How can people afford so many cruises?

[halos]

I truly think all you people are awesome.

 

I believe in Miracles

MIRACLE JUNE 19, 2004

Calm Seas, Good Friends

[thebird]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by tef43:

You cannot take it with you, so you may as well spend it now.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

YES..YES..YES...

I've FINALLY gotten my mother to lighten up a bit about this, too!

Why should she not enjoy herself now that she 'finally' can?!

Here's to hoping that ALL of us have many more years of 'living it up'!!!!

 

Sensation 5/15/2004

 

Days til Valor Vampires Cruise

[Legend]

Go on shorter cruises. The 4 day Fasciantion in the fall is only $229 and a free upgrade with the past guest special, 7 night Triumph is only $449. Look for deals like that if you can cruise any time.

[cdlafl]

my wife and I do some of the same things mentioned above...we are both 22 and have done 2 cruises in the last year...we both pack our lunches for work, budget our weekly spending money while saving for a house...i work a part time job just to pay for cruises...we now book inside guarantees and hope for upgrades, after all, we only sleep and shower in the cabin...i'd rather spend my money at the bar...

 

Conquest 7/03

Victory 6/04

Triumph 10/05

Legend 3/06???

[airgirl]

I must add to the following posts - we rarely eat out

Instead I save my appetite for a cruise - twice a year.

It will cost you at least $50 for take out or eat out every week for a year - $2,500

I just eat at home - saves lots of money.

 

maria stallings

[iluvdoxies]

Lol, Dan- you are too funny.

We are lucky- we live close to the ports here in central Fl, so no airfare. Get some good specials, esp. on the Fantasy.

The ones we book far in advance, we just save for.

Hardly ever go to the movies anymore, not big clothes hounds.

Also we save spare change each day, after 6 motnhs, you would be surprised at the amount!

 

Days til Miracle Partae Pirates Cruise from Tampa

A lot of NCL ships

The old Emerald Seas

Fantasy 10/01

Pride 01/02

Sensation 6/02 Fantasy 9/02

Legend 1/03. Sensation 3/03

Fantasy 4/03, Pride 6/28/03

Glory 8/03. Fantasy 10/3 Glory 12/3---Miracle 3/04, Fantasy 4/04, Inspiration 5/04, Fantasy 9/30, Legend 12/5

 

And proud member of Dachshund Rescue of North America...rescue one, until there are none.

[chuleta]

As everyone stated above, it's a matter of setting your priorities. Giving up a few things here and there, altering the way you shop, eat, entertain, etc. can save you bigs bucks!

 

When I am tempted to stop for fast food, I remind myself that I am just a few more mins. from home where I can have a hot dog for about 30 cents. I always check the sale ads and buy necessities using coupons or on sale before I run out and have to pay a higher price.

 

I wash my own car, paint my house, do my own bug spraying, shop on ebay and use reward credit cards for every purchase (paying off the balance every month).

 

Now if I could just quit smoking I could afford 2 more cruises a year!

 

PS: If you use the funnel deck and go to the right beaches on your cruise you can pick up one of those clearance bathing suits that is missing the top part really cheap!

 

Mary Lynn

Proud Member of O.A.T.C.

 

OH HELL, WHERE IS MY SECRETARY???

 

Windjammer Flying Cloud 8/78

Windjammer Fantome (deceased) 8/80

Big Red Boat 4/93

Holiday 4/95

Celebration 4/96

Sovereign of the Seas 10/98

Sensation 4/99

Jubilee 7/01

Victory 1/02

Pride 11/02

Triumph (Joe McBlow cruise) 1/03

Spirit 2/03

Inspiration 2/03

RCL Explorer of the Seas 6/03

Princess Star 10/03

Victory 2/04

Triumph 5/04

Miracle 2/05

Days til Miracle Partae Pirates Cruise from Tampa

[keysjohnson]

Hey bombero...we live in North Port so we're neighbors! We need to get a cruise club started in this area!

 

To answer the post, we usually cruise twice a year, spring and fall. Kind of off season. We save all year for these, scout all the boards and websites for the best deal, and never feel a bit guilty about cruising. We usually do our own shore excursions and our sail & sign tab when we sailed the Triumph in May was $28. It can be done!

[carol459]

We look for a cruise by thinkng ahead at least 6-9 months and look for an itinerary that is intresting/different. When we book, it goes on an airline card and we can fly across country at least 1-2 times a year. We book an inside cabin, sometimes guaranteed, sometimes not. When we went to Alaska this year, we spluged and book a balcony cabin. It was worth it.

We are lucky to be able to drive to San Diego, Long Beach, Los Angeles, and San Francisco for cruise ports, so we have a variety of cruiselines to choose from.

Hopefully next year, we will be cruising in Europe. We are starting to look now.

 

Carol

 

12/2004 Spirit(Mexico)

09/2004 Paradise(Panama Canal)

05/2004 Mercury(Alaska)

02/2004 Regal Princess(Hawaii)

01/2004 Ecstasy(Mexico)

12/2003 Ryndam(Sea of Cortez)

09/2003 Paradise(E. Carrib)

02/2003 Conquest(W. Carrib)

05/2002 Elation (Mex.Riviera)

 

[Brneyznfl]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by chuleta:

 

PS: If you use the funnel deck and go to the right beaches on your cruise you can pick up one of those clearance bathing suits that is missing the top part really cheap! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

LOL!

 

Triumph, Inspiration, Holiday, Explorer of the Seas, Granduer of the Seas, Glory, Conquest, Sensation

 

[S.S. Cruisers]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by hilltopfamily:

a couple of my favorite words in the english language are "On Sale". <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Penny: Too funny. My favorite words are "Clearance rack"! Also, in Southern California they have Susie's Deals or $5.00 dollar clothing store. Nothing is over $5.00. All brand new stuff. Clothes last just as long as "Pricey" stuff.

 

We also save our change in none other than the plastic "drink" of the day cups! Different color for each denomination. Don't eat out. Shop using COUPONS, my favorite, DH thinks its stupid and a waste of time. So he doesn't get to use the savings, I do! LOL.

 

Vision of the Seas 11/04

Carnival Spirit 10/03

Ecstasy 12/02

Ecstasy 05/02

Statendam 12/01

Norwegian Wind 12/00

Viking Serenade 09/00

Rhapsody of the Seas 12/99

Holiday 01/98

Nordic Prince 10/94

Viking Serenade 09/93

Song of America 10/92

[Facation Fanatic]

Theft, followed by a huge yardsale, combined with credit card identity theft will get you a couple of cruises a year in addition to all the cost cutting measures listed previously. LOL

 

Facation Fanatic

 

Fantasy - 6/02 Bahamas

Fantasy - 12/02 Bahamas

Victory - 9/03 NE/Canada

Sovereign of the Seas - 1/04 Bahamas

Sovereign of the Seas - 4/04 Bahamas

 

Carnival Glory to the Eastern Caribbean

 

[tef43]

Spending the childrens' inheritance.

 

Dance like it hurts, love like you need money, and work when somebody's watching.

[DreadPirateRobert]

We'd been married 8 years before we took a honeymoon and 19 before we began seriously cruising. While not in the same league as many of you we plan to do at least one per year.

My DW had a pretty bad health scare and it caused us to slow down and enjoy a little of what we had.

 

Windjammer Fantome May 1988 ?

Elation Sept 2001

Voyager of the Seas May 2002

Celebration July 2002

Jubilee Sept 2002

Destiny June 2003

Jubilee Sept 2003

[rez1]

tef, did you just stop walking?

tef! tef!!

 

That's what you get for stealing from the children!!!

[CruiseFever]

Host Kristi said:<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>"You have money for the things that are important to you. I went years without a vacation then took a cruise with my kids and remembered how much I loved it. It's been nonstop since then" <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

That's exactly us too. Our first cruise was on the Fascination a short one, for our 20th wedding anniversary in August of 2001. We booked that short cruise because we didn't knw if we would like being cooped up with all those old people for very long. We booked a balcony so we would have someplace to go if the whole thing was lousy. By the end of the first day the whole family agreed that it was the best thing we'd ever done and that life should include cruising (or Life IS Cruising for one of us) from then on

 

My what a world we discovered.

 

Then it was a matter of prioities

 

If you love to cruise, I mean really loveit, here's more that can help:

 

http://www.lifeiscruising.com/what_s_next_

 

Happy Cruising

 

Chris

Chris@LifeIsCruising.com

www.LifeIsCruising.com

 

Next up:

Caribbean Princess 06/26/04

Star Princess 10/24/04

Diamond Princess 12/22/04

Sapphire Princess June '05

Caribbean Princess 09/17/05

Carnival Valor 10/30/05

 

[mike2000]

My wife and I love to cruise,finding the money is not the problem.We have trouble getting time off from work so only get to take one per year

most of the time.

 

 

Big Red Boat 1984

Enchantment of the Seas 1998

Monarch of the Seas 2002

Triumph 2002

Fantasy 2000 & 2004

Sensation 2003

Miracle 2005

 

 

 

 

[BillnBobbi]

We haven't bought underwear or shoes in years.

We try not to wear socks. We save on the water bill by only showering twice a week, and just doing sponge baths the rest of the time.

 

We both went to public school and a public university. My uncle paid for my medical school and I never had to pay him back.

 

We only use pens we can steal from hotels. Same goes for shampoo and soap.

 

You'd be surprised how it adds up!!!

 

BnB

[CruiseVirginfromBrooklyn]

Marry a doctor (surgeon) like I did!

 

Vinnie from NY

 

Grand Princess - December, 2001

 

Carnival Destiny - February, 2002

 

Crystal Harmony - July, 2002

 

Carnival Triumph - September, 2002

 

Dawn Princess - December, 2002

 

Grand Princess - March, 2003

 

Celebrity Zenith - July, 2003

 

Crystal Symphony - December, 2003

 

Celebrity Constellation - February, 2004

 

Celebrity Zenith - July, 2004

 

And always open for suggestions and recommendations!!

[bombero]

Originally posted by keysjohnson:

Hey bombero...we live in North Port so we're neighbors! We need to get a cruise club started in this area!

 

Hey keysjohnson email me firefighter095@yahoo.com

[dljones]

Collecting bogus insurance policies . . . Did I say that outloud??

[Terre]

Budget wisely, stick to your budget throughout the year. Look for cruise deals -- they're out there! We don't do any other vacations, except maybe a weekend trip to the beach. For the money, a cruise is better than a week at the beach considering you have to pay for a hotel room for a week, food three times a day for a week, and entertainment. You get all this and more with a cruise!

 

 

<MARQUEE>Forever Cruzin...</MARQUEE>

 

Emerald Seas 1990 & 1991

Dolphin 1992

Fantasy 1996

Soveriegn of the Seas 1998 & 2000

Norway 2001

Century 2002

Triumph 2003 & 2004

Paradise 2003

[drwestlake]

Our first cruise, we made monthly payments to the TA. The second cruise we took our 3 children. We got a summer job delivering the grocery ads, you know the ones they hang on your mailbox once a week. The kids and I walked the route and husband drove and kept us loaded with the bags. Our first paycheck the kids bought themselves a trampoline. The rest of the paychecks the kids got $10 each and the rest went towards the cruise. The kids were responsible to pay for their $250 deposit, we paid the rest. We were hot and sweaty, but I can tell you the kids appreciated THEIR vacation when we finished the route for the summer. I'm a sign language interpreter for a local school. Now that I'm out I am freelancing a couple times a week to earn our next cruise. It can be done.

[FnyFACEnAL]

Find the cruise you want and check for the least expensive sailing. This year we are in an atrium cabin on the 12/12 sailing of the Mariner. We drive to the port and stay at a hotel at the port that will give us free parking and shuttle to the ship and back to the hotel after the cruise and sometimes a Continental breakfast. Do not buy pictures or alcohol on the ship. After 13 cruises I only buy a magnet on the ship! I have all of the other "stuff." We do take shore excursions which we book on the ship and tip generously.

Happy Sailing!

[bippytrip]

Sell EVERYTHING even if it's not yours!!!!!

 

Miracle 7/17/04