How to afford it?

[Ceramicpro]

One other thing to keep in mind is once you have taken a cruise, most cruise lines give you a "membership card", for example we have a Lattitudes card for sailing NCL, and a Crown and Anchor card for Royal Caribbean. Having these memberships can sometimes save you some $$$ or even help you upgrade to a nicer cabin.

 

I sure wish I could drive to a port and save on airfare! That's what I get for living in the Nevada! (but I wouldn't trade Lake Tahoe for the world!) :p

[cruiseguy2]

Yay! My mortgage ends in 5 Months!!! :D

I'm going to try to start putting each month's mortgage payment into a CD account and save up for more cruises. It's about $2300 a month (it would've been more if we haven't refinanced back in the day when interest rates were low. (They kind of low now, maybe I should refinance of another 10-15 years! hahaha JK). The home equity credit line is high too just in case any emergencies arise. I bought two cars back in September and I paid off the Minivan a month ago, so it's just the Acura now thats on a loan, which is only 1.9% APR. I hope to go on more cruises, and afford them. I do love cruising (so far!) and hope to continue loving it.

 

-Chris

 

Cancelling HBO, Encore, Cinemax, etc. would save us about $40 a month! I agree it's about cutting corners and having priorites. My first priority is to pay off that mortgage, second, SAVE FOR MORE CRUISES!!! :rolleyes: :D

[stellalimelight]

I also book my cruise, put down my deposit , divide the balance by the number of months til final payment and then write a check each payday just like a bill. Its amazing how quick you get this done. If I work overtime, I put that toward the cruise. I also don't rent an expensive apartment, own my car (As long as it runs, it good enough for me). And I make less than you. It is about priorities.

 

Today too many people forget to stop and smell the roses and miss out on great travel opportunities....

 

Book a cruise and you will want to go again and again and again.

 

I am now on permanent disability and I manage to sneek in a trip to Hawaii (my sis lives there) every couple years and a cruise. I just give up most extras. It works for me.

 

STella

[robandpam]

Great post!!!

 

We have only been on two cruises, planning a 3rd in April 06 and again in Novemeber 06 for our daughter's 14th birthday. From the first one we decided that cruising is our ulimate vacation. The first was hubby and me, but we missed our daughter so much, we decided to take her with us for now on.

 

We work very hard through the year and save every penny that we can. Any overtime that we work, anything over our normal pay goes towards the cruise fund. Hubby carpools. I picked up a pizza delivery job on the weekends, again extra money that is not needed for the mortgage/2 car pymts/daughter in college/other bills, 13 yr old and a grandchild on the way goes into the cruise fund".

 

We like to cruise and be waited on hand and foot. We cruise for relaxation since our everyday lives is so busy. We save throughout the year and it makes vacation even nicer to know that we worked so hard for it.

 

Put your mind to it, put a little aside here and there and see how soon it adds up. I find that if I keep cash around the house then bigger bills are better because I hate to break a 50.00 or 100.00.

 

Happy cruising

[pvangordon]

Hey, at least you're cruising at 24. I never took vacations til I was about 33 because my then husband and I couldn't afford it. Now I make a nice salary, have a job that lets me travel or work out of the office, and no husband so I can take off when I want. :)

[mared1]

We have only cruised 4 times. For the first cruise we took a part time job - delivering newspapers to help pay for it. After that we opened a vacation account and we put in a set amount each pay day - also any change and refunds we get go into a jar and then we take it to the bank every 3 months or so - last time there was abou $55.00 in it - sometimes there has been over $100.00. We both work, have cars that are paid for. We still have a house payment and other bills, but we don't charge anything (other than the cruise- which we pay off when we get the bill) I guess we don't have expensive tastes - I shop sales at "nice" stores for clothing. We don't go out to eat a lot - but when we do, we pick a restaurant- not fast food. I would like to cruise more than once a year but for now if we can once a year it is better than not at all.

I must say cruising was the furthest thing from my mind when I was 24.

[Cathy Maneri]

Start a vacation fund and put money away each month. It will add up and then you can really enjoy looking forward to your vacation.

[mr green]

Okay, I have been wondering about this for a while. I know many posters on this board take one or more cruises per year, frequently staying in upper-category staterooms. This is going to seem like a strange question, but...how do you afford it? I enjoy cruising but I can really only afford one vacation per year. Between my partner and I we make more than $100k/yr and we don't live too extravagantly, but if we were to take a cruise every year we would be staying in the lowest category cabins all the time and would probably take a lot of repeat cruises because we couldn't afford to travel to distant departure ports. (We live near DC, so I imagine this is different for people who live in Florida.)

 

I know this probably seems like a naive question and I do feel really awkward asking it. I know I'm only 24 and that in the future I may very well have enough money to take multiple cruises every year. But for right now I am just wondering whether those of you who are very frequent cruisers do that rather than getting fancier things for the home (high-speed internet, TiVo, hot tub, whatever), or how you manage it.

 

Again, I feel so weird asking, but it's a question that's been in my mind for a while. :o

 

If we made $100K a year, we would cruise more than 25 days a year. However being retired, and in good health helps a lot, but we insist on outside cabins, and our Canadian $ does not help, so it evens up. :D john

[KruznKel]

and our Canadian $ does not help :D john

 

LOL I understand ya completely there.. it is the CDN dollar that makes it so much harder to cruise frequently.. you look at the price and say WOW not a bad deal until you do the math:p Plus the flights are outrageous we are paying just over $900 CDN (and that is a great price right now) for our rtn air for this cruise.. that could be another cruise for one of us if we didn't have to fly there... :D

[etoile]

I want to say thanks to everyone for sharing their tips for money-saving. I have been reading this thread all along. I guess the reason I get to go on vacation at 24 is probably partly because my partner is nearly 37, so she is well-established in her career. I am also in a specialist career field where the pay is higher because it requires specific training and skills.

 

The tips about "cut down on daily expenses" were probably the most helpful to me among all the tips I have gotten from this thread. I will sit down and figure out how much I spend per week on non-grocery food (coffee, snacks, etc) and also look at my other expenses as well. Unfortunately transportation isn't something I can cut back on - I own a little sedan rather than an SUV, fortunately - but there are certainly other areas where I can cut back.

 

I will sit back down now and continue listening quietly to everyone's suggestions. :)

[Seago2]

Okay, that is definitely a way to cut back: I just bought an Acura, and compared to the Trailblazer I just got rid of??? Hahahaha I can't believe how much I am saving at the gas pump. Seriously- I don't know exactly what it is per week but I am astounded.

 

I know how expensive it is in the DC area... But it sounds like you have a good career that you like and a good head on your shoulders and that will make you happy on land or sea.

[EGG]

My advice is to keep the cruise as inexpensive as possible.

 

Once you are on the ship everyone gets treated the same whether they have outside or inside cabins.

 

Some people need that balcony cabin. I would rather have another cruise. We are perfectly happy with an inside cabin. I hate to give away my secret but we take an inside cabin on an upper deck near the elevators to the spot we will frequent most for lounging/viewing/whirlpool. Besides the discounts of booking early, some cruise lines (Celebrity) give on board credit when you book on the ship for another cruise. If it is not the lowest price, your TA can negotiate that for you if the price comes down (ours has not). We get a small discount for age and the upgrade to that higher deck because we are repeat cruisers which has another small money value.

 

But more important we do not drink. As a lifestyle choice, I just hate to drink my calories. We also do not eat off the ship. We eat a big breakfast and I always pack some granola bars and baggies so I can take some cheese from the buffet bar. We also try to avoid expensive excursions. When feasable, we walk around the local ports and enjoy the local architecture and the local museums. If you use these boards you can plan your port stops to enjoy the sights in a cost efficient way. For example, on our trip to Bermuda out of our local port NY, we bought a 3 day bus + ferry pass and were able to go from one side of the island to the other to our hearts content. We went to several different beaches not frequented by the cruise excursions and the bus rides were wonderful and gave us a chance to see how people lived. Right now we love to walk. When we no longer have the stamina we will plan other options.

 

We do not book spas. However, I do take advantage of the free fitness centers, whirlpool (as much as possible) and saunas.

 

We do not book the specialty restaurant. I have not been on a ship with bad food yet.

 

There are so many free activities on the ship. I love the naturalist, port lectures, cards, puzzles, cooking lessons and even the art lectures. There is nothing like reading a good book on a deck chair.

 

As you can guess, I am just from a generation that has learned to shop carefully. The advice you have been given on these boards is just something we do naturally. Some of us just do not need a ton of "stuff".

And while I can afford the expensive cruise, there is a certain satisfaction in doing it reasonably.

 

As for vacation time, if you work for the same company for many years you usually get more vacation days. Otherwise, you have to be frugal with your vacation time also.

 

You have a long life of vacations ahead of you. You can spend your money wisely and still enjoy yourself.

[Hootsie]

I also book early and make monthly payments until it's paid for. It's really not bad when you do it that way. We travel with our teenage daughters (three of them) and this year the 18 year old senior is bringing a friend. We are paying for the cost of the cruise and the friend will pick up air fare.

 

We are also doing Christmas in Hawaii this year and this vacation is going to KILL us. My hubby's parents got all the siblings (four of them) condos for two weeks. We are left with airfare, which is $750 a person! OUCH! Add in meals for two weeks and it will cost us WAY more than a cruise ever would.

 

So, with two major vacations in a few months, we are really cutting back. I'm a nurse at the hospital tho and only work part time. I can always pick up extra shifts if I need to. I'm one of those that demands for the vacation to be paid for before you take it. No way would I ever put it on credit.

 

I also want to add that our first cruise in 2004 is still talked about constantly by our girls. The money spent for that was SO worth it. They (or us) will never forget that vacation. You can't put a price on that.

[Bonnie J.]

We usually cruise twice a year but have done 5 once. I do some substitue teaching. Money from this goes into our cruise fund. Anything extra, ie. a rebate, if we sell something, etc. also goes there. My car is 10 years old, we use to go out for dinner 2 or 3 timews a month. Now maybe lunch once or twice.

We have a fantastic cruise only agent, Ann Stilson, who's price we have never been able to beat. ($379, 8 days on Legend, $856, 11 days, this new years on NCL Majesty, etc.) We check variious web sites for prices (Ann always can at least match) and because we are self employed, we can go at the last minute so get good pricres sometimes because of this.

[RachelisGoingOnHer2ndCruis]

2) We shop! I shopped, waited, and found an amazing deal. Since then, I have yet to find a price that comes within $300pp of what I paid. Right now, my balcony cabin costs $560 more than I paid for it!

Jim

 

Jim,

Where exactly do you do your "shopping" for cruises??? To save that much money is impressive. What's your secret?

rachel

[98Charlie]

Jim,

Where exactly do you do your "shopping" for cruises??? To save that much money is impressive. What's your secret?

rachel

Don't know about Jim. But, for us, a lot of "shopping" is knowing the market.

 

If you know that an inside for a specific itinerary goes for between $650 and $1200, and you find it for $599, it's a deal! That's where flexibility comes in. A bargain isn't a bargain unless you can use it.

 

There are peak seasons for most itineraries. Then there are off seasons. If you can travel during the off season, you are going to generally find less expensive cruises.

 

There are several of the big internet agencies where you can check for cruise prices. Some of the advanced search features will let you select where, how long, what range of dates, which cruise lines and which departure port.

 

Those are good places to start to learn the market.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Charlie

[Stacylee]

WOW... Lot's of good advice.

I USED to live in NoVa... I left almost 2 years ago because I was tired of earning a decent salary and giving so much to Uncle Sam and Fairfax County.

My cruise plan is different from most here. I have been on 6 - going on #7 in a month. I started cruising in my late 20's when money was tight (ok, always is but I still cruise). I am a horrible saver! However I am frugal - I buy our clothes at end of season sales and the thrift shop. We do eat out, but not as often as we did. I still go to Starbucks every day for my $4.00 coffee because I have to have some luxuries in life!

 

Since the internet has entered my life, I have definitely shopped around for the absolute best deals. I also think the best deals are those that are more 'last minute'. There is no way I could plan a cruise more than 6 months in advance - my life is too changeable and I just couldnt wait that long. You cannot get good deals on airfare that far ahead anyway. I got $39.00 airfare for my next trip from Norfolk to FLL by booking closer to my trip date. This is the first time I am staying in an inside cabin, but because I want to cruise, that is what I could afford this time.

 

Since I am not a saver, the best way for me to afford cruising is to do the 2 month scramble! About 2 months before a trip we save save save. Being frugal is much easier when I have a cruise booked and an end in sight. So limited eating out, frugal shopping at the grocery store etc. All that saving is for my spending money, shore excursions etc. I really hate having to be frugal once I get on the ship.

[galimeyer]

My husband and I also live in the Northern VA area and are 29 (me) and 32 and agree that it is very expensive to live here, but getting ready to make the move to NC. We haven't gone on two cruises in the same year (yet), but we will be leaving for (my 5th) (his 7th) cruise in two weeks. We booked this cruise in June and paid for it on the CC, but we already have it paid off. We both put a prearranged amount in the savings account every week until it was paid off. We don't really spend to much money on clothes or dinners, but we do have some of the extras. I guess the key is that we have a low mortgage payment (thanks to refinancing) and he doesn't have a car payment (I do, but it's a used car). He works in a field that really picks up in the summer and it's easy to put that extra money away.

 

This is really an interesting topic and after reading everyone's replies I know where I could save even more money!

[MagnoliaBlossom]

Credit card points!

NCL, Carnival and Royal Caribbean all have credit cards that work similar to frequent flyer miles.

I believe NCL's is the best deal and I have 4 of them and one Carnival. When I've maxed out the points on each NCL card I put it away til next year and begin with the next one.

NCL will allow you to accumulate $1,000 in cruise credit per year. It takes $34,000 in charges to get that amt. They also issue points in a $500 quantity and the points are good for several years so if you could accumulate $34,000 in charges over 3 years you could have a $1,000 gift certificate to use aboard any NCL cruise, any time, any where.

 

The Carnival and RCCL card require X# of points for a type of cruise and cabin. For instance on Carnival's program a 7 day Carib. cruise in an inside cabin is 45,000 points. You receive 1 point per $ you charge. Outside is 55,000. Problem is the programs has the same flaws as frequent flier miles in that program rooms are subject to limitations. Meaning, don't plan on using it for Christmas vacation.

RCCL's program is the same but requires more points for travel and is even more restrictive.

 

I am fortunate that I own a small business where I generate bills of $40-60,000 per month, so I rack up a lotta' "points". Makes it less painful to pay those bills if you just keep thinking - it's not money, it's cruise points!

Of course, I pay off each card each month.

 

I also have some airline cards that I use to get to distant ports, but mostly I sail from the 3 ports that are within a 4 hour drive of my home. We are flying to San Juan next month for our 23rd cruise.

 

Beyond the above, I shop the sales big time, sail in off seasons usually and am happy as a clam in an inside cabin. The balconies are nice and I love having them for Alaska where there is really something to see, but we made the decision to cruise more often in an inside cabin than to spend a lot on the grand rooms. But that's just us.

 

Hope this helps.

[mrg0433]

We love Lake Tahoe too! You must get cheap airfares to LA for boarding.

We love to book last minute winter cruises to the Mexican Riviera when we are out visiting out two little grandsons in LA.

Mary & John

Plymouth, MA

One other thing to keep in mind is once you have taken a cruise, most cruise lines give you a "membership card", for example we have a Lattitudes card for sailing NCL, and a Crown and Anchor card for Royal Caribbean. Having these memberships can sometimes save you some $$$ or even help you upgrade to a nicer cabin.

 

I sure wish I could drive to a port and save on airfare! That's what I get for living in the Nevada! (but I wouldn't trade Lake Tahoe for the world!) :p

[imsulin]

Travelling and cruising are my priorities. I worked for 25 years (and retired early in 1996) , and my 5 grown kids have all completed college/university. During that time, while I was working..in about 1978, I opened another account (which I called my "slush fund") through our Credit Union. Every refund, rebate, extra money, etc., went into that account. I also arranged for money from each paycheck to be deposited there. During the late 70's, the 80's, and the early 90's, I cruised/travelled about once a year. The kids did not starve. The house was paid for, and the Equity sent them all to college/university. I sold the house and moved to the Bay area of CA. I bought a 3-BR, 2-BA townhouse in 1996, and while it's a beautiful area, the mortgage payment....sucked!! I was working full-time, and receiving a retirement check, and it was tight! So...(my apologies in advance to all AL residents)...my oldest had graduated from a well-know War Eagle University, and said, "Mom, you ought to move down here! It's really cheap!" So, that's what I did. I bought a very similar 3-BR, 2-BA townhouse for about a tenth of the price. Yes...I REALLY HATE the weather down here (in fact, my crappy A/C unit is being replaced as I write with a new 2-ton Trane unit with a 10-year warranty, and I have just parted with 3K!). I'm also still adjusting to the "thinking" down here (not at all what I'm used to)! It's not where I would prefer to live, but it is definitely cheaper compared to other areas! I can travel much more frequently. The Atlanta airport is an hour and a half drive from here. You live in the D.C. area...no wonder you don't have much money left over! I do have high speed internet. My antique furniture was bought and paid for a long time ago. I drive a 2000 Honda Accord which is paid for. My mortgage will be paid off in a couple of years. Why do I tell you this? Because I'm over twice your age, and there are some things you just have to work for!

[cbabe]

dh and I love to cruise. We plan a year in advance. I save the money for the cost of the trip(including airfare and hotel if necessary) He saves the spending money for the cruise. Our cruise for next year is already paid for and am looking at 2007. We brown bag it, take our own coffee to work. We watch our expenses and don't make unnecessary purchases.

 

 

It works!:)

[mrg0433]

I noticed you sailed SeaEscape. That is how we started cruising on a tight budget. It was great back when the kids were young. We may never have gotten into week long cruising if it were not for those fun times on Sea Escape.

A LOT OF GOOD IDEAS THERE FOR YOU! I am only able to go every 2 yrs or so, due to starting over (due to divorce...women don't always get everything....lol), the good thing is that my job is long established 22 yrs. But even though I admit to being addicted to cruises, I set my limits so that my home is not neglected, plus it gives me something to look forward to! I have a christmas account through payroll deduction....that is incorrectly labeled....it is cruise money, also have a large water jug, all change goes there for spending money, tips, shore excursions! When we go it is totally paid for...that way we may be broke when we get back, but we do not owe anything! then start planning the next one!

[mrg0433]

When I was a stay at home Mom, we decided to stop buying each other expensive gifts for birthdays, anniveraries, Xmas, etc, and use that money for a vacation. My husband was always buying me things that I didn't like and had to return, and sometimes I would keep in my closet and never wear. I finally told him that this was silly. I would prefer getting away for two weeks every February to all those gifts.We began to celebrate our special days with a bottle of wine and a romantic dinner for 2 at home while Gram kept the kids overnight. We were fortunate to live near a beach, so we could enjoy summer at home. Our winter getaways eventually turned into cruises. We began with one day SeaEscape cruises in the 1980's, and now that the kids are grown are enjoying ten day caribbean cruises from New York and Boston.

 

Mary

Plymouth, MA

[Roz]

Thank you, Etoile, for starting this thread. It's been very interesting and informative. BTW, I love your screen name. For those of you not familiar with French, it means "Star".

 

I'll add my suggestions/ideas. I didn't start cruising until I was almost 50 yrs. old. Always thought cruising was something for rich people, because I didn't realize all that was included, plus the wide variation in prices.

 

I should mention that I'm a state employee, so I'm not making big bucks. :D

 

My goal is to cruise at least once a year. I sail in the off-season, and usually book inside guarantee cabins. I eat in the same dining room and watch the same shows as the passengers who book suites. The ships I've sailed on have been 5-10 yrs. old. You pay a premium for new builds.

 

Since I have to fly, I sail from less expensive ports like Tampa or Ft. Lauderdale, as opposed to Miami or San Juan. My job requires a fair amount of in-state travel, so I've joined all the rewards club like Hilton Honors, Marriott, etc. My hotel room for my upcoming Dec. cruise will be paid for by my Hilton points, courtesy of my job. I also belong to Southwest's Rapid Rewards program. At the airport, I park my car at a private park-n-fly lot that I get discount tickets for thru AAA.

 

I don't have a cell phone or get cable. In fact, I don't own a computer! I access the internet thru the local library.

 

I pay myself first thru a 401K at work, as well as a credit union savings account. That way I don't feel guilty about using what's left over for travel. In addition, I participate in a flexible benefits plan, so all of my medical and dental expenses that aren't reimbursed by insurance are paid by before-tax dollars.

 

I try to stay healthy by eating right and exercising, so I don't spend money on medicine for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes. To make my car last longer and save on gas, I buy a monthly bus pass.

 

There are lots of opportunities around us to save money, depending on our individual situations.

 

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread. It's given me some more ideas.

 

Roz