Frequent Cruisers

[many cruises]

We love to cruise & try to go on 2 cruises a year. We aren't rich by any means. We set our priorities & cruising is at the top of our list. We rarely go out to dinner or to a movie because we would rather save that money for our next cruise. We also usually stay in inside rooms, bring on our own liquor & wine, & spend our money on excursions. I agree that it is "how you cruise" ...what you spend on each trip that can save you money. I know some people spend thousands on the ship...we would rather go on another cruise. :)

[mek]

My DH and I have been on 30+ cruises, and we also take land based vacations. We look for bargins and generally book insides or some outside cabins when cruising. Last year we took 4 cruises - one was a Baltic cruise, and this year we took 2 - one on a 12 night Med cruise. Fortunately, I have a lot of frequent flyer miles, so on the past two cruises to Europe the air has been free. We don't drink much, so we never have an expensive bar bill - maybe $50 for a 7 night cruise. I do go to the spa for a massage on most cruises and we take shore excursions, but usually book them independently with private tour guides. I do my homework and make sure I am getting the most for my $'s. There are some amazing deals out there if you look hard enough and are flexable with where and when you travel. For example, we're taking our grandson to Hawaii in April and it is costing us more because we have to stay within his spring break time frame. Usually, I find a deal and then plan my trip around that. One of my better bargins was to London in 2001 - just under $500 each, including RT air from the mid-west (only one connection in Philly), surprisingly nice hotel by Kensington Palace, full breakfast daily and RT van transfers from Gatwick to hotel. The best cruise deal I ever got was during the 1st gulf war. $699 pp, 7night cruise from San Juan, transfers, outside cabin and the clincher was RT 1st class air. Oh, and one other thing...we don't blow a lot of extra $'s on alternative dining on cruises.

[kryos]

Its a matter of priorities.

Excellent post!

 

With the exception of dinners out, I follow all of your guidelines, and that's how I am able to afford a couple of cruises a year. The only reason I do dinners out is because I have my 92 year old father living with me, and when mom was alive we always enjoyed a meal out on Sundays. Dad and I continue that tradition to this day.

 

But other than that ... I have found that it is all a matter of what is important to you. Unless you are very, very wealthy, you learn real quick about the importance of making choices. If you want that expensive large screen plasma tv, you're gonna have to give up something else to get it. If you want a brand new car, well then that addition you wanted to put onto the house may have to wait for a few more years.

 

In my case, I love cruising ... became absolutely addicted to it a couple of years ago. Now, I am willing to forego certain "luxury" items ... such as the latest and greatest electronic gadgets, lots of expensive clothes, etc. ... so that I can save up the money to cruise. It used to be the same when I skydived regularly. Skydiving can be an expensive sport. If you want to do that, then there are other things you won't be able to do.

 

I usually travel alone and I try to cruise on lines and sailings that offer a reasonable single supplement. I have a "blue collar" job and make about $65,000 a year (I'm covered by a union contract). I'm not rich by any means, but I always seem to find the money to take a cruise. In fact, in 2005 I will have taken three of them before the year comes to a close. Next year, I will take two, but one will be of 30 days in length. My friends wonder too how I could afford this. But if they looked closely they would see that there's a lot of things I don't have ... including a car. Public transit works great in the city of Philadelphia and the money I save easily pays for at least one cruise a year. :)

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Coral]

I do have to say that we (those of us who post on this board) are all very fortunate to be able to take vacations and cruises - even if it is once every 12-24 months.

 

There was a time in my life when even if cruising was a priority, I could not have afforded a cruise/vacation equivalant to what I am doing now. Thankfully all those years of working 2-3 jobs at one time and going to school in the evenings is over. I am so thankfully that I survived my 20's because looking back - I don't know how I did it. I remember one year thinking how fortunate I was to actually get out of the state and go to Vegas for 3 days.

 

We are very fortunate to be able to cruise and we should cherish those vacations because one never knows what tomorrow may be bring.

 

Cruisinforever - thank you for posting. I wish you the best and am so glad you were able to cruise when you could. It is because of unknowns like yours that makes me want to live for today.

[many cruises]

Coral: I agree that we are very fortunate to be able to cruise & we do cherish those vacations because none of us knows what tomorrow wil bring. There is so much illness & tragedy in this world that we should all try to live life to its fullest while we can!:)

[kryos]

There was a time in my life when even if cruising was a priority, I could not have afforded a cruise/vacation equivalant to what I am doing now. Thankfully all those years of working 2-3 jobs at one time and going to school in the evenings is over. I am so thankfully that I survived my 20's because looking back - I don't know how I did it. I remember one year thinking how fortunate I was to actually get out of the state and go to Vegas for 3 days.

Same here. Have worked two jobs off and on for years ... to get extra money for things that were important to me at the time. In fact, after my 30-day cruise in January, I plan to go back to two jobs for a while ... because I'll need to replenish the cruise fund. :) The particular cruise I'm taking is a "special" one ... and a very expensive one ... to commemorate my 50th birthday, which I will celebrate on the island of Maui.

 

I consider myself very fortunate and while I wish my father would cruise with me, he refuses. Says it wouldn't be his cup of tea. But he tells me the same thing you say ... enjoy life while you can, cause you never know what the future will bring.

 

Good words to live by, in my opinion ... and I thank God I have the resources and the health to enjoy something I love like cruising right now. I only wish I had discovered it while Mom was still alive. I can't help but think how much she would have probably enjoyed it.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita