In Defense of the Budget Cruiser

[Jameseric]

I'm thankful that CC has no FB thumbs-up equivalent, though sometimes a quick 'n easy endorsement wd be nice. Remember Gabby in Blazing Saddles would say "Rrvverghh!" when wholeheartedly agreeing? Works for me. Rrvverghh!

[BeagleOne]

Just wanted to say - I love your beagle! It is so much like my Mikey, who I lost a few years ago. They are such lovely dogs.

Sorry to send it off-topic, just wanted to tell you that.:)

 

Aw, thanks! Sorry to hear about Mikey. Beagles are so cool!

 

The bigger dog in the pic is actually a foxhound, Beignet, whom I adopted almost ten years ago when I went to Mississippi to volunteer after Hurricane Katrina. She was the mangiest puppy I've ever seen (and as a former shelter vet, I've seen a LOT) and was going to be put down. So I brought her home with me; she was about eight weeks old, almost hairless and covered with weeping sores, and I thought she was a beagle. Fifty pounds later.... :D

 

The puppy is a beagle, Biscuit. He was brought into the shelter where I was the vet, and had very bowed front legs. His entire litter had died, was the story I got. Another vet had recommended putting him down, but all that was wrong with him was malnutrition. As soon as I set him on the floor after his physical, Beignet started gently gnawing on his head. Her head is actually resting on the IV stand base. I call the pic "Are You My Mother?"

 

Sadly Biscuit died almost three years ago, at the age of 5 3/4, of liver failure. Nearest the internal medicine specialist and I could tell, he must have had infectious hepatitis (adenovirus) as a puppy. I think it killed the rest of his litter, and maybe mom too, and my Biscuit's liver was damaged but hung on for years before failing. Very sad and very unexpected.

 

This is my favorite pic of him, as a jailbird at a police dog fundraiser. He was a goofball, and I miss him.

 

Back to the regularly-scheduled thread!

[Tights]

As we say in Australia "Whatever floats your boat "

 

Happy travels

[take us away]

Do know that not all suite passengers are cheap, snobs or crummy people. We all know that most are just regular people. We had table mates on a 30+ day cruise who were great people, very personable, totally non-pretentious. He was 'in the building trade' and she was a 'stay at home' mom, now grandmother. They invited us for drinks before dinner on her birthday - in the penthouse - who knew. Turns out his 'building trade' was for things like the Pirates of Penzance attraction at Disney World!

[Caribbean Chris]

There is a very old saying about Silk Purses and Sows Ears.

 

I am lucky in that I have known and been friends at both ends of the wealth spectrum, I can say 100% there are good and bad at all levels.

 

There is a local property developer who started life mowing lawns for a living it s not unusual now [he's in his 70s] to see him out mowing a few acres wth a hand mower.

 

There's an interesting book titled "The Millionaire Next Door" about research on those who actually accumulate wealth in the US. Often turns out not to be those professionals like attorneys or surgeons whose choices of neighborhoods, private schools, country clubs, luxury vehicles etc might suggest a high net worth.

 

But more often the actual millionaire is the low key person who lives in the same modest home, married to same spouse, drives old car, owns an unglamorous business like a drycleaning operation, and - the author points out - takes lower cost vacations. There are a lot of people like that who live modestly their whole working lives, but cautiously turn on the spigot a little after retiring. Impossible to generalize, but I suspect a lot of HAL passengers are like that.

Edited June 25, 2015 by Caribbean Chris

[cbr663]

I totally agree, except I don't have anyone on my ignore list. I find the pretentious posters to be hilariously entertaining, especially because almost no one here posts under their real names, so we have no idea who these pretentious people actually are. How insecure does someone have to be to brag about how wonderful they are, when no one knows WHO they are?

 

I especially like the "Oh, WE would never sail without a balcony, but if YOU like your poky interior room, well, good for you" or the "Well, I hope YOU enjoy your cruise on the mass-market line, WE prefer to book the more exclusive lines" humblebragging posts. Posts like that always make me smile. :) And I'm quite happy with my budget and my choice of travel means and destinations!

 

I agree that this is the very best approach. Goodness knows that CC can be cheap entertainment at times.

 

I remember years ago a professor in a business communications course, after spending considerable time discussing all the communications strategies available, reminding us that people are free to think whatever they want. Doesn't matter what you tell them or how much you toot your own horn, people are going to think what they want and only what they want. So surprise, telling someone that you are the best doesn't mean that they actually think that you are.

 

Like the OP, we also decide on the value of our choices. We examine our options and decide what is best for us. We booked a cruise just a couple of days ago, for instance, and decided on a balcony guarantee vs spending up to 30% more to select a stateroom. Examining the opportunity costs like the OP is a smart thing to do. We "budget" a certain amount for a HAL cruise as we feel that the experience only warrants a certain amount. Once we exceed that amount, we look at other cruise providers.

 

We all might have different reasons as to why we budget, but most of us do budget nonetheless.

[cbr663]

And of course, I am sure that everyone has seen this cartoon before, yet it somehow fits.

[BumperII]

 

Budget is not a dirty word. It is simply a spending plan that allows you to get the most of what you want for your hard earned money.

 

It makes no sense at all for you to spend your money on what someone else approves of.

 

We have always believed in saving the best for last. We started out with inside guarentees until we got a good feel of what worked for us. That tactic allowed us to go on the costlier excursions. At disembarkation we were just as broke and just as happy as the folks in the Pinnacle Suite.

 

Now we have been in every class except the Pinnacle Suite. We have many fond memories of cruises in each of the cabin types. We are not locked into anything.

 

The nice thing about HAL is that it is possible to custom fit a cruise for any taste and any budget. For us a balcony is nice on Alaska and Canada - New England cruises, and a waste of money in the Carribbean. That probably doesn't apply to anyone else but us. It is OK. One isn't better than the other, just a little different.

 

The most important thing for me is just getting on the ship. Heck, I'll sleep on the sofa if need be. We all have unlimited wants and limited resources. The trick is to get what you want, the best bang for a buck!.

 

Inside, outside, balcony or suite, enjoy your cruise. Bon Voyage

[iancal]

Absolutely.

 

The goal is to get on the ship. Does not matter whether it is an inside or the owners suite. Nor do I think the vast majority of cruisers care what type of cabin a fellow cruiser is occupying.

 

It is entirely meaningless to draw any conclusions yet there are some who appear to place great importance on this. I think that it is a ego issue or aspirational issue for these people.

[sail7seas]

 

Budget is not a dirty word. It is simply a spending plan that allows you to get the most of what you want for your hard earned money.

 

It makes no sense at all for you to spend your money on what someone else approves of.

 

We have always believed in saving the best for last. We started out with inside guarentees until we got a good feel of what worked for us. That tactic allowed us to go on the costlier excursions. At disembarkation we were just as broke and just as happy as the folks in the Pinnacle Suite.

 

Now we have been in every class except the Pinnacle Suite. We have many fond memories of cruises in each of the cabin types. We are not locked into anything.

 

The nice thing about HAL is that it is possible to custom fit a cruise for any taste and any budget. For us a balcony is nice on Alaska and Canada - New England cruises, and a waste of money in the Carribbean. That probably doesn't apply to anyone else but us. It is OK. One isn't better than the other, just a little different.

 

The most important thing for me is just getting on the ship. Heck, I'll sleep on the sofa if need be. We all have unlimited wants and limited resources. The trick is to get what you want, the best bang for a buck!.

 

Inside, outside, balcony or suite, enjoy your cruise. Bon Voyage

 

 

 

Good ^^ :)

 

I'm still trying to figure out why so-called 'budget cruisers' need a defense?

They don't. Defense implies doing something wrong. What is wrong with each person spending their own money their own way?

 

As long as they don't owe me money, I figure it is none of my business what they do with whatever funds they have.

 

 

[Vict0riann]

We booked a cruise just a couple of days ago, for instance, and decided on a balcony guarantee vs spending up to 30% more to select a stateroom. Examining the opportunity costs like the OP is a smart thing to do. We "budget" a certain amount for a HAL cruise as we feel that the experience only warrants a certain amount. Once we exceed that amount, we look at other cruise providers.

 

I'm not very good at budgeting but a savings of 30% sounds very appealing. I'm not sure how it works, though. I thought there wasn't a discount for a guarantee, just the hope of an upgrade?

[qsuzi]

Good ^^ :)

 

I'm still trying to figure out why so-called 'budget cruisers' need a defense?

They don't. Defense implies doing something wrong. What is wrong with each person spending their own money their own way?

 

As long as they don't owe me money, I figure it is none of my business what they do with whatever funds they have.

 

Agree with this and your other comments on this thread. Thanks Sail.

[PatsyAnne]

This reminds me of another type of budgeting. When I was working, I had more income but less time. Now that I'm retired... well, you get the idea. So I'm guilty of saying, "of course, we fly two days early for a cruise, doesn't everyone?" without remembering when I didn't have those two extra days. Every trip is a treasure and an adventure.

[buckirj1]

I do what's best for me, and the way I like to cruise. The way the rest of the world cruises is their business. As my daddy used to say, "doesn't matter who you are, or what you are...there's always going to be somebody looking down their nose at you. You don't have to care what they think."

[Lizzie68]

This reminds me of another type of budgeting. When I was working, I had more income but less time. Now that I'm retired... well, you get the idea. So I'm guilty of saying, "of course, we fly two days early for a cruise, doesn't everyone?" without remembering when I didn't have those two extra days. Every trip is a treasure and an adventure.

 

I totally agree.... but as a budget cruiser I would likely go to the cheaper price hotel for those extra nights.:D

[pv girl]

I'm not very good at budgeting but a savings of 30% sounds very appealing. I'm not sure how it works, though. I thought there wasn't a discount for a guarantee, just the hope of an upgrade?

 

Many times, on flash or last-minute bookings, guarantees are cheaper than choosing a room - or they are all that is open to book. The cruise line often oversells the allotted guarantee rooms and then moves rooms to categories not selling well. The cheaper fares get folks on the boat and fill up rooms. For instance, most of the time, HH rooms are priced ridiculously high in the early booking period, and then go on sale cheap in the last six weeks or so. They are not desirable rooms but get folks on the boat. Folks who book guarantees often thus get an upgraded room, but the low cost is the motivating factor in booking, not the possibility of an upgrade - at least in my case.

[CowPrincess]

Absolutely.

 

The goal is to get on the ship. Does not matter whether it is an inside or the owners suite. Nor do I think the vast majority of cruisers care what type of cabin a fellow cruiser is occupying.

 

It is entirely meaningless to draw any conclusions yet there are some who appear to place great importance on this. I think that it is a ego issue or aspirational issue for these people.

 

I totally agree with your post.

 

I'd also like to mention that while most cruisers do work with a "budget", for many of us "economy cruisers" our budgets are a lot smaller, which adds a bit of challenge. The challenges and choices facing someone whose budget is $10,000 are very different than the challenges and choices for someone whose budget it $2,000.

[cruisemom42]

I did not want to hijack another thread, but I felt compelled to stick my two cents in. Some of us budget and do without for many months in order to afford to cruise. To us, a $200/300 difference (double that if the cruiser is a solo) in price for a guarantee is worth risking an inconvenient location or a less desirable cabin, especially for longer cruises. After all, the ship is merely a means of transport to amazing cultures and sights that we would never experience otherwise. The "insignificant" price difference might pay for an excursion we previously thought too expensive, a pre/post cruise hotel, or part of our airfare.

 

No, we do not want to cruise on a budget cruise line. Although it was once implied on this forum that if one needed to worry about the pre cruise credit card hold, that perhaps one shouldn't be cruising, we find the ambience, itineraries, service, and, above all, the people we meet on HAL worth sacrificing for.

 

Thanks for starting this thread. So many good points have been made that I agree with! Like you (a solo traveler), I pay more per person than a couple, hence I am always looking for the best value for my (solo) dollar.

 

I've always subscribed to the theory of it being better to have the smallest house in a great neighborhood than the largest house in a less desirable one, and for me it also applies to ships. (I am not saying everyone feels this way.) I really don't care much how big my cabin is, where it is located aboard ship, or even whether it has outside light. I can happily read my book on any public deck or any public room in a nice ship and enjoy the ocean or my surroundings.

 

What matters more to me is where I am sailing, not how. I know that for others, the ship may be the destination, but not for me. I'd far rather spend my budgeted travel money on a good restaurant ashore, a private guide where warranted, or a hotel in a central location in a city than on a higher category cabin aboard ship.

[Time For Dreaming]

I did not want to hijack another thread, but I felt compelled to stick my two cents in. Some of us budget and do without for many months in order to afford to cruise. To us, a $200/300 difference (double that if the cruiser is a solo) in price for a guarantee is worth risking an inconvenient location or a less desirable cabin, especially for longer cruises. After all, the ship is merely a means of transport to amazing cultures and sights that we would never experience otherwise. The "insignificant" price difference might pay for an excursion we previously thought too expensive, a pre/post cruise hotel, or part of our airfare.

 

No, we do not want to cruise on a budget cruise line. Although it was once implied on this forum that if one needed to worry about the pre cruise credit card hold, that perhaps one shouldn't be cruising, we find the ambience, itineraries, service, and, above all, the people we meet on HAL worth sacrificing for.

 

In response to the initial post--Cruise ships have a variety of stateroom categories, with varying configurations and locations.

 

To Some This is Important for various reasons such as: special occasion, medical equipment/treatments, sense of spaciousness, plan on spending lots of time on that big beautiful balcony, or just because they can. All good reasons.

 

To Some This is Unimportant for various reasons such as: have a fixed budget, want to take more cruises for less rather than fewer cruises for more money, hardly ever in the stateroom anyway, just a place to shower & sleep. Can use the money for shore excursions. All good reasons.

 

Something for everyone. After all, we're all on the same boat having a great time.

 

Happy Cruising everyone.

[flyguy]

I don't post much but I doubt if cruise ship personnel are pleased to have us aboard. You see, we don't drink, don't gamble, don't dance, don't smoke or cuss-so that sort of marginalizes us somewhat as compared to others. We don't do these things because of religion or necessity, but enjoy each other, the ports, crew members, other passengers and the food. It's a chance to get away from relatives or the heat and we usually spend a lot of money in the ports or I may buy the wife some jewelry on ship-and 14k. I'm still relatively healthy enough to carry my own luggage and care for the wife an myself traveling.

We tip and we give extra to those who make our cruise pleasant. As for budgeting, we pay as we go and don't owe on the cruise when we return home. I wish our government budgeted-even a little.

 

I figure this post may set off a few people and if so, I can take the flames. I've taken a lot of flames in my 71 years.

Edited June 25, 2015 by flyguy

[flyguy]

I love sailing on any "Dam" ship whether it is inside or an outside. We have not yet sailed in a verandah or suite because we just don't spend enough time there to justify the difference. There are just too many beautiful spaces onboard than in my cabin.

However, we will splurge on many extras such as stateroom flowers, multiple dinners in Pinnacle Grill, cooking classes, corkage fees for our wine brought onboard, $100.00 in Beverage cards, and the must Lido Cabana on Signature-class ships.

So, as you can see, we only sleep, shower, and change in our stateroom.

 

When our eyes are closed the rooms all look alike!

[maxie99]

You know what? Life is short. Enjoy your blessings and don't worry about what other people think. A cruise ship population is like people in real life. Some will be snobby, but most will be nice and friendly. Most people are so involved in their own lives that they don't pay attention to insignificant little things. It's their loss if they don't want to get to know someone because they aren't dressed to their standards or aren't in a cabin that costs a lot of money. Just go and have fun. I'm thankful that I'm lucky enough to do things that many people only dream of.

 

:D so true

[navybankerteacher]

Good ^^ :)

 

I'm still trying to figure out why so-called 'budget cruisers' need a defense?

They don't. Defense implies doing something wrong. What is wrong with each person spending their own money their own way?

 

As long as they don't owe me money, I figure it is none of my business what they do with whatever funds they have.

 

 

 

This - in a nutshell.

 

With the exception of very, very few, most of us budget one way or another. Like most other people, I have to recognize that every dollar of discretionary funds I spend on one thing is a dollar which I have, necessarily, decided not to spend on something else. No "defense" is necessary.

 

We are fortunate enough to be able to cruise once or twice a year - in addition to a couple of brief getaways from miserable Connecticut winters. We choose balcony cabins, because we love to be able to be close to the sea and sky - sure, we'd really enjoy suites, "Neptune" I believe it is called on HAL - "Grills" on Cunard -- but they fall outside of our budget. Yes, our "budget" is generous, but it still represents weighing options, setting aside funds, and deciding what we cannot afford while we simultaneously decide what we can afford.

 

Even if you are a Trump, Hilton, Ford or some highly rated entertainer or athlete, you will still be adhering to some sort of budget - or else at some point you will wish you had.

[sail7seas]

I don't post much but I doubt if cruise ship personnel are pleased to have us aboard. You see, we don't drink, don't gamble, don't dance, don't smoke or cuss-so that sort of marginalizes us somewhat as compared to others. We don't do these things because of religion or necessity, but enjoy each other, the ports, crew members, other passengers and the food. It's a chance to get away from relatives or the heat and we usually spend a lot of money in the ports or I may buy the wife some jewelry on ship-and 14k. I'm still relatively healthy enough to carry my own luggage and care for the wife an myself traveling.

We tip and we give extra to those who make our cruise pleasant. As for budgeting, we pay as we go and don't owe on the cruise when we return home. I wish our government budgeted-even a little.

 

I figure this post may set off a few people and if so, I can take the flames. I've taken a lot of flames in my 71 years.

 

 

 

I think this a great post and can't imagine why you would fear flames? :D

Well said.........

 

I like yours, too, NavyBankerTeacher. :)

 

 

 

[cbr663]

<snip>

 

Even if you are a Trump, Hilton, Ford or some highly rated entertainer or athlete, you will still be adhering to some sort of budget - or else at some point you will wish you had.

 

This is so true, even the very wealthy budget. They maintain their wealth because they don't spend all of it, not because they can't. Here's an interesting fact: research by the National Endowment for Financial Education estimates that 70 percent of people who suddenly come into large sums of money ended up broke within 7 years. Guess these people wish that they had a budget.