A nostalgic look back

[Pilot70D]

We currently are getting the first floor of our home remodeled/refurbished/repaired. Pursuant to this we had to pack everything down there for storage in a POD while the work is going on. This caused us to go through all of the old paperwork that somehow gets squirreled away and then forgotten.

I was going through a drawer with lots of old stuff when I came across the invoices for our 2004 cruise on the Volendam and another one for our 2005 cruise aboard the Veendam so I thought I would share what the cost of cruising was back then.

For the 2004 cruise we had a Category B cabin for this 10 day cruise. The total for the two of us including cruise fare, port taxes and trip insurance was.... are you ready? Drumroll..... $3,005.22.

For the 2005 cruise we also had a Category B cabin. Bear in mind that this was a 14 day cruise. OK, our total for the two of us including cruise fare, port taxes and trip insurance was $3,661.64.

My, how times have changed but it was fun to look back at these two fun cruises.

Everybody have a great day out there.

:D

Edited December 4, 2017 by Pilot70D

[Keith1010]

Thanks for sharing this.

 

From time to time I will look back at what we paid for cruises dating back to our first one with our family in the early 1990's.

 

It's fun to take that trip down memory lane.

 

Keith

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks for sharing.

When we major damage done to our house in 2010 from a winter snow storm, I had to throw out some stuff. I went through several boxes and saw the price of one our cruises -- 1988 -- 14 days on the Cunard Countess -- don't remember cabin category. Besides port taxes and fees and insurance we also had to buy plane fare as our cruise was round trip from San Juan. Total price for everything was around $8000.

[debcruising]

It is fun to look back and our cruises. The $3662 2006 cruise is worth $4,480.56 in today's money.

 

What I sometimes marvel at are the vintage HAL Brochures on eBay. Recently, I saw a 1955 13-day Ryndam South America - West indies Tourist Class Interior rates which started at $245. Today, that's less than the cost of a fine dining experience for some people. But $245 in 1955 is $2,254.94 in today’s money – a whopping 820% rate of inflation. I'm not even going to speculate on what the Port Taxes & Insurance is added on to that. Ooh, did I just depress myself? I think I did. Happy Travels.

[caladezi]

Yes it's fun to look back at the old prices. Don't forget to also look back at the old paycheck stubs. Back in 1955 10-15 grand a year was really good money.

[cruisemom42]

While prices today for cruises are lower (or not much higher) than from years ago, I'm also pretty sure that the product one got for those dollars was also of more value than what one is getting today.

[Hflors]

Our first cruise was not on HAL, but RCCL. Total cost: $2,500.00. It was the week before Christmas it was a category D which was an oceanview cabin. I don't think we had ins, but that did include our airfare from BWI to Miami with transfers. After that cruise I was hooked!

 

We didn't do a hal cruise for many years. We had one booked, but the people on our roll call put me down so badly that I finally cancelled the cruise. I was so intimidated. Now I would just blow off anyone who made fun of me. Anyway we finally did make the jump to HAL when my sis and bil asked us to join them on a cruise. We are now 4 star mariners!

[DeepWaterMariner]

Oh, the memories. I met my wife on a cruise in 1969 and we cruised almost yearly until it became more than once a year. At the beginning they were all 7 day cruises on a variety of cruise lines including HAL and we always booked inside cabins due to our budget. The first cruise we booked after we got married was a 6 day cruise on the old Rotterdam for $390 total for the both of us. That was in 1971. It was several years before we had to budget more than $500 for that 7 day annual cruise. I have a drink menu from the North German Lloyd cruise on which I met my wife...no drinks over a buck!

[kenevenpar]

I remember sending an email to a regular here about a 2008 sailing in a Deluxe Verandah Suite, now a Neptune for just over a $1,000. Unfortunately, neither of us could use the offer.