Help me with our budget breakdown?

[Strophic]

Hey everyone! My boyfriend and I are going on Oasis of the Seas this December, and I'd like to do a complete budget breakdown well in advance, since last cruise we just kind of played it by ear and didn't keep track of our expenses very well.

 

I'm trying to account for every category of expenses that goes into the whole trip, but I'm sure I'm leaving something out. More experienced cruisers—does this look about right to you? Should I budget more for some categories? I wouldn't say we're trying to be as frugal as possible, but we're not trying to go too crazy. Here's what I have so far:

 

 

Totals might not fully add up to what you see because they account for our $250 deposit already made toward's Cory's cruise fare, so his is only partially unpaid. We're driving from North Carolina to Port Canaveral for the cruise.

 

Edit: Finally figured out the picture posting problem. Sidenote: This forum allows Photobucket links but blocks Imgur and Gyazo, really?

Edited May 6, 2017 by Strophic

[knittinggirl]

Good detail.

 

I'd add more for alcohol. I think they're usually $7-15 per drink. Soft drinks and coffee are closer to $5.

 

We usually tip about $6-$10 for the shore excursion guide and couple more for the driver. Once I really overtipped, when I gave around $40 because that was my last Norwegian port.

 

Travel insurance looks low. But we're probably older than you. If you're doing one w/ pre-existing waiver, it needs to be paid w/in 15 days of cruise deposit.

 

We get about $50-$75 in ones for various tips.

 

You'll also need money for meals too and from the port.

 

You'll need them for tipping the porters at the cruise port. Also, tipping room service. You also need money for taxis to/from the cruise port. And a pre-cruise hotel. With airlines getting so weird, we've been booking air two days in advance.

 

We've never done bingo, so I can't comment on that.

[leaveitallbehind]

Well if you need that level of detail then I guess you've captured it pretty well. Apparently you are not big alcohol drinkers as that would normally be a much bigger budget item to account for. You may also be a bit shy on spending money as on board gifts, port of call souvenirs, etc., can add up - but that is also based on the individual. You may want to check excursion costs on the website as well as that number seems kind of low if you are planning to book them through the cruise line.

 

Enjoy your cruise - Oasis is a terrific ship! But don't over think it! :)

Edited May 6, 2017 by leaveitallbehind

[Strophic]

@Knittinggirl, I don't drink alcohol at all and my boyfriend only has ~3 drinks a year, most of them on vacation, which is why our alcohol budget is very low. He only bought one drink last cruise so I budgeted for two $8 drinks this cruise.

 

I will definitely budget more for tips and gratuities. Is tipping for room service separate from the automatic gratuity you pre-pay to Royal Caribbean? I remember falling a little short on gratuities last time since there were more guides than expected, so I think I'll just have an extra $20 per port "just in case" cash in small bills.

 

We skipped travel insurance entirely on our last trip, so I am dipping my toe in the water with some very basic coverage for this trip. We're both going to be 24 in December 2017, so that might be a reason for the lower cost.

 

Meals to and from port is definitely something to account for, we actually ate at a couple sit-down restaurants on the way home last time, so that's not an insignificant thing to leave out.

 

Our pre-cruise hotel is the AirBNB in Jacksonville—last time we did most of the car trip the night before, basically slept from 1am to 8am in Jacksonville, and finished off the last little bit of the drive the day of the cruise. I know people usually recommend getting to the cruise port the day before, but it worked really well for us. Our cruise parking includes a shuttle to and from the port, so that's covered already.

 

Tbh, the bingo estimate is probably way low, but I really want to try and control myself this time >_>; Gambling turned into kind of a slippery slope for me last year, whoops.

 

@Leaveitallbehind, I have always struggled to go all out on souvenirs and stuff. When it comes to pre-paid extras I tend to pile on as much as I want, but when I have to pay upfront for an impulse buy in a store I am stricken by "to good to use syndrome" with my cash. But I do wish I had more souvenirs and gifts from my last cruise, so I will budget a little bit more for myself. My boyfriend doesn't buy much and seems happy enough with it.

 

I plan on booking my excursions through TripAdvisor since we had a great experience last time, and I took the prices from my current top picks for what I want to do in San Juan and St. Maarten, so they will hopefully be fairly accurate :) Although I am very tempted to add a little something to Labadee—even though it hasn't got as much going on as the other ports, it might be fun to plan something small to at least get us off the ship.

 

I am so excited for this trip. Oasis is a much bigger ship than anything I've ever been on, and it's only my boyfriend's second cruise in his whole life. I can't believe we're seven months away!

[champagne123]

You are going to be blown away on the Oasis.:cool:

[leaveitallbehind]

I will definitely budget more for tips and gratuities. Is tipping for room service separate from the automatic gratuity you pre-pay to Royal Caribbean?

 

Although I am very tempted to add a little something to Labadee—even though it hasn't got as much going on as the other ports, it might be fun to plan something small to at least get us off the ship.

 

Historically room service was not included in the prepaid gratuities, but service prior to midnight was at no charge, and a gratuity was optional. Now that they are charging for room service, it might be included in the charge. The fact they now charge for room service is also something to plan for.

 

Labadee is a great port of call - very nice beach day and lots of optional things to do. I would not stay on the ship there. The shore activities must be booked through the ship as it is a private destination, which if chosen, would need to be added to your plan. Consider the zip line, for one.

[DirtyDawg]

You're at $2600 and change now. With more tips and spending money pushes it up to $2800 or so. Then add a 10% - 15% fudge factor for unexpected or special things you might do that come up while your on your cruise.

 

It is good that you are budgeting but don't over budget and over plan. A friend of mine was, and still is a planner and budgeter. He and a girlfriend (who was a normal person) went to England years ago for the two week vacation. He had everything planned down to the minute and to the shilling. Needless to say, they returned home separately and never spoke again.:eek:

[Strophic]

A friend of mine was, and still is a planner and budgeter. He and a girlfriend (who was a normal person) went to England years ago for the two week vacation. He had everything planned down to the minute and to the shilling. Needless to say, they returned home separately and never spoke again.:eek:

 

Haha, my boyfriend and I are VERY different in this regard. I had all the cash expenses organised in individual labeled envelopes with a cost breakdown on the inside flap. Meanwhile my boyfriend forgot his pants.

 

He accepts me for being a very detailed planner if it means that all he has to do is show up. Meanwhile I am happy to have more control over the trip since his laissez-faire attitude means I get to set everything up to my liking and he'll be happy with it no matter what. It is a simbiotic relationship.

[cb at sea]

Wow...$100 for misc. spending? I'd bring MUCH more than that...it's always good to have cash..there is a safe to store it...and if you don't spend it...put it back in the bank when you get home!

[Strophic]

Wow...$100 for misc. spending? I'd bring MUCH more than that...it's always good to have cash..there is a safe to store it...and if you don't spend it...put it back in the bank when you get home!

 

The only souvenir I bought last time was a bottle of vanilla |D

[teknoge3k]

You have soda package. I am not sure about the line you're sailing on and honestly am too lazy to look up their policy but with Carnival you can each take on your own soda and not have to worry about that. You may check into that. Also, double check your parking. I know for a 7 day cruise out of Charleston it's $117 to park. I know you said you won't spend much but honestly $100 seems WAYYYYYY too low. We spend more than $100 per day, I couldn't imagine that for an entire cruise, even one of the short ones. It's better to budget it and not need it than not have it and need it.

You'll also want to tip your porters $1-$2 per bag and maybe a little extra for your steward. Also pictures, if you want to buy them. Remember, everyone is different though.

[Strophic]

You have soda package. I am not sure about the line you're sailing on and honestly am too lazy to look up their policy but with Carnival you can each take on your own soda and not have to worry about that. You may check into that. Also, double check your parking. I know for a 7 day cruise out of Charleston it's $117 to park. I know you said you won't spend much but honestly $100 seems WAYYYYYY too low. We spend more than $100 per day, I couldn't imagine that for an entire cruise, even one of the short ones. It's better to budget it and not need it than not have it and need it.

You'll also want to tip your porters $1-$2 per bag and maybe a little extra for your steward. Also pictures, if you want to buy them. Remember, everyone is different though.

 

I like the soda package because I like drinking Shirley Temples :D

 

We're parking with Park Port Canaveral which is already paid, so that one is confirmed for the cost we have on the budget. We parked with Go Port Canaveral which was even cheaper last time, but I went ahead and got something a little more secure for this trip since, even though nothing happened to the car, I would prefer something gated and patrolled. But parking at Port Canaveral proper is like $170...way too much when there are cheaper alternatives that get the job done.

 

I will bump up the spending money budget, but I can't imagine spending over $200 on miscellany on the whole cruise. I spend two and a half weeks in Turkey and only spent $240 so I am a very frugal person in the realm of gifts and souvenirs.

[Strophic]

Ok, here is the updated budget:

 

 

Cory actually requested that his spending money be REDUCED from $50 to $25. That boy just...doesn't buy souvenirs. At all. But it's his money, so I can't complain :P

[teknoge3k]

ALSO.... I see you're in NC, which is closer to FL than I am. Is $80 really enough money for gas for a round trip to Florida? I wouldn't think that would be enough money 1 way for gas, yet alone round trip. Also post-cruise, are you guys coming straight home from FL? Did you factor in food for that trip?

[Strophic]

Gas was the only thing I really guessed on because my credit card statement only showed two $20 fill-ups during the time frame of our last cruise and I don't remember how many times my boyfriend paid for gas. I drive a 2013 Ford Fiesta so we get pretty good gas mileage, but I really don't know. Food for the trip is factored under "Meals to and from Port Canaveral" on the updated budget.

[widallas]

Ok, here is the updated budget:

 

Cory actually requested that his spending money be REDUCED from $50 to $25. That boy just...doesn't buy souvenirs. At all. But it's his money, so I can't complain :P

 

Love your spreadsheet -- I have one that looks a lot like it! ;) Some people don't do the planning thing, but I made the template and have used it for three cruises now. I don't watch down to the penny, but like having an overview of how much we spend and we like living within a budget. You look like you have thought of all the important stuff! A few things to consider:

 

 

 

• You can bring two bottles of wine on board -- perfect for those specialty dinners, or the balcony.
  
• IMHO Johnny Rockets is OK, but not great...the specialty restaurant lunch option you have on your list might be a better bang-for-your-buck. Think about JR later in the trip in case you want to switch to another one of those. Don't know if you've ever done the tutti salad bar in the MDR for lunch, but that's great also.
  
• We also hate souvenirs, but I always find a pair of earrings, and if doing an excursion a t-shirt. Love wearing those when we get back. Also, we budget for a few optionals (i.e. massages on the beach).
  
• I agree with your alcohol budget -- we do enjoy the drinks, but no way we could get our moneys worth out of the package.
  

Have a great cruise! Oasis was moored next to our little Mariner of the Seas in port a few years ago -- it looks fabulous!!!

[Grandma Dazzles]

Interesting post given that in another thread you are bragging about how you shared your last soda package.

 

Sorry but I agree with the folks there - sharing a package is stealing.

 

How come this time you have decided to budget?

[Strophic]

Interesting post given that in another thread you are bragging about how you shared your last soda package.

 

Sorry but I agree with the folks there - sharing a package is stealing.

 

How come this time you have decided to budget?

 

Literally couldn't care less about your opinion. The budget is for one soda package.

[Jasalth]

You seem to really like to budget!!

 

A suggestion for you since you said you weren't sure about gas money. If you put something about GAS and your BUDDY in the googlebox the first site is always what I go by. Since you listed your car as a 2013 Ford Fiesta earlier, I put it in for my trip I will be taking soon on land. It will be 609 miles round trip. Your gas total would be $40. To compare it, my 2012 Jeep which gets 10 mpg less than you, it would only be about $50. Don't know where you are in North Carolina, but that site also lets you make stops, such as your AirBnB in Jacksonville so you can account for that also. If you go with the price there now, I would say add 25% to it then budget for that amount just in case of price increases. Better to over budget than under budget!

 

Also while it depends on how you are driving and if you are willing to take a longer way, remember Florida Tolls! I haven't driven to/in Florida in 5 years and then it was to Tampa so your trip may differ. I am also notoriously cheap with tolls even in my own state. I always figure out the cost of the toll vs the extra time it takes. Our land trip soon I could take a toll road and pay $30 each way and save about 45 mins of time each way. To me, $60 is not worth 90 mins of me and DH's time and extra cost in toll road food/gas. Sure DH can make over that at work depending on the situation (yeah for Unions and amazing Holiday policies with our company!) but still that is only for about 50 hours a year so...

 

To me your budget for meals to and from seems a bit small at $80. This is based on me figuring 3 meals down (Lunch, Dinner, Breakfast) before getting on the ship and 2 back (Lunch, Dinner). Now I don't know exactly how long the drive is, or what time you plan on leaving but even then the only thing I can see cutting out is lunch on the way down. Even at 4 meals, you are budgeting $10 a meal which is about enough for a fast food place. I can also only assume this includes drinks/snacks on the way there and back also which cuts it tighter to about $8 a meal if you just get 1 bottle of soda between meals. A good way to cut this down or not spend as much? Get a cheap cooler and ice packs for the way down. Pack sandwiches and chips/cookies for lunch. Bring things for snacks for there and back that will keep for a week in the car. Also a pack of bottled water or soda for the drive. Sure warm drinks aren't the best, but IMO I would rather have a warm Coke I paid 50 cents for at home vs a cold one for $2.50 at a gas station! Also to cut costs, after your AirBnB for your final drive don't hit up the nearest fast food breakfast! Buy a package of muffins or donuts before you leave and just have those! A $4 package of donuts is better than spending $7 each on breakfast.

 

I would probably say budget $20-40 per person for Labadee. We went there on our one (and only.. but that is a story in itself) RCCL cruise. If it is your thing, you might be interested in something at their Straw Market. If you don't like feeling uncomfortable and pressured, I would say skip it all together even just for a walk through unless things changed. You might want to rent snorkel gear or floats and just make it a beach day and not actually plan any excursions. Another option would be going to that huge online retailer of all things and just getting your own snorkel gear. We paid less than $20 a set 2 years ago and they are holding up really well (mask and snorkel only, no fins/vest). You can think of it as an investment in future vacations instead of an expensive for this one. Also if any Grocery Stores have gas discounts around there, you can buy a gift card for part or all of the purchase, then use that to save some on gas for the trip.

 

My only other thought is to go through the port of call boards here for where you are going and find private vendors with their own websites. Sure you can go with TripAdvisor or ship excursions if you want to, but I have always found much much better options going with private vendors who don't have to pay commission to someone. There are a lot of things you can combine by going with private vendors that you can't with ship tours. Good examples are Cave Tubing and the Zoo in Belize for 1/2 the cost of ship tours with Carnival for just tubing, or for our Med cruise I was really torn with Athens because there is a father out place I really want to see (Corinth Canal) sure 500+ days out, but I found a place that will do an Athens tour of where we want to go plus take us to the Canal and Old Corinth in the time frame we are there for well under what I was willing to budget for it!

 

The only line on your spreadsheet I feel you are really missing is an "What if/Emergency?" line. Take your totals and make a line for 10% of the cost. You might not need it, but what if.. you forget your sandals/underwear/razor? On our last 2 cruises (with teenage boys mind you) we had to make a Walmart run. One cruise I forgot pajamas and no one wants mom sleeping in nothing in the same room with them for a week (except DH at least ;)). The last one we were getting ready to board the next day in the NCL Haven. We get to the hotel, I look at my DS and he has a hole in his shoe. Nah he didn't think it was an issue but you know, so not letting him run around the Haven area for a week with holes in his shoes!! Another random expense was because we always drive and I was wearing sandals. Tripped over a curb and took a huge chunk out of my toenail and it looked horrible ascetically, only time I ever went to the spa on a ship, but the pedicure for cruise nail pictures was worth it. If you don't need it that is wonderful! Based on your current totals it would be about $300. You can either go home with it, or if your find your really love Royal, get a Next Cruise certificate for each (or one) of you for $100 and that counts as the deposit on your next cruise so you have already started planning for the next one.

[sfaaa]

OK, so you got a budget. Great. But how are you going to keep tap of your daily spending to make sure you won't go over your budget? Are you going to bring your accounting laptop with you on your cruise?

[babs135]

Are you an accountant? Never seen such detailed budget for a holiday before. For me this is just plain boring. What will happen if you end up spending more than you budgeted for - it can happen? Have you built into your spreadsheet that 'unexpected spend' or will you simply deny yourself.

 

Yes, I know it's your holiday and that's the point; it's a holiday, a time to relax and have fun, not worry about budgets (to some degree).

 

And yes, we budget for our holiday. I would imagine just about everyone on this website will do the same - unless you are a mega millionaire you need to know when enough spending is enough, but please, please remember you are on holiday and if you see or want to do something that you hadn't budgeted for then go for it. Do you want to return home after your holiday and think back that you actually wished you'd bought that whatever, or taken that trip.

 

Life is too short (even at your age) to take anything for granted.

 

Anyway, enjoy your cruise. I know you'll have a great time,

[Grandma Dazzles]

OK, so you got a budget. Great. But how are you going to keep tap of your daily spending to make sure you won't go over your budget? Are you going to bring your accounting laptop with you on your cruise?

 

I agree - everyone has been incredibly helpful to the OP. However, I wonder how many agree that sharing the drink package is a money saver. She has posted this on another thread, and didn't like my comment regarding this "money saver."

 

Sorry OP your whole plan to me is suspect - sounds like you will do anything to save a buck.

[Strophic]

Here's the thing, we're one and two years out of college, respectively, and we don't make enough money not to worry about our budget. Just winging it is a luxury we can't afford yet.

 

So yeah, I do need to plan out every dollar and save up carefully, because I won't have that money just lying around come December if I don't. Sorry if that's "boring" to some people, but I'm not going to accidentally go a couple hundred dollars over budget because...well, it just isn't an option to do so.

 

I'm not going to bring my laptop with me on my cruise, I'm just going to know in advance how much money I can spend and not spend more than that. All it takes is a half decent memory and some self control.

[leaveitallbehind]

Here's the thing, we're one and two years out of college, respectively, and we don't make enough money not to worry about our budget. Just winging it is a luxury we can't afford yet.

 

So yeah, I do need to plan out every dollar and save up carefully, because I won't have that money just lying around come December if I don't. Sorry if that's "boring" to some people, but I'm not going to accidentally go a couple hundred dollars over budget because...well, it just isn't an option to do so.

 

I'm not going to bring my laptop with me on my cruise, I'm just going to know in advance how much money I can spend and not spend more than that. All it takes is a half decent memory and some self control.

 

To be candid that is the first time I've seen a thread with such a detailed breakdown of virtually every expense imaginable broken out on a spreadsheet. Certainly if it has merit to you then fine, but if you post it asking for feedback on a public forum you need to be prepared to take the good with the bad - that's all just par for the course - and not get too defensive if someone's views on its merit differ from yours.

 

Personally, I don't think there is anything wrong with planning an overall spend with a vacation, but I hope you wouldn't plan to manage each day and each expense "to the letter" as outlined. That - again just to me - would just be too cumbersome and would take the fun out of what I was doing. If the overall total is an amount you can afford, then let it go at that. I would suggest - as others have - to pad the total somewhat so you're not concerned over every penny spent and just go and enjoy yourself. Again, just my opinion.

 

But you also need to realize that comments regarding sharing of individually purchased packages - obviously with the goal of saving money - is going to draw valid criticism, regardless of how you rationalize it. That too is par for the course and is fair commentary.

 

Enjoy your cruise - and as I said in my first post, try not to over think it!

[Strophic]

I understand that I posted on a public forum and asked for feedback, but you have to remember that I didn't ask people "is this budget a good idea or not?" I asked "did I forget anything?" Which, I did forget a few things, and people chimed in with some extra expenses that I hadn't accounted for, and it was much appreciated. I don't think that the fact that I disagree with the comments telling me I'm boring and a penny-pincher necessarily means I'm being defensive—I just don't agree, and I have a reason for disagreeing. I also don't agree with dragging another thread's drama into this one, since...I just plain don't care for drama in the first place.

 

Re: Planning everything to the letter. In my day to day life, I don't carry any cash on me whatsoever. And many of these expenses (especially tips) are not something you can pay with a credit card. So I need to know exactly how much "cash in hand" I'll need to cover those expenses—yes, with a little buffer for unexpected things—because if I don't actively plan to have $12 cash for tips, I will not have that money on me.

 

I like having detailed plans. Any part of "the planning process" is fun for me, whether it be booking excursions or crunching numbers, because my personality is that I enjoy planning. I have more fun and feel more relaxed when I know that there won't be any surprises in my bank account at the end of the week. Which is why I'm getting this budget out of the way seven months in advance and not letting it occupy my thoughts during the cruise itself. That's not everyone's idea of a good time, I understand. And not everyone has to be so meticulous because they've got plenty of money to burn. But if I want that hundred-dollar-buffer to be there come cruise time, I need to start planning for it now. I respect that people enjoy different things, and I'd like my way to be respected and not have a bunch of assumptions be made about how I am ruining my own fun. That's all.