How much do you spend in a year cruising?

Finding myself constantly looking at the NEXT cruise and dates are starting to get closer between sailings. How many times do you sail per year? Is there a particular cabin/perks you insist on or just catch the best bargain?

I usually sail in April and October (more or less). Sometimes I can't wait that long and pick up a sale or a cruise that fits my schedule without requiring (much) time off work. For example this year I sailed in April (on the Anthem), in late September/ early October (on the Explorer) and I just picked up what will likely be a solo trip on the Independence for late November (booked for 2 people because it's cheaper than booking for 1, so my friend will be a no show). It will be a total of 20 nights at sea for me this year.

Most years I try to get a longer cruise as part of my twice a year trips - 7 night and 5 night cruises feel VERY short to me now. Next year I've got a 7 night on the Anthem scheduled for April, and my first ever B2B (both 7 nights) booked on the Harmony in late Sept/early Oct.

I only sail on ships that have a flowrider because that's a big added value for me.

I prefer a balcony, but if I'm going solo I don't mind taking anything. The Nov trip is in an interior (hello upgrade fairy - I've never met you, but I'd love to see you this time!)

We have drastically lowered the amount of cruises this year. Used to go 5 times a year but down to 3. We are doing more land vacations. However, when we do cruise we prefer suites.

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I usually only cruise once a year, if I'm lucky and that's just because my work schedule is so unpredictable. I like to cruise between October and early may, I tend to find the best deals then. Even so I can only book a few months out.

We look for bargains, and finding fewer, we are cruising less.

I look for good deals. Contrary to corporate statements, I can find good deals last minute. I normally sail in GS and above and happen upon them.

Case in point, I booked a November 12 sailing on Allure about 2 weeks ago with a resident discount and diamond plus discount and a Royal promotion for Free Gratuities for 3600.00 for 2 people in a Crown Loft.

It will be a year since our last cruise........Thanksgiving to this Thanksgiving. We have started to snowbird, so we have cut down from 3 to 1, but we have a mega cruise vacation booked for 2019, In 2018, it will probably be 2.

We plan to be on Harmony in late September. Will do roll call later. Next year we will do 2 trips, one in January and then late September for president’s cruise. We get JS now as we need more space for me to lay on balcony .

Finding myself constantly looking at the NEXT cruise and dates are starting to get closer between sailings. How many times do you sail per year? Is there a particular cabin/perks you insist on or just catch the best bargain?

We cruise 2-4 times per year. We live in FL and can drive to the ports, so we save a lot that way.

For Royal, we typically book as soon as itineraries are released. I keep a spreadsheet of price changes, and that is usually the best way to go on Royal. For Carnival and Norwegian, we sometimes get a last-minute deal. However, this past summer was the first time nothing good showed up on our search for a last-minute deal.

We book a balcony most of the time. We look for a total (with tax) of around $3,000 or lower for the three of us. Early bookings also help us secure our favorite corner aft on Freedom and Voyager class. 🙂 The addiction is REAL!

I usually sail in April and October (more or less). I just picked up what will likely be a solo trip on the Independence for late November (booked for 2 people because it's cheaper than booking for 1, so my friend will be a no show).

Is that seriously a thing? Please more details!!

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Is that seriously a thing? Please more details!!

Yes, sometimes the prices are messed up and the price for a single is more than a price for two. Doesn't make sense, but it happens occasionally.

We have 4 kids. So the cost for us to go once a year is the same cost as 2 people going 3 times a year.

Someday the kids will grow up and it will just be wifey and I. If the cost of weddings and college hasn't wiped us out by then, twice a year would be nice.

I think we would mix that in with some travel though. Like 3 weeks in Europe and a TA back to the states or a flight to Singapore and a one way cruise to Japan and maybe a few weeks there before heading home.

It's just a dream at this point in our lives. For now once a year seems to suffice.

-Sean

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Once or twice a year,we look for places more than ships and pricing. San Juan was a viable option because of airfare costs =Fl and Puerto Rico, but now will wait longer and try to go last minute

I'm not sure we could ever go back to not cruising! We can unpack once and see a great variety of locations, all while someone takes amazing care of us! You meet great, sometimes lifetime, friends. We've done Rick Steves tours and, although they were fun, it was a lot of work. I no longer want to pay for a lot of work, I worked long and hard so I wouldn't have to. We take as many as we can fit into my husband's work schedule!

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Wish we could cruise every year, but we also like traveling in our RV to see the country. There is only so much vacation time and money :-)

Living in Seattle we have to fly south and southeast for any warm weather cruises. 4-weeks per year is the goal...

Most years we do 2 cruises , always at least once. Discovered Grand Suites in 2014 and find them addictive. WE normally look for bargains for GS at least, next year we are splurging booked a sky suite for a music cruise on Celebrity which is way more than we should spend and also a GS on Oasis .

This was a banner year for us...three cruises! We like hump balconies, but this last cruise got an aft JS. Looks like maybe two cruises next year.

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I think it would be interesting to know the area of the country people live in. I think those that live in Florida can sail for quite a bit cheaper and more often than those in Minnesota.

When we first started cruising we were traveling full time and it was easy to get to the ports. Now living in a house again... not so much. 2 grand for plane tix even before we start looking at hotels, car rentals and cruise fares.

-Sean

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Since my first cruise last July, I find myself on the board or cruise site all the time looking for something. Between my work and my children's schedules (school, sports, etc.) I have been limited. I scheduled one last year on my way home from the first while in the airport. Then booked another while on the ship. For our first trip we had 2 balconies, the second i booked a JS but got a call from the upgrade fairy and moved into a Royal Family Suite about 2 weeks prior to sailing. So now I am looking at suites which put an "ouch" on my budget. We are scheduled for next summer and was looking at something for Christmas 2018 but wow.....what a price jump. Planning Alaska for summer 2019.

Since I retired a few years ago, we were getting in more cruises but with the recent medical emergency with my husband last month and the income changing and reduced Fed retirement now, & survivors benefits It maybe lucky if I am able to cruise again. Will have to wait & see.

Since we have to fly everywhere to catch a cruise, we do longer cruises and B2Bs. We count days, so between 2003 and 2016 we've been at sea 440 days. Nothing in 2017 and probably none in the future. It's not the cost, we just don't enjoy it anymore. We refuse to accept the cutbacks and changes that have been made over the last few years. I would guess the total spend, including cruise, tips, air tours, hotels, etc., it would be a little over $100k.

We live in Europe so we do lots of Mediterreian cruises , we even have one travel agency that pick us up from our front door .

We usually do three a year two cheapies and a longer one .

This year we have been on two Costa cruises , next week we are on pulmantour, December oour biggie QM2 transatlantic, NCL for Christmas and the New Year and back to England on QM .

We are retired , I really don't want to know how much we spend !!!!

We are SKIING ( Spending Kids Inheritance)

I'm looking at a repositionial cruise next April.

Our friends call us cruise gypsies

I think it would be interesting to know the area of the country people live in. I think those that live in Florida can sail for quite a bit cheaper and more often than those in Minnesota.

This is exactly why we moved back to Florida after a 2-year stay in Ohio... It makes a BIG difference to live closer to the ports. I can recommend it :D

I look for good deals. Contrary to corporate statements, I can find good deals last minute. I normally sail in GS and above and happen upon them.

 

Case in point, I booked a November 12 sailing on Allure about 2 weeks ago with a resident discount and diamond plus discount and a Royal promotion for Free Gratuities for 3600.00 for 2 people in a Crown Loft.

Good deal!!!!:)