grandgeezer

How about charging luggage handling fees, like the airlines? According to Forbes magazine, they made $32,000,000,000, yes billion, last year. Only allow carryons, the same size restraints as airlines, to be brought on the ship. Start at $25 for the first bag and $30 for each additional bags, which is less than the airlines do. $$$$$.

We came to that conclusion even before the shutdown, and no regrets.

We get two prime Rib Eyes at Sam’s Club for about $34, they are about one pound each. Put them on the barbie, doesn’t get any better than that.

“Affordable” is in the eyes of buyer, just because that’s your opinion, believe it or not, not everybody agrees with you. We buy based on “value” for the price asked, and for the last several years, none have.

Why today, on the day they revealed their earnings report, just a coincidence? I think not, 81% of the stock is held by institutional investors and they do it to make money. If they were so enamored with the report they would have did nothing or increased their holdings.

We had friends over for New Years Eve and splurged for Heineken, we got a 12 pack of bottles for $17 plus 8.5% tax. We refuse to the price the lines charge for alcohol so we get by on the free drinks we get from being Elite +. At home we drink domestic beer when we can buy it, around the holidays for $.61, a beer, tax included. I’ve been a beer drinker for over fifty years and have tried them all, domestic, imported, craft, and even pale ales but always end of back to the domestic. Paying more doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better in my opinion.

I find it hard to believe that the Super Bowl would pay someone $10,000,000 for a 10-15 minute performance. I did some checking and I found two instances where it was reported that the headliners were only paid for expenses and production costs, nothing else. The do it for the worldwide publicity. If you are impressed with Usher’s net worth, it’s chump change compared to Taylor Swift’s net worth oh $1,000,000,000 (billion). When she finishes up her second part of her world tour, this year, that’s supposed to put another $500,000,000 in her pocket. Not bad for a 34 year old.

Unless it was changed after the start up, I think the earliest flight to use Luggage Valet is 11:30am. I believe there was no leeway on that time.

I don’t need an explanation on how 401k distributions are made. Maybe you need help from a tax attorney. The tax is based on net income not just the 401k. I have to take a distribution every year because of my age. In 2022 my distribution was $47,000 and my total tax was in the 18% range. That’s taking standard deductions with no debt. That puts $37,213 in my pocket after state taxes.

How much taxes do you pay on a $100 or even a $250 dividend? A couple of bucks or so? Hardly a reason to get excited about or to base a financial decision on it. I wish I had to pay $1,000,000 in taxes, imagine how much money I would have to make to do that, not as much as you think if you have a good financial planner to work with. You failed to bring up the other half of the equation, how much obc if you don’t cruise in a particular year? I haven’t stuck a penny out of my pocket since September 2001 and the money keeps rolling in.

Since you mentioned the rise in price over several decades I’ll mention my biggest and best performing asset. My 401k is made up of mutual funds with the S&P 500 Index being one. In the last four decades it’s up almost 2,800% (that is not a typo). The whole 401k has performed better than my wildest dreams. The dividends are paid in cash, that can be spent anywhere rather than obc that have to be spent on items that are grossly overpriced on a ship. Also it’s paid every year without any financial commitment from me.

I beg to differ with the statement about HH drinks aren’t free. In the past we had friends cruise with us on Celebrity, we are Elite +. We booked at the same time, same category. We paid exactly the same price. We got the HH drinks, two bags of laundry each, 240 minutes of internet, and a few other freebies, they got nothing. Sounds an awful lot like “for free” to me. We’ve the drink package a couple of times and found it was a waste of money. I can’t remember more than once, or twice that we got our “monies worth”. We didn’t drink much more than we did with just the HH drinks. We don’t bring any wine or soda aboard. If you are someone who normally drinks enough maybe it’s worth it to you. If not, what have you gained or saved? It’s your money to spend as you please.

I think the oxymoron is brought into play, because anybody who makes a comment that is any bit negative about the cruising experience is ostracized for doing such. It’s pretty sad when some people can’t accept the fact that somebody might fell different and have the nerve to make their opinion public.

Don’t lump everybody that has made negative comments still cruises. I know a lot of people who bailed even before the shutdown, us included. We went from averaging 40+ days a year to 42 days total between 2016 and the shutdown. Shutdown through today 0. Nothing planned, nothing even considered. Living life to the max without cruising, retired and more money than we’ll ever spend.

It’s not a priority, I don’t give a rat’s a- - what other people do with their money. I voice my opinion because I have a lot of experience, though all pre-shutdown, and will continue to do so. You may not feel you aren’t paying dramatically more but you aren’t getting the same quality product you did before. If that’s alright for you, be my guest to continue. For some of us it’s not.

Do you think it could be that the current product offered is not nearly the same product that it was when they were doing all the cruising? Some of us aren’t willing to lower are standards and pay dramatically more $$$.

Today’s volume is up over 50% over the daily average. If there aren’t many buyers stepping up, that’s shows how confident they are in the current price going up anything significant.

Everybody has the right to their opinion. For us money is no problem so we have the choice of paying or staying home. Since we don’t see the value in the product, we choose the later.

Think about it, if you wanted to get one person from point A to point B for the purpose of using that person for sex, would you use several other people and do it by using a cruise ship to do it? Think of the cost, depending on the room category, and number of rooms needed, you are probably talking over $10k. How long would it take to get a return on your investment? Anybody that even had a hand in this should be fired no matter who they worked for.

Just using the base fare is the thing that’s useless. The biggest variable is the base fare, on a regular basis it changes daily and sometime more than once, it’s called dynamic pricing. It doesn’t give you a true picture of what the cruise cost. Including taxes and fees gives you the true cost, the gratuities would make it even more accurate, unless you plan on stiffing the crew. On the 15 day cruise mentioned that would add $120 p.p. which is $18 per day p.p. If doing it your way, makes you feel like you’re getting a better deal, go for it.

It should everything you have to pay, along with the base fare because you have to pay it to take the cruise. That includes gratuities, taxes and fees, and port charges. If you aren’t paying for all of these, share how you do it.

I noticed you didn’t have a comment on gratuities, which is a cost associated with the cruise cost, IMO, unless you don’t pay them.

Why would you exclude tips? For most people pay it, the people who would remove them would be accurate when it cost for total price. Also, if you want to be accurate, it should include all other costs, such as airfare, hotel, shuttles, meals, and all other money spent to get a true cost of the vacation. In our case, it would be an extra $1,500+.

About can’t pay dividends until the debt is paid, doesn’t sound right, if you are making your payments on time, who are they to say what you do with the rest of your money? Debt is debt no mater if it’s new or old. I have heard, the more debt you take on will come at a higher interest rate, if you can get it at all. I wouldn’t know for a fact, we’ve paid no interest on anything since 1984, and have a credit score of 807.

Please explain, I don’t understand that taking on more debt is a good thing.