Cruising envy

[Clancampbell]

Good evening all.

 

Some of you will know that me and my DW are due to embark on our first "proper" cruise on the Epic in September. Obviously due to our lack of experience our knowledge of cruising is somewhat limited but I am finding that you guys are a wealth of knowledge and have helped no end with our preparations and I thank each and every one of you.

 

While I am very grateful, I am also very envious of you frequent cruisers; when I look at the number of cruises some of you have been on and are due to go on it makes wonder how you both get the time and how you can afford it. My annual works bonus has paid for our cruise and in the meantime we are saving like crazy to have enough funds to be able to get the most out of our time on the Epic. We will limit our excursions to probably two and at the other ports just wander around town. We will eat at the MDR and perhaps treat ourselves to one of the speciality restaurants throughout the week. Fortunately we have the UBP as part of our deal so thumbs up to that.

 

I am pretty sure that despite our limited resources we will have a ball but do you think that the experience will not be as grand as it could have been if money was no object?

 

Thanks in advance for your comments.

 

Nigel

[pcakes122]

Congrats on your upcoming cruise and I know you will have an absolutely wonderful time!

 

I have been cruising regularly for 30 years....starting from days in my 20's when I scraped up enough money to share an INSIDE cabin with 3 other girlfriends, to cruising anywhere for $25 a day under the family discount when my sister and BIL worked for NCL, to having comped suites and Haven offers provided by the casino.

 

I have NEVER had anything less than a wonderful time on a cruise! (even the ones where I dropped thousands in the casino! :eek:)

 

There is nothing to compare to being on the open ocean, having a beautiful floating hotel take me to faraway places and sharing that experience with strangers from all over the world that in short time become friends. I am grateful for every moment on every cruise because I know I am blessed to have the chance to experience something others may only be able to dream about. I don't fret about tipping or no Coke Zero or even the weather. I love the entire experience and I look for all the good there is to see - and there is lots!

 

So while cruising in an inside cabin with 3 other girls is a "different" experience than cruising in a Haven penthouse, I have wonderful memories of great times no matter how much I spent - and you will, too! :)

 

Bon voyage! :)

[ColinIllinois]

I liked the Epic so much the first time I sailed on her I did it twice more. Each time my bill was very minimal at the end of the cruise. I enjoyed the MDR's and really enjoyed the selections in the buffet, especially for breakfast.

 

The entertainment is first rate and didn't cost me a penny for the particular shows I went too.

 

If you go to the Epic looking for a fun vacation you are sure to find it.

[meltingmoments]

Hi Nigel,

 

Well we are certainly not experienced cruisers like some on here, but we took out first cruise on the Sky in 2011 and have taken a cruise each year since then. I'm like you and have some serious cruise envy when I look at how many people have taken and how many they have planned!

 

We have sailed the Epic twice.........2nd time to do the things we missed first time around! :)

We took NCL excursions because I am a worrier about getting back to the ship on time, even though they were more expensive! :eek:

 

Our only other expenses are our drinks, and like you, we save up our pennies in order to enjoy our holidays. I certainly don't think you have to fork out an enormous amount of money to enjoy a cruise. Any holiday is what you make of it and a cruise is just the same, in my (very humble) opinion.

I hope you have an amazing time on the Epic........any questions, please feel free to ask away! :)

[Clancampbell]

Congrats on your upcoming cruise and I know you will have an absolutely wonderful time!

 

I have been cruising regularly for 30 years....starting from days in my 20's when I scraped up enough money to share an INSIDE cabin with 3 other girlfriends, to cruising anywhere for $25 a day under the family discount when my sister and BIL worked for NCL, to having comped suites and Haven offers provided by the casino.

 

I have NEVER had anything less than a wonderful time on a cruise! (even the ones where I dropped thousands in the casino! :eek:)

 

There is nothing to compare to being on the open ocean, having a beautiful floating hotel take me to faraway places and sharing that experience with strangers from all over the world that in short time become friends. I am grateful for every moment on every cruise because I know I am blessed to have the chance to experience something others may only be able to dream about. I don't fret about tipping or no Coke Zero or even the weather. I love the entire experience and I look for all the good there is to see - and there is lots!

 

So while cruising in an inside cabin with 3 other girls is a "different" experience than cruising in a Haven penthouse, I have wonderful memories of great times no matter how much I spent - and you will, too! :)

 

Bon voyage! :)

 

 

Nice comments.

 

Can I just say looking at the number of cruises you have coming up in 2017, you are an example of the cruisers I am very envious of but good for you - no doubt you have earned them and deserve them. :)

[pcakes122]

Can I just say looking at the number of cruises you have coming up in 2017, you are an example of the cruisers I am very envious of but good for you - no doubt you have earned them and deserve them. :)

I earned them the hard way LOL Let's just say I'm a "big loser" and leave it at that! ;)

[Barb Nahoumi]

Maybe those who do a few cruises a year are retired. DH and I are retired but can only afford 1 cruise per year.

 

We've done the same thing, cruising in OVs------I can't do the insides because of my need to see outside. I was lucky enough to be upgraded to an Owners suite once. Now we usually cruise in balcony cabins, eat in the MDRs, and limit spending to some excursions. We don't have to spend all outdoors to enjoy our cruises.

[xriva]

You get out of a cruise what you expect, I think. The posts here that distress me the most are the people who already know they're not going to enjoy the voyage before they've boarded.

 

You could try my wife's affordability strategy: we have been in the Haven twice - once, by the grace of the Upsell Fairy (on a Transatlantic) and once on purpose (with my Mom in tow.) Once you do that, pretty much any balcony looks reasonable!

 

We have forsaken all other vacations, save cruising. It's what we do. Before our first cruise, we would go visit my in-laws (ugh), or spend a week somewhere in the US, or go to London for a vacation. Now, we cruise.

 

We do eat in the specialties, my wife does the occasional spa treatment (I have my one spa shave per trip), but we could skip them, if needed. We just choose not to do so.

 

You learn to cut corners where you can. For us, we do what we can to lower the airfares, we don't add extra days in port (it's usually Miami, ugh), and we prepay as much as possible, so it's paid over time. We book and take the dining package as a perk, because we'd pay for it anyway. We use our Platinum dinner in Le Bistro.

 

It's still not cheap, but it's affordable. For us.

 

So, enjoy your first proper cruise. Then, see if it isn't the vacation you've always wanted to take.

 

 

 

 

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[Quilting_Cruiser]

For me, it's a matter of priorities. I don't go out to eat or to the movies a lot at home (get my solace and entertainment from quilting :o). All my kids are adults now and I'm single, so I have to support only myself. I don't live in a huge house or have a housekeeper. I'd rather cruise! All my bonuses from my job go directly toward cruising. I take as many as I can based on the size of my bonuses and how much time I have off. I get to fit in the next one because I changed jobs at work, and my new manager doesn't have an issue with my taking a week in Sept when it's a little slower, so I booked a cruise! Since I already spent 5 days in Barcelona followed by a 10-night cruise in March, this one is only five days and much closer to home so easier on the budget. I don't spend much on board--spa pass is usually my highest priority. :D Cruising is important to me so much of my discretionary funds go to cruising.

[ExpatBride]

I think people either love the Epic or hate it, I hope you love it!

[Clancampbell]

You get out of a cruise what you expect, I think. The posts here that distress me the most are the people who already know they're not going to enjoy the voyage before they've boarded.

 

Please don't get me wrong; we are both so excited and like I said in my opening post am sure we will have a ball. We have been on a 2 night taster cruise with P+O Oceana and think we have caught the bug.

 

God willing, one day our list of past cruises will be just as long as some of you guys'. :)

[Quilting_Cruiser]

I think people either love the Epic or hate it, I hope you love it!

 

That does seem to be the case. I booked the Epic and was concerned I wouldn't like her--my first mega ship. But, I had such a great time and loved the ship. I'll be on her again in a year. I would have liked the experience even more if views of the sea were easier to find and if they had studios with balconies! :D

[ollienbertsmum]

Good evening all.

 

Some of you will know that me and my DW are due to embark on our first "proper" cruise on the Epic in September. Obviously due to our lack of experience our knowledge of cruising is somewhat limited but I am finding that you guys are a wealth of knowledge and have helped no end with our preparations and I thank each and every one of you.

 

While I am very grateful, I am also very envious of you frequent cruisers; when I look at the number of cruises some of you have been on and are due to go on it makes wonder how you both get the time and how you can afford it. My annual works bonus has paid for our cruise and in the meantime we are saving like crazy to have enough funds to be able to get the most out of our time on the Epic. We will limit our excursions to probably two and at the other ports just wander around town. We will eat at the MDR and perhaps treat ourselves to one of the speciality restaurants throughout the week. Fortunately we have the UBP as part of our deal so thumbs up to that.

 

I am pretty sure that despite our limited resources we will have a ball but do you think that the experience will not be as grand as it could have been if money was no object?

 

Thanks in advance for your comments.

 

Nigel

 

Hi Nigel

 

I have been on a few cruises in recent years - but only because I book in the cheaper rooms and do mainly DIY trips from the ports (I will allow myself one cruise line tour per cruise). We only eat in the main dining rooms and we drink moderately. I always have a great time on my cruises - and feel that it works out about the same as a land based holiday.

 

I suspect that the people who have very many cruises under their belts may live fairly near cruise ports so that they can take short trips. We get lots of cruise ships stopping in Gibraltar but unfortunately we are not able to jump on them and thus reduce the travel costs to port (apart from the one time that the Ventura allowed passengers to travel from Gib to UK when the airports were closed due to the volcano in Iceland. Eldest daughter returned to university after the Easter vacation without having to worry about excess baggage).

 

Have a great cruise. I am sure it wont be your last.

[Cruzncutie]

Your experience will be grand as long as you keep in mind that it has nothing to do with how much money you're spending, or not spending for that matter. The Epic is an amazing ship with tons of quality free entertainment. You are going on at least two excursions and eating at a specialty restaurant [emoji4]. I dare say that there will be hundreds of people on that sailing who won't be doing any of that. Trust me, they'll being having a ball!! Heck, the UBP is a party within itself [emoji13]. Like what's been stated before, we save with cruising in mind. I start saving for extra on board expenses soon after I book. I usually over budget to account for miscellaneous expenses on the ship. It's cheaper for us to fly to Ft. Lauderdale instead Miami. I typically cruise with my mother, sister, and my adult daughter. We prefer Haven suites so we save money by only booking during a family and friends sail free promo. I earn approx 4 weeks vacation time each year and we all can get off work pretty easily. Enjoy your first "proper" cruise! Hey, I'm envious of you because you'll be on The Epic! She was my first mega ship [emoji2]

 

 

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[Son of a son of a ...]

We spend $$ like a drunken sailor on shore leave.

[chesapeake2atlantic]

Your experience will be grand as long as you keep in mind that it has nothing to do with how much money you're spending, or not spending for that matter. [emoji2]

 

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I agree with this. If you are full of gratitude for the countless wonders of cruising, if you can greet occasional uncertainty with a welcoming smile, if you can see the sunny side of things when your adventure goes slightly askew, and if you do not have outsize expectations or demand perfection at every turn, you should have a great time on any cruise.

 

Remember this: The moment you board a cruise ship, you rank among the world's "one percent" and are enjoying luxuries that the teeming billions will never experience.

[perkydebrajean]

I spent years dreaming of cruising but my life just didn't work out to where I was able to. I stepped on my first cruise ship on my 51st birthday 4 years ago. Took me another 2 years to finally talk my husband into going on one. He was 59 on his first. We don't live near a port and due to his work schedule we aren't able to vacation very often. We were in a haven suite 2 years ago but saved up for almost 2 years to afford that cabin.

 

Have a wonderful cruise and may this be the first of many for you!

[Two Wheels Only]

I neither smoke nor gamble. A few months ago, I posted that if a person gave up smoking for a year, the savings would pay for a week in the Haven or about 2 weeks in a balcony.

 

I know people (family/in-laws) who claim that they "can't afford" to go on a cruise with us but their weekly cigarette/lotto/beer budget could put them on 3 cruises a year....

 

 

.....more available staterooms for us.:D

[Jana60]

Good evening all.

 

Some of you will know that me and my DW are due to embark on our first "proper" cruise on the Epic in September. Obviously due to our lack of experience our knowledge of cruising is somewhat limited but I am finding that you guys are a wealth of knowledge and have helped no end with our preparations and I thank each and every one of you.

 

While I am very grateful, I am also very envious of you frequent cruisers; when I look at the number of cruises some of you have been on and are due to go on it makes wonder how you both get the time and how you can afford it. My annual works bonus has paid for our cruise and in the meantime we are saving like crazy to have enough funds to be able to get the most out of our time on the Epic. We will limit our excursions to probably two and at the other ports just wander around town. We will eat at the MDR and perhaps treat ourselves to one of the speciality restaurants throughout the week. Fortunately we have the UBP as part of our deal so thumbs up to that.

 

I am pretty sure that despite our limited resources we will have a ball but do you think that the experience will not be as grand as it could have been if money was no object?

 

Thanks in advance for your comments.

 

Nigel

 

I've been on 34 past cruises but indeed most of my cruises were very inexpensive. I probably spent less than you do on a camping trip for most of them. I admit I have been blessed to be able to cruise more frequently these days however I achieved this by spending every penny on my education until age 30 and then working 24/7 for many years after that. I didn't get my first color tv until 1991! Indeed other than continuing education I did not have a vacation of any kind until I was 38 years old. I'm sure you would find that most of the people that you have been envious of to some degree or another achieved their current lifestyle through deferring gratification earlier in their lives.

[got4boys]

Good evening all.

 

Some of you will know that me and my DW are due to embark on our first "proper" cruise on the Epic in September. Obviously due to our lack of experience our knowledge of cruising is somewhat limited but I am finding that you guys are a wealth of knowledge and have helped no end with our preparations and I thank each and every one of you.

 

While I am very grateful, I am also very envious of you frequent cruisers; when I look at the number of cruises some of you have been on and are due to go on it makes wonder how you both get the time and how you can afford it. My annual works bonus has paid for our cruise and in the meantime we are saving like crazy to have enough funds to be able to get the most out of our time on the Epic. We will limit our excursions to probably two and at the other ports just wander around town. We will eat at the MDR and perhaps treat ourselves to one of the speciality restaurants throughout the week. Fortunately we have the UBP as part of our deal so thumbs up to that.

 

I am pretty sure that despite our limited resources we will have a ball but do you think that the experience will not be as grand as it could have been if money was no object?

 

Thanks in advance for your comments.

 

Nigel

 

 

Nigel:

 

I too have cruise envy of all the cruisers. We always somehow to make vacations work in our family. We too have limited funds.

 

I learned a lot about cruising on the boards, ins and outs. We wait for specials and then book and rebook, when it goes lower.

 

We look at the excursions and find the least expensive way to do them. When I went to Alaska, we rented a car at Skagway ($125) versus going the train ($200 per person). The car followed almost the same path as the train and we took our time. With the car, we found the gem of Skagway, which is the old settlement.

 

We do not pay for speciality dining and eat in the areas that are included as part of the price. NCL will be different for us, as we saved a lot for this family cruise and learning the ways to save money. Even with the new water policy (I am a bottled water drinker - one of my splurges at home - $2.99 for a 24 Kroger pack), I will not pay the $59.99 plus 18% gratuities and service charges. I did not realized until recently that bottle water and coffee was NOT included in the UBP. (It is in Celebrity's) To make it work, I will be ordering my instant coffee for my room (Nescafe 3 in 1) and take a Sawyer water filtration system ($20) to save on costs.

 

I do love the fact that I do NOT have to cook and clean as someone else does that for me. With my 4 boys, we rarely eat out. Our treats are Pizza Hut, Chick Fila, and Chiptole.

Edited August 1, 2016 by got4boys

[txagfan]

Coffee is included, just not special coffees. Just to eliminate confusion.

 

 

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[mitsugirly]

Good evening all.

 

Some of you will know that me and my DW are due to embark on our first "proper" cruise on the Epic in September. Obviously due to our lack of experience our knowledge of cruising is somewhat limited but I am finding that you guys are a wealth of knowledge and have helped no end with our preparations and I thank each and every one of you.

 

While I am very grateful, I am also very envious of you frequent cruisers; when I look at the number of cruises some of you have been on and are due to go on it makes wonder how you both get the time and how you can afford it. My annual works bonus has paid for our cruise and in the meantime we are saving like crazy to have enough funds to be able to get the most out of our time on the Epic. We will limit our excursions to probably two and at the other ports just wander around town. We will eat at the MDR and perhaps treat ourselves to one of the speciality restaurants throughout the week. Fortunately we have the UBP as part of our deal so thumbs up to that.

 

I am pretty sure that despite our limited resources we will have a ball but do you think that the experience will not be as grand as it could have been if money was no object?

 

Thanks in advance for your comments.

 

Nigel

 

 

Congrats on your first cruise. I hope you love it and have a blast. I cruised once in the 80's and loved it. Then didn't cruise again until the 90's. Then didn't start cruising "regularly" until 2010 and it was the Epic that we cruised when she first came out. WOW! Cruising had changed so much and I was totally hooked! We have increased our 1 yearly cruises to about 4 now and I think I have an addiction. :D It was the Epic that changed everything for me and hopefully she'll do the same for you. I have NEVER went on the same ship twice (I like to experience them all) BUT, we will be on the Epic for the second time in November this year and hoping to relive the wonderful experience we had on her 6 years ago that started our cruising love. :)

[babs135]

Good evening all.

 

Some of you will know that me and my DW are due to embark on our first "proper" cruise on the Epic in September. Obviously due to our lack of experience our knowledge of cruising is somewhat limited but I am finding that you guys are a wealth of knowledge and have helped no end with our preparations and I thank each and every one of you.

 

While I am very grateful, I am also very envious of you frequent cruisers; when I look at the number of cruises some of you have been on and are due to go on it makes wonder how you both get the time and how you can afford it. My annual works bonus has paid for our cruise and in the meantime we are saving like crazy to have enough funds to be able to get the most out of our time on the Epic. We will limit our excursions to probably two and at the other ports just wander around town. We will eat at the MDR and perhaps treat ourselves to one of the speciality restaurants throughout the week. Fortunately we have the UBP as part of our deal so thumbs up to that.

 

I am pretty sure that despite our limited resources we will have a ball but do you think that the experience will not be as grand as it could have been if money was no object?

 

Thanks in advance for your comments.

 

Nigel

 

A cruise is what you make of it. Our compromise has always been to book an inside cabin, after all you only sleep in it. The only time we booked an oceanview was the cruise to Alaska as we didn't want to miss any of the scenery, even whilst we were getting dressed.

 

Regarding costs, one of our best trips was a southern transatlantic 13 nights voyage with Celebrity. But when we got the ship account on the last night we nearly fainted - we'd spent less than £100! Perhaps it makes a difference if you are not big drinkers. We do like a drink, but not to excess, although as we have the UBP on our upcoming trip I will make every use of it and some :eek::D

 

We researched the ports and decided that none of the ship's excursions appealed to us so we simply 'did our own thing'. If you are brave enough and AWARE of what time you have to be back on board you can do lots at half the cost of the ship.

 

When we visited Nagasaki (I'm not trying to show off by mentioning exotic places) we did exactly the same as the ship's excursion by ourselves and it cost us about a dollar to get a tram to the Peace Park and Museum, etc and we then walked back to the ship, stopping only for something to eat. I suspect those on the official excursion paid a lot more :D The other advantage, of course, was that we had time to look at things at our own pace.

 

Cruising Envy: Hell, I still get it. Do bear in mind though that Americans can cancel and rebook without loss of deposit until final balance is due so they can often benefit from price drops (sometimes quite substantial). Here in the UK, once you've paid the deposit that is it (rare occasions arise when you can change bookings, but don't expect it)

[Warm Breezes]

It's all in your priorities. We started before we even got married by waiting 3 1/2 years until I got my BSBA (which I got mostly through scholarships and grants due to my grades. My parents didn't pay a dime, nor could they afford to) and then waiting 5 more years after we were married to have kids so I could get my MBA and get a good start on my career and our savings. We have made vacations (any kind) a priority for our family since our honeymoon since DH and I love to travel together. Most of our vacations have been paid for by my year-end bonuses, especially in later years where my bonuses have been enough to pay for a couple larger vacations a year.

 

We did make sacrifices when were a younger family with 2 small kids. We didn't try to keep up with the Jones. If we bought a new car we kept it for 10+ years, otherwise if we found a deal on a good used car we kept that for 5+ years. We didn't keep up with the latest technology. We always waited a couple years and purchased when the prices went down significantly. DH and I still have Trac phones that we have been using since they first came out. We don't need the latest in smart phone technology. We have lived in the same house for 26 years, doubling the size after 7 years by adding on and doing 95% of the work ourselves (including drawing up the blue prints) just in time for our 2nd child to be born. When we were younger we didn't go out much and spent most of our extra time and money on the kids with sports and dance. Something that was also a priority for us. We always made sure to put away money for our daily living (mortgage, food, clothing, etc), retirement, the kid's college, and have a rainy day fund first. Then came sports/dance and vacations. Somehow we always managed to get at least 1 week long + with the kids and a long adult weekend with as many long family weekend trips as we could afford and could fit in time wise.

 

Money is not so tight anymore. My oldest is now 22 and just moved out on his own with his first post college job working in his degree field of Journalism. He lived at home during his college years to save money and we paid his tuition. He is starting his career debt free. Our youngest is 19 and will be starting her Sophomore year in college, living at home to save money so we are paying for her tuition as well (from that money we made a priority to set aside every year in a 529 Plan). She will also start her career debt free. DH and I have decided that will retire in 5-6 years (at 55-56). The money we have saved outside of our 401k's and IRA's and my Pension, along with the investment we made in our home when we sell it, and DH's Pension that starts at 55 (he has worked at the same place since he was 18) we should have more than enough to support us and the traveling we hope to do in retirement until we are old enough to pull from the other sources.

 

In the early years of our cruising it was inside rooms with the 4 of us in one room (we did get upgraded to OV a couple times), our 1st two cruises on Disney we went on with friends who planned it all. Those were a couple of major vacations for us that we saved a while to do, but I quickly learned when I started planning our own that cruising could be done much cheaper and still be enjoyed. We did splurge at some ports on excursions and at others we didn't. We never had very high on-board accounts, a couple pictures and a handful of drinks, and a couple souvenirs, and our gratuities. We always had so much fun that cruising became one of our favorite types of family and later couples vacations.

 

This year in May we went on one last family cruise before DS moved out last month and DH & I will be going on another in October for our anniversary. We don't book 4 in a room anymore. Our last cruise was 1 balcony for us and an inside for the kids. Our normal is now a balcony for us because we can afford it and we barely buy anything on board anymore just a handful of drinks. Next year we are planning a family land vacation in May and a couples cruise is booked for September. The last few years it has been 1 -2 cruises per year. Post retirement we are planning on increasing that along with more land vacations as we plan on purchasing a motorhome and a small home in Florida with a portion of the proceeds from the sale of our home. I'm hoping in 10 years you will see us as one of those folks with 40+ cruises under our belt. We are at 14 right now with 15 coming up soon:D.

 

FWIW when we sailed Epic in 2011 it was in 2 inside rooms. We purchased 2 pictures,3-4 drinks and paid for the Cirque Show and dinner. No other Specialty restaurants. No Soda program (kids don't drink pop-their choice), no drink program, a couple souvenirs (DS collects the ship models and a couple T-Shirts). In St. Martin we did Bernards Tours (very inexpensive) and in St. Thomas Air Force One Tours with Papa Bear (very inexpensive) and in Nassau we stayed on the ship and enjoyed having it mostly to ourselves. DH thought the ship was too big but otherwise we enjoyed it very much.

Edited August 1, 2016 by Warm Breezes

[riddle]

I cruise a lot, much more since I retired. This is my main entertainment. I don't like movies, we don't eat out a lot, we buy much fewer clothes since we retired. DH has his hobbies, does not like to cruise much.

 

My one downfall is my love of the casino. I have won some nice jackpots that I put away for cruising and anything significant I win goes back in. It doesn't cover everything but does cover a lot.

 

My cruises are comped by CAS so it would be a lot harder to cruise if I did not have that. CAS will give me an inside or oceanview even if I am by myself and I just pay port and taxes (about $300 for a 7 day cruise). I shop around for airfare.

 

We charge all our purchases and pay our bills off at the end of the month. That allows me to get most of my airfare (we do not live near a port) free and I also shop the discount airlines.

 

I just decided I am not getting any younger and I intend to enjoy life. I do have some mobility issues so unfortunately I cannot do all the active water things I love but that is just life.

 

We are far from rich, live in a smaller house and keep our cars a long time. DH does most of our maintenance around the house and we try to keep our food expenses down.

 

Do what you can safely afford and just enjoy.