When You Set Out to Book Your Cruises?

[mtwingcpa]

I have a cost per day amount in mind, but not an overall maximum. That said, probably 30 days would be my maximum at the moment.

[herb]

No responsible person with worries about food, shelter, medical care, etc. would be booking any sort of cruise anyway.

 

Not true! We have no money tree in our backyard, no trust fund, nor any life insurance payout... we budget our money ... we have jobs, but we DO worry about the things you mentioned in your post. Not to worry would be foolish... Yet... we do enjoy planning a cruise and we do have a limit set on how much we'll spend on a cabin and how much spending money we need for the week.

 

Congratulations to those who don't need to think about the money factor... you are very fortunate.

[bepsf]

Itinerary and length of cruise are paramount since I only have so much annual vacation time...

...For me, expense is a tertiary consideration which can always be somewhat ameliorated by taking lower-grade accommodations.

[airlink diva]

Not true! We have no money tree in our backyard, no trust fund, nor any life insurance payout... we budget our money ... we have jobs, but we DO worry about the things you mentioned in your post. Not to worry would be foolish... Yet... we do enjoy planning a cruise and we do have a limit set on how much we'll spend on a cabin and how much spending money we need for the week.

 

Congratulations to those who don't need to think about the money factor... you are very fortunate.

 

Very well said!!! Unless I win the powerball, I budget for my cruises. People at work ask me how do I afford to cruise every year. It's mainly a budget. Ever payday, I pay on my cruise like a bill. I also have a budget for my tours,hotel,car rentals,etc. I set aside any extra hours money and those pay periods when I get three paychecks for my cruise. I don't buy lunch out and with the exception of buying books (I refuse to give up my books!!) most of my extra money is for my cruises. But it is so worth it when leaving the port for the very first time!!

[Jade13]

Itinerary & Length (prefer 10 nights and can't do longer than 14 nights)

Dates (usually February, July, or August)

Cruiseline (no interest in NCL. HAL is first choice)

Price (Price also corresponds to location as an expedition cruise to Antarctica will be significantly more expensive than other locations. We will pay more for an exotic expedition.)

 

So, I guess price is our last consideration but we have taken a couple of portholes staterooms this year on small ships to get on the itinerary and cruise we wanted to more exotic locations.

 

On the other hand, we wanted to take a 10 night portion of the Voyage of the Vikings but HAL would not adjust the price (which I understand since they expected that cruise to sell out). We weren't willing to pay 5K per person for 10 nights in an OV. So, price was the deciding factor not to take that cruise.

[kelmac]

Since we cruise three or four times a year, yes price becomes a major issue.

 

These things are very important:

 

--Ship

--Itinerary

--Cuisine

--Length of cruise

--Price (most cruises we have booked have come in at around $100 a day per person)

 

We usually have inside cabin, as this is a very low priority with us. In fact, we've grown to love inside cabins.

We travel six to eight weeks during the year so we must keep some costs under control.

Our motto: "A trip of a lifetime, every three months" :rolleyes::D

 

Kel

[Susie51]

1. Itinerary and date

 

2. Price

 

3. Ship or cruise line

 

4. Number of days

 

 

This order may vary. For instance, our Sept. cruise on Westerdam was first determined by date, because of a family wedding. Then we wanted to be on a HAL ship and sail out of Seattle. Third, we wanted a 7 day cruise.

 

For our Canada/New England cruise, itinerary was the primary reason for the choice. Then price was the deciding factor. Finally the length of the cruise. The cruise line didn't matter at all for that cruise.

 

Our Jan. 2010 cruise was determined by date and length of the cruise. Our Sept. 2010 cruise was determined by itinerary and price.

 

Currently, a cruise for Dec. 2010 is determined by price. However, one person cruising with us prefers HAL and if there isn't much difference in price, we will be on a HAL ship.

 

Sorry, I didn't realize this post would turn into a long reply.

[esther e]

Cruise line

 

Stateroom

 

The rest is immaterial to us. There are times we never leave the ship as the line and stateroom are our destination.

[suse]

Since I'm a working stiff. I have to confess that I always book a great cabin, though. I once was poor and not anymore, so we'll just have a good time now.:)

[GmaPajama]

... For me, expense is a tertiary consideration which can always be somewhat ameliorated by taking lower-grade accommodations.

My vocabulary lesson for the week. You sure do keep me on my toes, Brian! :)

[Route6A]

I always consider pricing with everything I buy, including cruises. No matter how much money I have to spend, I always do research to determine the best price available. With cruises, I select the time of year we wish to cruise, see what interesting cruises are available, and then try to find good deals. That's why we cruise many lines, including HAL, Regent, Celebrity, Cunard and Silversea. The hunt is half the fun.

[lilibetii]

If you're Chrysler, GM, CitiBank and Bank of America to name a few, I couldn't agree more .. why worry when someone else can print money off the presses and hand it over before the paper has even cooled off:eek:

 

on the other hand, if you're "just a regular run of the mill taxpayer", money may play a part .. unless of course you don't need to heat your home, eat or pay medical bills:rolleyes:

 

:DI am with you %100. I always choose Holland America. However, being a retired High School teacher and a single cruiser, money is of prime importance.

I did book a cruise on the Amsterdam 2010 Cape Town to Singapore segment.

I already this year took the Rotterdam segment from Dubai to Cape Town so I booked this cruise soley because I wanted to visit Agra and the Taj Mahal. However, to my dismay, the ships excursion from Mumbai costs $2450 for 15 hours, a days excursion. Having all but depleted my bank account to pay for this cruise, there was no way I could afford the excursion for which I had booked this cruise. I therefore, substituted a Panama Canal cruise and I will take an escorted land tour of the Golden Triangle in 2011. That is, if I am still around because I will then be 85 years of age. Yes, I am one of Holland America's senior citizens!:p

[suse]

Why would an excursion, 15 hours in length, cost $2,450? Just wondering.

Oh, and congratulations! I hope to be cruising when I am 85 too! What fun that will be!!!!:) Hope I have all my wits like you clearly do!

[bellebaby]

I always consider pricing with everything I buy, including cruises. No matter how much money I have to spend, I always do research to determine the best price available. With cruises, I select the time of year we wish to cruise, see what interesting cruises are available, and then try to find good deals. That's why we cruise many lines, including HAL, Regent, Celebrity, Cunard and Silversea. The hunt is half the fun.

 

That's EXACTLY what I like to do. I love the hunt!

 

B

[lilibetii]

:DThe cost ($2450) of the Mumbai one day excursion to Agra can be explained. I found the exact description of the excursion on an "Abercrombie and Kent" site and realized that Holland America was working with them for this excursion. If you know anything about this company you know that they are the top of the line and their trips are always exhorbitantly priced. Holland America knows that they can sell out this excursion because there are sufficient passengers on the world cruise that are able and willing to pay that price.

[Twickenham]

Do you have an amount of money in mind that you have set out as the maximum you want to spend for your cruise? Do you immediately eliminate any sailings you come across that are even moderately above that amount or are you firm to stay within that set budget?

 

I always wonder if people start pricing first and decide if they think that cruise is worth that amount to them or if they set the amount first.

 

 

Interesting question. I have to say, as a confirmed cheepskate, that price is very important when shopping for a cruise, but other factors play a part as well. Only once can I say I chose a cruise solely on the basis of the low price - my 4-day cruise on the NCL Majesty, for which my mother and I paid a total of $579 for an OCV cabin. Combined with FF air tickets and pre/post cruise hotels, we had a week's vacation for less than $1000! That was back in the day when I had more time than money, and could take off at a moment's notice (we literally had 2 weeks for this one). Nowadays, I have a steady job (rather than contract work), and the reverse is true, so it changes the process.

 

Generally, my planning goes something like this: settle on a general timeframe for my cruise, start looking at itineraries and prices, and get a feel for what is a 'good' price for both. The latter I do by keeping an eye on pricing throughout the year, not just when I'm looking at cruising, so I can get a general sense of pricing trends. This usually gives me a ballpark figure that I would like to spend on a certain cruise. Then, I settle on a selection of cruise itineraries that would fit my schedule and general budget, we start seriously pricing a variety of dates. My father will not cruise in anything less than a balcony cabin, so I will change itineraries to lower the price, rather than play around with cabin categories. While scheduling and flights are also an important consideration - I actually chose to cruise 10 days last winter rather than 7, because I couldn't get FF tickets on a weekend - it comes down to price. While I really enjoyed our Princess cruise, they are pretty much out these days because their 3rd passenger pricing is much more expensive than other lines. HAL's 3rd person price is what made the Noordam cruise we took very affordable - it came to less than $200, with the total cruise just over the $3000 mark that I had set myself.

[suse]

Thank you for answering my question about that very pricy excursion. It is so not in my lifetime.:)

[suse]

pricey. spelled it wrong.

[ANSalberg]

Do you have an amount of money in mind that you have set out as the maximum you want to spend for your cruise? Do you immediately eliminate any sailings you come across that are even moderately above that amount or are you firm to stay within that set budget?

 

I always wonder if people start pricing first and decide if they think that cruise is worth that amount to them or if they set the amount first.

 

One of the admirable things about the way my mind works [ and one of its greatest curses] is that I remember the past easily. The good thing is that I can empathize with almost everyone at every stage of their lives and I don't ever forget that I was there once too!

In the beginning of our cruising history we cruised with DH parents who kindly paid for us and our teenagers. So length of cruise was important [short] and cost wasn't.

In the middle -as several have mentioned -family concerns were paramount. I remember in the 1990s both sets of our parents were reaching end-of-life issues and our attendance was there but it was also PLUS full time jobs AND birth of grandchildren; Cruises during those years of necessity were short but I STRONGLY remember one in an especially difficult time that was a lifesaver-for us [Looking back I wonder how we survived those years, but cruising certainly helped...a LOT!] And while financial concerns WERE important, I think I understand MORE about having empathy for the difficult decisions other FAMILIES are making rather than trying to judge their motives -simply because OUR concerns were, at best, very complicated.

Now we are retired, doing longer cruises, finding life's adventures in lands that 20 years ago were "off limits" to Americans [Not a DAY goes by that I'm not GRATEFUL for our 2009 opportunities] And money is no longer a problem, although it is a concern. As my [wonderful] oldest daughter points out "Cruise where you want and spend what you want- just don't spent principle" God, I love those kids.........Anne

[sammiedawg]

Most important- Dates, how the calendar falls, time of the year. We work full time and schedule around our vacation time.

Sometimes Itinerary, sometimes not if we just want to relax on board.

Cruiseline is important but we are not restricted to any one line. There is 1 line I would be very reluctant to book again and a couple others make me a little nervous.

We get the best perks on Princess so that is always a consideration.

Price matters. We take both land and cruise vacations and we love getting good deals.