Carnival September 2024 financial plans so far

[Stowaway LFC]

This is just my humble experience so far,

I booked this trip in March for September 2024 cruise.  I took the easy save option bc I don’t have that much that I am comfortable forking up at once and I don’t carry balances on my CC’s. I also selected prepaid gratitude and travel insurance. Because you never know….. I might fall out of the plane or something.

 

Originally, I applied for the carnival CC for the statement credit, but it gave me a contact in 7-10 days message (honestly thought I had been vetoed) then I got a later email I had been approved.  So, I don’t think I can use that credit for this cruise, but I may be wrong. Guess I will have to look at that more.

 

First thing I did was research and make a budget for all the expenses I would have with this trip, flights, hotel, Ubers, food prior to the cruise, excursions, on board money, port money etc etc…

 

Then I started looking into how to fund this budget and make my money work for me.

First, I considered that if you get paid every two weeks there are 2 months each year you have 3 pay periods a month. Besides gas, groceries, and daily expenses I will take the amount that is left and put half in my cruise fund and half in savings.  I have done one extra check this way already and I believe I will have three more prior to the cruise.

 

Normally I save back every month for Christmas and Vacation fund along with other things so I’ll have that Vacation fund amount I can add in every month too.  It’s not a huge amount, usually 100 per month, but it adds up over several months.

 

I am a huge fan of rewards CC’s. If you don’t carry a balance, it’s essentially free money.  But that’s the key, DO NOT CARRY A BALANCE, the interest rates suck! And be sure the rewards don’t have an expiration date. Learned that the hard way lol.

I have a 2% cash back on everything I use the most, I grocery shop at Walmart so the Capital 1 Walmart card gives 5% back on all Walmart purchases for the first year. Then for Gas and Amazon purchases I use the Amazon prime CC which gives 5% back.

 

I was researching reward cards and came across the Discover Miles card. I have a regular Discover card, but I rarely use it bc I can never remember to activate those freaking categories lol. But I keep it bc it’s one of my oldest cards.  Now the Discover miles card is only 1.5% back but the great thing is at the end of the first year Discover will match your rewards. So essentially you are getting 3% back on all purchases in that first year.  So that puppy is now my cruise payment card and is gonna get used for everything that isn’t 5% back with another card. Tuesday half off burger night, utilities, hula lessons (LOL) anything and everything else I spend on.  I am hopeful that by the time I get ready to cruise I will have enough to mostly cover the round trip flights and if anything is extra it will go towards paying my cruise off early.  I realize there are better cards out there but I am not a fan of annual fees.

 

For Sail & Sign money, Cheers and excursions I plan to use AARP Carnival cards bc it’s just a no brainer. For misc port money I would rather just carry a bit of cash with me that I will keep locked up in the safe.  I read a tip to cash in whatever funds you have left on the last night of the trip.  I’ll do that and put that towards my next cruise.  I plan to eat on the ship as much as possible bc it’s free unless theres something I just really wanna try in a port.

 

I don’t proclaim to be any kind of financial guru bc Lord knows I am not.  Just a regular barely middle class person who tries to save money wherever she can.  I welcome any advice or recommendations anyone has bc I am always learning!  And if this helps someone else then that was my intention. Knowledge is power!

 

 

[sparks1093]

Sounds like you've thought it out. One observation- you say that you opted for the cruise line insurance. Insurance is a good thing, but you might be able to find a much better plan costing less on a site like www.insuremytrip.com . You should be able to change your insurance election before final payment date. 

[Stowaway LFC]

2 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

Sounds like you've thought it out. One observation- you say that you opted for the cruise line insurance. Insurance is a good thing, but you might be able to find a much better plan costing less on a site like www.insuremytrip.com. You should be able to change your insurance election before final payment date. 

That is excellent advice! I hadn't even thought of that! Thank you so much!

[Stowaway LFC]

Just signed up for AARP (Gulp!) so I can access those carnival gift cards for a discount. While I was roaming around looking lost, I happened across the travel section and noted you can book flights and such there. Cool! So, I checked it out.  I had previously looked at booking Southwest because that's who we usually use. I estimated the flights from DAL to SFO round trip X 2 to be around 900 total.  Using the AARP travel booking thing I found round trips X 2 for around 650 total using Delta to get there and Alaska to get back. 

 

Now Southwest lets you check two bags for free, so I needed to check Delta and Alaska for that.  We plan to check one larger suitcase. Take one smaller bag on board for the overhead bin and carry two backpacks. Delta costs 30 for one, 40 for two and Alaska is 25 per checked bag. So even with having to pay an extra 55 for bag checks its still nearly 200 less than Southwest.  So, I think that's what we will book when the flight schedules allow.

 

You can also book hotels there too!  We planned on the RUI Plaza in SFO since it's near the cruise terminal.  I had originally estimated around 300 total for one night per their website but was looking for a cheaper price before I book that. Going through the AARP travel site it appears I could book one for 165!  Unless I find something way cheaper between now and then that's where I am going to book.

 

Just an FYI for anyone interested in knowing 🙂

 

 

[Stowaway LFC]

Just bought some jackets with multiple pockets so we don't have to worry about carting stuff around. Also, some waterproof cell phone protectors and some gloves in case it gets pretty cold/wet.  With that Tracy arm excusion I noted the waters may be a bit rough, so I wanted to be covered.  Also, some long johns ordered too so we should be set.  Now to get all the excursions I want to show up!

[momof3cruisers]

On 4/11/2023 at 10:30 AM, Stowaway LFC said:

Just signed up for AARP (Gulp!) so I can access those carnival gift cards for a discount. While I was roaming around looking lost, I happened across the travel section and noted you can book flights and such there. Cool! So, I checked it out.  I had previously looked at booking Southwest because that's who we usually use. I estimated the flights from DAL to SFO round trip X 2 to be around 900 total.  Using the AARP travel booking thing I found round trips X 2 for around 650 total using Delta to get there and Alaska to get back. 

 

Now Southwest lets you check two bags for free, so I needed to check Delta and Alaska for that.  We plan to check one larger suitcase. Take one smaller bag on board for the overhead bin and carry two backpacks. Delta costs 30 for one, 40 for two and Alaska is 25 per checked bag. So even with having to pay an extra 55 for bag checks its still nearly 200 less than Southwest.  So, I think that's what we will book when the flight schedules allow.

 

You can also book hotels there too!  We planned on the RUI Plaza in SFO since it's near the cruise terminal.  I had originally estimated around 300 total for one night per their website but was looking for a cheaper price before I book that. Going through the AARP travel site it appears I could book one for 165!  Unless I find something way cheaper between now and then that's where I am going to book.

 

Just an FYI for anyone interested in knowing 🙂

 

 

Do you get better flight prices if you are a member and are logged in? I’m not seeing any difference in prices between AARP and Expedia, but I’m not a member. Thanks. 

[Stowaway LFC]

9 hours ago, momof3cruisers said:

Do you get better flight prices if you are a member and are logged in? I’m not seeing any difference in prices between AARP and Expedia, but I’m not a member. Thanks. 

I was logged in to AARP and searched through the travel link.  The AARP prices were much better than the Southwest prices I usually used.  As were the hotel prices.  Also you have to be a member to get to  those discounted Carnival e cards.  If your traveling Carnival that is. They have other ecards there too.  Hope this helps!

[Stowaway LFC]

BTW, if you sign up for AARP ask about the free multi charger.  I asked and got mine.  It has like 5 USB ports in it.

[Stowaway LFC]

Just checking in......

 

Still in the "working" part of my plan. Saving as planned. Using the miles card for everything I can.  It appears my miles card updates the miles after payments clear which makes sense.  Making good progress there.  I'm using it to pay for everything that it will let me (utilities included) and then paying the balance off every two weeks when I get paid.  Except groceries, I'm better off with my Cap 1 Walmart card with it's 5% on my online pickup orders. Perfect for me bc I hate going to Walmart to shop. And still using my Amazon CC for amazon shopping with it's 5%.  

 

Ok so I fell out on the hotel quote through AARP.  It is significantly higher than 165 for sure.  When I originally looked it must have been a special where that 165 price came in. Through AARP travel and a 20% Memorial Day sale it was around 275 to book for September 2024.  The RUI website lists at 305 a night. But that doesn't include their taxes and "resort fees". Ugggh!  But I went ahead and reserved bc the location is what I wanted.  It's right next to Pier 39 and within walking distance to the cruise terminal.  And I wanted to be certain I would have a reservation secured. I'll keep a look out for cheaper prices between now and then if I find a price drop between then and the check-in date I'll grab it. 

 

Flights I still can't schedule yet because September 2024 dates aren't out yet.  I'll look again around September or so.  Some generic excursions are showing up for my cruise but only one of the ones I wanted so I'll keep waiting for that.  Carnival E cards I will get later after the important stuff is done.

 

My Amazon wish list is long lol. I've already gotten some stuff I wanted and the rest I'll purchase here and there before the trip.  My budget won't take a huge hit doing it that way.

 

I've learned something in this process, I used to think I'd never be able to take big trips like this. But I've learned that if you plan things out way ahead of time you can accomplish alot!  I already have a future goal to plan after I complete savings for this trip. I've got my eye on a British Isles cruise  for 2025 or 2026 !  Goals!

 

 

 

[momof3cruisers]

18 hours ago, Stowaway LFC said:

I was logged in to AARP and searched through the travel link.  The AARP prices were much better than the Southwest prices I usually used.  As were the hotel prices.  Also you have to be a member to get to  those discounted Carnival e cards.  If your traveling Carnival that is. They have other ecards there too.  Hope this helps!

It does, thank you! 

[Mum2Mercury]

On 4/9/2023 at 6:24 PM, Stowaway LFC said:

First thing I did was research and make a budget for all the expenses I would have with this trip, flights, hotel, Ubers, food prior to the cruise, excursions, on board money, port money etc etc

First, you're making lots of good choices here, especially refusing to carry a balance on your credit cards.  You can never "get ahead" if you're still paying for yesterday.  

 

Thoughts: 

- Must you fly to the port?  Driving is almost always cheaper -- though you must include the cost of parking.  I see you're going out of Dallas -- did you consider a cruise that leaves from Galvaston?  

- If you pack light, you might avoid paying for your suitcases to fly.  My husband and I pack one rolling carry-on + a backpack each for a 1-week cruise in the Caribbean.  The backpack does double-duty for island stops, as we're solidly on Team Hands-Free.  

- I think you're on top of this, but are you arriving a day ahead of time?  It's the cheapest "insurance" possible to avoid missing your ship.  I like to make my night-before hotel reservation about 6 months out; if you wait until the last minute, the cheap rooms'll be gone.  We like to stay 30-45 minutes away from the port, as closer rooms tend to be more expensive -- but, again, we have our own car.  The right answer is, Do your math.  

- Definitely pack all the sunscreen, Tylenol, etc. you'll need.  These things are very expensive onboard.  If you can't bring these things on the plane, consider placing an online order to a Walmart or CVS near your night-before hotel.  

- One of our small ways of saving:  We always pack a homemade charcuterie board and a 6-pack (we pack a small cooler) for our night-before hotel.  After a long day's drive, we enjoy laying a towel over the foot of the bed and eating a snacky-dinner while watching TV.  

- Check into what drinks you're allowed to bring onto a Carnival ship.  We're Royal Caribbean sailers, and we're allowed to bring a bottle of wine + 12 non-alcoholic drinks onboard.  That's big savings -- and possible because we're close enough to drive to the port.  

- We usually get a night-before hotel room that includes breakfast.  

- Do you already have your boarding documents?  Passport or birth certificate + government picture ID (if you are an American citizen leaving and returning to an American port).  Don't leave this chore til the very last minute; without appropriate boarding documents, you're not sailing.  

- We spend very little onboard.  We don't buy up-charge food (so much is included at no cost).  We buy a few drinks.  If you want a massage, look for a beach massage on an island stop; it'll cost so much less.  

- Look into private excursions (not the ones offered by the ship) for your island stops.  Do your homework and read reviews.  You'll be in smaller groups, get more attention and more choices; that these excursions are cheaper is just the cherry on top.  We hate cattle-call ship's excursions.  

- What kind of room did you reserve?  Balconies are wonderful, of course, but (now that we're retired) we prefer to sail more often in an Inside Guarantee.  We don't stay in our room much anyway.  

- One cost that's easy to overlook:  the cost of boarding pets.  

On 4/10/2023 at 4:30 AM, sparks1093 said:

Sounds like you've thought it out. One observation- you say that you opted for the cruise line insurance. Insurance is a good thing, but you might be able to find a much better plan costing less on a site like www.insuremytrip.com . You should be able to change your insurance election before final payment date. 

Agree.  Even if you're young and in good health, no one plans for an accident.  We don't get "full service" insurance -- after all, we drive, and we're not likely to lose our own luggage.  What we really care about is health insurance and evacuation insurance.  That last one's the biggie:  you're highly unlikely to need it, but -- if you do -- it's so expensive that it could potentially be life-altering.  

On 5/13/2023 at 7:32 PM, Stowaway LFC said:

Just bought some jackets with multiple pockets so we don't have to worry about carting stuff around. Also, some waterproof cell phone protectors and some gloves in case it gets pretty cold/wet.  With that Tracy arm excusion I noted the waters may be a bit rough, so I wanted to be covered.  Also, some long johns ordered too so we should be set.  Now to get all the excursions I want to show up!

Beware of over-buying stuff you don't really need.  

- A backpack will carry your stuff more easily than a jacket.  

- We have one cell phone protector that we use for beach days. 

- Gloves and long johns?  Are you doing an Alaskan cruise?  Even so, I don't think you'll need those in September.  

- You can start researching private excursions online now, though if you're doing Alaska, expect prices to be high.  Since you're watching prices carefully, know that if you call the cruise line to reserve one of their excursions, you'll be expected to pay right away -- they don't add it to their bill.  Private tour guides vary in their when-to-pay expectations.  

[Stowaway LFC]

Thank you!  Yes we are flying to San Franscisco the day before and staying at a hotel.  The cruise is an Alaska cruise.  I went with an inside room due to the much lesser cost and we don't plan to be in there much. I love Galveston but I have done Carribean cruises in the past, now I am all for destinations.  Planning a British Isles cruise in 2025, I'm so excited!  Thankfully my son will take care of our doggies while we are gone.  

 

I just reserved the hotel room. It's about a block away from the terminal and close to pier 39. It has free breakfast in the mornings. I'll be monitoring for any price drops between now and then.  We plan to check one suitcase, carry backpacks and take one carry on bag for anything we may purchase on the trip.  

 

Definitely trying to bring just enough stuff.  With the trip being 11 days total I'm going to do some laundry while we are on board so I can pack less clothes.  

 

Thank you for the advice on private excursions!  The ones on Carnival are pricey! I'm going to look up some information on what's available. Just have to watch the times bc non-Carnival excursions aren't guaranteed not to leave you if you're late.

 

Still waiting to book flights, they aren't available yet, will likely book through AARP.  

 

Still in the working phase.  I've earned about 350 dollars worth of miles on my Discover so far with about another 6 months to go.  Since my Alaska cruise money budget is covered the money I get from the Discover miles is going to go for the British Isles cruise in 2025.  

 

In the meantime, I read about other people's trips. 🙂

 

 

[good42n]

One way to save money, if you’re doing Princess, is to get a Future Cruise Deposit while you’re onboard, which will include OBC. Free money if you’re planning on cruising within a year or two. We bought 2 deposits while we were on our BI cruise and will be using the money on our Alaska cruise. 
You’ll love the BI, but get your walking shoes ready! 

[jwitt2]

We own stock in Carnival Corp. which used to give some on board credit on Cunard, Seabourn, Princess, Carnival, etc.  But the latest stockholder report that we received did not mention this. It did say that they are not paying dividends. Does anyone know? We just redeemed some credit on a cruise in December. He sent an email to Carnival Corp. and got a reply which did not answer the question. I am going to look elsewhere on CC. 

[Stowaway LFC]

Just an update, finally got my flights scheduled back in November through AARP travel, Delta there with a 1.5-hour layover in Atlanta (good time to eat lunch) and a no stop return flight on Alaska airlines.  I was good, or so I thought......

 

Got an email last month that my Alaska flight had been cancelled.  Bummer, I checked the AARP travel site for another but couldn't find one that didn't involve huge layovers or an insane price.  Then I noticed no Southwest options were listed so I moseyed on over to Southwests site and found one that would work with a 1.5-hour layover in Las Vegas (good time to eat lunch again lol).  Went ahead and booked that and saved about 50 dollars. Then it was a 1-hour long call with Alaska airlines to get my cancelled flight refunded.  Crossing my fingers and toes that there will be no more surprises in the flying department!

 

I also got our parking scheduled at a reputable off site for a decent amount.  And our San Franscisco hotel is booked and already paid for the day before.

 

I am getting excited because April 1st will be the day my Discover miles will be doubled.  So, I will switch back to my 2% cash back card after that.  I think it will be close to 1K which is what I was aiming for!  Even better is I have exceeded my savings goals for this Alaska cruise so my Discover Miles reward can be used towards for the British Isles cruise in 2025 I have booked.  Which is much more expensive than this one. That will be another post entirely lol.

 

I have all my excursions booked and paid for also. I used my Carnival card to get 10% off.

Juneau: Whale Watching and Salmon Bake Combo

Tracy Arm Fjord: Tracy Arm Fjord & Glacier Explorer (word of advice book this as early as you can, it sells out fast)

Ketchikan: Lighthouse, Totems and Eagles

Prince Rupert: Prince Rupert City Highlights & Museums (Just to have something to do...)

 

The only one I couldn't find a Carnival affordable excursion for was Haines.  So, I found the Kroschel Wildlife Center website and I emailed them, and they offered me a really good deal that includes transport to and from and a private tour.  I was glad I emailed when I did as the much higher priced Carnival excursion came out shortly afterwards and he doesn't take private reservations after a certain date.

I ended up with some extra funds in my excursion budget, so I booked a Swedish massage for the hubby for an anniversary gift and a steakhouse reservation for us.  

 

My Carnival easy pay cruise will complete cruise payment in May.  I will complete the last of my savings plan at the end of this month.

I still need to buy my Carnival ecards for on board spending along with my Carnival Fun points, there isn't a lot of them but about 50 dollars' worth. I'm going with NCL on the British Isles cruise in 2025, so I want to use the Fun points up. And get my port money/extra tip money out of the bank a couple of days before.

 

Have funds set back for the Delta bag check cost, luckily Southwest is free.  And funds for Food costs and transports from the airport to hotel and from the hotel to the pier. Still working on that one. Not very familiar with Uber/Lyft and kinda afraid there won't be many affordable rides on cruise day. It doesn't seem very far from the hotel to cruise terminal so we may just hoof it there. I booked carnival's transport for getting from the port to the airport on debarkation day.

 

Have already started packing, not to early, eh?  And reading everything I find on cruise tips, trips etc. Will be so awesome to finish up this cruise with everything already paid for! I haven't taken a real certified vacation since 2008. Previous trips have all been kid related/ work related or just a weekend trip.  

 

I used to just dream of taking a trip like this, but if you give yourself a lot of time and plan it all out you can do it.  It just takes time, discipline and a whole lot of attention to all the details. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ngrund]

On 3/2/2024 at 12:06 PM, jwitt2 said:

We own stock in Carnival Corp. which used to give some on board credit on Cunard, Seabourn, Princess, Carnival, etc.  But the latest stockholder report that we received did not mention this. It did say that they are not paying dividends. Does anyone know? We just redeemed some credit on a cruise in December. He sent an email to Carnival Corp. and got a reply which did not answer the question. I am going to look elsewhere on CC. 

shareholder credit has been renewed

[crystalspin]

On 3/2/2024 at 9:06 AM, jwitt2 said:

We own stock in Carnival Corp. which used to give some on board credit on Cunard, Seabourn, Princess, Carnival, etc.  But the latest stockholder report that we received did not mention this. It did say that they are not paying dividends. Does anyone know?

Shareholder credit has been renewed through departures by the end of 2024. You are supposed to use the app StockPerks. White or black out your brokerage account number and upload a scan or photo of the cover page and page that shows the shares of stock. DO NOT SUPPLY YOUR BROKERAGE details; it is not necessary (it looks like that is the only choice but it is not). 

 

There are long threads on the procedure in the HAL forum and probably the other Carnival brand forums here on CC. The StockPerks requirement started in early or mid November.