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[iancal]

Since retiring, we no longer book anything in advance. For us, six weeks is far, far  in advance.  More often we are booking 2 weeks or less.   Often much less for hotels or AI's.  Cruises...anywhere from a week to six weeks is our norm.   Air is the same.

[clo]

19 minutes ago, ilikeanswers said:

or the product you receive will greatly differ to what was advertised.

Has anyone talked about that here or elsewhere? If, say, the pool is closed will the fare be less? If you must use the ship's excursions, will you be able to opt in or out? If the changes aren't acceptable to you, can you cancel and get a refund?

[SelectSys]

1 hour ago, iancal said:

Since retiring, we no longer book anything in advance. For us, six weeks is far, far  in advance.  More often we are booking 2 weeks or less.   Often much less for hotels or AI's.  Cruises...anywhere from a week to six weeks is our norm.   Air is the same.

 

I like your strategy and hope to follow it one day.  I am curious if you mostly pay for your airline tickets or use points?  What is you generally strategy for airline tickets?  I have typically used points for leisure travel but expect to be buying more tickets in the future.

Edited September 24, 2020 by SelectSys

[iancal]

We used up most of our airline and hotel points post retirement.  We still have airline points left for use when we feel that the flight price is excessive. Same for Marriott points-we used them in Sydney, Australia where hotels are expensive.   We paid cash for our Marriott hotel is Malaysia because it was relatively inexpensive compared to other countries.  We used most of our air points for one way flights or return flights that permitted one stopover city.   We always try to make points stays or flights count.  Last November we found ourselves in Toronto for a family visit. Realized that we could fly home with a stop in Cancun for an extra $100.  So we did two weeks of independent travel in Playa and Puerto Moreles on the way home.

 

For the past few years just about all of our international air has been purchased.  Europe in Sept/Oct, sometimes Mexico at Christmas, and frequently Thailand/SE Asia/Australia in the winter.  

 

We watch the airline prices to determine what is the going rate.   For Thailand we have paid anywhere from $750 CAD (lowest we ever paid and it was 10 days prior to departure) to $1100.   I think that we had an $800 CAD flight in to Singapore and home from Bangkok a few years ago.  It was booked two months out because I felt the price was good.

 

We pay attention to hub cities.  Our experience is that air prices can vary greatly between hub cities....especially in Europe and Asia.

 

We often do not know exactly where will be ending up  in Europe so we book something flexible vs. one ways.  Last Sept we had a flew into Athens and had a late October return ticket from London.   The ticket was booked about 45 days in advance.   Checked the price a week before departure and it was within $15 of our $750ish CAD price.   We looked at tickets with flights home from AMS, Paris, Rome etc. since there is good discount air between these cities and other points in Europe.  We knew that there were lots of budget flights in Europe to London.  We planned for a month in Greece then several weeks in either Cyrpus, Morocco, or Israel.  Week or so into our Greece trip we snagged a great fare to Cyprus and another form Cyprus to London so that is what we did.

 

This is type of travel is not for everyone and is a huge departure from either my pre retirement business or leisure travel.  We also switched to carry on only-overnight, ten days, or two months.

Edited September 24, 2020 by iancal

[clo]

1 hour ago, iancal said:

We used up most of our airline and hotel points post retirement. 

We've had the Chase Sapphire Reserve for over a year now and have been super pleased with it. You can go to The Points Guy and other sites to get info on it.

[iancal]

Alas, we cannot get Chase Sapphire in Canada.   

[clo]

20 minutes ago, iancal said:

Alas, we cannot get Chase Sapphire in Canada.   

Drat!

[aungrl]

5 hours ago, iancal said:

We used up most of our airline and hotel points post retirement.  We still have airline points left for use when we feel that the flight price is excessive. Same for Marriott points-we used them in Sydney, Australia where hotels are expensive.   We paid cash for our Marriott hotel is Malaysia because it was relatively inexpensive compared to other countries.  We used most of our air points for one way flights or return flights that permitted one stopover city.   We always try to make points stays or flights count.  Last November we found ourselves in Toronto for a family visit. Realized that we could fly home with a stop in Cancun for an extra $100.  So we did two weeks of independent travel in Playa and Puerto Moreles on the way home.

 

For the past few years just about all of our international air has been purchased.  Europe in Sept/Oct, sometimes Mexico at Christmas, and frequently Thailand/SE Asia/Australia in the winter.  

 

We watch the airline prices to determine what is the going rate.   For Thailand we have paid anywhere from $750 CAD (lowest we ever paid and it was 10 days prior to departure) to $1100.   I think that we had an $800 CAD flight in to Singapore and home from Bangkok a few years ago.  It was booked two months out because I felt the price was good.

 

We pay attention to hub cities.  Our experience is that air prices can vary greatly between hub cities....especially in Europe and Asia.

 

We often do not know exactly where will be ending up  in Europe so we book something flexible vs. one ways.  Last Sept we had a flew into Athens and had a late October return ticket from London.   The ticket was booked about 45 days in advance.   Checked the price a week before departure and it was within $15 of our $750ish CAD price.   We looked at tickets with flights home from AMS, Paris, Rome etc. since there is good discount air between these cities and other points in Europe.  We knew that there were lots of budget flights in Europe to London.  We planned for a month in Greece then several weeks in either Cyrpus, Morocco, or Israel.  Week or so into our Greece trip we snagged a great fare to Cyprus and another form Cyprus to London so that is what we did.

 

This is type of travel is not for everyone and is a huge departure from either my pre retirement business or leisure travel.  We also switched to carry on only-overnight, ten days, or two months.

This question will hijack the thread momentarily, so apologies in advance.  I've noticed your reference to carry-on only, which has always been my strategy for business travel, and as much vacation travel as possible.  We haven't mastered the vacation travel part in all instances, however, especially when large climate changes are involved.  Would you mind sharing your basic packing list in those carry-ones?  (You could even start a separate thread.  I'll bet I'm not the only one who is interested in how you do it.)

[iancal]

I don’t have a packing list.  After years of business travel I can do it in 20 minutes if need be.  DW has a list and starts 24 hrs before we leave.  No idea what it is.

 
I got serious after meeting a retired banker and his wife in a Florence laundromat.  They were on month two of a three month rail trip with carry on only.  If they could do it, we could, and we did.  

We only pack casual so if we pick up a cruise we may skip formal night.  Not a biggie for us.  One thing..when we come home and unpack we take note of anything that has not been worn very much.  It gets cut next time.  I only pack 3 shirts plus the one on my back.  same for undershorts.  Less for socks.

 

In winter we depart in snow and cold.  I wear cotton slacks, short sleeve shirt, cotton sweater, and nylon waterproof shell to the airport.  DW the same.  One pair of shoes on our feet.  I take light weight Teva sandals.  DW takes another light pair of canvas shoes and a pair of light sandals.  Very few personal care or hair items.  DW changed her hair style to facilitate travel when we started retirement with a seven month trip. We had no choice because part of the trip was a SA safaris that limited our luggage allowance.

 

The big plus we started with int size carry on...20 inch roller and a weight limit of 8-10kg.  Once it was full end of story.  Then you start switching around based on priorities Sometimes DW put some items in my bag.   It was a little challenging at first for one of us, not so much now.  When we did a SA cruise plus six weeks of warm weather we took jeans, a scarf, and gloves.  We used them on the cruise and dragged them around for six weeks.  
 

Been  doing this for eight/nine years -works for us.  Especially when changing planes with a tight connection or ferrying about on inter island ferries.  Or in the case of Thailand long tail boats.  Or lugging our bag up two or three levels in a hotel.  Nothing gets lost or delayed.  The other consideration was we only wanted to take what we could each physically handle...especially on trains.

 

All easy care,  durable,  wrinkle free, lightweight fabrics that we each rinse out between visits to the laundry or laundromat.

 

 

 

Edited September 25, 2020 by iancal

[aungrl]

21 hours ago, iancal said:

I don’t have a packing list.  After years of business travel I can do it in 20 minutes if need be.  DW has a list and starts 24 hrs before we leave.  No idea what it is.

 
I got serious after meeting a retired banker and his wife in a Florence laundromat.  They were on month two of a three month rail trip with carry on only.  If they could do it, we could, and we did.  

We only pack casual so if we pick up a cruise we may skip formal night.  Not a biggie for us.  One thing..when we come home and unpack we take note of anything that has not been worn very much.  It gets cut next time.  I only pack 3 shirts plus the one on my back.  same for undershorts.  Less for socks.

 

In winter we depart in snow and cold.  I wear cotton slacks, short sleeve shirt, cotton sweater, and nylon waterproof shell to the airport.  DW the same.  One pair of shoes on our feet.  I take light weight Teva sandals.  DW takes another light pair of canvas shoes and a pair of light sandals.  Very few personal care or hair items.  DW changed her hair style to facilitate travel when we started retirement with a seven month trip. We had no choice because part of the trip was a SA safaris that limited our luggage allowance.

 

The big plus we started with int size carry on...20 inch roller and a weight limit of 8-10kg.  Once it was full end of story.  Then you start switching around based on priorities Sometimes DW put some items in my bag.   It was a little challenging at first for one of us, not so much now.  When we did a SA cruise plus six weeks of warm weather we took jeans, a scarf, and gloves.  We used them on the cruise and dragged them around for six weeks.  
 

Been  doing this for eight/nine years -works for us.  Especially when changing planes with a tight connection or ferrying about on inter island ferries.  Or in the case of Thailand long tail boats.  Or lugging our bag up two or three levels in a hotel.  Nothing gets lost or delayed.  The other consideration was we only wanted to take what we could each physically handle...especially on trains.

 

All easy care,  durable,  wrinkle free, lightweight fabrics that we each rinse out between visits to the laundry or laundromat.

 

 

 

thanks, all helpful detail!  You've inspired me to try harder.  Now back to the original topic....

[PhillyFan33579]

On 9/24/2020 at 1:55 PM, iancal said:

Since retiring, we no longer book anything in advance. For us, six weeks is far, far  in advance.  More often we are booking 2 weeks or less.   Often much less for hotels or AI's.  Cruises...anywhere from a week to six weeks is our norm.   Air is the same.

Interesting approach. I have always booked cruises, flights, hotels, etc. as far out as possible, which in most situations, but not always, results in the lowest price possible. For example, I have 5 cruises booked in 2021 (2 Celebrity, 3 RCI) that I booked last year well before this pandemic. All 5 of these cruises are significantly higher right now than when I booked them.  I am still a long ways from retirement but I plan to book trips even farther in advance when I am retired when I don’t have to worry about any work commitments. 

[davekathy]

On 9/23/2020 at 9:49 PM, getting older slowly said:

Cruising is the only thing one books so far in advance.... generally about 9-10 months....

All other holidays are only booked  a couple weeks to two months out....

For us, ~18 to 24 months for cruising and  ~12 to 14  months for land vacations. We are RDINKS. 

[Ashland]

1 hour ago, davekathy said:

For us, ~18 to 24 months for cruising and  ~12 to 14  months for land vacations. We are RDINKS. 

Yes...we book our cruises when the schedules opens...best cabin category location and best prices except for the occasional price reduction or additional offers.

[firefly333]

On 9/23/2020 at 1:25 AM, Ashland said:

I have 5 total cruise's booked. One with Celebrity and four with RCI. 

Celebrity...booked long before the covid outbreak.

RCI...booked prior or with a L/S. and FCC's

I'm not concerned either will go bankrupt.

Great deals and I'm taking that gamble.

I'll even book more once the schedule opens up further in 2023.

I've got 7 booked, 6 with rcl, 1 carnival. 5 were lifted and shifted to later dates. All but carnival can be cancelled within 48 hours and the monies moved. 

 

I actually expect them to restart on a limited basis in November. My first cruise now is april 25th. I hope to be vaccinated by then and expect to have to be tested to board the ship. Looking forward to my first furthest out on the hump balcony. Usually the best ones are long gone by the time I book ... and a bargain at just over $100 a day. I'll take my chances. 

[firefly333]

On 9/24/2020 at 7:44 PM, aungrl said:

This question will hijack the thread momentarily, so apologies in advance.  I've noticed your reference to carry-on only, which has always been my strategy for business travel, and as much vacation travel as possible.  We haven't mastered the vacation travel part in all instances, however, especially when large climate changes are involved.  Would you mind sharing your basic packing list in those carry-ones?  (You could even start a separate thread.  I'll bet I'm not the only one who is interested in how you do it.)

I only do one carry on bag myself. My cruise to alaska I wound up buying a cute velour?  coat in the onboard store (I didnt have a warm jacket that packed easily) that was quite warm enough with bears I always get compliments on. It packs well. Pack clothes that dont wrinkle much if at all. I'm down to a long black skirt and nice top if I decide to eat in Mdr or pay restaurants. And a pair of flat black shoes. As soon as I eat I'm out of it and to me can be worn more than once. I'm not slim so if I can pack for up to 2 weeks anyone can. Those non wrinkle fabrics pack in small spots.,

 

If i get a call for a last minute cruise I'm out the door in a hour. I keep a suitcase with necessities ready. Just have to thrown in clothes. I have forgotten things, but managed to buy. Secret deodorant is almost $10 onboard lmao. I'm 5 to 6 hours from a port. 

Edited September 26, 2020 by firefly333

[Ashland]

6 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I've got 7 booked, 6 with rcl, 1 carnival. 5 were lifted and shifted to later dates. All but carnival can be cancelled within 48 hours and the monies moved. 

 

I actually expect them to restart on a limited basis in November. My first cruise now is april 25th. I hope to be vaccinated by then and expect to have to be tested to board the ship. Looking forward to my first furthest out on the hump balcony. Usually the best ones are long gone by the time I book ... and a bargain at just over $100 a day. I'll take my chances. 

My first up cruise on Celebrity is July 30, 2021...This is looking good hopefully because a large group of infectious disease/immunologists doctors group have booked for a seminar.

 

Next up RCI Oct 14, 2021 New England....and am very hopeful this will also sail.

 

I have a land Xmas Market tour booked with a private tour group for Dec 2021...this I can easily reschedule to 2022 if necessary.

 

No worries about my three 2022 cruises.

[sverigecruiser]

On ‎9‎/‎24‎/‎2020 at 8:10 PM, clo said:

Has anyone talked about that here or elsewhere? If, say, the pool is closed will the fare be less? If you must use the ship's excursions, will you be able to opt in or out? If the changes aren't acceptable to you, can you cancel and get a refund?

 

We will decide when we shall make final payment if we shall cruise or not. If we decide that we prefer not to cruise, for example if people need to wear masks on the ship, we will cancel our cruise and loose our deposit. We don't expect any refund of the deposit if we cancel the cruise.

 

A closed pool is no big deal for us and if we must use ships excursions we will then decide if we shall do it or if we shall just stay on the ship. We don't expect a reduced fare for that kind of things.

[sverigecruiser]

On ‎9‎/‎22‎/‎2020 at 8:59 PM, Oldfart432 said:

 Why should I book a cruise now?

 

If you feel that the price is right and if you know which cabin you want, book now.

 

 

 

[sverigecruiser]

On ‎9‎/‎23‎/‎2020 at 4:49 AM, clo said:

So does that mean you would pay $$$ with no idea if you'll ever get it back?

 

That can always happen. Maybe it's more likely to happen right now but it can always happen.

[NIATPAC29]

7 minutes ago, sfaaa said:

You seem very assertive. So how many cruises have you booked in 2021 and 2022? Let's hear it.

I am NOT consumed by media driven fear and irrational reactions to same. I have 1 in Nov of 2020 and 1 in May of 2021. You going ever again ?

[sfaaa]

4 minutes ago, NIATPAC29 said:

I am NOT consumed by media driven fear and irrational reactions to same. I have 1 in Nov of 2020 and 1 in May of 2021. You going ever again ?

Cool. I respect people that walk the talks. I have four booked in 2021 and one in 2022. MSC is already sailing in Europe and vaccine development is in its final stage. Things are definitely trending in the right direction. 

[NIATPAC29]

19 minutes ago, sfaaa said:

Cool. I respect people that walk the talks. I have four booked in 2021 and one in 2022. MSC is already sailing in Europe and vaccine development is in its final stage. Things are definitely trending in the right direction. 

I agree. Not sure about that November of 20 cruise but I'm really feeling good about May of 21. I own  stock so when CCL begins sailng again it's  all good for me

[sparks1093]

19 hours ago, NIATPAC29 said:

The term two years is beyond ABSURD , quit believing all the BS you're seeing/reading/hearing

Thank you for not shouting🙂. I don't think the industry itself will cease to exist but I can easily see some lines going out of business if this drags on too long. The way things are I can also see it taking two years to return to full operations with the same number of cruise offerings as in the past and even then a full passenger load may not be something that can be done (especially if the target is 110% of capacity for each sailing). (I almost said "normal" but I don't think we'll see that again and I'm not a fan of the phrase "new normal" even though it is probably the most apt term to use in this day and age.)

[Ashland]

23 hours ago, NIATPAC29 said:

The term two years is beyond ABSURD , quit believing all the BS you're seeing/reading/hearing

Thank you for using bold font...I get rude comments from certain posters...but It's so much easier to read.

I wish some would just mind their own business.

[navybankerteacher]

On 9/23/2020 at 7:49 AM, bigrednole said:

You only have to put down a deposit for one that far in the future. It is a personal choice. Seriously, the deposit for a cruise is say $1,000. You are booking for December 2021. If you are lucky, that $1,000 would be $1,100 invested in the stock market by the theoretical time you think all this is over. But by the time you made that $100, the cabin you wanted has gone up $1,000. You made $100 profit and the cost of $1,000 more in cruise price. So the next post will be: "holy cow cruise prices have increases so much I can't even cruise. It was $2,000 last year but now it is $5,000. The cruise lines are robbing me."

A possible set of scenarios.  Of course, that $1,000 invested in the stock market could have been worth $3,000 a year later, and that $1,000 deposit on a cruise might evaporate in a cruise line bankruptcy — or simply entitle you to the same accommodations on your contemplated $6,000 cruise which later buyers could get for $4,000.