Does anyone else use "fuzzy accounting" when costing a cruise?

[NateUpNorth]

We cost the final price of the cruise after taxes/port fees/grats etc....... add for flights and/or gas+hotel to drive to port...... and port hotels.

Usually that's close enough to get us over the hurdle of booking.

Excursions and on board spending we keep under control and so don't use as a deciding factor either way.

 

It's a little bit different than close family members of ours that go as far as the number the website spits out after entering the room type and number of passengers and then declaring "it'll only cost $1500, why don't you book with us!!!" LOL

 

 

[pcur]

13 hours ago, Tim and Shauna said:

Not fuzzy accounting at all. I am an accountant and I take into consideration everything you have pointed out to determine at net cost. 

Good to hear I'm not so "fuzzy" after all.  😀

[firefly333]

14 minutes ago, NateUpNorth said:

We cost the final price of the cruise after taxes/port fees/grats etc....... add for flights and/or gas+hotel to drive to port...... and port hotels.

Usually that's close enough to get us over the hurdle of booking.

Excursions and on board spending we keep under control and so don't use as a deciding factor either way.

 

It's a little bit different than close family members of ours that go as far as the number the website spits out after entering the room type and number of passengers and then declaring "it'll only cost $1500, why don't you book with us!!!" LOL

 

 

I'm beginning to feel weird. I do kinda consider cost of gas. My Mercedes uses high test so I'd rather do a b2b. I know I'm stuck with paying for parking and or a hotel, or taxi or whatever if I fly to another port.

 

Seems my math is the fuzziest of any of you with spread sheets. 

 

My biggest issue is selling a stock I took a big profit in, not a cruise. Do I sell something at a loss to offset the gain during covid prices or just geit my teeth and lay the irs. No cruise, even in the best suite unless it's a around the world cruise is near the gains... cruises prices pale in comparison. 

 

I just am surprised people go theu all this. If it goes to Jamaica I try and avoid is about my biggest criteria. 

[pcur]

22 minutes ago, NateUpNorth said:

We cost the final price of the cruise after taxes/port fees/grats etc....... add for flights and/or gas+hotel to drive to port...... and port hotels.

Usually that's close enough to get us over the hurdle of booking.

Excursions and on board spending we keep under control and so don't use as a deciding factor either way.

 

It's a little bit different than close family members of ours that go as far as the number the website spits out after entering the room type and number of passengers and then declaring "it'll only cost $1500, why don't you book with us!!!" LOL

 

 

 

Oh  😮

 

It could be a LOT more, depending on where you're flying to/from, and what ports are included!

 

My deciding factor is what color my spreadsheet is after I plug in everything I've described so far.  Magenta is bad; white is good!!

[NateUpNorth]

1 minute ago, pcur said:

 

Oh  😮

 

It could be a LOT more, depending on where you're flying to/from, and what ports are included!

 

My deciding factor is what color my spreadsheet is after I plug in everything I've described so far.  Magenta is bad; white is good!!

 

Indeed....... and we're operating at anywhere from 30-40% mark up what with the wonders of the Canadian dollar right now. *sigh*

[NateUpNorth]

7 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

 

 

I just am surprised people go theu all this. If it goes to Jamaica I try and avoid is about my biggest criteria. 

 

I have a feeling we're in a different demographic, not to mention currency. LOL

 

If we're careful, hopefully one day we'll be able to use the "firefly333 method"!! 

[pcur]

8 minutes ago, NateUpNorth said:

 

I have a feeling we're in a different demographic, not to mention currency. LOL

 

If we're careful, hopefully one day we'll be able to use the "firefly333 method"!! 

 

I look at it more as a use of discretionary income.  The more I can save, the more I can spend, until my spreadsheet says no.  

[NateUpNorth]

11 minutes ago, pcur said:

 

I look at it more as a use of discretionary income.  The more I can save, the more I can spend, until my spreadsheet says no.  

 

Exactly! If we're careful we can vacation nicely every year. If we go "hog wild" then it'll be less than that.

We do budget between expenses/savings/discretionary..... and our preference for discretionary is to travel...... for others its clothes, restaurants, hobbies, vehicles, tech gadgets etc. No wrong answer, it's your money to spend. :) 

[Seville2Cabo]

In 42 years of marriage I have probably written less then 10 personal checks.  My wife was was/is a stay at home mom and she took care of all the expenses and checking account.  She also took care of vacations.  I got little say as I traveled 200 nights a year and she was going to book what she and the kids wanted.  She started booking cruises since it was the one vacation at the time where the office could not call.  I have no idea if she budgeted or not.  I did not ask as long as the credit card was not declined.  

 

Retired 10 years ago and I started doing the vacation planning. Still don’t get involved with household expenses.    We tend to cruise for the itinerary and usually add a week or so on land to the cruise if it is overseas.  She does get to agree to the plan.  

 

We really don’t budget and we are lucky enough to to be able to do what we want when we want, and the biggest issue is not letting our dog’s welcome Staying  at our daughters wear out.   We do look at cost and what is reasonable.  Would not spend $15K for a week in any cabin, just not worth it to us.  but others do and that is great fro them.  The biggest issues we discuss are If X dollars is worth the upgrade from Jr to Grand suite. Same for land hotels.     Other than that, we usually get the same stuff on cruises.  UDP,  no drink package (Not worth it for us, we pay as we go), Internet,  no spa and only excursions where getting back to the ship could be an issue.  

[xpcdoojk]

On 7/24/2020 at 5:24 PM, CSHS1979 said:

 

Pet sitting fees can eat that up, as well as parking

We have a friend who stays at the house and just drinks from my bar and eats from my fridge for the price of dog sitting.  Dog and cat (21+ year old) prefer that.  Boarding is not a good thing.

 

Whatever he eats/drinks is well worth it.

 

jc

[John&LaLa]

10 hours ago, firefly333 said:

I'm beginning to feel weird. I do kinda consider cost of gas. My Mercedes uses high test so I'd rather do a b2b. I know I'm stuck with paying for parking and or a hotel, or taxi or whatever if I fly to another port.

 

If we do a B2B out of south Florida, I just do two one way rentals. Easy peasy.

 

I get high test at SAM's when I can. Only about a 20 cent surcharge to normal gas stations