Where do you splurge vs. scrimp?

[N2Mischief]

Splurge, balcony whenever we can, B2B, no FTTF (platinum), drinks when we want (maybe 3 on a 7 day cruise) We just bought VIP tickets for Journey. Will eat at sushi on Breeze.

 

Save, B2B (save on airfare), pictures, MDR, few excursions.

 

We are really quite boring, love to just read and relax!

[sgttami]

Splurge: Balcony Cabin

Cheers Package

Casino

Limo to the port

 

Scrimp: Excursions (I have been to most of the Caribbean ports dozens of times so unless it's a totally new port, I rarely get off the ship anymore) This is also why the Cheers package and balcony are important to me (lol)

 

Photos: Haven't bought one in years

 

Shopping: Nope, not me. Don't need any more collectibles or Tee-Shirts

 

No airfare: I like to cruise round trip from NY or Bayonne

 

Somewhere in between: Will do specialty restaurants if someone wants to go but can take it or leave it. Will tip extra if service warrants it...usually cabin stewards and bar staff.

[ScottsSweetie]

Interesting to read everyone's answers! :)

 

I skimp during the rest of the year so that when I am on vacation I don't have to worry to much about expenses. However, there are lots of things that are important or not so important to us.

 

Skimp: Almost always inside room (only 2 balconies in our history) and almost always book at lowest rate and let cruiseline choose the room. Have often booked pack and go at last minute.

 

Will not eat at the steakhouse again (but can't promise that I won't do other venues when given the chance).

 

Bring on my own sodas, our allotted two bottles of wine and purchase a bottle from Bon Voyage. Don't purchase soda or specialty coffees. Don't purchase souvenir glasses with DoD.

 

Don't normally purchase pictures.

 

Don't shop. I hate shopping. I don't need jewelry, souvenirs, etc.

 

With the exception of Long Beach and San Juan, have driven to every port.

 

We also try to "work" the point systems on our Frequent Flier and Hilton Honors programs in order to use those for cruising. We've had one completely free cruise, lots of $250 off certificates, free hotels pre and post cruising, and free airfare to Long Beach and San Juan.

 

Splurge: Try to spend a day or two in the port city before or after cruising - it's like adding another port of call.

 

Excursions - if there is something we want to do, we purchase it and don't worry about the price (normally private).

[stargate fan]

This is a great topic.

 

Splurge:

*100 shares of Carnival stock - We love the obc and the quarterly dividends.

*Booking cruises on cruises - We love the obc.

*Lido Deck balcony cabin - We spend so much time on our balcony and in the cabin.

*Past Guest rates - We like to have no restrictions on our fares.

*Work - We both take the day before the cruise off from work and fly to our port city.

*Hotel - We pay whatever it costs and stay near cruise ports so we can watch the ships come into port in the morning.

*Photos - Some are just that good.

 

Scrimp:

*Eating only in the MDR - We like the food. We did try the steak house on Breeze and were NOT impressed at all.

*Private excursions - Less expensive, less crowded, longer tours.

*Just beach days - Sometimes we just want to sunbathe on a tropical beach and not do anything.

*Alcohol - We buy drinks as we want them, don't need to spend more than the cruise fare on Cheers.

*Wine - We bring two bottles on board with us.

*Water - We drink the free water on the ship.

 

[bonnie&clydecruzers]

Splurge - Excursions - This is where most of our splurge money goes to.

Meals and drinks in port

Sometimes balcony cabin

Few onboard alcoholic drinks

New cruise clothes

 

Scrimp - Driving to port instead of flying

We don't buy souvenirs or pictures (have a nice DSLR)

We don't do specialty dining (we have talked about trying it out but just can't justify it since we love the MDR and its offerings.)

We bring on our own sodas, waters and bottle of wine

Sometimes interior room

 

Other stuff we simply do not do because we have no interest in doing it, e.g., Chef's table, spa treatments, Behind the Fun tour, casino gambling.

[In2why]

I am an introvert and as much as I like parties and crowds I also need alone time to feel normal and happy. So a balcony is an absolute must have for me. Even an inside or OV wouldn't work since we cruise as a family. I spend an hour or so on the balcony with a good book all by myself.

 

Splurge.......balcony, hotel the night before the cruise so I am not rushed. Handmade shopping from port. Excursions. We book independently but I spend money for good snorkelling, New experiences for the kids.

 

Save........Pictures. I never buy them. Alcohol....We are so relaxed and are having such a good time that we actually drink less than we thought we would. Plus it is cheap in port.

[rtap23]

Splurge

 

We mostly sail out of Miami so 2 nights in Miami is a must for us.

 

Nice jeep rental at all ports. We don't do excursions anymore.

 

Scimp

 

Cabin. Inside only... We have booked balconies twice and I don't think we ever stepped a foot on them. We are the type of people that don't do naps and out and about before 7 and don't go to bed until there is no one else left at the bar

 

 

 

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[sgcass123]

Great topic since everyone has their own opinions dependent to their own circumstances.

 

We usually scrimp during the year due to DH's work hours (on call 24/7) EXCEPT when he is on vacation.....so we usually really enjoy our vacations. I don't feel guilty for anything that we spend on vacation.

 

Cruise rate - book way early (year in advance) to watch the rate increase and wait for the price to drop lower than what we paid. Most of the time, we get price drops.

 

Room - We have stayed in an interior with a porthole, interior with a window, a balcony, and a suite.....all had to do with the price of the cruise and what we felt comfortable with financially. Our upcoming cruise will be spent in a strictly interior room (first time without window) due to the fact that I could not justify the difference in cost to move up in price. We do "splurge" in the fact that we always get 2 rooms - one for us, and one for our teenage children. I just cannot imagine 4 of us in one room.

 

Pre-Cruise and Post-Cruise stay - We always go before the cruise and sightsee and always fly home the day after the cruise. Depending where the cruise leaves, determines how long we arrive beforehand. It has ranged from the day before to a week before.

 

Ship expenses - Wine package saves us money over the course of the cruise. I don't mind paying for our drinks and I don't count how many we have - it is our treat to ourselves since we may drink a couple other DAYS a year. I do check our expense account every couple of days. I absolutely love the fact that Carnival started offering shots in the main dining room at dinner - I now have pretty good collection of shot glasses on the shelf. I do know that neither DH nor I drink enough to even consider the Cheers package. I do buy some photos on the ship - ranging from 4 - 8 maybe. We have several Carnival drink glasses/tumblers, etc. We typically blow some money at the casino - $20 a day here , $20 a day there.

 

Excursions - We have done numerous ship excursions and we have done numerous port days ourselves - most of it depends on the port itself, the ease of where to go, etc. We tend to splurge on excursions since we want to see and experience as much as we possibly can in the amount of time that we are there.

 

Food - we pretty much stay with the complimentary dining - no specialty restuarants. However, we have spend money on specialty coffee, milkshakes, etc. I have gotten in the habit of pre-ordering a specialty food item for a sea day (canapes, sushi, etc.).

 

So, even though it doesn't seem like we scrimp very much, we are still looking at things in an economic way.

 

Everything we spend money on is always budgeted for during our trip planning, and most everything is paid for or we have money set aside to pay off the credit card when we get back. This is another reason why I like to book so early. Once we book a vacation, we research/plan it to death until we go.

Edited February 15, 2015 by sgcass123

[dioxide45]

We splurge and scrimp on a cruise by cruise basis and sometimes year by year depending on whatever travels we have planned.

 

Scrimp

• Ship Photos - We rarely buy the ship photos. We probably have two or three over the years. My wife is a professional photographer and we have a lot of great photos. Though sometimes getting them with the two of us together is a challenge.
  
• Interior Cabins - At least this year. But this is where it differs. We have also booked balcony and even spa balcony. Though this year we do have a spa interior and our other interiors are porthole.
  
• Ships - Again, at least this year we are going on two Fantasy Class ships and one on the Magic. The Paradise is super cheap, the taxes and fees are almost more than the cost of the cruise fare.
  
• Alcohol - We don't drink much if at all on a cruise. My wife will get the soda package but I don't bother. I can drink only water for the whole week. I do it at home and really don't like soda any more.
  
• Casino - I guess we splurge more than others. We may go in with $50 for the whole week. We usually lose most of it if not all. I could skip it all together.
  

 

Splurge

• Excursions - We usually do some kind of excursion, though we have done our own. We used to book through the ship but have started walking off and hiring a driver that includes some kind of tour and then a beach stop. We rarely just walk around the port. You don't see the countries that way.
  
• Specialty Dining - We usually book at least once if the ship offers it. We actually did Qsine twice on Celebrity. It was truly a great experience. Though I do think they are expensive for what you get. Really $35-$50 for a meal per person. I can dine in a great restaurant for that. If you include that you really are giving up the meal in the MDR, you are paying closer to $50-$75 for that specialty meal.
  
• Shopping - At least my wife splurges. In port and on the ship. I might buy one ball cap on the entire trip.
  

[Surrealistic]

Splurge:

-Balcony mostly, but will sometimes take a lesser cabin depending on itinerary & price difference.

-Steak House & Chef's table- love it!

-Excursions- We use both Carnival & private depending on price & availabilty at most ports. It's our favorite part of travel.

-Wine package & drinks by the pool

-Photos- as many as we like, usually more than we need :)

-Shopping- We don't spend much time shopping. I bought a watch I love in the Fun Shops once and some other "fun" things. Not much is ever purchased in port.

 

Scrimp:

-Only went to the spa once/ Don't plan on going again

-We don't gamble

-We walk rather than taxi if the distance isn't too far on a "beach" day

-Drive if we can to the port rather than fly

-Modest hotel or fly in the day of if we need to fly

-no specialty coffee or desserts that cost extra

-We don't eat much off the ship.

 

OP, Thanks for starting this thread, it's interesting to see everyone elses approach.

[HollandAvery]

I have a pocket-emptying habit of splurging on everything during our cruises.

 

If I want to cruise more than once a year though, I'll book interior, otherwise I'll book at minimum some kind of Oceanview.

 

For example, on our upcoming November cruise...

I upgraded to a Grand Scenic Ocean View for an extra $500 (I've been told it'll totally be worth it though).

I made steakhouse reservations.

I made spa reservations for a pedicure and maybe a massage too, haven't decided yet.

I booked excursions through Carnival in every port.

I have a tip fund prepared.

I have a drink fund prepared ($300...which is splurging for us, considering our bill was $50 last cruise, hehe)

And I plan to spend a few hundred in the casino

I purchased a GoPro just for our excursions

...not to mention splurging on dresses and what-not for the cruise.

 

I have a problem.

BUT, we only vacation once a year (if even, more like every two or three years) SO, I splurge because I want to make it a vacation to remember.

 

The only thing we really scrimp on is ship photos...we think they are overpriced and we would rather have an all digital option-then maybe I'd splurge on that too, haha.

Edited February 15, 2015 by HollandAvery

[A&Jfamily]

Our two splurges are more like requirements. A balcony for us and a separate room for our kids We don't mind do it yourself excursions and almost always book privately to save $. But if we can't afford to cruise how we won't we will just wait until we can.

[Cruise life]

splurge: number of cruises we take

 

OV or higher due to needing quads and won't book two uppers- cove balconies, obstructed view french door interiors, scenic OV

 

Cloud 9 spa access- had a spa balcony and a spa interior, but now just pay for access if it's available which it has been so far

 

Finally tried the steakhouses on last couple cruises (missed the Breeze b/c it was completely booked during our requested times) Have splurged on our first Chef Table on our upcoming cruise.

 

Arcade for the kids- miss the Chuck E Cheese one token price!

 

Scrimp: Avoid high cost excursions and try to book privately; compare 1st

 

Make my own gourmet coffees most days, but will buy one or two at the coffee shop (I bring packets and mix with the house coffee on board)

 

Stopped buying Promenade and gangway photos- although we did splurge on our 25th and scheduled an outdoor photo shoot which was amazing (LOVE our photo package-highly recommend for special occasions)

 

Do not pay for specialty restaurants at night, visit during lunch when free

[RTRMom]

Scrimp

 

-room...we usually always go for an interior. The room is not important to us as we aren't in there that much.

 

-excursions...we usually do our own thing at the ports.

 

-food...we eat at the MDR and never buy any extra food.

 

-travel there/back...we drive since we live in the south and it saves us money.

 

 

Splurge

 

-we are buying the Cheers program for the first time. :D

 

-FTTF

 

-Pictures...we take the opportunity to have family pictures taken of ourselves.

 

-bingo/casino

[dave_k58]

Splurge - balcony, FTTF

Scrimp - alcohol, ship sold excursions, extra cost restaurants

[cntrydncr1]

Scrimp on rooms (inside) , excursions (outside vendor if I do one), and drinks (bring wine and sode).

 

Splurge: cruise often and gamble.

[Rudyard]

Great thread!

 

About the only thing we scrimp on is pictures. We only buy a couple, usually the gangway pics in the ports or the embarkation pic.

 

Our first cruise we did an OV and decided to try a balcony the second time. It would be really hard to give that up as we actually do spend some down time in the cabin and on the balcony. Love to sit out there early in the morning, drinking coffee and watching the sun come up. I do have an interior booked on the Breeze next year, but only because it's a two day cruise to nowhere and I'm sure I'll spend a lot of time out exploring the ship.

 

Love to splurge on the specialty restaurants on the ships. Due to crazy schedules at home we don't eat out together a lot, so on the cruise we make up for lost time.

[curious_st]

I guess I am just a low maintenance person. My 2 splurges: extra tips when they are deserved and parking at the port. I cannot justify the added wait time to catch a shuttle back to a cheaper lot when I am facing a 10 - 13 hour drive home.

 

Scrimp: we only book last minute during good sales, we only want an OV room, we let Carnival assign our cabin if it is significantly cheaper, we carry on soda, we book any excursions independently but often wind up wandering around and chilling on a beach, we have never paid extra for food on a ship, we only donate a small amount to the casino, we only have a handful if drinks, and most of our shopping onboard and ashore turns into only browsing. I can never get my hubby to pose for a picture, so there are no photos yo worrying about purchasing.

 

I guess I don't feel like I am scrimping, because I enjoy cruising during less crowded times of year, and a few weeks to a couple of months of planning is sufficient without making me anxious. If I ever really wanted something that costs extra, I would get it. I just have never really had the desire. Of course, I think I would be very tempted by a spa pass or spa cabin if I were on a ship that had one of those giant, fancy, mineral-y hot tubs and all the steam rooms. I would most likely buy some sushi on ships with pay-extra sushi restaurants, too.

[Jasalth]

When cruising as a family I think one has different "needs" than just couples so splurge/scrimps can be very different and interesting!

 

Splurge:

 

Balcony or higher - Even though both DH and I are smokers (but plan on quit before our next cruise) I am also a very big reader. Even if I can't smoke out there anymore, I will still spend hours reading out there!

 

Excursions: Almost all are booked privately, but I still spend at least $100pp + tip. Our next cruise though will be different since it's Grand Turk, 1/2 Moon, Freeport. Only paying for Freeport but that will be $120pp so, this can depend on ports also.

 

Parking at Port: We had a really bad experience last time with a Stay & Park package. Facing a 17 hour drive home in 1 day and waiting for 2 1/2 hours for pickup... I will pay extra from now on!

 

Scrimp: (here my list gets big!)

 

Alcohol: DH doesn't drink at all, 2 teens. I don't even drink occasionally, in the past 5 cruises, I have gotten 2 alcoholic drinks.

 

Soda: 12 bottles each is fine for us. DH drinks a lot of soda, DS's not so much, I drink about 2 cans a week at home.

 

Pictures: Haven't ever bought one from the cruise line. We bring 3 camera with us and take plenty ourselves!

 

Food: Have never paid for a specialty or even treats. Then again I cook at least 26 days out of the month, so any food I don't cook I am happy with! This year we will be going to the Dr. Seuss Brunch though. Why? Cause MOM wants to!! :D

 

Souvenirs: This might sound odd, but we really don't even buy anything. Sure some t-shirts or little things, but the largest amount I ever spent was $30 on one item and about $100 for that cruise in total.

 

Casino: I will admit, I have an impulse control issue when it comes to gambling. In the past I have dropped well more than the cost of the cruise in the casino. Never again, last cruise I did one slot tourney and that was it! (yeah go me!!! :))

 

I will say in general we aren't the most typical family. We don't splurge at home in general. We are all electronics people. We would all rather have a new gadget or toy instead of something that we wouldn't use. Since these tend to be more expensive, well we are used to not buying things on a whim and saving for them instead. A good example of this is at least 70% of mine and DH's clothing are older than our children (16 & 13) to show just how little we generally spend on things!

[CraftyScribbles]

First cruise coming up!

 

Splurge:

Balcony (upgraded from inside)

Steakhouse

Excursions

 

Scrimp:

I probably skip the casino

Drinks (not a big drinker. I'll probably drink 1 or 2 cocktails)

Not paying for pictures (make my own)

[crisstyd]

This is a tough one for us. We flip-flop, depending on whether we are celebrating or if we get a good deal. We are able to take about 6 vacations a year because we are very frugal and I am very proud of it!!

 

I'll use this trip as an example

 

Splurge:

 

• Flying to the port (Actually it's more of a scrimp it cost $588 round trip for two, but we usually drive. It's just too far to drive from Indiana to Galveston)
  

 

• Casino (we always go to the casino..it's how we get the good deals)
  

 

• We don't eat in the restaurants other than MDR unless it's a special occasion. It's our anniversary so we will have dinner this week in the steak house
  

 

Scrimp:

 

• Used the casino offer for the cabin and free casino cash offer
  

 

• We won't do excursions
  

 

• We won't buy souvenirs
  

 

• We won't eat in the ports. Heck we won't even get off the ship. We have been to the ports so many times, we just enjoy staying on board and relaxing.
  

 

• We don't purchase items like jewelry on the ship
  

 

• We don't purchase photos on board
  

 

 

For our next trip much of the same except we paid half as much and got a balcony instead of an OV.

[Lady_Jag]

My list for our upcoming Alaska cruise is a bit different than our normal cruises out of Florida, since it's a once in a lifetime sort of thing. We splurged by taking my mom with us and getting 2 "bowling ally" balcony cabins. (Usually we scrimp by getting an OV or IS for just me, hubby, and DD.)

 

We're also splurging by allowing for 2 excursions, whereas we usually scrimp by going off on our own or booking a cheap 3rd party tour.

 

And of course we're splurging with 7-hour flights across the country to Seattle, plus 3 night hotel stay, whereas we usually drive to port day of or night before.

 

Some things we always scrimp on:

- Pre-cruise travel: There are 2 home ports within 2 hours of our house, and two more 3-4 hours from home, so we usually drive day of, or sometimes the night before if I get a good Priceline hotel deal.

Cruise rate - We often book either IS or OV cabins using ES about a year in advance. Then I watch the rates like a hawk and fill out the form if it drops even $1. Our upcoming cruise, I was able to cash in on one of my loyalty points program and buy $100 Carnival gift cards for $90 each. I purchased 2 gift cards with each pay check and in the end saved 10% off the total cost of both cabins (saved over $600!)

 

- Food/drink: We seldom buy bar drinks, sodas, or specialty dining/desserts, if at all. We also rarely eat meals in port, unless we're away from the ship for a long time.

 

- Spa: With exception on 2 separate cruises, we never get any of the spa services.

 

- Gambling: We don't play bingo and usually stay out of the casino. If we try our luck, then it's limited to $50 the duration of the cruise.

 

- Souvenirs: We don't buy much on board (usually an ornament or a pin) and look for bargains if we shop in port at all. Except for maybe the embarkation photo, we don't buy pictures either.

 

Some things we splurge on:

-Gratuities: We reward exceptional service with a note of thanks and extra tips.

 

- Kids club: We usually let DD participate in the extra fee "Night Owl" party once during the cruise, if she wants to.

 

That's all I can think of at the moment.

 

 

 

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Edited February 15, 2015 by Lady_Jag

[Rena921]

Splurge -

Aft wrap balconies, regular balcony at the bare minimum.

Chefs table

Steakhouse at least once (sometimes more)

B2B cruises

 

 

Scrimp -

Excursions. We normally play it by ear

Fun shops. Rarely ever buy anything.

[cruising maniac]

Splurge: Cruise over Thanksgiving on the newer, bigger ships, have to have a balcony (not much point being on the water when you can't see the water), at least one night in the steakhouse for dinner - love the service and the quality of food, love to play the slots- my DH- not so much, we always tip extra for the room steward- they work so hard and we like to keep our ice and water full, taxis in the ports to take us to the beach or shopping area.

 

Scrimp: Never book excursions- we are seasoned travelers and we go out alone- if it is an unsafe port we stay on the ship, never buy photos- grossly overpriced, don't buy souvenirs, no drink package- just a few cocktails by the pool and our carry on Reisling on our balcony, no port parking- cheaper to rent a car and not put the miles on our car. Don't shop on the ship- used to be cheaper than home but not anymore.:)

[elainmir]

We splurge on the casino ( we get to Biloxi only once or twice a year) so we enjoy that while we can, excursions if we choose one, tervis, t's for the dog sitter, friends. We also will continue to get FTTF ,it's totally worth it so DH doesn't have to sit or stand for long periods. Parking at the port ..

 

 

our scrimp is probably the cabin...I've never had an inside, our first aft balcony is in April, our first scenic OV is in March but the regular balcony we didn't see the value in because we were hardly in our cabin. We typically do OV...if I can get a good rate I really don't care what kind of cabin.