What did you spend on your cruise?

[seaofwonder]

I'm working toward getting costs down to 0 through churning credit cards, etc. Usually airfare in biz to/from Europe is free, as is hotels.

 

Working now on generating enough spend to cover the $4300 cruise fare.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Blackfish123]

Don't forget to subtract the cost of things you would have paid for at home anyway, eg food, electricity, travel, entertainment etc. Sometimes not inconsiderable in the scheme of things.

 

I keep my calculations down to a fine art, but I'm keeping quiet here :p

[oldmom]

thickerson555-we always tried to go the weekend after our son got out of school-it was usually memorial day weekend and week-usually cheapest time for summer vacations-alot of northeast schools don't get out till mid June. But prices have really gone up in the last 5 years on cruises to me and especially on the bigger ships- Oasis,etc. We went on the Freedom size ships when we took our son-plus we only had 1 child-so it was of course cheaper than a bigger family spends. Great thread- I don't think some people figure in the "extras" till they actually add it all up. It can blow your budget-if you don't know this ahead of time.

[frank808]

Airfare for four of us $3650

Cruise 7nt - $5900 crown loft

Cruise 7nt - $4100 inside and b1 cabin

Internet for 7 nights- $220

Gratuities - $1000 automatic plus a littlr extra for good service

Rental car - $180

Hotel stay - $950

Taxi to fll to rent car -$30

Total $16030-OBC $800 =$15230

 

We have to fly across an ocean and the continental us so flights are almost 25% of the costs. This is for 2 weeks on a b2b and 4 nights hotel. Two nights before the cruise and two nights after before flying home.

 

This is a little splurge for us as it is our first time in a full suite. The price was not much more than 2 cabins so decided to book it.

 

Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

[thickerson555]

Oldmom, I remember the first cruise I went on in about 2003. It was a 7 day carnival and I paid less than 1000 for 3 people. I think it was $299 a person. That was a deal! The last few I went on were certainly a lot higher.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Virtopia]

I budgeted $6,000 for my upcoming total trip (10 night cruise solo and 6 nights of hotels) and I'm way under that amount ... I'm happy :D even though my trip is 26 days away (I fly out in 21 days!), I'm still looking to see if there's any lower pricing for the hotels and tours I've booked.

Edited August 21, 2016 by Virtopia

[thickerson555]

Thanks everyone who has shared so far. It's neat to see ho detailed some of replies are. I can see there are definetly some better deals to be found. This last cruise was the most expensive but I have wanted to try an oasis class ship ever since the first came out.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Paulette3028]

Paulette, I included the suit coat and stuff like that because I wouldn't of bought them otherwise. My son might get 2 years out of the suit. Last year I bought a cheap tux for each of us and his didn't fit this year. It's near the end of the swim season here so I wouldn't of bought it otherwise. If I wouldn't of bought it I included it in my costs. Sure it's not fair to put 900 in scuba class's and equipment to the cost of one vacation but our next vacation wouldn't include that. Next year the kids passports expire (they only last 5 years) and the way I do it its included in the costs. It helps me plan the next vacation realizing how much money I need to set aside.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

I fully understand how children grow and outgrow clothes -- I raised two boys. Overall vacation costs, which include everything you need to purchase pre and post the actual days of the trip do need to be budgeted for.

 

What some people need to spend vs others varies a great deal. For some having Vroom Internet is a must; for others the drink package can't be done without; in the end something absolutely are needed over others -- the suit, the bathing suit, even the scuba lessons to have that first time experience and be able to do it in the future.

 

I remember when I got my Scuba certification prior to a vacation we took to an all inclusive hotel. I had waited more than 20 years to get the certification. I did it because I wanted to go scuba diving and have done it since then.

 

The exercise of listing all the expenses associated with ANY vacation can be daunting.....and sometimes people might think, 'was it all worth it'.

 

We decide what we want to spend on vacation, and work it out to happen that way. Like someone else said, make sure to subtract from your calculations the costs you won't be incurring by staying home -- even though you will still have to pay your mortgage or the rent. (LOL)

Edited August 21, 2016 by Paulette3028

[IsanTom]

Enough!

[tinkertwo]

Just worked it out with what we have spent or reserved so far.

 

One week on the Oasis

one night hotel

one day car rental

Airfare from Canada for two

Dog boarding

One excursion for two

Two premium drink packages

Voom surf and stream for 2 devices

Prepaid gratuities

KYSS bag

shuttle to airport

luggage fees

 

$7,500 (not including pre-cruise meals, tips for shuttle drivers, tour operators and porters, souvenirs/gifts, specialty dining, extra tips on board and shopping pre-cruise)

 

I figure it will cost us more than $8K total in Canadian dollars. Ugh

 

LOVE my KYSS bag! Great purchase.

[awestover89]

Oldmom, We have driven several times even though it's a 16 hour drive just because it can save a lot of money. I cruised out of Galveston mobile and New Orleans because it's a lot closer drive. I used to do spring break cruises but it's a lot more limited on dates. The last two or 3 have been summer cruises in August. I'll check for ones in May next year because that would be nice to save some money on it.

 

We always prefer driving if we can, we even drove from Chicago to Alaska twice when moving up here, but unfortunately it won't be a reasonable option for us again until we move back to the lower 48. It was 6 days just to get here from Chicago and we don't have enough vacation time to make that an acceptable option.

[LuCruise]

We spent about 7k CAD for our family of 4 on a 7 day Caribbean cruise on Allure. That includes:

- cruise fare + gratuities

- flight + trip insurance

- hotel, taxi costs, wine, mini shopping for our pre-cruise night in Fort Lauderdale

- an excursion in Nassua

- taxi,food shopping, umbrella and beachc loungers in St Maarten and St Thomas

- character meal

- soda package for DH and a la cart drinks (e.g fun drinks)

- small odds and ends like extra suntan lotion on the ship, souveniers, etc

 

It does add up....and this is with booking the cruise at a reasonable cost before prices went way up

Edited August 21, 2016 by LuCruise

[Paulette3028]

We spent about 7k CAD for our family of 4 on a 7 day Caribbean cruise on Allure. That includes:

- cruise fare + gratuities

- flight + trip insurance

- hotel, taxi costs, wine, mini shopping for our pre-cruise night in Fort Lauderdale

- an excursion in Nassua

- taxi,food shopping, umbrella and beachc loungers in St Maarten and St Thomas

- character meal

- soda package for DH and a la cart drinks (e.g fun drinks)

- small odds and ends like extra suntan lotion on the ship, souveniers, etc

 

It does add up....and this is with booking the cruise at a reasonable cost before prices went way up

 

Ah YES, it does all add up....but I don't want all of you who have to include serious airfare dollars to be moving to FL any time soon. LOL

[jstcruizin]

For our upcoming Oasis cruise in November so far we've spent ,

OV balcony for two, $1,641 total

Prepaid tips $182.0 any extra is yet to be determined.

Airfare $0 (live 10 minutes from PC)

Excursions $0 (done most of them)

Drinks $0 ( bring our own ) 😉

photos this cruise around $50 since this will be our first time on Oasis,

shopping $TBD

We have $250 obc So our final totals above might be lower

Dang! We're doing good so far, lol

[LuCruise]

Ah YES, it does all add up....but I don't want all of you who have to include serious airfare dollars to be moving to FL any time soon. LOL

 

Ha ha...I will say that I'm jealous of those that live by or near the port. :D We'd definitely be cruising more often if that was the case.

[Paulette3028]

For our upcoming Oasis cruise in November so far we've spent ,

OV balcony for two, $1,641 total

Prepaid tips $182.0 any extra is yet to be determined.

Airfare $0 (live 10 minutes from PC)

Excursions $0 (done most of them)

Drinks $0 ( bring our own ) 😉

photos this cruise around $50 since this will be our first time on Oasis,

shopping $TBD

We have $250 obc So our final totals above might be lower

Dang! We're doing good so far, lol

 

Great price on the cruise. We got an equally great price for our week on Harmony coming up in Feb 2017. So when you start with a great cruise price, the overall expenses are helped quite a bit.

[impatientlywaiting]

We've already had one cruise this year, with another coming up soon. I'm afraid to go digging that deeply into the total associated costs. Some things are better left alone. Lol

 

Couldn't agree more! I don't even want to put those numbers down on paper! Although I must say that our First Class tickets home from Australia this coming October only cost a couple hundred dollars since I saved and saved and saved air miles and just had to pay the transfer fee from my account to DH's account! :D

[ColoradoGurl]

It's interesting to see how people break down their expenses, and likely helpful for people who don't have their vacations budgeted out. Most of the time all people think about are the cruise fare and the airfare, but hotels, extra meals off the ship, excursions, taxis etc can add up.

 

I am like a few people who posted that they set aside a certain amount of money per year to go towards vacations and then just travel within that amount. While I know how much in general I spend on one trip or another, I don't really know the breakdown of the smaller amounts.

 

For example, on our last 7 night cruise we spent (for 2 people), $700 on airfare to San Juan, $2400 on a promenade cabin, about $500 for 2 nights at a hotel, and then $1500 more dollars on whatever we wanted (excursions, food, cabs, souvenirs, extra tips etc). I also had obc, which I used some of for spending (on top of my $1500) and some that I took out from the casino in cash and brought home (also not included in my budgeting). So the way I calculate my budget, I spent $5,100 on the cruise for 2 people.

 

Any extra cash I bring home goes back into our vacation account. I put about $10,000/year into the budget for vacations and if we don't use it all one year, it carries over to the next. This makes it easier to travel because we work within a pre-set budget and either go on multiple smaller trips, or one or two big ones.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Edited August 21, 2016 by ColoradoGurl

[baileymouse]

Cruise for 3: 2275 (included 2 RR drink packages and the snorkeling tour)

Airfare 675

Hotel in FLL, night 1 120

Hotel in Miami, night 2 100

Costs off ship: 700

Costs on ship: 200

[dpostman]

Dpostman, Where else are you going. Cozumel has some really good diving.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Our next cruise is stoping in Port Canaveral, CocoCay, and Nassau. We were in Cozumel last year with Liberty but I was not Certified yet. My neighbors also said that Cozumel was a great diving area.

 

At least the water in CocoCay will be way warmer than the 47°F we had on our checkout dives:eek:

 

My son (17) and daughter (12) are super comfortable in the water and are really lookong forward to Carribean diving. I hope everythingworks out and the port is not cancelled dueto weather...

 

Now just to add to remain on topic.: We usually try to prepurchase as mush a we can. Our cruise is only next March but we already have Ultimate package for wife and I, Soda pkg for kids, 2 Specialty restaurants, Cabana in CocoCay and Florida brewery Tour inPort Canaveral.

 

dp

[CookieDiva]

OV balcony for two, $1,641 total

 

We have $250 obc So our final totals above might be lower

 

 

Woah! I'm kinda jealous! Do you mind if I ask how you got such a great price PLUS OBC (although I'm guessing that this may have come from a TA?)

I thought that we were doing well with $1883 (including taxes and fees) for 2 of us in a D7 OV Balcony on the Oasis and no OBC. (We're 20 months out - so hoping to see a really good promotion before final payment.)

[Robinola]

Dang!! That is a super waste of money...I could say so much more...but you can do what you want of course!! , do you Meditate on what you are doing?

Obviously you are a very kind good person, or you would not have given us strangers this information! I hope you find your answer.

[Moonarino]

We always prefer driving if we can, we even drove from Chicago to Alaska twice when moving up here...

 

I once drove from Texas to Fairbanks, and that was an adventure of a lifetime. Dawson Creek was my jumping-off point to the end of the world, and I relished every single moment from there on.

 

I drive to all cruises (after flying to Miami for our first one, which was just too much extra hassle/planning).

 

For a seven-day cruise, I usually advance-budget a minimum of $1000-1200 above our ticket costs. That amount includes expected gratuities plus a little extra, minus our OBC. It includes travel (and travel insurance), parking, and (during the cruise itself) a small handful of "extras"; 2-3 excursions, 1-2 specialty dinners, Internet, specialty coffee/desserts, a little onboard and port shopping... does not include drink packages, because we don't drink much at all, or casino.

Edited August 21, 2016 by Moonarino

[4merlurker]

$1385 for 2 - 4 night bahamas/key west. Includes air from Newark NJ to Miami, gratuities, 1 voom pkg, 1 premium bev, 1 select bev. Does not include excursions - I'm estimating around $400.

 

$1800 total. Now that I've added it up it sounds a bit steep for a short cruise but it's my birthday cruise so........ :rolleyes: