Thinking Back

[babs135]

All being well, by the end of this year DH and I will have had 5 holidays, 3 cruises and 2 land based holidays, which by our own standards is pretty extraordinary but it got me thinking back to when I was a young girl - I am now a senior citizen.

 

As a youngster if my parents could afford a weeks holiday it was great, a fortnights break was unheard of and as for going abroad - where was that? Roll on to the early years of our marriage and two wage packets enabled us to do the 'package holiday' but then came the children, only one wage packet and holidays went out of the window. Eventually circumstances changed and the two weeks holiday became the 'norm' and now cruising is seen more and more for the masses, not just the few.

 

How things have changed in my own lifetime.

 

What are your thoughts and memories?

[leaveitallbehind]

We too have been fortunate in our lives with the ability over time to enjoy our family as they grew and to benefit from more vacation time with traveling.

 

I guess there are some pluses to growing older.....:)

[Bookish Angel]

My parents could never really afford much travel but they encouraged me to find a way to see the places I dreamed about through exposure to National Geographic magazines which were a neccessity in our house.

 

My husband and I, married nearly 24 years, made a joint decision to have no debt, ever, and we have been 100% debt-free for about 21 years, owning our home and vehicles.

 

Our second decision was to prioritize experiences over things acquired. As we are not buying the next big thing, we have sufficient funds to travel whenever and wherever we desire and have happily done so while still saving for retirement.

 

Those 2 early decisions have given us such freedom and I would not change a thing. Yes, I drive a 15 year-old Subaru and my husband drives a 9 year-old Honda that replacd a 16.5 year-old Honda but we have completed our first bucket list and are at work on our second one.

Edited July 7, 2018 by Bookish Angel

[Joebucks]

We always did the one family summer vacation every year to the same spot. It was the highlight of my year. I am so glad my parents took me. Some years after the parents split, we had a second, and that was fun too. It was never enough!

 

Now that I am older, and have my own money, at least 2, week-long vacations per year is a must. One earlier in the year, one later in the year. There really is no other thing that I get as much enjoyment out of as a vacation. Take all of the nonsense people waste on: cigarettes, coffee, fast food, even alcohol, cable, clothes, etc and put that towards an awesome getaway!

 

It kills me to hear people who never travel, rarely travel, never tried a bunch of things, etc. I am in my early 30s. While there is always someone out there who has done way more than me, I am fortunate for what I have had. There are people all over the world who have never traveled, and never will. I just discovered cruising last year. I wish I had done it sooner!

[navybankerteacher]

I think the “no debt ever” concept is great - but difficult to achieve. We took on debt for capital investments only: real estate. Everything else, cars, appliances, travel, etc. were “pay cash or do without”. With childrens’ education completed, followed shortly by home mortgage paid off, retirement came easy. Without tuition or mortgage payments, funds available for discretionary spending increased markedly - despite reduction in gross income.

 

The one “unnecessary” trip per year has been replaced by five or six.

[iancal]

We have always traveled. Everything from VW vans through to cruises, AI's and five/six star resorts. My career enabled some of it and we have been fortunate to live and work in different parts of our country.

 

Now retired we are doing extended trips-anywhere from six weeks to three months. Three significant changes since retirement. We do extended travel, much of it is spontaneous travel (including cruises), and we pack far less than we ever did before. Only carry on now. When we leave home on a land trip we never know if we will end up on a cruise at some point during the trip. We take advantage of last minute specials-air, AI, cruise, whatever.

 

The one change since retirement is fewer cruises. We now have the time, the health, and the inclination to spend more time in our bucket list travel locations. We are grounded for a few months but already looking at potential fall trips to Morocco or perhaps a guided tour, our first, to India.

 

Our post retirement home was selected for travel. Lock and leave. When we shop for clothing the question is always 'how will the garment travel'.

 

The biggest change looking back. People we knew did not travel much nor did they go far. My parents would go back to the UK every four or five years. Cruises we something that more affluent people did. The most common was trips to Florida, South Carolina or 7 day inexpensive AI's in Cuba. Now....the world is much smaller, travel is affordable, and the internet makes it so easy to shop for travel, research locations, and arrange travel.

Edited July 7, 2018 by iancal

[airboss1998]

We take advantage of last minute specials-air, AI, cruise, whatever.

 

 

Curious how you find the last-minute stuff? Are you talking a week, 30 days? Thanks

[JimnKaren]

My father was a geography nut. We did road trips in the car and we stopped at every roadside sign that indicated anything had occurred near there. Later, when we children were gone my parents got to all 50 US states and managed to take a photo in front of each state capital building.

 

Karen and I cruise, we moved to Florida so that we could be closer to those "last minute" opportunities that come along. We only need a cat sitter and we are gone. Many of our cruises lately have been where we fly somewhere and cruise back to Florida. A short drive in a rental car and we are home.

 

Jim

[navybankerteacher]

Curious how you find the last-minute stuff? Are you talking a week, 30 days? Thanks

 

My idea of “last minute” is less than a week. The really significant price cuts, if they come at all, come when the doors are starting to swing shut. You really need to live near the port, or be willing to pay possibly-high last minute air fares — and be able to pack and move on very short notice —- and also be willing to find something else to do if that great bargain does not materialize.

[SPacificbound]

As a child we were not taken on vacations with our parents, our grandmother stayed with us.

 

At a young age it was very important to me that my children saw the United States.

 

Typically that was camping in mostly state and national parks, sometimes in privately owned parks in places like one we found in Colorado Springs one time. We camped from Padre Island and Big Ben in Texas, to the Rocky mountains, Yellowstone, Bryce Canyon, Smoky mountains and many other places. We would stay in a motel a few nights every now and then. They saw a lot of our country, and I am glad that they did.

 

DH (who came along after my children were grown) and I have traveled to all 7 continents and more countries than we can count. Our trips are usually in the 3 to 4 month range. The past five years we have paired cruising with our land/air/rail travel. We got to cruising late, but we have found as we have gotten older it is much more comfortable to cross the Atlantic on Queen Mary 2 than by plane.

 

At the moment I am not able to leave the country while we wait for my ICD to be replaced at some point. I just cancelled everything we had booked for late 2018-2019 a couple days ago and re-booked for late 2019-2020.

 

Travel is our extravagance, and it is something that we both share a love for. The bucket list has been done, so next we will be returning to our 2 favorite continents, Africa and Australia.

[GUT2407]

As a kid never had holidays, dad was self employed and a holiday would mean no income at all and find8ng someone to take over.

 

We did live in a lovely place many would come to for holidays though.

 

When we got married, a few health set backs, then started studying as mature age students, so 18 years with nothing more than some long weekends away.

 

Friends eat trying to get us to cruise. Eventually tried a shortish one, fell in love with it.

 

Not health is going downhill so not sure how many more we will have so trying to squeeze in as many as we can.

[iancal]

Last minute for us can be anywhere from 2 or 3 days to 30/45 days out. The last two AI's were less than a week out. Cruises have been anywhere from 3/4 days out through to 45 days. Air specials really vary. First trip to Thailand was booked 10 days out. A special popped up in Jan and 10 days later we were in Bangkok.

 

We are on a number of mailing lists. We also routinely check several others for cruises, AI's etc. On extended trips we will often book one way tickets or open jaws but always with tickets that can be changed for a penalty payment. I prefer 3 month trips, DW wants shorter. I have currently have 60 day out of country medical/evac from my pension plan so the past two trips have been 59 days. There is a significant increase in out of country medical premiums when you reach 65 or when one of you has pre-existing conditions, certain prescriptions, or recent medical issues even if they are no longer an issue for you.

 

I am planning to do a solo tour to a area that DW has no interest in. The tour company runs specials. On line visas can be had in four days so I expect to pick up a short notice tour perhaps 3-4 weeks in advance of departure date.

 

We have become more flexible since travelling extensively after retirement. When we go to SE Asia we will have air booked and perhaps hotel for three nights. After that we have a basic plan but it is always subject to change.

[Heidi13]

Brought up in UK, my parents got the standard 2 week holiday per year, which we spent in a caravan (RV) or B&B's. As a teenager package holidays became more popular and cheaper, so we visited Isle of Man and Spain.

 

After school I ran away to sea working mostly on cruise ships, as Navigator, so I have seen many parts of the world, at least the ports. With kids in Canada, we purchased timeshare credits and travelled extensively throughout Western Canada & US.

 

In retirement, we mix RV'ing, with timeshares and cruises, travelling for up to 7 months per year. Our travel is primarily limited by maintaining our BC medical coverage, which requires we are within BC at least 5 months per year.

 

When cruising we prefer longer cruises, especially World Cruises or Grand Voyages. Although I worked cruise ships and cruise ferries for 40 yrs, I still enjoy cruising as a pax with no interest in visiting the Bridge. Next cruise is 2020 World Cruise with Viking.

 

When RV'ing we will spend 6 - 8 months, completing over 10,000 miles coast to coast.

[airboss1998]

the last two ai's were less than a week out.

 

 

ai?

[gwsster]

As a child we had one day vacations to the San Diego Zoo and that was it for the family. I did get to go camping with my Aunt and Uncle and Cousins when they took me for a month. When I raised my kids, they got a lot more vacations than I ever had. They in turn have lived overseas, then had children who are well traveled. I think the world is more accessible with television, flying to reduce concerns about travels. I am still not the best traveler, but I go, life is not a dress rehearsal, no do-overs.

[SPacificbound]

ai?

 

All inclusive

[OCruisers]

Probably most of us are able to vacation more now than when we were young.

We always had a week at the beach and maybe a couple of long weekends.

My first cruise was not until 1961 ... just a 3 day but got me hooked. :D

[airboss1998]

All inclusive

 

 

 

Thank you!

[lenquixote66]

All being well, by the end of this year DH and I will have had 5 holidays, 3 cruises and 2 land based holidays, which by our own standards is pretty extraordinary but it got me thinking back to when I was a young girl - I am now a senior citizen.

 

As a youngster if my parents could afford a weeks holiday it was great, a fortnights break was unheard of and as for going abroad - where was that? Roll on to the early years of our marriage and two wage packets enabled us to do the 'package holiday' but then came the children, only one wage packet and holidays went out of the window. Eventually circumstances changed and the two weeks holiday became the 'norm' and now cruising is seen more and more for the masses, not just the few.

 

How things have changed in my own lifetime.

 

What are your thoughts and memories?

 

 

My parents could not afford to buy a car and never did any traveling. When I was 18 and gainfully employed I began traveling .My wife and I took our first cruise when we were in our 20's .

[Warm Breezes]

My Dad was a truck driver and my Mom was a stay at home Mom. The extent of our vacations was weekend camping trips in our small truck camper that the 5 of us ended up living in for 3 months in my Grandparents yard when our house burnt down when I was 8. My parents divorced when I was 12 and there were no more camping trips. My Dad became a deadbeat Dad and my Mom married a man who wanted someone to take care of him and who couldn’t wait for us to finish high school so he could be rid of my 2 younger brothers and myself. We weren’t allowed to come on any vacations they went on.

 

I got straight A’s in high school, graduated at the top of class, and got a full ride to college. I stayed with my Grandparents during summer breaks and worked 3 part time jobs to support myself. I met my husband to be between my Freshman and Sophomore year at a gas station which was one of my part time jobs. He was working at a factory that he continued to work at until this year when he retired after 33 years there. We dated for 3 1/2 years so I could get my BSBA. I got my first job in my field making barely minimum wage...but I needed the experience that I was lacking.

 

My first plane ride and vacation outside of Michigan was on our honeymoon to LA. It was our first of many trips to the California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada area. We made it a priority, even in the early years to take at least one weeklong + vacation a year and as many long weekends as we could. We waited 5 years before having our son so I could get my MBA, paid for by my job, establish my career, save, and buy a starter house. That starter house became the home we raised our family in. My husband built a pole barn and doubled the size of our house, building the addition himself, over the last 28 years. It is now paid off and part of our retirement nest egg.

 

Everyone told us that our traveling would come to a screeching halt after kids. It didn’t. As before we made it a priority to take at least one weeklong + vacation a year with the kids plus a few weekend trips with them. We discovered cruising with them when they were 4 and 7. We also purchased a used motor home around that time and took a lot of weekend camping trips with them. We also made a point to take at a long weekend once a year without them. Traveling was a priority for us.

 

My career grew. We paid for our trips with my bonuses and credit card rewards. We put money away from the start for college, retirement, and emergencies. We drive our cars for 10 + years. We use cheap Trac phones and basic TV. We use our credit cards for everything and pay them in full every month. When we travel I do my research and find the best deal I can for what we want do.

 

We will have been married 30 years this October. We are celebrating our anniversary on the NCL Getaway. It will be our 18th Cruise...our 8th one without our kids with us. Our kids are now 21 and 24. We have a cruised scheduled next May to celebrate my daughters college graduation and my sons 25th birthday. We will have paid for both of their college tuitions. They both worked during college and lived at home to graduate debt free. My son now lives 16 hours away working as a sports editor and doing what he loves. My daughter is finishing up her education degree and is a professional dancer for a sports team. She is doing what she loves. They both still travel with us when our schedules allow.

 

My husband is now retired. He is getting our house ready to sell. The plan is for me to retire in 3 years at 55. I have survived 2 serious health scares. My father died at 59 and my younger brother died at 39 (leaving behind a 1 and 5 year old) both from a condition I almost died from when my daughter was born when I was 30. Life is short. My time with my husband and my family on these vacations is precious. In the past few years our vacations have increased to about 3 week long+ vacations a year...a good mixture of cruise and land/couple and family. We hope to continue our traveling in our retirement. We plan to downsize to a home in Florida and visit our kids wherever they land as part of our travel along with as many cruises as we can get in before the good Lord says our traveling days are done.

 

My advise to others is set your priorities, manage your money wisely whether you are making minimum wage or 6 figures, start saving early, use credit cards to your advantage not to your detriment, choices have consequences make them count, enjoy your family and your life..it is too short not to.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[sail7seas]

Great post, very good points.

 

 

My advice: is to not 'wait until you retire' If you have the desire and means to traveI you now have good health and the sTrenggth for ENERGETIC SIGHTSEEING. ,,,,,,,,, Go Now Don't Wait . Not everyone lives to retire and if hey do, some become too weak and incapacitated to walk and walk the room os musuems and the stairs and sgtair of catheedrals, the cobble stone streets. The only way to see lots of cities, fully is to wsalk, grab a taxi and then walk some more. :)

 

 

 

 

 

I m So GRATefuL my late DH and i sere so eager to traVel, wsere in fujll agreemENT AND we Did gravel. < ohy my goodess, Did we evergravel . We went, we had fantastic trip;s to Europe, All over, U.S. the whole Caribbeann, A little So. America Lots and lots, (I mean dozens and DOZENS of cruises.) We loved all thosrsre trips, he places we went, the things we saw, the things we leanred, the friends we m ade and people we met. Dif not WAIT for him to reitre. thankfully.

[Fergus]

As a child, my family always vacationed at Myrtle Beach SC. I remember it well - we played outside on the beach until we were burnt to a crisp, then we put on a t-shirt and Solarcaine (sp?) spray and continued playing on the beach! A few years after we married, my husband won a cruise at his company's Christmas party and that opened our eyes to cruising - not sure if we would have ever tried it otherwise? Then as our kids came along, we have done as many cruises and land vacations as we have been able - Caribbean, Alaska, Yellowstone, Maine, Cape Cod, things like that. We have a 28 yr old daughter who has special needs and one of her teachers once remarked that she thought our family travels had had such a wonderful impact on our daughter. (Last December, just she and I went to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and France on a tour of the Christmas Markets!!) Our son graduated a few years ago from the US Naval Academy and had many, many wonderful travel experiences there - and now he's an active duty Marine and will have many more.

 

I love that we've inspired a love of travel in our children; it's a gift that I know they'll pass along to their own children - our son's girlfriend is also a travel fanatic, so I know that will be the case, lol!!

[iancal]

The best thing we ever did to celebrate retirement was sell our house, keep only what fit in an 8X8X16 storage container, traveled for seven months and then spent another three months in a furnished apartment.

 

It changed our lifestyle. We became renters for four years with lots of carefree travel. When we did buy a home is was lock and leave. No pets, no plants other than the basil that we eat before we leave.

 

Daughter only like beach and resorts. Son has hiked and hitchhiked through the stans for months on end. Each to their own.

 

Travel has completely changed our eating habits. So much so that we can only take the bland North American style food on cruise ships, any of them, for so long. Twenty one days is a real stretch for us. This may be the reason why we are not married to one cruise line nor do we care about 'defending' the crusie line that we prefer. It is just another travel provide to us. The ship and the itinerary if far more important to us than the logo on the funnel.

 

We agree. Travel when you have your health. Don't wait for retirement. We have been 'grounded' since late March and probably will be until November, perhaps longer. Starting to shop now but it may be a tour vs. independent travel for the first six months or so.

Edited July 8, 2018 by iancal