Where do you splurge vs. scrimp?

[JMHAM1]

We have six kids so I'm a scrimper by necessity. On a cruise, my big splurge is the cabin/cabins.

 

On other lines I prefer suites for the perks but I don't think Carnival's suites are worth it and preferred to use the money to book three rooms: One for the girls, one for the boys and one for us. That way, we can spread out and not get in everyone's way.

 

We don't drink that much but we do enjoy the specialty restaurants a time or two each cruise.

 

I don't usually buy the ship's photos or anything in the shops.

 

We book excursions on our own because it is usually a better value and much less expensive than booking through the cruise lines.

 

FTTF? - I'm torn on this one. It is sold out on our upcoming trip but I would splurge on it if we were doing a tender port or two.

 

We have a dollar max for gambling...maybe $50 each per cruise.

 

As I'm reading this, I now know that I am a cheapie!! lol

[ladygal4.4]

We have six kids so I'm a scrimper by necessity. On a cruise, my big splurge is the cabin/cabins.

 

On other lines I prefer suites for the perks but I don't think Carnival's suites are worth it and preferred to use the money to book three rooms: One for the girls, one for the boys and one for us. That way, we can spread out and not get in everyone's way.

 

We don't drink that much but we do enjoy the specialty restaurants a time or two each cruise.

 

I don't usually buy the ship's photos or anything in the shops.

 

We book excursions on our own because it is usually a better value and much less expensive than booking through the cruise lines.

 

FTTF? - I'm torn on this one. It is sold out on our upcoming trip but I would splurge on it if we were doing a tender port or two.

 

We have a dollar max for gambling...maybe $50 each per cruise.

 

As I'm reading this, I now know that I am a cheapie!! lol

 

 

I applaud you for taking 6 kids! I have four and I too have to really careful on the cruise :)

[JustCruiseMe]

Scrimp:

Inside room or OV if it's close. We could care less about the balcony. In fact we only like the OV for the couch.

We don't drink

No candy shop

 

 

Splurge:

FTTF

Specialty Dining

Excursions

Port Dining/eating

Casino

 

On our budget we get all the splurges for what it would cost for a balcony and we can usually cruise 2 times a year now!

[JennN]

Splurge:

FTTF - our time is worth the $50-60.

Cabin - Wife can't be in an interior room so we've been booking the secret deck rooms (4J?) and will be splurging in November and next September on an aft-view extended and a Havana Cabana...

Food - always eat in 1-2 specialty restaurants, when available. Always trying things in port too!

Excursions - we treat this as once in a lifetime!

 

Save:

Pictures - learned my lesson with buying too many once

Alcohol - I am usually good with bringing my 2 bottles of champagne (but have been known to have 1-2 more a day on longer cruises)

Cruiseline - we're loyal to Carnival

Souvenirs - usually a magnet for us if we've not been to that port before otherwise, nothing for nobody! lol

Medicine - I bring a large "emergency" kit with us on each cruise. Everything from nyQuil to Benedryl. Both my wife and I got sick on one cruise and spent $100 in the shop on the ship (2 days at sea) for tissues and meds. NEVER AGAIN!

[arby70]

I guess we splurge on excursions and scrimp on additional pay restaurants on the ship.

[ch27088]

Splurge:

 

I have to agree with your MIL, I will always have a balcony. I enjoy sitting on the balcony reading and enjoying a drink. Plus, I love propping the door open at night listening to the ocean.

 

Scrimp:

 

Because I take so many pictures, I allow us to purchase maybe one or two of the pictures they take on board. I feel they are just too expensive, and my pictures come out better.

[saharaga]

Gosh. This is a hard one for me because what we do really depends on the cruise but here goes...

 

Scrimp

 

Drink Packages - we just do not drink that much and by our calculation, we would be falling down drunk every day of the cruise to get our money's worth. If the Soda package included the coffee shop, I would certainly splurge on it. But since we can bring our own soda, no need to get it.

 

Spa - I have been on many cruises where I did not go to the spa. If they offer a good enough special though, I am there.

 

Casino - the smoke alone is a deal breaker

 

Gift shop - very rarely feel the need to buy anything and it's usually something I forgot

 

Parking - We have only ever parked at the port twice

 

Excursions - we might book one or two excursions depending on the itinerary. Otherwise, we wing it or head to the beach.

 

 

Splurge

 

Steakhouse - has become a must now since trying it on the Glory for the first time.

 

Extra tips for our steward and others who deserve it

 

Hotel stay the day or two before we cruise. After almost missing our ship trying to fly into the Miami the day of the cruise, we always plan to be there at least by the day before now.

[tbmrt]

Scrimp

 

Spas, manicures, hair - too expensive. Do mani/pedi/hair before cruising.

 

Ship's Photos - take our own

 

Bingo - don't enjoy enough to make price worth it

 

Casino - stay away if smoking permitted. Play slots with roll call friends for fun.

 

Art shows - never.

 

 

Splurge

 

Balcony for sure....Love breakfast there, relaxing there after excursions, watching the night sky/sea late evening.

 

Private excursions that I've researched well before taking.

 

DH upgrades on Celebrity from usually a perk/drink package to premium drink packages to get good martinis. About $10 plus tax per day.

 

Sometimes specialty restaurants...Other times not since MDR food is fine.

 

Hotel stay the day before we cruise. Like to know we're near the ship and don't have to hassle getting there embarkation day. Get a deal with free parking for length of cruise with overnight stay.

 

Zumba, Bike Classes if ship charges for these. MSC has a wonderful aqua bike class!

Edited September 12, 2015 by tbmrt
add

[Priya2]

I confess I have never cruised with Carnival. So far I have only gone with Celebrity, but this is such an interesting thread that I hope you won't mind me contributing.

 

Splurge:

The cabin, if the intinerary is for hot destinations, I love a balcony (if it won't be hot, I'll save on that). Aside from using it a little in the day, its great to get some fresh air through the cabin and to sit and look-up at the stars before bed.

Airfare, we were upgraded to business class a few years ago on a return long-haul flight. I had been dreading the flight because my dodgy knee was very painful on the way out. It ruined me and there has been no going back. I'm careful when, and what, flights I buy, so they are not full price, but there is no denying its a major splurge.

The Spa, I was given a free shoulder massage on the Eclipse. Again I was ruined, I do now treat myself to a few massages. I find the standard in the Canyon Ranch Spas on Celebrity (and Cunard I think - maybe others) are far better than any others I have experienced.

Drinks Package, for my other half. He enjoys too much beer on a cruise for it not to be justified.

Tours, only when its countries where we can't predict safety/easily get around independantly. We are cruising the Panama Canal in November and don't feel that we could get to see what we want to see (sometimes safely) in the Central American Ports. In Europe, North America, Canada and various other places, we wouldn't book one. We usually book with an independant company. Surprisingly though, in Central America, we will do several cruise ship tours as the private companies are as expensive there, and in all but one port (Cartagena, where we have booked a private tour), there is a ship's tour that suits us best.

 

Scrimp:

We don't -

Eat in specialty restaurants

Buy photographs

Even go into the ships gift shops

Buy more than one or two souvenirs (something for the garden or a nice bowl)

We don't gamble

No Art shows

[jakeT]

Just a question. I know it's kinder late. When you eat in port. where do you eat?

I would love to try local food. Just do not know where ?

[CruizenSusan]

This is one of the biggest things we love about cruising. Everyone can do exactly what they want or don't want. Cruising seems to accommodate almost all different tastes and types. :)

 

 

Scrimp:

 

FTTF - Not worth it for us. We are usually boarding within 30 minutes after FTTF folks. Not worried about getting to our cabin. or dropping off our 1 small carry on bag. We go to the lido or walk the ship and enjoy until room is ready. We self-assist disembark.

 

Drink Packages: We enjoy having drinks...but not enough to make the drink packages worth it. we bring on the couple of bottles of wine that are allowed.

 

Spa: Just don't go there

 

Photos: We pick one and take all the rest ourselves

 

Souvenirs: Don't really purchase any. For us - photos are the best souvenirs. Possibly purchase an occasional t-shirt.

 

Casino - Not big gamblers

 

Clothing - Not real big into buying a lot of new clothes for each cruise. Just cycle in a couple of new things and use what we already have.

 

Mani/Pedi: Do my own

 

 

 

SPLURGE:

 

Cabin: We enjoy having a balcony. :)

 

Excursions: Love trying new things and new adventures in new places....as well as local food and brews. Things that are not available back home.

 

Tips: Crew works hard!!

 

Steakhouse: Love it!

 

Specialty drinks: Love those too! Also we visit the coffee bar almost daily. We also buy the bottled water.

 

Hair: Will always get my hair done!!

 

HAPPY CRUISING! :)

Edited September 12, 2015 by CruizenSusan

[patrice1]

Skimp:

- no pics - too expensive!

- excursions - plan our own & sometimes don't even get off the ship

- spa - too expensive

- FTTF - we're Platinum

 

Splurge:

- always go at least 2 nights before to "get off the rock and get in vacation mode"

- always have a balcony - we spend more time in the cabin than some and love our balcony

- drink pkg. - works for us

- extra tips - have ALWAYS tipped bartenders, servers, etc, extra.

- casino - do $20/ea/day. Rule is if you win more than $100, you cash out. Always come home ahead!:rolleyes:

[momof3cruisers]

Fun thread! I have enjoyed all the answers. Mine vary a lot depending on if it's just my husband and I or if we bring the kids.

 

Cabin...splurge on a balcony. Next one we are having two coves and the price is killing me but the kids haven't had a balcony before and it's probably our oldest's last family trip. After this one, it's back to ocean view when the kids travel with us, but just me and DH it's a balcony no matter what. For just us we'll also splurge on FTTF.

 

Dining...scrimp. We have always been happy with the free options and try really hard to not eat when off the ship unless it's something really unique or special to that area. But again...this trip, I will take my daughter to the sushi place. :rolleyes:

 

Pictures...scrimp. My phone has an excellent camera so we just look for a nice person to take our picture on formal night. Seems like we always looked wiped out, wind blown or unkempt in the port pics so those are really not worth it.

 

Drinks...scrimp. Might get Cheers this next trip and we intentionally booked DH in the cabin with two of the kids and me with the other so that he doesn't have to get it. So, a half scrimp. :o Otherwise, I have stuck to free drinks with the occasional cocktail and get the kids the soda pkg as we feel that is a really good deal for them. I don't want to have to worry if they want a refill at dinner and keep track of that cost. Two a day is doable for even my non-soda drinker who likes a Shirley Temple at dinner. DH gets a soda now and then, but mainly drinks water.

 

Excursions...I work on scrimping but with five people it often feels like a splurge. I did find a really great and reasonabLe tour in Antigua and for Key West, I got our trolley tickets from Groupon. But the taxi fare to get to the beach we wanted was $100 RT in St Thomas. Phew!

 

If on a cruise with Half Moon Cay, we will always always get a cabana. Big splurge, worth every penny!

 

Shopping. My kids save their own money, but we like to help them buy some things at the ports. They like to bring small gifts home to their friends. And dH always has to get a new hat at one stop and usually a shirt at another. I rarely find anything I really must have.

Edited September 13, 2015 by momof3cruisers

[ConshyCrock]

This is another one of those threads that is so interesting because it has such a wide variety of responses.

 

Splurge:

 

Cabin- we did an interior our very first cruise but have had ocean views and balconies ever since. I can't go back to the interior room because it's just too dark. I loved the extended aft balcony we had a few cruises ago and one day want to do an aft facing balcony.

Airfare/Embarkation port- living within a car or train ride to both Baltimore and NYC we always took advantage of avoiding farther away ports that required flights. However after taking the Valor out of Miami a few years ago and our last cruise on the Pride being so bad, we've broadened our horizons to say the least

 

Take it or leave it:

Excursions- depends on the port, sometimes we do one and sometimes we don't

Premium restaurants- never have done one before but we'll be trying the steakhouse on our next trip

 

Scrimp:

Spa, onboard photos, souvenirs/gift shop items including the bottles of booze, art, casino, drinks package (we did cheers last cruise and by the end we were tired of making sure we had enough drinks in a day to get our money's worth)

[dramaqueenjan]

Splurging

Cabin: aft extended love the view Cheers love my drinks

Excursions usually non Carnival and private

non Splurge : could care less about Dining or Shopping

[crusinpsychRN]

My last bill on Paradise was a whopping 0.29! I had gotten a Long Island iced tea and it was over the coupon limit so I paid the tax!! I am Dutch but that's ridiculous...

[Justwant2cruise]

On our first cruise , as newbies we didn't know what to expect , so we scrimped on everything. We where familiar with the ports so no excursions where needed , and only bought the soda package on board becasue I wanted the cup :)

 

But by our 2nd cruise we had a better idea and booked a balcony , a few excursions

So with our 3rd cruise coming up I splurged on a balcony :)

 

and plan to have a spa day, a few excursions, buy lots of photos and spend most of my days holding a drink ..

I'll be scrimping on .. shopping , Not a big shopper :):eek::cool:

[KPfromCT]

I'm warning you right now, the splurge column is going to be MUCH longer than the scrimp column.:o

 

Splurge

Flying in a day prior/hotel overnight prior to cruise (We live in CT)

Bottomless bubbles for DD

Alcohol GALORE (no Cheers, yet)

Souvenirs in both the port and the gift shops.

Steakhouse/Cucina (1 each)

Non-Carnival excursions

ALWAYS a balcony, preferably a LIDO balcony.:D:D

Cherry on Top for DD and DH:rolleyes:

Bingo!

Slots ($20 per day) for me, and DH will sometimes play Blackjack.

Hard Ice Cream (DELICIOUS)

 

Scrimp

No photos-Look awful, and they're expensive

No spa/salon-Just not our thing.

[skittl1321]

Splurge-

Chef's Table

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

 

Scrimp-

Excursions (we book our own)

Spa (never used it)

Drink (husband might buy 1 or 2, I don't drink so he has 2 bottles of wine during the cruise, and we each have a pack of sodas- then just water)

Bingo/Casino/Shopping (we don't partake)

Photos (we bought one our first cruise and then never since)

FTTF-We might regret this in Belize, but I've never been in a rush.

 

 

Except tips, and Chef's table, my Sign and Sail bill is usually under $10 (strawberries!)

 

We get the best room we can for $100/night- so sometimes balcony, sometimes ocean view. We don't cruise if that would only be an interior.

I've never bought new clothes for a cruise, and I do my own nails ahead of time. We do fly in a day before if we are flying, but drive in morning of if we are driving.

[Gardeneroflove]

Shore excursions - not really, not since having kid.

 

Food in port - nope. we bring snacks. We do look for local candy. Dh likes trying local beers.

 

FTTF - Never had it before, but we had a suite, so I think, with kids, we'd splurge for FTTF

 

After-hours babysitting/Camp Carnival activities - Nope, we cruise for family vacations. My kid is sleeping by 8:30-9. and so I am. lol.

 

Tips - We tip extra if service is great.

 

Cabin - Balcony. no other option. I'd rather stay home than be stuck inside or oceanview. BUT I'm in the cabin more than out. I don't like sun, water, or people. :eek:

 

Drink packages - nah, not worth it for us. We did bring drinks on, we actually bought 2 dr peppers home, so clearly, not big on soda.

 

Specialty dining - we've never done speciality dining, just dr. suess breakfast, cause fun for kid. I was tempted to pay the $20 in MDR, for something good to eat, but didn't. I'd rather splurge at home for good steaks.

 

Cruising in general - Land based vacations aren't for us/me. Too much work/money compared to a cruise. We didn't splurge with carnival, we uh went low, we did upgrade to suite and still spent less than we would have with Disney.

 

Pictures-I typically by on board pictures and any others if good. However, pictures were a mess on CCL. OMG. they need to get with the times. SCAN our card when taking pictures, so we can find them. It was a mess the last day. They had piles and piles of pictures from earlier in the cruise. I wasn't wasting my time flipping through thousands of pictures. so we bought none. DCL scans our KTTW card when we take pictures, then you can view them and know what you've taken and order them. WAY better process. RCL does the same.

 

We don't do art (minus on dcl because we had obc), I don't buy stuff from shops unless it's a forgotten item, I don't buy booze on ship, other than a drink or two. I DO typically buy coffee, but this time we brought starbucks doubleshot. I've never been to the spa on board, I don't do hair/nails. No casino. I stay away from that whole area and those people (smokers).

 

ports-dh typically does splurge on jewelry for us, and I like something wooden from certain ports.

[luv2cruz64]

Have only been on 3 cruises and was so happy to be able to do those on a tight budget. However, there were 2 dealbreakers. DH drew the line at sharing a cabin with our 2 teens so for us a second cabin was a splurge. I absolutely refused to drive to Florida(around 14 hours from home) so airfare for the 4 of us was a splurge. For many these things are the norm but they ate up a considerable portion of our vacation budget and were worth every penny!

[simplelife]

I don't think in terms of "Scrimping" (that seems to imply austerity or denial of pleasure) but I don't spend money on extras unless they add significantly to the enjoyment of the cruise. Here's what we have found makes sense for us:

Cabin: We usually sail in an ocean view (did a balcony once and found we did not use it much, and did an inside once and found we hated not having natural light).

 

Food and drink: We rarely do upcharge restaurants, because we like the MDR. We don't drink enough to justify getting the drink package (but I always carry on our allowance of wine).

 

Activities: We spend very little in the casino (just not our thing) or photo gallery (not photogenic). We do enjoy a game or two of bingo. I enjoy researching our scheduled ports to find interesting things to do -usually we don't do excursions, but I research those as well and have always found the ones we have done to be worth what we have spent. Sometimes we just take a taxi to a beach (not AI) or on a sightseeing trip. We don't do much shopping in ports nor meals, but do often buy drinks (as they are usually priced lower than on the ship).

 

Precruise hotel: We just want something comfortable, clean, and safe so we can get a restful night's sleep; amenities and diversions are not necessary. Often I use loyalty points to get a free or discounted room, and, if we are driving (and we usually are) we may stay a few minutes away form the port and use a park & cruise parking facility.

 

None of these savings result in any diminished enjoyment so, as I said before, don't feel like "Scrimping", just getting the most from our vacation dollar.

[SophieJ]

I like to splurge on the room and the flight upgrades for sure.

 

I pay for nonstop flights, since I don't have to worry about missing a connecting flight or long layovers. I don't pay for first class since I can usually upgrade for more legroom and early boarding for a lot less. I will also splurge on a boxed meal or snack, if I don't have time to grab a full meal and/or snacks beforehand.

 

We also pay for transfers from the airport, since in some cities livery drivers aren't always regulated and sometimes have cars that are full of trash, falling apart, and charge what ever they think they can get from you. We once had a guy significantly drop his rate when we passed on a lift because we came back to the states with very little cash on hand expecting to be able to use a credit card like we can with the drivers where we live.

 

As for the cruise itself I like an ocean view, minimum. I think an inside cabin would make me feel claustrophobic. I like balconies, but if I'm next to a smoker I can't go out on it when they're using theirs to smoke. Once we were next to an inconsiderate cruiser that talked loudly and constantly let their balcony door slam, which was extremely rude and had a smoker on the other side. We could never leave our door open, so it made for a less enjoyable cabin experience and was a waste of money.

 

When it comes to excursions I'll pay ship prices for anything that could potentially cause great bodily harm, such as zip lining or parasailing. I might book through them if they limit the number of people to fewer than twenty. Otherwise I check forums on here and trip advisor to find the best bang for your buck, such as cost per hour, and tours that have a very limited number of people going on them.

 

We sometimes splurge on gourmet coffee and hot chocolate- especially in Alaska, and an occasional bottle of wine. Or for a little bag of candy from formalities or a specialty pastry at the cafe. The beverage card is only worth it if you drink a lot of juice and/or soda.

 

With hotels my husband usually finds a good deal or uses points at places that are nice chain hotels whenever possible.

 

I guess I scrimp by generally not buying photos from the ship photographers, going to the restaurants that cost extra, and we rarely purchase alcoholic beverages or buy souvenirs from the Fun-shops.

[MMastell]

Splurge: Balcony/Suite, specialty restaurants, specialty coffee, drinks but don't drink enough at the bars to warrant a package, bon voyage liquor, casino, cabanas.

 

Skimp: Shore excursions/We do our own thing. Bingo, pictures, atrium sales, on board shop purchases, spas.

 

Take care,

Mike

Edited September 14, 2015 by MMastell

[bizeemom4]

Splurge - always have a balcony room. I tried oceanview 1x. Never again. Hubby must have a good balcony room - aft or wrap or he's not happy. If our teens are joining us, they get a balcony cabin nearby.

 

Chefs Table and steakhouse booked each cruise.

 

New cruise clothes. Can't repeat an elegant night outfit from a previous cruise!

 

Scrimp - only book non Carnival excursions. I don't see the point of overpaying for the same product and I'd prefer to support the locals vs the corporation

 

Flights - we fly budget like frontier or southwest

 

We never waste money on bingo and seldom 'donate' more than $20 to the casino.

Edited September 14, 2015 by bizeemom4