How do you pay for cruises

[clo]

1 hour ago, LynnTTT said:

Same for cars (and keep them till they actually die),

My '97 Honda CRV that I had intended to drive forever was having a problem that was going to cause the engine to be replaced 😞  We bought only our second new car in 30 years.  We have always lived below our means and it has paid off handsomely.

[navybankerteacher]

2 hours ago, DirtyDawg said:

 

You WIN!!!

or is it the other one?

 

One of our boys is back doing his MBA at one of the most expensive schools in our country. Lucky for us he is paying the full freight, mostly from his savings no less! 

 

It sure didn’t feel like winning when the drain pipe from my wallet was so much wider than the tap - but the ten grands now more than balance the books.

[DarrenM]

2 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Try two girls - with weddings, and twin sons being helped with law school expenses - after university - which is why I only discovered cruising fairly recently.

 

11 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Off the point, but what do you think might happen to your IRA when the securities markets “adjust” from today’s all-time highs?

I am with you both here. Second son graduated from University this week, after the first did 4 years ago.

 

I have only just found out what disposable income is. I used to think they were made up words.

[clo]

2 hours ago, DirtyDawg said:

One of our boys is back doing his MBA at one of the most expensive schools in our country. Lucky for us he is paying the full freight, mostly from his savings no less! 

 

Except for two weddings, neither of our daughters have cost us a dime since they got their undergrad degrees.  And as far as the weddings, we gave them each a check with the implication that they shouldn't come back to the well.

[DarrenM]

I have only been on this ite for a couple of weeks and already my head is spinning with the complications of the dining arrangements, and now with complicated credit card deals.

 

I used to think life was simple.

[clo]

1 minute ago, DarrenM said:

complicated credit card deals

Doesn't have to be complicated.  Whatever decision you make at the time is right for you.

[DarrenM]

Believe me, anything to do with finance is complicated to me.

 

I cancelled a meeting with our pensions expert at work, because I just couldnt understand any of what I was supposed to have taken with me. I figured I preferred not to know about it.

[RocketMan275]

10 minutes ago, DarrenM said:

Believe me, anything to do with finance is complicated to me.

 

I cancelled a meeting with our pensions expert at work, because I just couldnt understand any of what I was supposed to have taken with me. I figured I preferred not to know about it.

My friend, you will learn all about it when you get ready to retire.  Suggest you rethink that decision.  Get in touch with those experts and have them explain the things you don't understand.  

[RocketMan275]

19 minutes ago, DarrenM said:

I have only been on this ite for a couple of weeks and already my head is spinning with the complications of the dining arrangements, and now with complicated credit card deals.

 

I used to think life was simple.

None of those 'complications' will ruin your cruise.  You may find out that you prefer a different dining arrangement but you'll still be on a cruise.  You will enjoy it and you will learn what works for you.   Don't try to make this too hard.

[DirtyDawg]

33 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

It sure didn’t feel like winning when the drain pipe from my wallet was so much wider than the tap - but the ten grands now more than balance the books.

 

We just got our first grand last month. You are 1000% right on grands balancing the books!

 

I almost cracked a smile! 😉

 

Edited July 4, 2019 by DirtyDawg

[Bizmark'sMom]

36 minutes ago, DarrenM said:

Believe me, anything to do with finance is complicated to me.

 

I cancelled a meeting with our pensions expert at work, because I just couldnt understand any of what I was supposed to have taken with me. I figured I preferred not to know about it.

Keep digging until you find somebody who can break it down so that you understand.  It took me awhile, but I finally found advisors who are willing to take the time - and even draw charts as necessary.  Your potential retirement is important enough to put the effort into. Seriously.

[evandbob]

I always use a credit card to pay the initial deposit.  Then I look for discounted gift cards (AARP for Carnival, 10% off e.g.) which I buy via CC.  I ALWAYS pay off my CC in full when the statement comes in.  I'll also use discounted gift cards to pay off my on board bill, another 10% saved.

 

From one card, I have redeemed over 2 Million freq flyer points for free air travel.  We have even flown from NY to Tahiti first class non stop for about $60 using miles.  

[FlyerTalker]

2 hours ago, clo said:

Doesn't have to be complicated.  Whatever decision you make at the time is right for you.

 

HA!!!

 

It may be the decision that you thought was right, but the reality is often different.  For example, most of the cruiseline related cards have lousy returns, yet people emotionally use them because it works toward a "cheaper cruise".  Or they go for the no-fee because they don't like the idea of paying for a CC.  Yet that fee would be returned many times over with proper use.

 

Crunch the numbers, crunch your spending patterns and crunch your aspirational goals.  Then you are doing it right.

[FlyerTalker]

2 hours ago, DarrenM said:

Believe me, anything to do with finance is complicated to me.

 

I cancelled a meeting with our pensions expert at work, because I just couldnt understand any of what I was supposed to have taken with me. I figured I preferred not to know about it.

 

There are thousands of senior Wal Mart greeters who also preferred not to know about it.  (And yes, some that just want to have something to do and get a little beer money)

 

 

[ducklite]

13 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

There are thousands of senior Wal Mart greeters who also preferred not to know about it.  (And yes, some that just want to have something to do and get a little beer money)

 

 

Ding Ding Ding...  We have a winner!

 

[Bookish Angel]

We pay for everything we can on a credit card that gives us cash back and pay the bill off every month so there is never any interest or late fees.   We have been 100% debt-free for over 20 years and live a full but frugal life to keep it that way and to travel well and often.

 

I drive a 16 year-old Subaru that is very reliable and has less than 90,000 miles.  Same for my husband's 10 year old Honda.   Buying quality up front saves time and money later.

 

We are both very good with money and major savers who don't need many material things but consider travel a need.  

 

Financial security gives us freedom to do what we want, when we want.   

Edited July 4, 2019 by Bookish Angel

[ducklite]

2 hours ago, DarrenM said:

Believe me, anything to do with finance is complicated to me.

 

I cancelled a meeting with our pensions expert at work, because I just couldnt understand any of what I was supposed to have taken with me. I figured I preferred not to know about it.

Particularly when the advice is free from someone being paid by the pension plan, sit and listen.  If you don't understand, ask them to explain it a different way.  If you still don't understand, ask them again. Have them draw it out.  Have them give you an analogy.  

You will regret not wanting to know when you are retired and can't afford to go on a cruise, because you didn't take advantage of the ability to learn and make educated choices while you still had the chance to prepare financially for your future.

[sverigecruiser]

5 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

While you might truthfully say that “merchants don’t charge EXTRA for using a credit card”,  doesn’t the fact that some “charge MORE for using a credit card “ at the pump kind of cloud the issue?

 

Interesting that some charge more when using a credit card in the US! In Sweden lots of places seems to hate cash paying customers and more and more places don't accept cash at all. For example IKEA in my town don't accept cash anymore.

 

As for the OPs question we pay the deposit with a credit card and after that we save  as much money as we can every month until the rest shall be paid. We also save all coins and small bills and that is often around $2000 between two cruises.    

[clo]

43 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

Crunch the numbers, crunch your spending patterns and crunch your aspirational goals.  Then you are doing it right.

That poster was feeling confused about the whole issue.  One expenditure that's not so good, unless it's real estate, is unlikely to send someone to the poor house.  And, yes, we are definitely students of our personal money management.  My husband got laid off and offered (a generous) an early pension at age 53.  And we made it - again with adjustments.  But we had NO debt whatsoever.

[clo]

26 minutes ago, ducklite said:

You will regret not wanting to know when you are retired and can't afford to go on a cruise,

How about having the money to spend $100k/yr on assisted living?  A cruise is discretionary.  My late mother-in-law was in assisted living in Reno almost ten years ago.  An apartment and two meals a day was $5k/month!

[navybankerteacher]

12 minutes ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

Interesting that some charge more when using a credit card in the US! In Sweden lots of places seems to hate cash paying customers and more and more places don't accept cash at all. For example IKEA in my town don't accept cash anymore.

 

As for the OPs question we pay the deposit with a credit card and after that we save  as much money as we can every month until the rest shall be paid. We also save all coins and small bills and that is often around $2000 between two cruises.    

That may be the wave of the future,  but might be difficult for a merchant to pull in the US at this time - our currency is defined as “legal tender for all debts public and private” - and certainly runs counter to the growing craze for Bitcoin, etc. - part of whose attraction is the transactional anonymity they supposedly promise.   A government interested in monitoring, or taxing, all transactions would certainly appreciate a cashless society.

[clo]

3 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

That may be the wave of the future,  but might be difficult for a merchant to pull in the US at this time - our currency is defined as “legal tender for all debts public and private” - and certainly runs counter to the growing craze for Bitcoin, etc. - part of whose attraction is the transactional anonymity they supposedly promise.   A government interested in monitoring, or taxing, all transactions would certainly appreciate a cashless society.

I may have mentioned here or elsewhere that there are restaurants in LA (and perhaps other places that weren't mentioned) that no longer accept cash.

[navybankerteacher]

4 minutes ago, clo said:

I may have mentioned here or elsewhere that there are restaurants in LA (and perhaps other places that weren't mentioned) that no longer accept cash.

I think they might have a problem actually enforcing that position on a diner who ate and then, obviously owing money, advised that he had no card and offered to settle his debt with “legal tender” — of course, the restaurateur would be able to let him walk as an alternative to accepting cash.

[davekathy]

3 hours ago, clo said:

My '97 Honda CRV that I had intended to drive forever was having a problem that was going to cause the engine to be replaced 😞  We bought only our second new car in 30 years.  We have always lived below our means and it has paid off handsomely.

Living within your needs, not your wants. Works for us. 

[clo]

6 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Living within your needs, not your wants. Works for us. 

As we told the little old lady for whom Bob was her trustee:  "You can have anything you want, not everything you want."