Poll: Where is your maximum per Diem

[greeneg]

Just out of curiosity, what is the maximum per diem rate that you are comfortable with, let's say for a CC Class stateroom.

 

And, if the cost exceeded your comfort level, would you move to a less expensive stateroom but still go on the cruise.

[arzz]

Interesting poll, but my response is not there. It is entirely dependent on the cruise destination, length of cruise, ship, etc. For a quick week to the Caribbean or Bermuda, I like to aim at $100/day or less if possible. Seven days is not long enough for us, it can be a real good relaxation break, but nothing special. (We have sailed the Caribbean many times and often just stay on board in port, or go out for a quick walk -- exercise only) For a longer itinerary to someplace special we will, and already have, paid more -- that would be for the exotic destinations FAR from home, on a special ship for an extended period of time.

 

There is no one rule about cruise costs. On a long, exotic cruise that is very port intensive, though they are more expensive in general, we will purchase only a basic cabin as the ship is our hotel, and the ports are our objective. On a Caribbean cruise with several days at sea the ship is where we will be and the accomodations are very important -- that is when we want a balcony cabin and we make sure that the atmosphere on the chosen ship fits our needs and tastes.

 

Sorry I could not choose from the options presented.

[Sky Sweet]

Duplicate Post

[Sky Sweet]

Just out of curiosity, what is the maximum per diem rate that you are comfortable with, let's say for a CC Class stateroom.

 

And, if the cost exceeded your comfort level, would you move to a less expensive stateroom but still go on the cruise.

 

I am more concerned about value than actual price. For example, we paid more than the highest per diem noted in your poll for our Baltic Cruise this summer on the Constellation, but since the price for that cabin increased substantially after we booked it, I considered it to be a good value. More importantly, it was a memorable cruise in a great cabin on a fantastic ship. At the same time, I would not book a cruise that was cheap if its ship, cabin, and itinerary did not appeal to me. In fact, we turned down an opportunity for a free cruise as compensation for being an enrichment speaker because we had no desire to take a cruise on that particular ship.

[greeneg]

I am more concerned about value than actual price. For example, we paid more than the highest per diem noted in your poll for our Baltic Cruise this summer on the Constellation, but since the price for that cabin increased substantially after we booked it, I considered it to be a good value. More importantly, it was a memorable cruise in a great cabin on a fantastic ship. At the same time, I would not book a cruise that was cheap if its ship, cabin, and itinerary did not appeal to me. In fact, we turned down an opportunity for a free cruise as compensation for being an enrichment speaker because we had no desire to take a cruise on that particular ship.

 

I cannot disagree at all with what you say, value is also the most important thing to us also.

 

I was just curious if, ALL other things being equal, there was a price level at which people were comfortable and a level beyond which they would not go. And if the latter, where the breakpoint might be.

[Sky Sweet]

I cannot disagree at all with what you say, value is also the most important thing to us also.

 

I was just curious if, ALL other things being equal, there was a price level at which people were comfortable and a level beyond which they would not go. And if the latter, where the breakpoint might be.

 

My comfort level would be determined by what we could comfortably afford to pay for a cruise, without compromising our everyday life style, from our current income. Even though we have used some of our savings to pay for big ticket items such as our daughter's college education at a top private university and her wedding, I would not use our savings to pay for a vacation.

[greeneg]

Nor would I. If I couldn't afford to pay for it ( either out of current funds or by saving for it), I just would have to do without. We usually budget for our trips at the start of the year and try very hard to meet those goals.

 

I would never go into hock for a cruise....Any cruise.

[C 2 C]

I can vote for all of them???

My motto: cruise cheap but cruise often.:D

I stay away from expensive ships and expensive itineraries.

The menu is the same on every ship.

The entertainment is similar on every ship.

The service is (almost) the same on every ship.

The beds are similar on every ship.

No matter what cabin I pick, I get the same ports as the guy paying $1,000 per day. I get excellent service, food and entertainment on cruise after cruise if I book the cheapest way to go. Now if I had married rich, or picked the right parents, or picked the right stocks, I might be cruising in different accomodations... for now $100 bucks per day for 3 months a year on Celebrity suits me fine.:D

[newmexicoNita]

I am more concerned about value than actual price. For example, we paid more than the highest per diem noted in your poll for our Baltic Cruise this summer on the Constellation, but since the price for that cabin increased substantially after we booked it, I considered it to be a good value. More importantly, it was a memorable cruise in a great cabin on a fantastic ship. At the same time, I would not book a cruise that was cheap if its ship, cabin, and itinerary did not appeal to me. In fact, we turned down an opportunity for a free cruise as compensation for being an enrichment speaker because we had no desire to take a cruise on that particular ship.

I have to agree: even though we didn't spend all that much, we did spend more for our cabin on NCLs Jewel last fall than we would normally spend for a bottom deck, outside with a little port hole. It was worth every penny. NMNita

[SheilaNC]

We buy what we can afford so the answer depends on the length of the cruise, the number of trips we plan for a given year, and the nature of the cruises we plan - obviously we can do more with our budget if we do less exotic cruises than when we did the Mediterranean with both pre and post cruise days attached. By sticking to the budget we knoq we can pay the bills at the end and begin saving for the next cruise. Recently opened an ING savings account just for travel savings. Better interest rate and the ability to transfer funds monthly from checking to ING....we've almost saved enough for our May 2007 Bermuda trip!

[bravemom]

we always have a ballpark figure in mind when planning a vacation-but the big issue for us is getting a stateroom that meets our needs. when we cruise with our 2 kids they tend to sleep in and want some down time from all the activites(still youngish) and since we have to stay with them in the stateroom dh and i have to have some space. i don't want to be crawling over the bed to get the phone, have room service orders spilling off the allready overtaxed vanity onto an end table (that calls itself a coffee table) or view the tv from accross the room and over my sleeping kids. i also don't want their only 'open' or seating space to be the bed (french fry crumbs in the sheets-real comfy).

 

i don't want to feel like i have to leave my stateroom to enjoy the cruise-i like to kickback and relax, take a hot bath-have some private time. so we end up basing allot of our choices on what stateroom we can get and at what price. we've always done the largest room (below a suite) on disney so we get the space plus a verandah. i am paying an obscene amount to cruise alone in a sky suite on a 3 nite september mercury cruise-but the sky suites were the lowest category with a tub and since thats a big part of my cruising enjoyment i bit the bullett and paid.

 

i've always thought the cruiselines should offer better incentives to repeat cruisers (spec. reduced rates on higher category rooms), for the most part, their per day operational cost is'nt any higher if i stay in a bigger stateroom-and it might afford me the ability to cruise more often. they end up with a repeat paying customer plus the extra revenue from my on board spending (if i pay less for a cabin i will spend more on board).

[Sky Sweet]

My comfort level would be determined by what we could comfortably afford to pay for a cruise, without compromising our everyday life style, from our current income. Even though we have used some of our savings to pay for big ticket items such as our daughter's college education at a top private university and her wedding, I would not use our savings to pay for a vacation.

 

The threads about smuggling liquor remind me of another consideration. If I felt that paying for incidentals during a cruise would pose a financial hardship, I would rethink my ability to comfortably afford the cruise in question. It always boggles my mind when people who book suites post about their schemes to smuggle liquor aboard the ship so they don't have to pay the cruise line's prices for it.

[chessbriar]

Mine depends on destination and cabin level. We always look for a deal.

Inside < $100/pp/d

Outside< $125/pp/d

Balcony< $150/pp/d

Suite< $200/pp/d

 

If we find a cruise that has a cabin that fits one of these, we feel we have found a deal. If we don't, we don't go. On one of our upcoming cruises, we have a suite for $150/pp/d based on double occupancy. Based on the fact we are taking a third, it's even better.

[socialworker]

We also look for value. But as a baseline, I say if I can get a cruise for $100 pppd, I have a genuine bargain!

[Sky Sweet]

A few people have commented that they try to find good deals. Have you noticed any trends in the process? I have found that Caribbean Cruises in early December are frequently a good deal because pricing is relatively low, weather/cruising conditions are usually good, and it is cold enough in the Northeast to be enticed by that winter escape.

[newmexicoNita]

The threads about smuggling liquor remind me of another consideration. If I felt that paying for incidentals during a cruise would pose a financial hardship, I would rethink my ability to comfortably afford the cruise in question. It always boggles my mind when people who book suites post about their schemes to smuggle liquor aboard the ship so they don't have to pay the cruise line's prices for it.

Boy do I agree, but maybe that's why they can afford a surite and I can't LOL

 

NMnita

[greeneg]

I wouldn't save enough smuggling liquor or wine to afford a suite....:)

[brigittetom]

We choose our cruise for value but only if we get our preferred destinations. That's our priority.

 

We don't consider it smuggleling. We simply like to have a drink of our choice while getting ready for dinner. :D

[agabbymama]

For my land vacations, I plan $100 per day. However, that being said, my New England/Canada cruise is running about $250 per day. Most expensive trip I've taken, to date.:p

[greeneg]

Personally, I agree with the others that the most important factor is the perception of value, but given that that is such an individualized set of perceptions, I had to go with just a monetary factor to keep it simple and understandable.

 

I have found the responses so far really very interesting in that the percentages have appeared not to change from the get-go. To me that implies that the results have some validity, at least for the readers of this board.

 

What I was trying to find out was if there was a point past which the Cruise lines could not raise fares; given the high cost of fuel, and other factors ( this was triggered by the Alaska Vote to Tax cruise ship passengers) I was just trying to see where people would either reduce their cabin categories or choose other alternatives. We have already rejected some of the European Cruises as simply more than we would want to spend. It would appear that we are pretty much in the ballpark for what we like to spend/day and that gives me some more information as to what is realistic for the cruise lines to charge.

 

If the average per diem goes above a certain amount, then that might also be a reason to re-evaluate my stock position.

[Sky Sweet]

Personally, I agree with the others that the most important factor is the perception of value, but given that that is such an individualized set of perceptions, I had to go with just a monetary factor to keep it simple and understandable.

 

I have found the responses so far really very interesting in that the percentages have appeared not to change from the get-go. To me that implies that the results have some validity, at least for the readers of this board.

 

What I was trying to find out was if there was a point past which the Cruise lines could not raise fares; given the high cost of fuel, and other factors ( this was triggered by the Alaska Vote to Tax cruise ship passengers) I was just trying to see where people would either reduce their cabin categories or choose other alternatives. We have already rejected some of the European Cruises as simply more than we would want to spend. It would appear that we are pretty much in the ballpark for what we like to spend/day and that gives me some more information as to what is realistic for the cruise lines to charge.

 

If the average per diem goes above a certain amount, then that might also be a reason to re-evaluate my stock position.

 

Hi Greeneg :)

 

One thing that is amazing about Celebrity's pricing is the extremely large gap between its low end and upper end cabins. On our 14 night Baltic Cruise that range was from just under $3,000 per person for an inside cabin to slightly over $15,000 per person for a penthouse suite, with quite a variety of different priced cabins in between. Ironically, shortly before this cruise, the only ones that were still available were their lowest priced inside cabins.

 

The percentage breakdown in your poll, assuming this sample is representative of Celebrity's general cruising population, would probably be of interest to someone who determines the ideal number of cabins to have within each category for a ship :)

[Drew B]

Hmmmm. This question made an idea pop into my mind. If on some ships, there are always cabins at $100 per day or less (like perhaps the Zenith or a ship on Carnival, Royal Caribbean or NCL), then it would only cost $36,500 per year to live on there FULL TIME, 365 days a year if you were to sail back-to-back-to-back-to-back. That's really not bad, considering it covers accomodations, food, entertainment, services, etc. You could really get by spending VERY LITTLE over and above this amount. If they had more television options and cheaper laundry options, I might be tempted to take up permanent residence on a ship, at least for a couple of years...

[Pontius Navigator]

Hi Greeneg :)

 

One thing that is amazing about Celebrity's pricing is the extremely large gap between its low end and upper end cabins. On our 14 night Baltic Cruise that range was from just under $3,000 per person for an inside cabin to slightly over $15,000 per person for a penthouse suite, with quite a variety of different priced cabins in between. Ironically, shortly before this cruise, the only ones that were still available were their lowest priced inside cabins.

 

The percentage breakdown in your poll, assuming this sample is representative of Celebrity's general cruising population, would probably be of interest to someone who determines the ideal number of cabins to have within each category for a ship :)

 

We just booked this cruise next year. The price was the lowest we could find that included St Petersburg and a bonus of a UK no-fly cruise. As we are going mid-summer with long daylight hours we opted for a balcony as a minimum. Our price was at a 62% discount. It works out at $254 per day each and is at the top end of our price range.

 

That said, we have just come from the QE2 with a bottom range cabin at $261.

 

As someone said, value for money. We are putting style and destination ahead of price and frequency.

[Sky Sweet]

When you decide how much you are willing to pay for a cabin, do you consider its cost in relationship to other cabins on the same ship or what you have paid for cabins on other Celebrity ships? For example, the first time we booked a sky suite on the Century, it cost almost three times as much as their standard ocean view cabin, which is a significant difference. However, since it wasn't that much more than what we have paid for concierge class cabins on M class ships, we decided to go for it :)

[C 2 C]

If they had more television options and cheaper laundry options, I might be tempted to take up permanent residence on a ship, at least for a couple of years...

 

Maybe if we could win T-shirts at trivia every day and if they were to relax the dress code a bit... we could forgive the lack of laundry facilities. There's no reason to smuggle because you can buy the stuff on board for weekly delivery;).... But other than watch your account activity and the cruise director every morning... there will be nothing new on TV.... You almost had me as a neighbour..:D