Cruising envy

[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.

 

Another thing to add to this is that I use my Credit Card for all of our purchases, including things like college tuition, cruises, plane tickets, furniture, groceries, gas, etc. I have a credit card that awards me 1% when I purchase and 1% when I pay. We always make sure to pay in full every month. We cash out these points right before we cruise. We usually take $100 cash per day with us to pay for port souvenirs, tips, taxis, etc. The cash we get from the points usually makes up more than half of that cash. When we come home I usually have over of that cash left (I'd rather have it if I need it then be caught short) so it goes back into the bank to payoff our On-board account that I put on my credit card to get the points of course. We have been doing this years. If you are able to control your spending on credit cards this is a great way to earn your spending dollars for free. We had over $600 from points on our cruise in May. I will have close to $500 earned again for our cruise in October. That's over $1000 in free money.

[Oppalopa]

I have to usually pay double due to the single supplement which I hate. I love cruising 1 drink per cruise 2 photos and I am all set. Usually stay on ship or walk around the port. There are lot to do on Norwegian. I have a blast.

[nets33]

Here's how DH and I manage our vacation budget to allow us to cruise/vacation often:

 

- We have a separate vacation account and have our paychecks deposit a specific amount of money per paycheck there. I can transfer money into my checking to pay off vacation charges but I have no ATM or Debit card associated with this account. If you put $25 or $50 per paycheck that money will add up fast.

- Any tax refund we get also goes into our vacation fund

- We use a Delta Amex card for all vacation spending to get us miles for free flights

- Book EARLY to get the best rates and check back often in case rates go down.

 

Enjoy the Epic. I did a solo cruise on her and lover her. :)

Edited August 1, 2016 by nets33

[AquaMarineFerret]

I must admit that I have also looked at the lists of cruises that CC members have been on, or are going on, with a small (liar!) degree of envy. In fairness, my perception has always been that this is a wealthy person's holiday, and I am sure that all the perceived glamour that surrounds cruise holidays may have reinforced this belief, even if it isn't entirely true? That said, looking at the cost of anything not actually already included in the price of your cruise, certainly makes make wonder if I am closer to the truth after all. :p

 

Be that as it may, my wife and I have long held the belief that cruise holidays aren't really 'our thing', principally because we thought that we didn't fancy being stuck on a giant floating hotel all day long. Admittedly a rather narrow-minded approach, particularly as we are both already well aware of cruises that call into a new port almost every day! However, these are the 'little lies' we tell ourselves and one another to justify not adding one more complication to our holidaying. My wife works in education. That means every holiday we take is bound to be more expensive than those taken by those not tied down by that sector (one way or another) and so by extension, the idea of taking a cruise was obviously going to be out of the question: we'd be paying silly money. Besides, we have a range of perfectly good destinations to choose from already.

 

Well, this year happens to be the year when we lose our cruising virginity. :o The seeds were sown by too much listening to Classic FM (they have entirely too many adverts for cruises by P&O, Viking, etc!) and also a chance email from our holiday club (yes, a thorny subject in and of itself!) Suddenly, the chance to take a cruise up the Alaskan coast from Vancouver was ours and it wouldn't cost a penny! Well, that's the theory. True, there was the cost of flights and other related incidentals, but this was too much of a chance to pass up! An Alaskan cruise - wow! I never thought I would be considering such a thing! True, we are booked into an inside cabin (but as someone else says: you sleep in that!)

 

So, for the 'price' of a chunk of our annual points, we ended up reserving not one, but two weeks aboard the NCL Sun, up and down the Alaskan coast. It turned out to be better value to do this than a one-way voyage, either to or from Seward/Anchorage. Maybe, just maybe, I should have looked in more detail at the associated costs of the cruise before I decided this! :o

 

We have a holiday fund we both pay into monthly. This is financing the cruise expenditure. It has covered the flights and it has covered the excursions. We are lucky to have a wad of Canadian dollars left over from a previous holiday there a few years back (we ended up paying for most things by card and never changed the cash back afterward) which will cover Vancouver. What our holiday fund will not be able to cover is the luxury of alcohol and other extras that are effectively the icing on the cake. Neither will we be able to afford the temptation of an improved cabin. We have to cut our cloth according to what we can reasonably and sensibly afford over and above the fund we built up since our last holiday.

 

And that's where the real cruise envy kicks in: we are going to get a taste of the cruising life, but we will do so in the company of those who were lucky enough to get the UBP thrown in with their purchase, or those who have balconies, suites and the like, and those who, let's face it, can afford to splash out on a whole range of expensive delights (such as those marvellous top dollar excursions) possibly without giving it serious thought. Yes, I envy them! :D

 

However, don't get me wrong: my wife and I are looking forward to this experience tremendously. We will try to be realistic and sensible and we will enjoy the scenery and the modest shore experiences because those are why we opted for the cruise. I imagine that we might get a little carried away and spend a little(?) too much on that over-priced booze, but hey! I'm looking into cost effective wine consumption and we're on our first cruise and we don't have to dress up in dinner suits to enjoy it! :)

 

I suspect that most experience cruise envy on some level, whether they care to admit it or not: there's always someone who seems to be enjoying a better package or recounts "ah, you should have been on the Good Ship Blah when..."

 

Seize the day and enjoy every day, be it on the Epic, the Sun or whatever. It might be a one-off holiday of a lifetime or the start of a cruising romance; you may only cruise one year in three - who knows? And, if you're experiencing your cruise on a budget and envying those in the swanky suites sipping their champagne and cocktails, take a look around you because you won't be alone! (Mind you, considering my wife's propensity to make friends, my abiding fear is that we 'fall in' with someone who is fortunate enough to enjoy those better things aboard and then where does that leave us? :eek:)

[Warm Breezes]

I must admit that I have also looked at the lists of cruises that CC members have been on, or are going on, with a small (liar!) degree of envy. In fairness, my perception has always been that this is a wealthy person's holiday, and I am sure that all the perceived glamour that surrounds cruise holidays may have reinforced this belief, even if it isn't entirely true? That said, looking at the cost of anything not actually already included in the price of your cruise, certainly makes make wonder if I am closer to the truth after all. :p

 

Be that as it may, my wife and I have long held the belief that cruise holidays aren't really 'our thing', principally because we thought that we didn't fancy being stuck on a giant floating hotel all day long. Admittedly a rather narrow-minded approach, particularly as we are both already well aware of cruises that call into a new port almost every day! However, these are the 'little lies' we tell ourselves and one another to justify not adding one more complication to our holidaying. My wife works in education. That means every holiday we take is bound to be more expensive than those taken by those not tied down by that sector (one way or another) and so by extension, the idea of taking a cruise was obviously going to be out of the question: we'd be paying silly money. Besides, we have a range of perfectly good destinations to choose from already.

 

Well, this year happens to be the year when we lose our cruising virginity. :o The seeds were sown by too much listening to Classic FM (they have entirely too many adverts for cruises by P&O, Viking, etc!) and also a chance email from our holiday club (yes, a thorny subject in and of itself!) Suddenly, the chance to take a cruise up the Alaskan coast from Vancouver was ours and it wouldn't cost a penny! Well, that's the theory. True, there was the cost of flights and other related incidentals, but this was too much of a chance to pass up! An Alaskan cruise - wow! I never thought I would be considering such a thing! True, we are booked into an inside cabin (but as someone else says: you sleep in that!)

 

So, for the 'price' of a chunk of our annual points, we ended up reserving not one, but two weeks aboard the NCL Sun, up and down the Alaskan coast. It turned out to be better value to do this than a one-way voyage, either to or from Seward/Anchorage. Maybe, just maybe, I should have looked in more detail at the associated costs of the cruise before I decided this! :o

 

We have a holiday fund we both pay into monthly. This is financing the cruise expenditure. It has covered the flights and it has covered the excursions. We are lucky to have a wad of Canadian dollars left over from a previous holiday there a few years back (we ended up paying for most things by card and never changed the cash back afterward) which will cover Vancouver. What our holiday fund will not be able to cover is the luxury of alcohol and other extras that are effectively the icing on the cake. Neither will we be able to afford the temptation of an improved cabin. We have to cut our cloth according to what we can reasonably and sensibly afford over and above the fund we built up since our last holiday.

 

And that's where the real cruise envy kicks in: we are going to get a taste of the cruising life, but we will do so in the company of those who were lucky enough to get the UBP thrown in with their purchase, or those who have balconies, suites and the like, and those who, let's face it, can afford to splash out on a whole range of expensive delights (such as those marvellous top dollar excursions) possibly without giving it serious thought. Yes, I envy them! :D

 

However, don't get me wrong: my wife and I are looking forward to this experience tremendously. We will try to be realistic and sensible and we will enjoy the scenery and the modest shore experiences because those are why we opted for the cruise. I imagine that we might get a little carried away and spend a little(?) too much on that over-priced booze, but hey! I'm looking into cost effective wine consumption and we're on our first cruise and we don't have to dress up in dinner suits to enjoy it! :)

 

I suspect that most experience cruise envy on some level, whether they care to admit it or not: there's always someone who seems to be enjoying a better package or recounts "ah, you should have been on the Good Ship Blah when..."

 

Seize the day and enjoy every day, be it on the Epic, the Sun or whatever. It might be a one-off holiday of a lifetime or the start of a cruising romance; you may only cruise one year in three - who knows? And, if you're experiencing your cruise on a budget and envying those in the swanky suites sipping their champagne and cocktails, take a look around you because you won't be alone! (Mind you, considering my wife's propensity to make friends, my abiding fear is that we 'fall in' with someone who is fortunate enough to enjoy those better things aboard and then where does that leave us? :eek:)

 

Please come back and post a review after your cruise. I have a feeling it would make for a very enjoyable read. Very good writing (coming from a Journalist's Mom who has spent hours proof reading articles while DS was in college).

[Budget Queen]

I am a frequent cruiser, at last 6 per year. I rarely go out of NY, which is my "home port" and infrequently head to Florida. I have been cruising over 30 years, now 113 cruises.

 

I didn't "wait" until I retired, I've always traveled, was fortunate with a good paying job, with at least 8 paid weeks off per year. (swapping privileges, for any other time I wanted).

 

A significant perk, I have always had is nonrev flight benefits. Makes the world small when you don't pay for air.

 

I travel rock bottom budget, rarely take cabs and opt instead for buss, subways etc. I'm skilled and confident with getting around on my own. I pack light. I'm happy with a box of cereal and sandwiches. :) I always book the cheapest cabins on cruises that I can get, rarely is the account more than just the gratuities. I do NOT skimp on what I want to do, enjoy my touring at destinations, so on cruises, I'm not happy with doing nothing. I do a good mix, and greatly enjoy walking tours, which are in a lot of areas, but if there is a "tour", I want, I go. I do, search for discounts etc. I stay in modest lodging, Days Inn, Super 8 etc type.

 

I'm flexible and not always narrow in my destination choices. I take advantage of late booking price dumps and can make decisions and plans quickly. The destinations do HAVE to have benefit for my touring, I don't cruise just to cruise. eg, I'm able to late book some NYC sailing, which would have to be given away due to what I consider a crappy itinerary, for example on the Gem. The ship means nothing to me, only meals lodging and transportation for where it takes me.

 

The free airfare makes all the difference in my case, I know that, and my simple traveling style. Everyone has to find their own way, I read some who the cruise is what they go for, really enjoy the suites etc and may not cruise often. Works for THEIR preferences. I do find it alarming about envy, so sorry this is felt.

[AquaMarineFerret]

Please come back and post a review after your cruise. I have a feeling it would make for a very enjoyable read. Very good writing (coming from a Journalist's Mom who has spent hours proof reading articles while DS was in college).

 

Awww, shucks! Thank you! :o

 

I do hope to return (if the bears don't get me!) and post a review. ;)

 

AMF

[AquaMarineFerret]

I am a frequent cruiser, at last 6 per year. I rarely go out of NY, which is my "home port" and infrequently head to Florida. I have been cruising over 30 years, now 113 cruises.

 

I didn't "wait" until I retired, I've always traveled, was fortunate with a good paying job, with at least 8 paid weeks off per year. (swapping privileges, for any other time I wanted).

 

A significant perk, I have always had is nonrev flight benefits. Makes the world small when you don't pay for air.

 

I travel rock bottom budget, rarely take cabs and opt instead for buss, subways etc. I'm skilled and confident with getting around on my own. I pack light. I'm happy with a box of cereal and sandwiches. :) I always book the cheapest cabins on cruises that I can get, rarely is the account more than just the gratuities. I do NOT skimp on what I want to do, enjoy my touring at destinations, so on cruises, I'm not happy with doing nothing. I do a good mix, and greatly enjoy walking tours, which are in a lot of areas, but if there is a "tour", I want, I go. I do, search for discounts etc. I stay in modest lodging, Days Inn, Super 8 etc type.

 

I'm flexible and not always narrow in my destination choices. I take advantage of late booking price dumps and can make decisions and plans quickly. The destinations do HAVE to have benefit for my touring, I don't cruise just to cruise. eg, I'm able to late book some NYC sailing, which would have to be given away due to what I consider a crappy itinerary, for example on the Gem. The ship means nothing to me, only meals lodging and transportation for where it takes me.

 

The free airfare makes all the difference in my case, I know that, and my simple traveling style. Everyone has to find their own way, I read some who the cruise is what they go for, really enjoy the suites etc and may not cruise often. Works for THEIR preferences. I do find it alarming about envy, so sorry this is felt.

 

A great post! I admire your attitude and, of course, I do agree that it is very much "each to his/her own". Each of us is different and should therefore have different ideas of what we want from a cruise. Ours is certainly a means to an end, but we want to enjoy the whole experience. What I particularly like about the Alaskan cruise is that there should always be something to see (apart from sea) when we are up and about. I couldn't face days on end crossing the ocean! Well, that said, perhaps I should think about that old adage: "don't knock it until you've tried it!" However, that would be well down my agenda. :)

 

Carry On Cruising! :D

AMF

[weltek]

We took our first cruise for our honeymoon and then couldn't afford to cruise for MANY years after that. We used to bargain hunt for cruises like crazy. We have flexible jobs and no kids, so it gave us a lot of space to hunt for cheap sailings/cabins. We've had some cruises where we had less than $600 to spend on gratuities/excursions/drinks/food.

 

Not once have I felt like I had a "cheap" experience. I dress up, even if it's just to go to the free main dining room each night. When money has been tight, I've cut back on daytime drinks so I can sit and and savor a few martinis after dinner and I enjoy high quality shows for free rather than paying for any that have a fee. I still get treated like a queen and it feels oh so special.

 

When you see how awesome the suites are, you'll have a little cabin envy. But unless you seek it out, you'd never know those options are there. Well, other than seeing the special line at embarkation for them. :-)

 

Living in the midwest, our cruises always need to factor in flying and a hotel stay. If you live near a port, cruising becomes MUCH cheaper, therefore you tend to see people with multiple cruises per year. Still, sometimes they have to cram a lot of people in a stateroom to afford it. When I first joined CC, I couldn't believe the number of cruises some people had under their belt. But having met a lot of these people, it's opened my eyes to how different each of their circumstances are. You have people whose only hobby is gambling, so they often get comped cruises. You get people who scrimped and saved their whole lives and live near a cruise port so they can hop on a ship frequently...whichever is offering the best deals. And yes, you have some people who make crazy money and choose to spend it cruising frequently. :-)

[KeithJenner]

We spend very little onboard. Before the included UBP, our drinks bill added up, but we don't spend on things like the Spa.

 

We tried a Suite once, and wouldn't do it again unless it was a special occasion. Not even close to being worth the extra in our opinion.

 

The main thing that we save on, which costs some people a lot are costs when in port.

 

We have only ever done a couple of NCL tours, when diy is a problem (ie Casablanca) or if transport isn't easy. However, we also don't do many organised tours outside of NCL. We are far happier going around by ourselves.

 

The only independent tours we have ever had are in Alaska ( bear viewing and whale watching, etc) and our upcoming trip to St Petersburg.

 

I often see people on roll calls who are arranging tours which would cost our family $200 per port, whilst we spend about a quarter of that.

 

We don't actually do it to save money, as we don't really like tours of any description, and I can understand why some people do them, but it does save us a lot of money.

[Starflyr3]

Well, we went for a long time without any vacations. My cruises prior to 2002 were paid for by my parents, as I was still in college or younger. The 2002 cruise was our honeymoon, and the Carnival one was a rock bottom last minute deal when we lived 30 minutes from port.

 

Other than that, our only vacations were visiting (and staying with) relatives and camping (once). In 2015, I think as diagnosed with a chronic, progressive, incurable disease that may affect my ability to go on trips after the kids are grown/retirement, so we made the decision to start taking real trips now instead of putting it off.

 

That being said, I was in school/training until I was 29 (no breaks), and my salary reflects that training. While we are cruising (especially with littles), we will be in Suites as much as possible. Mostly, that is for the Bliss bed, as it lets me actually sleep. We tried a mini suite in 2015, and nobody slept, so we decided not to try that again until the kids are old enough to "only be in the cabin to sleep" and (if im lucky) my disease is in remission. No vacation. Is fun if you can't walk!

 

We take from what we would put into retirement (though we do still save) and try to plan 9-12 months out.

 

We also Dave Ramsey'd ourselves in the late 2000s, so aside from a mortgage, we have no bills.

[GUT2407]

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

 

Nope.

 

My first cruise I left home with about $50 in the bank.

 

Had a fantastic time.

[GUT2407]

Nope.

 

My first cruise I left home with about $50 in the bank.

 

Had a fantastic time.

 

Which lead to an addiction which means I still am lucky to have $50 in the bank.:eek::cool:

[Blondie008]

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

 

Over the years I have lost count of the number of cruises we have had. We work self employed - and other than our holidays, we just don't get time out . we live rurally, so I do think its easier not to be caught up in spontaneous spending. We don't have pubs, clubs, cinemas, fast food outlet or malls - nothing. To go to anything like this means a 200 mile round trip - and we do occasionally take a day out etc - but as a general rule - we spend very little.

 

Years ago we travelled only in suites - and have once treated ourselves to the penthouse suite on RCCL complete with grand piano, balcony hot tub etc etc etc - one of the worst cruises we have ever had :o

Now - we have a few lines we cruise with. Celebrity in Aquaclass when we want to do a bucket list - and Norwegian for Transatlantic trips. We also cruise with Costa on a last minute bargain around the Med. We no longer spend the extra££S on a suite - and we are more than happy with that.

If you enjoy your Sept cruise - and really love the ship as a destination - keep an eye on the bargain Transatlantics. Fly cruises with NCL for we UKers always run cheaper than DIY flights.

Re positioning cruises are always cheaper pppn - that ship has to move, full or empty - and by watching out for the early booking offers - you can save a fortune.

Ships move between the Med/Europe and the Caribbean every April and Oct/November. The Autumn TA is usually a sunbathing cruise - (don't want to jinks it) but hoping for another sunkissed journey this year too.

 

When you are on Epic buy a future cruise deposit - that too saves you a lot on your next deposit.

 

Epic is a fantastic ship - I am already booked to return on her for the TA in November 2017 - (have two other TA cruises before then). The price was gobsmackingly good!

 

AVIOS - have you got a BA Amex card? If not, consider getting one. You will get 10,000 avios for joining. Most of the big supermarkets and petrol stations now take Amex. If you have to spend that £ make it worthwhile. Avios miles I use all the time. 9000 gets you a flight to anywhere in Europe for £35. Start saving those Avios. We in the UK don't get as many as those in the USA but its still worth saving!

 

Lastly, check your bank perks. I bank with RBS - and their royalties travel service offers 10% off ANY deal I can get with NCL (less the tax). SO if my cruise is costing £3000 - it works out at around £2750 or thereabouts. Plus, with your holiday there is free travel insurance + free exec lounge vouchers for the airport.

 

Have a great cruise - but be warned - its a bug that bites :D

[Blondie008]

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

 

I can 100% vouch for that.

When I was on the verge of quitting smoking - my accountant did a search for me. I was in the habit of buying cigarettes from the cash and carry when my driver was picking up goods for our business. On our accounts - this showed as drawings - but my accountant was able to take that further - and show me exactly the amount I spent on cigarettes ONLY in this cash and carry - between September 2010 and September 2011.

Aside from the cigarettes I bought in Europe, supermarkets, petrol stations, local shops etc - in that year, just from the cash and carry, I spent just under £7000 GBP - and that was just me!

My husband started smoking at 46 years old!:eek: When I quit he continued so that caused many a battle - I won in the end :D

We absolutely for sure now cruise twice per year - and still have leftover change from the equal££s spent smoking.

I never miss smoking. I loved quitting! People say its a miserable time - I just woke up every day and thought "OMG I DONT SMOKE!".... with a big smile on my face! And for sure those £££S soon add up!

[PaulaSB12]

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

 

 

 

One thing I didn't think was a good idea on the ship, who on earth decided having a light in the shape of a dog relieving himself was a good idea? I mean there is even a little turd under the dog why?

[ExpatBride]

One thing I didn't think was a good idea on the ship, who on earth decided having a light in the shape of a dog relieving himself was a good idea? I mean there is even a little turd under the dog why?

 

Yeah, that pretty much summed up my experience on the Epic :rolleyes:

[Gwaijai]

it's worth mentioning that some cruises can be heavily discounted and consequently very good value. On Fred Olsen's Far East Explorer last year the return leg from about Thailand to UK was dramatically discounted and considering these things are all-inclusive (except booze of course) probably cheaper than staying at home !!

 

We only seem to go on cruise ship to move house/emigrate ! Great fun though !