If you lived in a port city or state?

[frankhouse]

I used to live in Tampa Florida but not anymore. :( My wife wants to move back so we can take advantage of cruise specials and save money by being able to drive to any of the many ports, completely illiminating the cost of flying. :) We would definitely cruise more often. ;) If you lived in a port city or state, would you cruise more than you do now? Should I fulfill my wife's dreams and move back? :confused:

[Nuttycruisegirl]

I used to live in Tampa Florida but not anymore. :( My wife wants to move back so we can take advantage of cruise specials and save money by being able to drive to any of the many ports, completely illiminating the cost of flying. :) We would definitely cruise more often. ;) If you lived in a port city or state, would you cruise more than you do now? Should I fulfill my wife's dreams and move back? :confused:

 

 

If I lived IN a port city, I would cruise much more than I do now. Especially a Florida port....The deals are too good to pass up! I saw 5 nighters from $209 yesterday out of Port Canaveral....I'd go on a short cruise every 8 weeks or so!:D

[jjgoo]

I used to live in Tampa Florida but not anymore. :( My wife wants to move back so we can take advantage of cruise specials and save money by being able to drive to any of the many ports, completely illiminating the cost of flying. :) We would definitely cruise more often. ;) If you lived in a port city or state, would you cruise more than you do now? Should I fulfill my wife's dreams and move back? :confused:

 

ya move back, its so nice in florida to hit each coast and cruise when you want. Even last minute deals.

[calicruise74]

I used to live in Tampa Florida but not anymore. :( My wife wants to move back so we can take advantage of cruise specials and save money by being able to drive to any of the many ports, completely illiminating the cost of flying. :) We would definitely cruise more often. ;) If you lived in a port city or state, would you cruise more than you do now? Should I fulfill my wife's dreams and move back? :confused:

 

Yes!! Our closest carnival port is LA, 7 hours away and due to airfare costs, we've been taking a lot of cruises from that port. But if I lived in LA or any other port city, my weekends might be a bit more exciting... "What are you doing this weekend?"..my response "Oh, just going on a cruise".

[ABurris0411]

We live in the Tampa Bay area and still only take one cruise a year. Granted, both of us work full time so this might be different if we were retired.

 

Living in or around port areas only eliminates the cost of air fare. It does not eliminate the cost of the cruise, the cost of parking (unless you can catch a ride with someone not only willing to drop you off but pick you up when it's over), the cost of "extras" on board or the cost of taking time off work (if you do not have enough vacation time to support it).

 

90% of our relatives live in the Northeast and I really think that they believe we are ALWAYS on vacation just because we live in Florida! While I would love for that to be true, it is just not the case.

 

OP - if you are retired and can afford to cruise all the time, then I say go for it!

[marym933]

We live in Florida. My husband is retired, but I still work. I plan to take a lot more cruises after I retire! The rates are so good before or after a major holiday or during hurricane season. I will be able to cruise anytime I want without worrying about work. I have been with the school system for 21 years. I now have to cruise during school vacations or the summer when the rates are the highest! Life is short. Come on back! I'll put the welcome mat out!

[mom2girls]

I do live in Florida. I know that I cruise a lot more often now than I would if I had to fly. I don't know if I could afford it if I had to pay for a flight. I try to cruise at least twice a year.

[AdrenalineRush]

We live in the Tampa Bay area and still only take one cruise a year. Granted, both of us work full time so this might be different if we were retired.

 

Living in or around port areas only eliminates the cost of air fare. It does not eliminate the cost of the cruise, the cost of parking (unless you can catch a ride with someone not only willing to drop you off but pick you up when it's over), the cost of "extras" on board or the cost of taking time off work (if you do not have enough vacation time to support it).

It eliminates air fare, hotels and meals. I have to drive and leave my car at the airport as it is now.

[Cotton]

I'm located about halfway between N.O. and Mobile, so it's nice to have a choice of cruises, each way just over an hour or so.

 

I sometimes do two a year, sometimes one...according to what other vacations I have planned.

 

But, yes, it's very nice being between two easily accessed port cities.:)

[jetskier]

I am like Cotton as we live less than two hours to Mobile and to New Orleans. 5.5 hours to the Port of Houston and 6.5 hrs to Galveston.

 

As you can see from my signature line the answer would be YES. Out of 22 cruises, we have only flown twice. The flight to New York was $109 and the one RT to Miami was $198. Now that airfare has increased, we look at it as being another cruise we could take.

 

Dave

[jaja]

We live right across the river from NYC.(30 minute car ride)..so we do not fly to cruise!! BUT as you know...cruises from NY are much more expensive that from other ports..but it is SO convenient.....(we do Carnival and NCL from NY--and now out of itineraries!!!-hoping they come out with more)

[TheVegasMan]

If you were to move to Florida, would you stay with the same company? Would you get enough time off to be able to take advantage of the cruises? Would the higher cost of living be offset by the cruise advantages?

[frankhouse]

If you were to move to Florida, would you stay with the same company? Would you get enough time off to be able to take advantage of the cruises? Would the higher cost of living be offset by the cruise advantages?

 

If I moved back, I would not be with same company so I would loose some of my vacation time. Right now I get 3 weeks a year not including holidays. If I go back to work for the same company that I worked for when I lived there before, (5-1/2 yrs) I would get only 2 weeks of vaca a year until I earn more time. But if you book around long weekends, one might be able to take advantage of the 3 to 5 day specials that seem to be a very good buy if you don't have to fly. :D

 

I don't even notice a difference in the cost of living compared to where I live now. I visit my daughter and one of my sons in Tampa every year, some things are more expensive and some things are less. Actually, when I lived here the cost of living was less then where I was from, but I had to take a cut in pay. It kind of all equals out.

[cruizinonup]

I think that living close to a port is the main reason I am able to cruise so often. No flight fees equal more cruises!:D

[shipty2]

Yes you should move.LOL Or at least I would given the chance.

[Tapi]

I used to live in Tampa Florida but not anymore. :( My wife wants to move back so we can take advantage of cruise specials and save money by being able to drive to any of the many ports, completely illiminating the cost of flying. :) We would definitely cruise more often. ;) If you lived in a port city or state, would you cruise more than you do now? Should I fulfill my wife's dreams and move back? :confused:

 

Lived in Miami for a few years. Live in Atlanta now. I would much rather live in Atlanta than in Miami.

 

Everything in Miami was SO expensive compared to Atlanta (housing, insurance, etc) so we were spending a lot of money. Now, the amount of money that we save every year by not living there, more than covers the airline tickets to any embarkation port. (The extra property taxes alone were the equivalent of two 7 night cruises for two in a balcony stateroom!)

 

We're not making more money living in Atlanta, however, we live better than we did in Miami, and we've been able to put away tens of thousands of dollars in savings since we've been living here.

 

So to answer your question, unless you absolutely love the city you're moving to and it's not going to cost you more money, I think it might be a dumb idea.

 

How far are you now from your closest port of embarkation?

[lele100]

I live in Florida, 45 mins to Miami, even closer to Ft. Lauderdale about 2 hrs to Port Canaveral. I would definitely go on more cruises if it weren't for time off at work, My husband and I were talking about this the other day, when we were younger we couldn't do it because we didn't have the money, now that we have the money we can't do it because of the job, grrrrh... always something, I guess we have to wait till we retire or win the lottery which ever comes first:D

[nodaksvt]

Brings many factors in. How many times can you go to the same port?Living in Florida, you pretty much know where Florida cruises go to.

 

I would cruise more if I lived near a port

[frankhouse]

 

How far are you now from your closest port of embarkation?

 

We live in Rio Rancho, NM so the closest port is L.A., CA. It's about 795 miles and about a 11.5 hour drive. Next is S.D. CA., and it's about 829 miles and 12 hour drive and then Galv, TX, at about 956 miles and 15 hour drive. Sometimes they have deals for flying but not usually when you actually have time off or the money to do it. We usually book our cruise and then watch for flight deals leading up to departure day. We were going to drive to Galveston for our Ecstasy cruise but as time went on my wife found a good deal on Southwest so we will be flying afterall. For our cruise on the Fascination, we will already be in Tampa visiting kids, so we will rent a car to get there.

[frankhouse]

Brings many factors in. How many times can you go to the same port?Living in Florida, you pretty much know where Florida cruises go to.

 

I would cruise more if I lived near a port

 

You have cruises out of Tampa, Jacksonville, Miami, Ft Lauderdale, Port Canaveral and Jacksonville. It covers quite a vast array of cruise lines, destinations and itineraries. :) Carnival usually offering the best deals.

[Rowan555]

We live in New Orleans, and as you can see from my sig line, we take full advantage of living in a city with a cruise terminal. We've only cruised out of another city once, and that was when the Conquest was relocated to Galveston after Katrina (and we already had the cruise booked and didn't want to cancel it). The ease and convenience, as well as the savings, of cruising being available minutes from our front door make it a no-brainer for us. We cruise more often than we take land vacations, and we try to sneak in as many cruises as we can. It's going to get more expensive when the Triumph comes in November, so our number of cruises will likely go down. We're considering the Dream for 2010, but I'm still on the fence about that because we also have the option of the Triumph's alternating 7 day itineraries, which make cruising out of New Orleans even more attractive.

 

One great thing, for us, about cruising so close to home, is that we can take a 4 or 5 day cruise which returns on a weekday, and my husband is able to go to work the day we get home. Might sound like a drag, but that allows us to take a 4 day cruise with only 2 vacation days, or a 5 day cruise with 3 vacation days. That means more cruising, which is a good thing!

[thinkpink]

I can see port canaveral from my house of 7 or 8 years andddd i have never been on a cruise yet

 

we are driving 3 hrs to go out of ft laudy

[flpab]

I am a 30 min drive to Port Canaveral but don't cruise that much out of here because of time off, we do other vacations and like to go to other places than the Islands. Last cruise in Nov was out of Fort Lauderdale. Having lived here since 87 and having State Farm insurance for all that time we are now being dropped. The unemployment rate is huge and if you have a good job where you are stay put.

[DaveyT]

If Carnival came back to Philly, then I would take a cruise about every 3-6 months......

 

Please come back!!!!

[patrice1]

Lived in Miami for a few years. Live in Atlanta now. I would much rather live in Atlanta than in Miami.

 

Everything in Miami was SO expensive compared to Atlanta (housing, insurance, etc) so we were spending a lot of money. Now, the amount of money that we save every year by not living there, more than covers the airline tickets to any embarkation port. (The extra property taxes alone were the equivalent of two 7 night cruises for two in a balcony stateroom!)

 

We're not making more money living in Atlanta, however, we live better than we did in Miami, and we've been able to put away tens of thousands of dollars in savings since we've been living here.

 

So to answer your question, unless you absolutely love the city you're moving to and it's not going to cost you more money, I think it might be a dumb idea.

 

How far are you now from your closest port of embarkation?

 

Tapi, that would be the old Miami. The new Miami is much cheaper, especially housing because of the collapse of the housing markets here. Values have dropped like a rock making it much more affordable here than before. We moved to Key West 7 years ago when trailers started at $500K, lol (it's true) and knew we could never own here. Well, we're in our mid-50's & just bought our first home (we close on 2/25...we're a little excited :rolleyes:)- and it's in Key West. Prices have dropped so much, we finally were able to buy, and we're just working folks. Many also say that the economy will rebound quicker here in South Florida, as there are still limited resources and space to build here, yet the demand remains strong for the lifestyle and the water. I know only that I have to live near the ocean and we have certainly cruised more since our move to the Keys.:D