Can it be done?

[terri1020]

I'm looking for a surpirse cruise I can give to my dh for Christmas. I want to go NCL and I live in NJ. I need to go in mid-late January 2009 to mid February. I need to keep it under $1000 total, including air and hotel night before cruise if need be. Am I dreaming, or can it be done? I don't think it would be worth it for us to fly from Newark to anywhere for a three or four day cruise.

 

The challenge is on! H E L P ! ! !

[BikerAl]

You can certainly do a 7 day on the Pearl for right around $1000. including cruise fare, tax and port charges, but then you add in mandatory service charges, any on board expenses (drinks etc.), transfers from airport and hotel, and you are looking at a minimum of $600 more, plus air fare.

[Budget Queen]

Why not look at the Gem sailing out of NY, or the Majesty out of South Carolina- could drive??

 

But you could find a 7 day cruise for $2000 for the two of you, cruise/air, but as mentioned, not sure if you are allowing for the other expenses to be included in that $1000pp cost??

[CruisnGram]

I'm looking for a surpirse cruise I can give to my dh for Christmas. I want to go NCL and I live in NJ. I need to go in mid-late January 2009 to mid February. I need to keep it under $1000 total, including air and hotel night before cruise if need be. Am I dreaming, or can it be done? I don't think it would be worth it for us to fly from Newark to anywhere for a three or four day cruise.

 

The challenge is on! H E L P ! ! !

 

Well, it's going to be impossible to find 7 day cruises plus airfare for under $1000 for 2 of you. Unless, you are willing to be very, very risky with your plans. If you wait till last minute to book the cruise, then you could get a great cruise price, but then you'd pay a fortune for airfare. You'd have to go way out on a limb and decide which cruise you want to go on, book the airfare now at a good price, and then just watch and wait for the cruise price to drop. Of course, that is very risky as you don't know what cruise prices are going to do, or even if that cruise might begin to sell quickly and prices skyrocket overnight. I wouldn't recommend that, especially if it's a Christmas present, but it is an option if you are willing to gamble big time.

 

I just did almost the same thing as you are looking to do. My MIL has never cruised and wants to try it, but is scared. So she just wants a short cruise in case she hates it then she won't be stuck for 7 days LOL . Us "kids" decided to give her a cruise for Christmas. I just booked the Sky out of Miami for 3 days and we live in Baltimore. Surprisingly, that total price was less then what we could get a 2 day on the Dawn out of NY for...including airfare.

 

So, I did some checking for you. You can get airfare out of Newark for approximately $194.00 per person. Then a 4 day on the Sky for approximately $541.54....a total of $929.54 for two. That would leave you a little room for a hotel. That's probably about the best you are going to come up with for under $1000.

 

Of course, you do realize that you are going to have daily gratuities added to your onboard account, transportation costs from airport to cruise terminal, drinks, shore excursions, etc that are going to put that price up a lot higher then that don't you? Most of them are optional charges (except the transportation & gratuities) but you still need to plan on spending probably $500 more on the actual trip.

 

Good luck!

 

CG

[CruisnGram]

Why not look at the Gem sailing out of NY, or the Majesty out of South Carolina- could drive??

 

But you could find a 7 day cruise for $2000 for the two of you, cruise/air, but as mentioned, not sure if you are allowing for the other expenses to be included in that $1000pp cost??

 

She's looking for $1000 total, not per person.

 

CG

[garycarla]

Airfare is your primary issue. You can do a 4 day out of Miami with taxes for under $400 for BOTH of you. Add $12 a day for tips, and maybe fuel surcharge.

 

But, airfare will nail you.

 

If you decide to raise your dollar level, doing a 7 day out of NY is probably better use of time and money as you can avoid the airfare, and hotel in Florida. Unless you decide to gamble and fly the same day.

[terrymtex01]

To the OP. Can you clarify a little so we might can help more? Is $1000.00 the absolute total you can spend, including onboard charges? Or is $1000.00 the most you want to spend just on the cruise and air fare?

 

IF you are talking about $1000.00 for the cruise fare, and if you could drive to Charleston, SC., yes you can do it. If your onboard charges have to be included in that $1000.00, you are going to find it very very difficult to find a 7 day cruise for that budget.

[Randus62]

We are going on the Majesty on 1-24-09 and we found it very reasonable.

[terri1020]

Thanks to all who have risen to the challenge! I will be looking into them today. We have just been through the worst 6 months ever. My Mom passed two weeks ago and my dh was my hero through that horrible time. $1,000 is all I have to spend on the cruise, taxes, fuel charges, port charges and air. Gratuities and anything we do on board or in port will be taken care of at that time, so it's not included in the $1,000.

Keep the suggestions coming, and thank you!

Terri

[rubytue]

I priced out and inside cabin for some friends to come with us on our cruise. It would have run them about $1200 for everything to get on the ship (airfare, cruise, port charges, taxes, and fuel supplement). That was pretty good for a 5-nighter. Airfare is what save us, and I found roundtrip flights on Southwest for $160/pp. It took a lot of time online to find the best combo of cruise dates and airfare (the cheapest cruise was the most expensive dates to fly).

 

Are you willing to drive a little for an airport? Southwest will take you to FLL or Tampa and flies our of Philly, BWI, and Long Island. Jet Blue also goes to FLL and Tampa from Newerk. Try those discount airlines and see what kind of dates give you good fares, then go to a cruise travel agenecy website when you can compare fares across lines, and find the best cruise to fit the best flight dates. Both of these airline still allow you a bag or two checked for free, so that reduces your cost, too.

 

Good luck!

[rubytue]

out of curiosity, I priced it out. For the Jan 18th Jewel cruise, its $793 for the cruise, port charges, and fuel surcharge (which I am betting we will get back as an OBC), and $458 round-trip from Newerk to FLL. $1251 :( And a quick glance through fares in Jan, that was the lowest combo I could find in Jan (granted, I only looked for a few minutes and plugged a couple of dates in for flights)

[TVLady3]

So sorry to hear of your loss.

NCL is having a special this week...7 nts. on the Majesty to Bahamas & Florida on 1-24-09 out of Charleston N.C. You can drive there from N.J. in 6 hours or so.

I priced it out with everything included except ins. and it comes to $936 for 2.

Also check out Spirit Airlines from Atlantic City, great prices to Florida.

Yes, you can do this cruise!:)

[hammsz]

Tips and other expenses on your shipboard account will put you over a 1000. These pricings that other people have done are great. This is the best site for cruisers hands down.

[nyflush]

Do you qualify for any of the preferred NCl programs? such as union discounts or maybe if you use an Amex card here is the link from the NCL site: http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/cruiser/cmsPages.html?pageId=PrefPartner

 

The best way for you to go would be to drive to the port, well get a ride or bus it would be best save on parking:D

 

Sorry to hear about your mother. My husband has been my rock with the loss of my mother and this past year my sister.

[rubytue]

NCL is having a special this week...7 nts. on the Majesty to Bahamas & Florida on 1-24-09 out of Charleston N.C. You can drive there from N.J. in 6 hours or so.

You must have some super fast way from NJ to Chareleston. Google maps says its 750 miles and 12 hours, and Charelston in South Carolina, not NC. It took me 6 hours to drive from Richmond, VA to Charelston.

[TVLady3]

You must have some super fast way from NJ to Chareleston. Google maps says its 750 miles and 12 hours, and Charelston in South Carolina, not NC. It took me 6 hours to drive from Richmond, VA to Charelston.

 

OOPS! My bad, guess I need another cup of coffee!:D

OK...12 hours, its still doable!:)

[CruisnGram]

Thanks to all who have risen to the challenge! I will be looking into them today. We have just been through the worst 6 months ever. My Mom passed two weeks ago and my dh was my hero through that horrible time. $1,000 is all I have to spend on the cruise, taxes, fuel charges, port charges and air. Gratuities and anything we do on board or in port will be taken care of at that time, so it's not included in the $1,000.

Keep the suggestions coming, and thank you!

Terri

 

Terri,

 

Send me an email when you get a chance. ChBoxers800 @ comcast.net

 

CG