How do y'all afford to cruise so often??

[gbcruise]

Recently my family has started working concessions at a large university for their hometown football games. We've been asked to also take over for basketball season. It nets us 10% & each season will gross us enough to purchase a cruise, 7 days for the 5 of us. I also use coupons at the store & use the savings for other expenses on board.

[Pradagal]

Still have 2 kids in college so hubby and I have been a cruise budget. It really isn't that expensive compared to other vacations. We have been trying for a big cruise every year. Can't wait for retirement(few years away;) ). We will cruise till we can't cruise no more!

[hoosiermarty]

We retired at 55. I have no pension but he does. This is our second marriage each and we have known eachother since 5th grade. So, we live on his pension and we vacation on my money from my first marriage of 31 years. We also time share in Mexico for 4 to 6 weeks every Oct-Nov. I have told him if I am ever sick and dying, just put me on a cruise ship. Cruising in my opinion, is the only true full vacation for a woman. No meals to worry about (like in the timeshare world), no cleaning, you get the idea. I only wish we lived near a port. Indiana is a long way and no big ships sail Lake Michigan.

[RVfromAZ]

My husband and I really enjoy cruising, our children are grown, so we can afford 2 vacations a year, we like going to All-inclusive resorts in the caribbean for one week, and a cruise for the other week. We both still work full time, someday when we retire we plan to travel more extensively. Planning our next trip is what keeps us going!!!!:)

[lacruiser]

Interesting reading! DH & I were married on Christmas Eve. Great time for a wedding, lousy for an anniversary -- always lost in the Xmas shuffle, especially once the 2 girls came along. They are now 13 and 17, and we started cruising in late Nov/early Dec back in 02. We go every year at that time. Off season rates, great weather in the Caribbean, and we say that it has certainly been cheaper than therapy! We could go more often, but we like to stay in a JS (maybe we'll upgrade one day, but we love our aft JS!), and we like to make it special. I promise you that it's saved our marriage. We look forward to many more years of cruising.

[cruisin4kicks]

House is paid, kids are grown, cruise off season, now it's time to vacation. :D

Ditto. The wife and I both get 5 weeks vacation. After we paid off the house (the money that went to the house payment now pays for the cruises), we started taking 3 one week cruises and 2 weekend cruises per year plus still have time to take a land type vacation.

 

Tim

[cruisePRN]

Besides two cruises (sometimes3) a year we do take some other types of Vacations. We did the railway trip to the grand Canyon thru the auto club and it was fabulous. We went to Zion last year and it was spectacular. Last week end we were in Los Angeles.

The simple answer to how do we do it "income". Some people have more discretionary income then others.

[auburnfan]

Thanks for all the input. Everyone has made valid points. I suppose I'm thinking that ALL cruises cost as much as our one and only cruise cost us. We DID go in peak season...7 night to West. Caribbean in 2001 on Spring break in March. Seems like just the cost of the cruise for 2 adults/ 1 child was around $2400. And seeing as it was our 1st cruise, we naturally went on excursions at every port.....and bought a ton of expensive pictures....and felt like we had to bring home a souvenir T-shirt to everyone who DIDN'T get to go. I'd say, all total, we probably spent $3600. We didn't have airfare either...we drove to New Orleans.

 

So, cheapest time to go is Nov-Feb, huh?

 

We have one 16 yr. old left at home, and he doesn't care too much about going off with the "old folks" anymore, so we should be just about ready to start taking off without him...even if it's for a 3 or 4 day cruise!

 

Y'all have given me lots to think about!!! THANKS! :D

[auburnfan]

I think one of the biggest misconceptions about cruising is that it's expensive.

 

I'm not saying it's cheap, but if you learn the ins and outs, you can cruise very economically

. Combined with repeat cruise discounts and upgrades and stock owner credits, it can be even more reasonable.

 

I posted down further that our one and only cruise probably cost (all total) about $3600 for 2 adults/ 1 child during March Spring break. Is that too much, or about average? I don't know how to gauge what a good price would be, seeing as I've only been on 1 cruise, and now know that it was during peak season! :eek:

[Firefighterhoop]

I work a lot of over time, and use my overtime for vacations, as well as I work a part time job on my days off a few days a week, and use that for vacation as well!

[jetskier]

I posted down further that our one and only cruise probably cost (all total) about $3600 for 2 adults/ 1 child during March Spring break. Is that too much, or about average? I don't know how to gauge what a good price would be, seeing as I've only been on 1 cruise, and now know that it was during peak season! :eek:

 

For us that would be high as we book for the price and are happy to just be on the ship. Examples:

Sept 11 $460 5-day

Sept 30 $511 5-day

Oct 23 $484 5-day

Oct 30 $1175 5-day (4 people)

Nov 16 $843 4-day (3 people)

Jan 23 $700 5-day

 

So what you are paying for one cruise, we have booked 5. Our Nov 3, 2007 is costing us $2200 for 2pp but that is for a balcony and it is a 15 day sailing. It also helps to live close to the ports as we are about equal distance to Mobile as it is to New Orleans. It also helps to be self employed and able to take advantage of off-peak travel times.

 

If you look at a couple of months of sailings, you can see the undersold dates. Those are the ones you want to book as it is likely the price might drop further. A lot of people dont realized that you can ask for a rate adjustment if the price drops.

 

Like others have said, it is where you wish to place your priorities. We drive older vehicles so we dont have a car note. I have one vehicle I did buy new in Dec 90 that now has 305000 miles on it. We dont eat out often. My business is next to our home so the high gas prices has not affected me with having to commute to work.

 

Also once on the ship, it can be as expensive or as inexpensive as you want to make it. Of course, it did help by winning the $1000 at bingo on our last cruise.

 

Dave

[molly361]

I think if you did a poll you would find that most of the people who cruise once a year or more have grown children, both work or are retired.]

 

Or have NO children, both work and live driving distance to Miami and Fort Lauderdale - We usually do two cruises a year and love it as it does NOT involve flying for us

[LizC]

My husband and I have high stress level jobs. We love what we do, but we both work long hours and cruise to avoids burn out. Plus my husband is going for his MBA. We have two children one in college.

 

I have NEVER been more relaxed than when I am on a cruise. My stress melts away. My husband loves to cruise also.

 

Yes we make a great income and live in an area where the cost of living is not high. We normally go to Europe once a year or so. But while in Europe we are always on the run not relaxing. We discovered curising a few years ago and never looked back. We still love Europe and go once a year, but I come home more exhausted than I left. Maybe we need to combine Europe with a cruise. Someday we plan to retire buy a small house for the two of us and cruise even more.:)

[swooldri]

No children!

[OceanCruise]

We consider our yearly cruise (plus a few weekend getaways) essential for family time, reconnecting, and getting away from the stress of work and life. While I do try to pick the cheapest week in the summer, our motto is to book now and figure out how to pay for it later. Usually our tax return covers a good part of the cost (although I know the government gets free interest on our money). I don't care about clothes, jewelry or fancy cars but there is no way I will give up our vacations. That gives me the greatest joy with all the planning, anticipation, etc. Although we have a ways to go before retiring, our goal is to eventually downsize and travel, travel, travel.

[Janice M]

We have been cruising 2 times a year. We always get an inside stateroom. We don't drink, gamble very little and stay out of the shops on the ship. We do RCI excursions. I go to the RCI site ofter and look for "good deals". We also try to book the next cruise on the ship because they give a room credit. The cruise we are going on next, the credit was $200.00. Also try and use crown and anchor coupons. We did do a lot of traveling in Arizona, Utah and Colorado, but the Navigator got us hooked on cruising.

 

Jan

[superjerryw]

The truth is that most of us are liars. Oh sure, we've probably all been on one or two cruises, but those claims of having been on dozens of cruises are all made up. In the anonymous world of the Internet we just make stuff up to impress all these other anonymous people that we will never meet...:eek:

[debshomespun]

We have our 2 kids out of college, and we usually go with an inside cabin. I always look for good deals. We try to book while on board for the onboard credits. We cruise in the off season. I always check for the best airfare rates. We don't spend alot of $$$ on extras while at home. We don't go out to eat alot. We don't spend lots of $$$ on excursions or spa treatments. We do alot of the excursions on our own.

 

We have always had great cruises. Whether we are inside, oceanview or with a balcony, they have all been great!

[WindinmySails]

My first cruise was with my sister, next with my boys. One person certainly is cheaper.

We are very frugal because I'd like to spend my money on vacation. No eating out but once a month and under 50.00 for family, no cable TV, no Starbucks, no new cars, no movies--we use the library tons, and enjoy great hiking in Colorado. We do ski alot, but again, use season passes that are a bargain for our family.

In no way do I feel deprived. :D

[Firefighterhoop]

I just thought of something that helps as well, Having no children in school, thus we are not glued to certain weeks to take vacations.

 

During popular school breaks (Newyears, CHristmas, Presidents day week, Mid March-Late April, and over the summer, rates can change drastically, and can as much as DOUBLE!)...even waiting as little as a week after new years can cause a cruise price to go from 1199.00 to 599.00 (Due to demand)!

 

Not being restricted by a school schedule helps out a lot when being able to plan a vacation!

 

Scott

[clm101798]

Yeah, I had to explain to DH why we were looking at $850pp instead of the $550pp in the ad - Trying to explain that if we went two weeks later it would be the $550, but since we need it for April vacation they charge an arm and a leg.

I have decided I can't wait until I am retired and can jump on any cruises I want. I just saw an ad recently for a cruise from boston for $350pp that I would have loved to take!

 

This is our third cruise in three years, but the second one I won in a contest so we only had to pay for my daughter. So we only are waiting 1.5 years for our next big vacation instead of doing one every other year like planned :)

 

The $2150 we are paying for a cruise for 3 during April vacation is cheaper that we could do Disney or an all-inclusive.

[logan1_2000]

Recently my family has started working concessions at a large university for their hometown football games. We've been asked to also take over for basketball season. It nets us 10% & each season will gross us enough to purchase a cruise, 7 days for the 5 of us. I also use coupons at the store & use the savings for other expenses on board.

 

looking at your location, are you doing the concessions for the Gorillas of Pittsburg State?

 

as for my own cruise finances, AuburnFan, I make a ton of $ betting Georgia Tech when they play Auburn...just teasing ;) i didn't go to and SEC or ACC school so I just enjoy all the football and I don't have to take it personally if someone beats someone else.

 

But I am spending my son's college fund to go on these cruise, thank goodness for the Hope Scholarship in GA. We both work, we have only one child, and since my father died before he reached retirement and my MIL died less than a year after my FIL retired, I'm not waiting around to see if I live long enough to retire to enjoy life.

 

That said, there is a huge plastic coke bottle shaped coin bank into which all pocket change at the end of the day in my family is deposited--that is a cruise fund. We use either RCI VISA or the Disney VISA to accumulate credits toward a cruise (have 113,000 of the 125,000 needed for the "free" caribbean 7 night cruise for 2; and in 2005 took a disney cruise that had an ob-board booking discount, and had over a thousand dollars of disney visa dollars applied toward the cost). i find off-priced cruises that for some reason are not as expensive--the radiance has worked great for this, and for the life of me i cannot understand why except that i have booked 6 nighters and they might fall below the radar when people search for 7 night cruises. we are booked for a second straight january 2nd embarkation--pricing is very attractive on january 2nd compared to the previous week. and we have pulled DS out of school for a few of these cruises, though that will stop after this year when we are done with elementary school.

 

we tend not to take other "big" vacations--there is a family beach cottage, and we go there when we dont cruise, no rent or room rates for that.

[medfordgirl]

We live in florida so that is a plus, lots of cruises to choose from and no airfare. Also I am a stay at home mom so I can check the computer daily for the best prices. My DH also has extra money from his paycheck taken out so at tax time we get a nice size check. I don't drink, my DH likes his wine, and we are not big on excursions. However we do like the suite life. The paycheck thing helps the most, if you don't have it in your hand you don't miss it. It is like our cruise account. I know if we just put it in our own bank we would get interest but that would be very little and it would be too tempting to spend.

[clm101798]

My DH does there tax thing too. We know it is not the most financially wise thing to do but he likes it and makes him feel confortable. Our refund this year will pay the balance of the cruise and our car insurance this year.

[gbcruise]

Yes, home of the Gorillas! And we've found out that Gorilla fans not only like their bananas but hotdogs, nachos & pretzels in truckloads!!! We have 4 teenagers so their really working hard for their cruise fare but they enjoy the work too! Have you been to Gorilla country before???