All I want to do is cruise.....however...

[karenlovesparis]

All I think about is cruising. I want to do it all the time....however, I run my own business, I'm not independently wealthy, hubby only gets 3 weeks of vacation per year, etc., etc.

 

We have been on 10 over the past 20 years. We just did a 10 night on Princess and are doing the Med on the Epic from Barcelona coming up.

 

How does everyone do it? I see people booked every few months on a new cruise?

[babs135]

I wish I knew the answer myself. Given the opportunity we would cruise most of the year, if we've nothing booked I 'ache'. We have an eastbound transatlantic booked for the end of the year, following 5 days of shopping in New York but I still find myself looking for bargains.

 

Money is obviously the issue and as we are retired we may well have the time to cruise, but not the means to do it as much as we would like. We live well, but I really don't see anywhere we could save more than we do. DH is far more cautious with money and worries about the future, I keep telling him what's the point of being the richest corpse in the cemetery but I know I can push him only so far. One cruise a year is better than none.

 

So people, give us tips.

[paul929207]

You will get many answers.

 

In our case, we are retired. We have no work or family obligations to keep us home. We have no pets either. While we worked we saved and invested it. In hindsight, we did a very good job investing. We always put the max into 401k, IRA and employee stock purchase plan. We had other savings as well.

 

We lived fairly simply. We get new cars every 10 years or so. We went out to dinner once a week. I did everything I could to maximize points in frequent flyer type programs, so we got all or part of many trips for free.

[Krazy Kruizers]

When we were worked, we could not always get the same vacation dates even though we had seniority.

Once we retired and before health issues came about, we were able to cruise 4 and 5 times a year -- about 90 days a year.

[Flatbush Flyer]

You will get many answers.

 

In our case, we are retired. We have no work or family obligations to keep us home. We have no pets either. While we worked we saved and invested it. In hindsight, we did a very good job investing. We always put the max into 401k, IRA and employee stock purchase plan. We had other savings as well.

 

We lived fairly simply. We get new cars every 10 years or so. We went out to dinner once a week. I did everything I could to maximize points in frequent flyer type programs, so we got all or part of many trips for free.

 

 

Somewhat "ditto" with the exception that we both worked for public university systems with "defined benefits" retirement (in addition to 403Bs, IRAs etc.). In some senses, we traded the promise of exceptionally high working income enjoyed by many of our friends in the private sector for the security of basic pensions and benefits that are consistent lifelong. Our other investment retirement accounts are what allow us to travel and splurge on whatever else now and then.

 

Also, depending on your background and experience, you may want to consider part time consulting in your field (perhaps as a 1099 contractor after retirement) for an established firm that will afford you great flexibility in your work schedule.

 

I might add that managing your professional work decisions early on to bring you closest to the place where you ultimately want to live and play is worth the effort. For example, we are sailors and live on a bay front hill across from our yacht club just north of San Francisco. No need to own a vacation home or move again, even as older age will someday present more challenges.

Bottom line: "pay now or pay later."

Edited April 16, 2015 by Flatbush Flyer

[SPacificbound]

We are retired, we drive older (2004 & 2006) cars, and we live well below our means.

[OCruisers]

Being retired and having the time & money is a big factor in being able to cruise more often ... especially on longer cruises!

Also, those living very close (like in Florida) to cruise ports can easily cruise more often.

LuLu

[GUT2407]

I suspect many are retired with nice little super or investment nest eggs that they have saved hard for over the years.

 

SHE and I are reasonably OK money wise, but time poor she is a teacher so we are limited to school hols, I am self-employed so am governed by my diary, sometimes we just can't find a cruise that fits, but then again some years we just can't find time to get away at all.

 

Sometimes it feels like we can't get tme to talk.

[sparks1093]

We aren't retired yet so we are limited to one big vacation a year. Since all of the kids are over 18 we only need to plan for the two of us so that gives us a little more flexibility. Our current plan is to go to Germany to visit DW's natural family one year and on a cruise the next.

[Bookish Angel]

We own our house and cars (mine is 12 years old, my husband's is 5) and pay no interest on anything, ever. We are both big money savers and are not gadget/stuff people. My non-smart cell phone service is under $8.00 a month and is used so little it is basically a brick in my purse. We pay for groceries, some bills and most eveything else on our credit cards that are paid off when the bill comes and gives us cash back. We participate in FreeCycle, Free Little Library and other no-cost, item-sharing projects.

 

I retired from full-time work at 29, now work part-time for a national non-profit with good perks and ample time off while my husband works full time in IT with excellent pay and very good benefits. Both of us educated ourselves beyond the B.A. level, ensuring better professional opportunity. We had one child who is grown and not dependent on is in any way. We trade cat-sitting duties with a neighbor which means no cost to either party.

 

We don't acquire things we don't need and our wants for "things" are few. We made travel, of which cruising is now a small part, a priority long ago.

Edited April 17, 2015 by Bookish Angel

[Laurab23]

We try to cruise once a year. I wish it could be more but I won't fly so we drive to ports a day early and get a motel. We also have 2 small dogs that we have to find a sitter to stay in our home while we are gone,which is expensive. I am retired from a bank so don't get much money from there. I am just grateful we are healthy enough to do one cruise a year.

 

Laura

[ducklite]

There are so many places we want/like to travel to that aren't accessible via a cruise or need more than a few hours in port that we tend to only cruise every few years so we can see other parts of the world. We just spent two weeks in London (favorite city in the world) which was the big trip for this year. Next year I am spending my vacation in an internship that I need for my Masters. The following year we are going to Bordeaux and Porto (a week each). In 2018 I will probably spend 2-3 weeks in a country which will (hopefully) be the final research for my thesis, so I don't see us cruising again until 2019.

[Roz]

There are also inheritances, which people don't mention or talk about. Or well off relatives. I point blank asked one of my friends (who has a similar job to mine) how she was able to pay off her house in 5 years. She told her wealthy parents gift her money every year, plus she has a trust fund from her grandparents.

 

Roz

[Gardeneroflove]

Well, the first two cruises on my list were gifts. :D, then next two were with inlaws :eek:. next three were after dh was working, and we had a kid. I'm a sahm, our bills our low, our only debit is our house, which will be paid off before kid starts school.

 

 

Dh only has 3 wks vacation a year and doesn't like to part with money. once house is paid off, we'll have tution so who knows!

[paul929207]

We have not paid any interest in over 20 years. Our house is paid for. We pay cash for cars. We pay off the credit cards each month

[AKman2495]

We cruise one a year or so. This year we put to off till Sept. because we are doing a TV from Europe to FLL (the time zone change works out better).

 

Next year, maybe not because we just bough a new car...We'll see.

 

Besides, cruising al the time would lose its attraction after a while. Yes, there are those who do it a lot. I have them and they have cruised the same ports over and over. It cannot be as much fun as visiting a place for the first time Or second or even the third time).

 

Absence makes the heart grow fonder..and not cruising all the time keeps it fun and exciting for us.

[navybankerteacher]

Both retired after reasonably successful careers - we educated our children; so while we would like to leave them something, the bulk of what we own is ours to enjoy. We travel to Europe every year - either England to visit family or the Continent to stay and wander for a week or so - coming back by ship is a more civilized, comfortable and economic way to cross. Our other vacations are winter escapes to the Caribbean and Florida - we've cruised that area enough.

 

We enjoy cooking and entertaining at home, so rarely eat out other than as guests at others' homes. Modest expenditures and keeping debt free allows the resources to enjoy all the time retirement provides.

[DirtyDawg]

All I think about is cruising. I want to do it all the time....however, I run my own business, I'm not independently wealthy, hubby only gets 3 weeks of vacation per year, etc., etc.

 

We have been on 10 over the past 20 years. We just did a 10 night on Princess and are doing the Med on the Epic from Barcelona coming up.

 

How does everyone do it? I see people booked every few months on a new cruise?

 

OK there are the secrets to be able to cruise or vacation lots and lots.

 

1. Make lots of money,

2. Make OK money and budget wisely,

3. Inherit lots of money,

4. Marry money,

5. Buy Blackberry stock in the mid nineties at $10 and sell it a $200,:D

6. Do not buy Blackberry at $200 and sell is at $10.

 

Simple stuff really. I highly recommend #'s 1,3,4 and 5.:D

[awestover89]

We are a young newlywed couple, so for us it's a little different. We took our first cruise last year and are trying to keep to at least 1 cruise each year. We make a decent salary, but also have some pretty hefty debts, but I try to put aside $200-$400 each month into a vacation fund.

 

We stick to interior cabins, don't buy drink packages or photo packages or spa services, don't do specialty restaurants, and limit paid excursions unless there is something we really really want to do. Our first cruise we booked an action excursion each island, since we'd never been to any of them before, but I think in future cruises we'll probably limit ourselves to at most 1-2 excursions. We also mostly look at the older ships to get a better deal. Our first cruise was on Jewel, this year we are booked on the Navigator and looking at a 4 night on the Majesty, and our next cruise will probably be the Freedom class.

 

We can typically do an entire cruise vacation for under $2,000, which is less than $200 saved each month.

[GUT2407]

There are also inheritances, which people don't mention or talk about. Or well off relatives. I point blank asked one of my friends (who has a similar job to mine) how she was able to pay off her house in 5 years. She told her wealthy parents gift her money every year, plus she has a trust fund from her grandparents.

 

Roz

 

 

Boy that'd be nice.

 

However the only hope I have of any inheritance is from by parents as as I'm one of 5 kids I don't expect it'll be a lot, and I hope it is still a lot of years that I have mum and dad and that they lve long enough to spend it all.

[DirtyDawg]

Boy that'd be nice.

 

However the only hope I have of any inheritance is from by parents as as I'm one of 5 kids I don't expect it'll be a lot, and I hope it is still a lot of years that I have mum and dad and that they lve long enough to spend it all.

 

I manage my Mom's and my MIL's finances so they won't spend it all.;)