Decided cruising is going to start so booked 16 cruises

[Sky616]

7 hours ago, Missusdubbya said:

you sound fun

I am quite fun.  Just not understanding going on all these cruises with the restrictions in  place. If I want to wear a mask all the time, oh  never mind I dont wear one.

[Karter]

13 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

That is me.I never had the kind of money to book 16 cruises.I was born in the wrong era.

Actually it was not that expensive with all the sales going on. I booked 11 7 day, 3 5 day and 2 6 day cruises for a total of $23.686 plus I received $2,350 in OBC. They were all balcony cabins so I received the C&A balcony discount.

 

I believe cruising is the best vacation value out there by far. 

[Karter]

9 hours ago, pcur said:

Yep.  I'll read this thread after I agree with you.......................... I want to reach Pinnacle next year and booked 6 RCCL, plus one Princess out of San Pedro for son #1's birthday.  October this year to early May next year.

Yes that us why we booked so many to hit Pinnacle next year which is my wife's ambition.

Edited May 6, 2021 by Karter

[lovelife]

1 hour ago, ace2542 said:

Or maybe Mario only going a year in advance now. Seems like he has a pursuer in this guy "lovelife"

This "girl" or anyone else will likely never come close to Mario nor would I try!😉

[1980dory]

36 minutes ago, Karter said:

Actually it was not that expensive with all the sales going on. I booked 11 7 day, 3 5 day and 2 6 day cruises for a total of $23.686 plus I received $2,350 in OBC. They were all balcony cabins so I received the C&A balcony discount.

 

I believe cruising is the best vacation value out there by far. 

...not that expensive...  Have you ever considered that not everyone has $23,686 laying around to drop on cruises?  Many out there have to scrimp and scrape to save enough to buy a minimal cruise much less a balcony cabin.

You seem to not understand that reality.

[davekathy]

17 hours ago, Karter said:

After watching all the news reports and having a gut feel that cruising will finally restart I decided it was time to start booking cruises again after having 11 cruises canceled due to Covid. Most of them I lifted and shifted but a few of them because I didn't keep up I received the 125% certificates. I called my travel agent and booked 16 cruises over the next 12 months starting in September not including the lifted and shifted cruises.

 

Is anybody else starting to book cruises for the next year beacuse feel that they will really go?

Already have three booked for 2022. 

[Karter]

6 minutes ago, 1980dory said:

...not that expensive...  Have you ever considered that not everyone has $23,686 laying around to drop on cruises?  Many out there have to scrimp and scrape to save enough to buy a minimal cruise much less a balcony cabin.

You seem to not understand that reality.

I apologize for being insensitive to the financial environment and the struggles some families are dealing with due to Covid. I was trying to show that cruising is a great value compared to other vacation options. We live in Florida and to see what it costs for a family of 4 to go to one of the theme parks for a day amazes me. 

 

If it wasn't for the double points and my wife's desire to get to pinnacle I would not have booked so many at once. But of course we love cruising and it is still a great value. Plus as other posters have said you can't take it with you and you only live once.

 

We are avid savers and spend very little on other things so we can cruise and this is an anomaly for us. 

 

 

[DCGuy64]

*Warning, dark humor ahead*

Why are so many people, especially retirees, booking 10, 15, 20 cruises? To see some of the comments people post on Cruise Critic, all of the cruise lines are going to go out of business by the end of the year because some unvaccinated child on the 1st cruise in July is going to spread Covid all across the ship and the CDC will stop cruising forever.

Yes, I'm being sarcastic, but I literally see this every day about how a superspreader event is just SURE to happen. Who wants to tie up $20,000 in cruises that, allegedly, aren't going to happen, anyway?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kjc852]

24 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

*Warning, dark humor ahead*

Why are so many people, especially retirees, booking 10, 15, 20 cruises? To see some of the comments people post on Cruise Critic, all of the cruise lines are going to go out of business by the end of the year because some unvaccinated child on the 1st cruise in July is going to spread Covid all across the ship and the CDC will stop cruising forever.

Yes, I'm being sarcastic, but I literally see this every day about how a superspreader event is just SURE to happen. Who wants to tie up $20,000 in cruises that, allegedly, aren't going to happen, anyway?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking for myself and myself only, I have 15 cruises booked over the next 24 months, the majority of which fall under the Cruise With Confidence program.  I am a retiree who will turn 69 this summer and thankfully still have my health and mobility to enjoy cruising, however no guarantees how long I will have these physical abilities.  Thus I am squeezing my travel bucket list into a reduced period of time.  
 

I do feel frustrated that that 1 to 1.5 years of my healthiest retirement years had to be sacrificed due to the COVID shutdown.  And I mostly understood & agreed with the initial reasoning to close the cruise ships down for the good of all, yet believe it to be shameful how the cruise industry has been singularly targeted out of all the travel and hospitality options. There is little justification why cruises are not already sailing with vaccinated crew and passengers.

[1980dory]

2 hours ago, Karter said:

I apologize for being insensitive to the financial environment and the struggles some families are dealing with due to Covid. I was trying to show that cruising is a great value compared to other vacation options. We live in Florida and to see what it costs for a family of 4 to go to one of the theme parks for a day amazes me. 

 

If it wasn't for the double points and my wife's desire to get to pinnacle I would not have booked so many at once. But of course we love cruising and it is still a great value. Plus as other posters have said you can't take it with you and you only live once.

 

We are avid savers and spend very little on other things so we can cruise and this is an anomaly for us. 

 

 

Many families struggle for many reasons other than covid 19.  We too are avid cruisers and we try to stretch our cruise dollars as far as possible by booking as far in advance as possible and taking advantage of cruise specials.  Booking early has benefitted us since all cruises have increased drastically in price.  Many are listing cruises at retail prices with NO discounts whatsoever.

We never have and probably never will book a suite + because the cost/benefit is not there for us.  We're Ok with that and are happy for those who do book accordingly.  We don't feel deprived, poor,  disenfranchised, or neglected because we choose 'bilge class' (our fun term).  We're not envious of others because we're too happy with our cruise and being around other cruisers in a place we can reasonably afford.

Yes. Cruising is a great value but it is rapidly becoming less so with the skyrocketing prices.

[fungirl28]

I have two booked, one in December and one next October. Now that the Navigator is going to be in California, I plan to book to while onboard. Can't wait to get back to cruising.

[ZoeyVictoria]

1 hour ago, kjc852 said:

Speaking for myself and myself only, I have 15 cruises booked over the next 24 months, the majority of which fall under the Cruise With Confidence program.  I am a retiree who will turn 69 this summer and thankfully still have my health and mobility to enjoy cruising, however no guarantees how long I will have these physical abilities.  Thus I am squeezing my travel bucket list into a reduced period of time.  
 

I do feel frustrated that that 1 to 1.5 years of my healthiest retirement years had to be sacrificed due to the COVID shutdown.  And I mostly understood & agreed with the initial reasoning to close the cruise ships down for the good of all, yet believe it to be shameful how the cruise industry has been singularly targeted out of all the travel and hospitality options. There is little justification why cruises are not already sailing with vaccinated crew and passengers.

Exactly my position.  I am also turning 69 very soon, too old to have lost over a year of my life.  I have 12 booked over an 18 month period and intend to make the most of every minute.

[kjc852]

24 minutes ago, 1980dory said:

Many families struggle for many reasons other than covid 19.  We too are avid cruisers and we try to stretch our cruise dollars as far as possible by booking as far in advance as possible and taking advantage of cruise specials.  Booking early has benefitted us since all cruises have increased drastically in price.  Many are listing cruises at retail prices with NO discounts whatsoever.

We never have and probably never will book a suite + because the cost/benefit is not there for us.  We're Ok with that and are happy for those who do book accordingly.  We don't feel deprived, poor,  disenfranchised, or neglected because we choose 'bilge class' (our fun term).  We're not envious of others because we're too happy with our cruise and being around other cruisers in a place we can reasonably afford.

Yes. Cruising is a great value but it is rapidly becoming less so with the skyrocketing prices.

Love your “bilge class” category of cabins.  Very funny!  Do they put you on the oars when the ship is docking?  Seriously, thanks the chuckle!

[FamilyCruiserUK]

I only count 7 days or more as a cruise. Below 7 days is a boat trip 🤭

[kjc852]

24 minutes ago, FamilyCruiserUK said:

I only count 7 days or more as a cruise. Below 7 days is a boat trip 🤭

Yes, but two back to back 5 day cruises equal 10 days onboard and you often get the diversity of both the Eastern and Western Caribbean ports.

[Ashland]

4 hours ago, Karter said:

Actually it was not that expensive with all the sales going on. I booked 11 7 day, 3 5 day and 2 6 day cruises for a total of $23.686 plus I received $2,350 in OBC. They were all balcony cabins so I received the C&A balcony discount.

 

I believe cruising is the best vacation value out there by far. 

Especially when you live in a port city.

[lenquixote66]

14 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

You can't take it with you

You can be buried with it ,unless all of your weath is in coins.

[lenquixote66]

14 hours ago, pcur said:

I am not one to say what the definition of "so much money is", but my net out-of-pocket for my 7 cruises I have booked is a little over $6,000.  

 

Somewhere in the bowels of CruiseCritic is a thread where I described my fuzzy math, but it's not really fuzzy.  

 

I'm booked in a mix of ocean view, virtual balcony, and junior suite cabins.  Just gotta do the research.

That would be $14,000 for 16 cruises,too much for me.

[lenquixote66]

5 hours ago, Karter said:

Actually it was not that expensive with all the sales going on. I booked 11 7 day, 3 5 day and 2 6 day cruises for a total of $23.686 plus I received $2,350 in OBC. They were all balcony cabins so I received the C&A balcony discount.

 

I believe cruising is the best vacation value out there by far. 

If I told my wife that I spent $23,000 on cruises she would have me committed.

[lenquixote66]

14 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Planning was key

I worked non profit nearly all my life and I have no regrets.

[NYcruzzer]

21 hours ago, yogimax said:

I hope this doesn't turn into a boast and brag.

 

[lenquixote66]

14 hours ago, pcur said:

I don't expect cruising to return as we knew it, but the alternative is perfectly acceptable to me for the time being.  I've been social distancing, mask wearing, and vaccinated, so it's pretty much life as usual except IT'S A CRUISE!!!!

My thinking is that people will not adhere to the guidelines once on the ship.

[janabelle61]

I made the decision to move forward with my original retirement plans and have numerous cruises booked for 2021/2022.  Not boasting or bragging, just happy that it looks like cruising will resume and I'll be able to pursue what I've planned for and dreamed of for so many years!

[pcur]

12 hours ago, NHProud said:

 

 

I think , you posted your fuzzy math on the thread : 

 

“ Welcome to Tightwad Cruising —— What Do You Do ? “.  Your fuzzy math , I believe is that you subtract your daily living expenses , if you had remained at home  , from the cost of your cruise .   Don’t ask why I remember that ? 

 

 

Yep, that's the one.  Plus, my bulk buying store gives me an annual rebate on travel booked with them, and a shopping card when I get back from every cruise.  Those two things decrease my out-of-pocket, too.

[lenquixote66]

6 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

I wish I had the vacation time off to waste on cruise just starting out.  I have to at least wait until they start sailing from Florida or NY. I'm not going to speculate when that will happen  or what itineraries or ships will sail or not sail. I can't afford to request vacation time only to be canceled.

When I worked on my long time job (25)years I had 5 weeks vacation at the  20 th.year and beyond.