Has the current ecomonic situation affected your cruise plans?

We are 47 days out from our cruise and we're trying to decide if we shouldn't cancel. Even with the $$$ loss we would take, we would be saving from pre-cruise stay, onboard account, tips, excursions. No matter what we decide on this cruise I know we won't be planning another for sometime. I think we're in for some lean times for the foreseeable future. I wonder how all this will effect the cruise industry????

We had a spring cruise booked on Solstice and cancelled it. We probably could've afforded it but it looks like it's going to be an expensive winter.

I've wondered about this too. I just cancelled all of our cruises for this year and I'm starting to pick and choose on which trips I'll be able to afford to pay cash for as the year rolls on....hopefully it works out for all of us. there is another poster talking about availalbe credit being lowered on everyones credit cards as well. They have been saying that travel will return to a pastime of the more well to do in the near future first with airfares, maybe next with cruising.

A friend asked me to join him on an Azamara Asian cruise in March. It looks like a great trip. I could have put the cruise fare and air fare on my credit card, but honestly got nervous about this "unbudgeted" expense. My company seems strong and I do not fear for my job, but with so much uncertainity I felt it would not be prudent. I'm sure I'll second guess the decision when I see his pictures.

For now our cruise plans remain the same. We normally only cruise once or twice a year. We are fortunate that our jobs are not normally affected by downturns in the economy. And we have always been pretty conservative with our spending - in good times and bad. But things could always change of course......

A friend asked me to join him on an Azamara Asian cruise in March. It looks like a great trip. I could have put the cruise fare and air fare on my credit card, but honestly got nervous about this "unbudgeted" expense. My company seems strong and I do not fear for my job, but with so much uncertainity I felt it would not be prudent. I'm sure I'll second guess the decision when I see his pictures.

That sounds like us - we save for/budget our cruises before we take them rather than after. I just have a thing about increasing the cost of anything by having to add interest charges...... OK, so I am cheap. :o :D

We are 47 days out from our cruise and we're trying to decide if we shouldn't cancel. Even with the $$$ loss we would take, we would be saving from pre-cruise stay, onboard account, tips, excursions. No matter what we decide on this cruise I know we won't be planning another for sometime. I think we're in for some lean times for the foreseeable future. I wonder how all this will effect the cruise industry????

Obviously, no one can tell you whether or not you can afford this cruise.

There *are* ways to minimize those extras, however.

1. Use "points" from a credit card or other source. (I participate in mypoints.com, and one of the rewards is hotel certificates). This is how I pay for my pre-cruise hotels. To me, that's "free". :)

2. Pre-pay tips. It may feel different, "better", if you have those paid for before you leave.

3. Don't do any excursions. You are internet savvy - research your ports ahead of time, and find out all the wonderful things that are available for free!

4. Moderate your on-board drinking. For non-alcoholic beverages, drink only the included beverages. For alcohol, enjoy the Captain's Welcome Aboard reception, for free. If you are C&A, enjoy the drinks at the Welcome Back party.

Just trying to be helpful, and optimistic! :)

We have one planned for 2010. we have credit and OBC so we do not forsee cancelling it. It is a long way off.

As the economy gets worse, the cruise lines will have no choice but to offer discounted rates to try and get people to book so the ships won't sail with empty cabins. I always look for these extremely discounted rates, and when they appear, I book them on the spot. I currently have 3 Royal Caribbean cruises booked for the next 4 months. One of those I reserved just this past weekend. So to answer the question: No, the current economic situation has not changed my cruising plans. I still cruise a lot and will continue to do so. As long as prices are too good to pass on, I'll be cruising.

By the way, I live within minutes of both South Florida cruise ports so I can avoid the hassles and increasing expenses of flying and hotels. I understand that this is not the case for most people. Lately, Royal Caribbean has been offering really discounted Florida resident specials, hence the need for locals to fill the void left by out-of-town folks affected by the increased travel costs.

Thanks for the optimisum and helpful tips Merion Mom. We are thinking of those options and will weigh our final decision soon.

It's really not a matter of not being able to afford it, as we plan and budget also. It's more of a decision not to spend at this time of financial uncertainty.

I'm an optimist, our cruise is 8 months away. A lot can happen in 8 months. Hopefully, it will be good things. We took a cruise to the Caribbean this past May & we talked about how difficult it will be to afford future cruises that would involve pricey long distance flights, overnight hotel stays & higher fuel surcharges among other escalating expenses. When we disembarked that ship, we figured that would be the last cruise for a while. That was before we found out that the Mariner would be relocated to our side of the US for 2009. We were excited....we could drive (or fly for much less), we wouldn't have to arrive a day early unless we wanted to, we could lock in the fuel surcharge with a 'right now' booking (unless that changes!). It looked doable so we booked the cruise.

I am not planning on canceling, none of our group is. We are trying to think positive. We are rethinking our expenditures for the trip. Drinks, pictures, excursions, shopping, etc. may be on the chopping block. Maybe this time we will spend more time exploring the ship....something we rarely do on a cruise. More beachtime & window shopping at the ports? Maybe. What ever it takes to keep this cruise a reality, we will do because I think we are really going to need this vacation, more so than in other years.

It won't change my plans for the immediate future. If prices drop because of fewer people cruising and the cruises need to fill their cabins then we'll be cruising more:D

I've always had the "Eat, Drink and Be Merry" attitude, but I'm not unrealistic. We save where we can. We used to get a bottle of expensive champagne every night in the Champagne Bar, not anymore. We took excursions on every island. I've been to most of the islands now, so we just browse the shops, go back ,catch some sun on deck. We don't bring back the useless souvenirs for every member of the family any longer.

We know we will run up a hefty bar bill while onboard so we plan for it beforehand. Cut back on eating out at home, etc.

Cancel my cruise? Not unless one of us loses a job.

Doesn't change my plans at all. Cruises go into the budget and we don't depend on credit cards for anything. If we have it, we go. If we don't, we stay home.

Actually it's a great time to book some last minute deals. Some really cheap prices right now. I've booked three in the past couple of weeks. Although these days we are avoiding flying whenever possible.

We usually cruise twice a year, but this time only once. My problem on this upcoming cruise is, how to stay away from the casino?? That is my weakness, but can't afford to lose any more money right now.

We are not doing any excursions and plan to just relax and enjoy the trip. I intend to join every trivia, seminar, free champagne art auction that I can. DH plans to work out as much as he can (while I am enjoying the free champagne...)

I just hope that I don't have too many DOTDs and lose all control!

We leave this Saturday and I'm feeling guilty heading off on a cruise when the country is in disarray. I work for a LARGE company but in it's financial division and my husband is a defense contractor so we are feeling a little nervous right now.

My husband has warned me to enjoy this one because the next one may be a really long way off.

We've got 2 cruises booked and don't plan on cancelling either right now. We don't use creidt cards anymore and even thought I am in the Mortgage business my job appears to be stable. We plan our trips out pretty far in advance so we just cut back at things at home so we can spend when we cruise.

For sure it has affected me. I can't book anything for next year at this point. And I intend to do Oasis in 2010, but at this point, even that is on hold. I am in real estate, so I am very affected by all of this. It is the uncertainty of the future that scares me most. We leave for Mexico next week, and I thought seriously about canceling. (this is a land trip, not a cruise, so I can cancel still if I need to) But the way I looked at it, this is already paid for and now more than ever I really need this vacation. I have never worked so hard for so little. I need to get away and forget for a few weeks. :(

I just canceled 5 reservations today....I don't care how good a company looks right now, I just don't trust having that much deposit sitting out on the table.

We usually cruise twice a year, but this time only once. My problem on this upcoming cruise is, how to stay away from the casino?? That is my weakness, but can't afford to lose any more money right now.

 

This is pretty much the situation I am in, we can afford to cruise but its the drinks and casino that really racks up the dollars for us.

We don't eat out a lot and usually are pretty frugal with most everything in our lives. If my husband had more vacation time available this year we would be taking at least 2 more cruises on the Sovereign before she leaves PC.

No changes for us!!! We only cruise once a year so that shouldn't break the bank. We are also planning a big Hawaiian cruise for 2010. My kids are grown so I'm now doing stuff foe ME!!!! (no grandkids yet, I know I'll spend a fortune on them)!!!

For sure it has affected me. I can't book anything for next year at this point. And I intend to do Oasis in 2010, but at this point, even that is on hold. I am in real estate, so I am very affected by all of this. It is the uncertainty of the future that scares me most. We leave for Mexico next week, and I thought seriously about canceling. (this is a land trip, not a cruise, so I can cancel still if I need to) But the way I looked at it, this is already paid for and now more than ever I really need this vacation. I have never worked so hard for so little. I need to get away and forget for a few weeks. :(

Yes, I would say that real estate would definately be a scary field at the moment. :( It is a time that I am really glad I am in healthcare. Reimbursements may decrease but the need is always there - especially as baby boomers are starting to age.

not planning on canceling....we don't drink much on the ship....couple drinks of the day here n there...and a wine package.....we aren't Spa users, or big gamblers, or into expensive excursions.....

we don't go out to eat all the time, we DO love our weekends away....but i usually have a B1G1 coupon i can use, or we get reallygood deals at marriott-branded hotels....i am saving up points to switch to air miles to fly to eurpoe if we do a TA next year. We don't go to movies....so that's money we have to spend on vacation.....

Anyway..there are ways to save....we throw our change into a can and that becomes casino money.....

that's about it....

For our upcoming cruise next year I paid deposit on credit card turned around two days later paid of credit card will do the same with final payment. Paid airlines tickets with credit card paid it off the next day. Hotel was done the same way booked online tru hotel website prepaid it should up on credit card about two days later it got paid off.

We are taking travellers checks with us we will have are credit card even the the hotel is pre paid I still need that card to check in with so I will use it for the cruiseline but plan on putting a $1,000.00 on our obc the day after we sail.

Just reserved our limo service for March gave credit card I will check to see if they charge it now if they do I will pay it off.

Yes the ecomonic situation is very scary but I work in local government so job is safe. If it wasn't for the fact this cruise is a reunion with my sister who I have not seen in 19 years I could be thinking about cancelling. But it's a go for us. March can't get here fast enough.

Christine