CookieDiva

Thanks Deenie. I haven't joined the Roll Call for our trip 'cause I'm a very superstitious person and I feel like if I'm too "out there" about this, the Cruise Gods will see me and put some kind of stop to it. I know, I know - ridiculous! But it's how I roll.

BethR - Bahama Mama

Thanks all!

Went from "holding" to "booking" our cruise today. This just might happen. :D

Wonderful thoughts and tips Christina and Josey! Thank you so much.

BethR - Bahama Mama

Thanks clarea for clearing that up for me. Still $200 ahead, so that's ok for me for now.

BethR - Bahama Mama

I ran my numbers for our April 2016 trip that I just booked 2 days ago and we are still $100pp ahead. But seeing that this promotion doesn't include balcony rooms? Then we are $300 pp ahead. So I'm satisfied.

Until a better promotion comes along. [emoji6]

BethR - Bahama Mama

Comforting to learn that we're not the only ones who have had to face the adversity of a layoff, but have landed on our feet - albeit a little wobbly sometimes. We learned a lot while my

DH was off - not the least of which was becoming more disciplined about our money management. It will make enjoying a great vacation all the more sweet!

Well, I've asked our TA to up our reservation to a balcony room. [emoji8] I would have been happy and content in the interior room, and my DH might have been as well. But he LOVES the water. Is a big swimmer, loves the beach, boogie boarding, and loves boating too. I know that he'll really love the balcony. It'll all be good. I'll have $400 a month budgeted for eating out and entertainment. I cut that back to $250 to save for the cruise. I'll just cut that back to $190. PLUS we chose the Eastern itinerary over the western so one less day off of the ship. Hopefully we'll save a few $ being on board.

Thanks for letting me ramble. You're sparing my DH and DFs. [emoji2]

BethR - Bahama Mama

Paul, he already takes his lunch

every day. Last year he was laid off from a (good) job that he had for 31 years, was off for 12 months and took a job in February that pays 30% less. We've been on an austerity program for 18 months now and this cruise will be our first vacay since that fateful day. Any level that we do will be a treat and celebration!

Not trying to be Debbie Downer by any stretch, but I just had to laugh about the lunch comment. [emoji2]

We'll just have to find that money in other ways. If it's meant to be, it'll happen. [emoji106]

BethR - Bahama Mama

Ha! DH might be wanting to upgrade to a balcony room already! Good thing that we have 18 months to save (well 15 til final payment.)

I'm going to have to spend every waking moment playing MyVegas! 😉😛

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We booked an inside promenade cabin for our first trip. And our friends got the balcony cabin right across from us. So we can get a real feel for how much difference that $600 would have made.

BethR - Bahama Mama

Thanks Deena and GTO Girl! So we "officially" put the EASTERN Caribbean cruise on a courtesy hold today. WooHoo! Still am concerned that I'm the most excited one so far, but I guess everyone shows their excitement in different ways. My way? Exuberance and lots of emails and texts messages. TRYING to contain myself a bit. I'll just have to spend a ton of time here on these boards.

Just like when we first started going to Disney World - the Disney boards were how I sustained my passion between trips. This will be a great way to get me through the

next 2 winters. [emoji106]

BethR - Bahama Mama

Or I could be a good friend and push back myself. [emoji6] I think that once we've booked and chosen cabins, I can let everyone go for awhile. I'll research excursions then. [emoji2]

BethR - Bahama Mama

Oh, and we decided to do a Caribbean cruise on RCIs Freedom of the Seas in the spring of 2016. Still deciding east vs west though.

BethR - Bahama Mama

Thanks everyone for all of your thoughts and sharing your experiences. We've decided to use a TA and hope to book - or at least put a trip on hold - by the end of the week. Although I know that I will do tons of research myself, our TA is actually an acquaintance of mine who specializes in cruise travel. We can work together. She can share her expertise and I can spend the next 18 months obsessing over every detail. Our friends are going to join us and my friend is not interested in doing the research

like I am. So I can share everything that I've learned with her! Woohoo! I might already be overwhelming them. I hope that we will still be friends at the end of the trip! [emoji14]

BethR - Bahama Mama

Al, you must have been posting at the same time as I was. Very interesting information. I have read about the savings that you

mention through TAs - and that would be my sole reason for using one. I would just have a very difficult time committing to just any TA in hopes that they MIGHT be able to get better pricing. Arrrrggghh! The thrill and agony of vacation planning!

:-D

BethR - Bahama Mama

Thank you for the information given so far. As I mentioned above, I am so much more comfortable doing the work and watching myself than with a TA. Have done dozens of Disney trips that way. I want to be able to make changes, cancellations, etc myself.

Paul, I appreciate the information about the "right" times to book and what happens when prices go up or down. That is exactly the information that I am looking for.

Since we are thinking of traveling in the spring of 2016, it sounds like it would be a good time to make our choice now, book, and watch prices. Believe me, I just cannot NOT watch prices! It's in my DNA! ;-)

Royal Caribbean is having a promotion now til October 31, so I guess that it would make sense to just book before then.

Sooo much research to do!

Again, thanks!

BethR - Bahama Mama

Hi All!

While I am very familiar with the invaluable resource of message boards, I'm a complete newbie to cruising. I've been looking over these boards for the past week or so and am ready to put my toes in the water - both in regards to cruising and these boards.

I am wondering if there are any kind of step by step guidelines on how to go about planning a cruise vacation.

I think that I know what cruise line I'm interested in, and I think that I know a ballpark time of when we'd like to go. I have an idea of where we'd like to go, and I know that I'd like to get the best price that we can (kinda obsessed with that one.) I know that I like to handle my own planning (vs a TA - but would be willing to use one if I could end up with a better price or value.) But now I have no idea how to proceed.

I have done a search on these boards, but have not been able to find such a list/guideline.

I'm sure that the experts here can point me in the right direction.

TIA!

BethR - Bahama Mama