa Victoria, soon after that other Costa ship's captain sunk it in Italy. Prices kept going steadily down, which I monitored and acted on.

 

Similarly in May a year ago we did an 18-day Atlantic crossing from FLL to Kiel on the MSC Poesia, where our balcony cabin overlooking the wake cost $1,300 pp. After three nights in Hamburg, we then continued on another MSC on a Baltic cruise at a very competitive price.

 

For Dec. 9 this year we will have the RCL Grandeur of the Seas out of Baltimore to Labadee, San Juan, St. Thomas and St. Maarten, a 10-day jaunt in a Junior Suite for $1,200 pp. (To get this price, I canceled my original reservation).

 

We don't spend money on speciality restaurants on ships nor on expensive meals in ports. We seldom take excursions and if so we usually don't take the ship's tours. Our bar bill on the ship is minimal; we don't gamble, and we don't buy trinkets because at our age we need to get rid of those knicknacks we have.

 

And since we are retired, we can go any time we spot an intersting cruise that no one else wants.

 

My approach to cruises is the same that I use to buy and manage my stocks: Buy low. We also are not particular about categories. On Carnival we like 4K, the OV with openeable french doors that is sold as an inside. It is a balcony cabin without a balcony.

 

On some older HAL ships we prefer inside J on the lower promenade deck, which then becomes our wrap-around balcony.

 

On a forthcoming Serenade of the Seas cruise from Quebec to FLL we were lucky to get an OV H, which looks over the ship's bow and offers the same panorama that the captain sees from the bridge. This type of cabin won us over on the Crown Princess; most ships don't have this configuration.

Edited June 10, 2014 by barante

[barante]

We also liked the fact that the forthcoming Serenade of the Seas itinerary includes an overnight in Quebec. That's a bonus of couple of hundred bucks, since we don't have to pay for a hotel or meals. (We'll splurge on local lobsters later in the itinerary).

 

Love overnights. Venice, Lisbon, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Vietnam, Thailand, Rio de Janeiro, Manaus, Bermuda . . . just few of the overnights we have enjoyed by carefully finding itineraries with overnights.

[Kartgv]

Not that much different from what others are saying...patience and financial discipline are the key. Assuming you have reasonable job skills and a good work ethic, and you are not the victim of some very unfortunate health or other issue beyond your control, then it can be done.

 

During your peak working years, work hard, prioritize what you spend. Budget savings first - even a small amount each month. If you can fit in a few great trips during this time without adding debt, good for you! From the very beginning, it's all about priorities.

 

Either learn enough about investing to manage your own savings, or find someone trustworthy to manage it for you.

 

Once your kids are on their own (if you have them) and you're ready to retire and/or concentrate on doing what pleases you most, then work on a new detailed budget that allows you to live within your income. Never go into debt without making a conscious decision and carefully analyzing what that debt means to your future plans. Budget for travel just as you would for your gas or food or insurance costs.

 

Finally, decide whether you'd be happier cruising more often at off-peak times in less expensive cabins or more often in nicer cabins at times which are best for the areas you want to visit. As everyone says here, it's all about choices in how you spend your money.

[SPacificbound]

My response is similar to others. :)

 

I'm retired, DH is also retired but being not quite ready to give up his engineering career, he works between traveling.

 

We live the same place we have been for 24 years, our cars are 2006 and 2004 models. We go to movie matinees, $12.50 total, we don't hit the concession stand. Our favorite restaurant usually runs about $20-25 total.

We have season tickets for a community theater which is $120. per year for the 2 of us for 5 productions.

 

Although we do live near 2 cruise ports we do not cruise out of them since we have no interest in going to the Caribbean, having been there on many land based vacations when DD was growing up.

 

We plan 2 major trips a year and a few 5-7 day US based trips also.

 

Last year we spent 8 weeks in New Zealand and Australia, followed by an 18 night cruise Sydney to Honolulu, then 10 days in Hawaii followed by meeting up with family in Las Vegas for another 6 days. Long trip. :)

New Zealand and Australia were our dream trip.

 

We have 7 cruises booked right now, they will be paid off at final payment with no debt.

 

In fall 2015 we will go back to Europe for a couple of weeks before the start of our 3 fall cruises. We combine each cruise with land travel, and every cruise we plan has us returning to the US, so only one International flight, with the exception of Alaska in August.

 

We may have a couple of drinks in the evening when we are cruising, but other then that we don't spend any money on alcohol. We don't buy stuff when traveling. Our pictures are our souvenirs. We don't book less then a balcony cabin.

 

Cruises are far less expensive then air/land travel once you leave the US. However if the alcohol packages are added and the pay restaurants, and then the ship's photo packages, shopping, ship's tours etc. I can see where it could get quite expensive.

 

To me it all comes down to priorities. However being able to travel for many weeks or months is such a luxury of time. We are very blessed.

[geoherb]

I keep waiting until we retire in three years so we'll have the time to take more cruises. So far, the most we've managed is three in a year. We will have our mortgage paid off, so that will reduce our expenses at the same time our income will drop.

 

I'll book us an inside cabin if I have to to get us on the ship. Last cruise, though, the price of a balcony cabin was affordable--so we enjoyed that. I generally plan all of our shore excursions. Occasionally they're through the cruise line, but more often than not, they're things I book independently.

 

Most of the time, I wait until after the final payment date to get a better price. Right now, I'm watching prices on six different cruises that fit DH's summer break from his job as a professor at a community college. We have to plan every cruise around his school breaks.

[LHARTWICK]

My wife and I both work, make good money, save a lot, are somewhat frugal outside of cruising and she gets five and I get six weeks of vacation.

 

Similar for us except that we each get 4 weeks of vacation a year. We don't spend money on junk we don't need. We also have no children, by choice. (Please do not flog us for this......this is our choice and believe me, we've heard all of the criticism about our choice over the years from people who can't keep their nose in their own business. :)) It really comes down to priorities. Travel is a priority for us. We want to travel while we are still young/healthy enough to do so and to spend as much time together as possible. And life is short - there is no promise of tomorrow, so live each day to its fullest!

[LHARTWICK]

If cruising is a priority then you have to make it happen. Stay in the same house, keep your gas efficient car in good running order and drive it for 10+ years, use coupons, look for sales, shop from lists, skip luxuries, invest savings wisely. When booking cruises, get the least expensive cabin that has good reviews. A very wise person once told us that the cheapest cabins have the same food, shows, and go to the same places as the most expensive cabins. (But don't get a cabin under or over a noisy area of the ship!) Look for sales, stick with a cruise line that gives loyalty rewards, ask for OBC (even if it isn't listed), might as well ask for wine too while you are at it. Invest in stock in Carnival (covers HAL, Princess, Costa, etc.) or Royal Caribbean (covers RCCL, Celebrity, and Azamara). The OBC benefit pays for the stock if you cruise enough, and it can be part of your retirement account. And on cruises, take lots of photos with your own camera. Skip buying souvenirs and ship photos. Keep alcohol consumption low. Look for DIY tours at ports. Book SouthWest if possible to avoid baggage fees, and rebook if you see lower prices. Most important, keep reading Cruise Critic daily. There are great tips and tricks to be found here.

 

Well said. Lots of great advice here! I especially love the part about the cheapest cabins still sail to the same places, have the same food and the same shows. Brilliant! :)

[Scootercruise]

We are much the same as most people here, we try to watch our money as best we can. We have a separate savings account just for travel. Both of our sons are grown and very self sufficient. I am a mechanic by trade, so I am able to maintain and keep our cars going for many miles and years. We are fortunate to have paid off our home about 5 years early and that just frees up more travel money. We also have started booking inside cabins on our last 5 cruises, we also agree that you never know what the future holds, so we intend to enjoy life the best we can.

[ehfl]

For us, cruising is an inexpensive getaway. When we have a few days for ourselves, we'll look at driving up to Disney, down to the Keys, or doing another weekend vacation. Most often, the weekend cruise is the best value.

 

In a few months, we're taking a 9-day RCL cruise and the base price was 569 pp. which isn't bad considering what's included, pluse we get 100 pp OBC on top of that.

 

The question really is not how can we afford to cruise, but how can we afford to stay at home? If you're flexible, cruising can be a relatively inexpensive way to get some down-time.

[Joe1961]

We both work (though I'm between jobs now) and don't have kids!

 

 

Sent from Washington State!

[Traveller20074]

Maybe this is a silly question, but I'm totally serious!

 

I've noticed that some of you have cruised many, many times, and I aspire to be like you, lol. Are you guys living on a trust fund? Hit it big in stocks and retired? Or do you work from the ships? I do have a flexible job, so do some of you have international internet plans and work from the road (err, sea)? Are you just super at cruising cheaply?

 

I truly don't ask this in jest. If there was a way to live on a ship, I'd do it!

 

Input please....

 

 

I've wondered this too. This last cruise broke our bank (3 adults 3 kids). Even though I thought the price for all that food for all of us, and all that was onboard was worth it :) I coudln't do this more than once every few years.

[Traveller20074]

We are much the same as most people here, we try to watch our money as best we can. We have a separate savings account just for travel. Both of our sons are grown and very self sufficient. I am a mechanic by trade, so I am able to maintain and keep our cars going for many miles and years. We are fortunate to have paid off our home about 5 years early and that just frees up more travel money. We also have started booking inside cabins on our last 5 cruises, we also agree that you never know what the future holds, so we intend to enjoy life the best we can.

 

I just started doing this. I'm saving for my next cruise. I have over $100 so far, and I just got back the 1st of June :o :D

[SPacificbound]

I've wondered this too. This last cruise broke our bank (3 adults 3 kids). Even though I thought the price for all that food for all of us, and all that was onboard was worth it :) I coudln't do this more than once every few years.

 

there is no way I could have done this when I still had kids at home. Long past that stage in life. :)

[dsu_2003]

We only had to pay for 2 or 3 people, and the 3rd would share a room with friends. Vacation has gotten easier since we are down to 2.

[JustinPlusLauren]

I actually wrote a couple of blog posts recently about saving for travel, with advice from fellow travel bloggers. There are some great tips on there that you might find useful! The tips from me are coming from a girl in her early 30s who works a full time job, along with her boyfriend who also works full time.

 

http://justinpluslauren.com/tips-saving-money-travel-part-1/ - Part 1

http://justinpluslauren.com/tips-saving-money-for-travel-part-2/ - Part 2

[CaveDiving]

...I've noticed that some of you have cruised many, many times, and I aspire to be like you, lol. Are you guys living on a trust fund? Hit it big in stocks and retired? Or do you work from the ships? I do have a flexible job, so do some of you have international internet plans and work from the road (err, sea)? Are you just super at cruising cheaply?...

 

We pay the money and we cruise.

 

It's really very simple. No money - no cruising.

 

Scott & Karen

[super0701]

Go for an interior cabin. You can save hundreds over a balcony cabin. Especially if you are one that doesn't even spend a lot of time in your room a balcony or window won't matter.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[gooch47]

Worked hard for 30+ years. Good money management gave us discretionary funds plus good pensions and social security. Never lived above our means. Not clothes horses, I buy most of our clothes at Wal-Mart. Our only vice is casinos, but they give us a bunch of highly discounted cruises.

[zoncom]

Excellent ideas all. Me, duplicate of Iancal. Always SAVE any unexpected income;divedends, RE profits, excess from rentals, etc. My ex never wanted to travel. I did. Got divorced. Friend wanted to go to Europe. My Suburau needed work. Thought I would sell it , travel, see if I could do without a car. Have not had car since and use those funds to travel.Always INSIDE cabins.

[iancal]

Just getting ready to spring for a short notice Alaska cruise in early/mid July. Will pay about 400-450 for an outside or 700-900 for an balcony depending on the ship/date that we choose.

Edited June 15, 2014 by iancal

[Boozebabe]

Until we retired, we could only cruise once a year as we could not always get vacation time at the same time. Once we retired we were able to take 4 and 5 cruises a year -- nothing less than 14 days. Now health issues are making it hard for us to even get 2 cruises in a year.

Now we like the top cabins on the ship. So how do we afford them?

Simple - I just go down to our sub basement and fire up the old mint printer and run off some money. I will tell you -- each time the government makes changes to the bills, it just becomes a little more tricky to get those bills right. :D

 

I smell an investgation.

[BridgewaterCruiser]

I smell an investgation.

 

Hi everyone,

 

We just got back from a Transatlantic cruise. I thought I would never enjoy a cabin without a balcony, but this time, we had an ocean view. We both absolutely loved it! Mind you we knew that it was going to be cold in the North Atlantic in April, so we thought this would be the right time to try the O.V. as we probably would not use the balcony. Being at wave level was fabulous and we have the videos to prove it. We would certainly do it again, and probably sometime, an inside as well. You can certainly save a lot by not getting the balcony category. Never thought I'd say that, but since I'm 11 months into my retirement, well, we're trying to cram in as many cruises as we can. A little bit saved goes a long way.

 

Just my two cents worth (which I was saving for this post)!

 

Happy sailing,

Dale