Anyone putting off booking a cruise until the Sept financial crisis settles?

[A Sixth?]

I had so much fun on my Grand British Isles cruise this past June my wife and I were thinking of booking a Princess European cruise for May/June 2009. But let's face it, if it weren't for bad news these days there'd be no news at all.

 

At this point, we have delayed booking until we see if our retirement savings are going down the stock market and bankers toilets. :eek:

 

Are we the only ones delaying travel plans until this mess is over?

[Cruisedreamer1]

I feel the same way and yet there could be great bargains to be had if one can take a wait and see attitude.

[Treven]

Personally if one were to wait until the financial news started looking better, one would still be waiting while on their death-beds. There's always going to be some problems.

 

When I was much younger and my mother didn't have much in the way of money, I grew up with the idea in mind that one didn't go anywhere or buy anything special until you could afford it. That idea stuck with me, unfortunately, until my early 50s when I realized that if you kept waiting till you could afford it, you'd never get anything or go anywhere.

 

I'm now in my early 60s and although I still can't afford a lot of things, including cruises, I buy what I want and vacation how I want (within reason).

[A Sixth?]

Personally if one were to wait until the financial news started looking better, one would still be waiting while on their death-beds. There's always going to be some problems.

 

No offence, but there aren't many people calling this financial fiasco "some problem(s)"

 

This is the biggie. Big enough to get a lot of peoples attention.

 

No money to loan, nothing gets built/made/planned. Nothing happening, no jobs/pay what ever.

 

I just thought that planning another trip to Europe for us at least, is definitely on hold... not until we're dead, but for now. I can't be alone can I?

[Guest arowe6]

We will continue to book cruises and take vacations. While the state of economy looks gloomy, life goes on.

 

We own a home, have no credit card debt or student loans, have life and health insurance and are a long, long way from retirement (in our 20's). Until something drastic happens (we all have our own benchmarks), we'll be cruising as much as we can.

 

-Andrew:)

[paul929207]

Why not book now? If you need to cancel, you get a full refund as long as you do it before final payment is due. That way, you get a better choice of cabins and lock in the current price.

[GLCAS]

They are comparing it to the Great Depression and that was a long time ago! Most have never lived through such times and find it hard to imagine. I heard about it from my grandmother (and she saved everything, just in case...) I'm in my 40's. I agree with the OP in waiting. This is big!

[WinnieinWA]

I had so much fun on my Grand British Isles cruise this past June my wife and I were thinking of booking a Princess European cruise for May/June 2009. But let's face it, if it weren't for bad news these days there'd be no news at all.

 

At this point, we have delayed booking until we see if our retirement savings are going down the stock market and bankers toilets. :eek:

 

Are we the only ones delaying travel plans until this mess is over?

 

NOPE! I'm booked on 4 and going on all 4. I have no debt whatsoever and feel it is my responsibility, as an American, to help stimulate the USA economy by cruising!:D

 

Cheers.:)

[A Sixth?]

NOPE! I'm booked on 4 and going on all 4. I have no debt whatsoever and feel it is my responsibility, as an American, to help stimulate the USA economy by cruising!:D

 

Cheers.:)

 

Good for you. ;)

 

I too have no debt, but it's our savings that will keep us fed and watered in our old age.

 

As a Canadian I am gong to, as usual, be more cautious and let my American cousins sort their mess out first. :cool:

 

Ironically, vacationing within one's border is a far better stimulus to your own country's economy than travelling abroad. Maybe a cruise on NCL America would be the exception. So is Hawaii in your crusing future? :p Better yet, take a cruise to Canada and buy lots of moose and beaver and stuff made of wood. :p

 

Just thought I'd point that out.

[rdsqrl]

I agree with most others -- just go. Even if the worst were to happen and your retirement savings were impacted, I can't really see how calling off one vacation is going to make that much difference in the long run. And there is something to be said for continuing to spend money. Remember, the biggest contributing factor to the Great Depression was underconsumption -- so consume! Buy that cruise, buy those new shoes just because! Americans nowadays are far too easily manipulated into panic mode: just think about the hysteria (at least where I live) if a half-inch of snow is in the forecast -- within two hours, every grocery store has sold out of toilet paper and bread and milk. Do bad things happen? Sure. Should you cower in your house and never spend another discretionary dime just in case of the worst? No. Remember, we could all be run over by a Hummer tomorrow. Carpe diem, baby.

[Canadianhey!]

Isn't the attitude of spend ,spend, spend what got you Americans in trouble in the first place.

[Guest arowe6]

underconsumption[/u] -- so consume! Buy that cruise, buy those new shoes just because! Americans nowadays are far too easily manipulated into panic mode: just think about the hysteria (at least where I live) if a half-inch of snow is in the forecast -- within two hours, every grocery store has sold out of toilet paper and bread and milk. Do bad things happen? Sure. Should you cower in your house and never spend another discretionary dime just in case of the worst? No. Remember, we could all be run over by a Hummer tomorrow. Carpe diem, baby.

 

I think we are twins!! And we may even live in the same town too! :)

 

Great answer

[dot73]

"Isn't the attitude of spend ,spend, spend what got you Americans in trouble in the first place."

I wouldn't be so smug if I was you. We, Canadians, are up to our eyeballs in debt, just like the Americans. Did you see what the TSE did today? I'm scared to look at my RRSP balance. You know that old saying "When the U.S. sneezes, Canada catches a cold".

 

Having said all that, I will economize on other things, but will not give up my once-a-year cruise in the dead of winter. I have life insurance, so if something happens to me, at least my family will have money to pay off my cruising debts. As a cancer survivor, I say every day above ground is a good one and CARPE DIEM. :D

[cruznliz]

My philosophy is to go for it. We recently lost my dear sister-in-law to cancer at too young an age. There are no guarantees that the same won't happen to us before our time. Enjoy life and family to the fullest!

 

On a practical note, putting a deposit down on a cruise hopefully won't break your bank, and as Paul said, if you change your mind you can get the deposit back. We are heading to Hawaii in 2 weeks to spend, spend, spend! (not really, but I'm sure we'll stimulate the local economy a little. :o) We have been averaging about 2 cruises a year so we are in the midst of choosing 2009 cruises. Planning and dreaming are a big part of the fun! That's why we all come to Cruise Critics! ;)

[Canadianhey!]

"Isn't the attitude of spend ,spend, spend what got you Americans in trouble in the first place."

 

I wouldn't be so smug if I was you. We, Canadians, are up to our eyeballs in debt, just like the Americans. Did you see what the TSE did today? I'm scared to look at my RRSP balance. You know that old saying "When the U.S. sneezes, Canada catches a cold".

 

Having said all that, I will economize on other things, but will not give up my once-a-year cruise in the dead of winter. I have life insurance, so if something happens to me, at least my family will have money to pay off my cruising debts. As a cancer survivor, I say every day above ground is a good one and CARPE DIEM. :D

 

Sorry it was not meant as a smug comment, that is what every stock channel talks about. It is spending that gets everyone over their head with debt. Yes I have looked at the TSX today and my US stocks have also bit the dust (Fannie Freddy and Washington Mutal) so no it definitely was not a smug remark it was the truth.

[FOXTROT]

We right now have 113 days till our next cruise. Everything, but, the final payment is made. I will be losing my job within a month, thanks Democrats. Our April cruise is the one in jeopardy. We have not purchased the airfare yet. For some crazy reason the airfare has no increased at all. The cruise is refundable but the air is not.

[Canadianhey!]

We right now have 113 days till our next cruise. Everything, but, the final payment is made. I will be losing my job within a month, thanks Democrats. Our April cruise is the one in jeopardy. We have not purchased the airfare yet. For some crazy reason the airfare has no increased at all. The cruise is refundable but the air is not.

 

Sorry to hear about your job loss, hopefully you can get something else so you will not have to cancel. It is sad economic time and I don't think they will get any better any time soon. Even the best are predicting 2-3 years.:eek:

[spongerob]

We aren't going to make precipitous decisions. We have future cruises booked. We will see what happens. Things look gloomy today, but they looked just as bad in the early 80's when interest rates were sky high.

 

What we're going through is a correction that needs to happen. I say let it happen. The depression of the 1930's actually lasted longer than it should have thanks to government intervention.

[A Sixth?]

The depression of the 1930's actually lasted longer than it should have thanks to government intervention.

 

:confused:

 

Okay. Explain that one to me?

[Colo Cruiser]

I am booking more so that I can ease the pain. :cool:

[rcacace]

Isn't the attitude of spend ,spend, spend what got you Americans in trouble in the first place.

 

I agree with you on that one. As long as the banks continue to give out huge loans for mortgages that many could not afford & credit cards for almost unlimited advances this spiral will never stop. I also feel that spending shouldn't stop but credit should only be used with some responsibility with a cruise vacation not being a true necessity. Reality check has affected most Americans & it should be interesting to see how it will affect the cruise industry.

[A Sixth?]

I am booking more so that I can ease the pain. :cool:

 

 

Cheers! :D

 

oops, I thought you said you were "Drinking" more to ease the pain.... :rolleyes:

 

My Bad :cool:

[chrysalis]

I am booking more so that I can ease the pain. :cool:

 

hope we see you in March?

[stoneharborlady]

Isn't the attitude of spend ,spend, spend what got you Americans in trouble in the first place.

 

 

Yes, I believe it is!!!!!!

[Toto2Kansas]

Isn't the attitude of spend ,spend, spend what got you Americans in trouble in the first place.

 

Personally, it seems to me that it is the attitude of Americans that spend spend spend, is that they put all that spending on credit cards that causes the problems. Many Americans live FAR ABOVE their means, and in turn, they get into big financial trouble for this very reason.