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What's Your Financial Breakpoint In a Balcony?

Daruma
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graphicguy "Live from...." Rare

graphicguy

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44 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Did  you get the warm milk before climbing in your sleeping bag?

Some how they skipped over me when they were serving it!  LOL!  

image.thumb.png.f38d49dd3b85d10b27f4c26307e30227.png

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vswan

vswan

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Started out sailing inside with an occasional OV, usually when given a comp upgrade (years ago). I was always happy to just be sailing and we were still in the age bracket of saving for retirement while putting as much money into savings as possible, but still taking at least one vacation per year.

 

Fast forward. We were offered a balcony upgrade on another line for $150 pp total for a 10 day partial Panama Canal cruise. We had a great time on that balcony and then covid hit. After that I decided that it was going to be a balcony. Period. Although we could have paid for a suite or haven, after years of being frugal, that just wasn't in our nature.

 

Now I'm sailing solo if one of my kids doesn't go along. I originally booked an OV because of the single supplement, but was not happy about it - the solo insides were sold out. Then they opened up the solo balconies and I jumped on it. Total cost was somewhere between the per person cost and the two person cost. But I wanted my private outdoor space.

 

Would I go back to an inside? Not likely. For me I'm at a point in my life that if I want the balcony I'm either going to pay for it or consider not going. I might accept an OV, but it would have to be a good itinerary on the right ship. There are some that will only sail in suites or haven, for me it's the balcony.

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RocketMan275

RocketMan275

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9 minutes ago, vswan said:

Would I go back to an inside? Not likely. For me I'm at a point in my life that if I want the balcony I'm either going to pay for it or consider not going. I might accept an OV, but it would have to be a good itinerary on the right ship. There are some that will only sail in suites or haven, for me it's the balcony.

After a certain age, life is too short to sail in less than a balcony.

 

A wise man  told me that after a certain age  you need to quit focusing on saving  money and begin to focus on how to spend what you've saved.

Edited by RocketMan275
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ChiefMateJRK

ChiefMateJRK

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2 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

After a certain age, life is too short to sail in less than a balcony.

At all ages, life is too short to not enjoy every minute that you can. I enjoy every minute of my cruise as long as I'm on the ship.😎

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vswan

vswan

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2 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

At all ages, life is too short to not enjoy every minute that you can. I enjoy every minute of my cruise as long as I'm on the ship.😎

And to get back to the point of this thread. We are all different and have different likes when it comes to cruising, and what we are willing to pay to move up. There are some that have no desire to move up - no matter what the cost.

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Daruma

Daruma

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1 hour ago, RocketMan275 said:

Of course not.  I was pointing out that when  you compare camping with the US Army, steerage would be quite nice.

 

Especially if you were in a Light Fighter unit, lol. 

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ChiefMateJRK

ChiefMateJRK

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1 hour ago, RocketMan275 said:

A wise man  told me that after a certain age  you need to quit focusing on saving  money and begin to focus on how to spend what you've saved.

He might have been a bit wiser if he said to "focus on how to use the money you've saved."  Unfortunately, there are many, many people who think that the only thing they can use money for is to spend it on themselves. Whatever makes them "happy."😎

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vswan

vswan

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11 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

What?  I'm pretty sure than I'm one of only four or five who actually answered the question asked in the OP.  Did you?

LOL. My answer is that I would be willing to pay whatever it took to get to a balcony. If I thought it was too much, I just wouldn't cruise.

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MagnoliaBlossom

MagnoliaBlossom

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On 5/14/2024 at 2:46 PM, MagnoliaBlossom said:

Yes, but the 600 dollars I could get for 600 points upgrades the cabin for both of us.  I could not get an IN to BA for $300 per person.

Correction that is 60,000 points

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DCGuy64 Great Review Rare

DCGuy64

Posted
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15 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

Of course not.  I was pointing out that when  you compare camping with the US Army, steerage would be quite nice.

Just a thought here, but the term "steerage" has connotations of people (often immigrants) who had to settle for the worst accommodations onboard large steamer ships. I'd hardly call an inside cabin onboard a megaship "steerage." Those who actually DID sleep in steerage would likely consider even the cheapest cabin on an NCL ship to be quite the luxury! Just sayin....

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slidemaster5

slidemaster5

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On 5/13/2024 at 5:23 PM, RocketMan275 said:

A wise man once said:  "Life is too short to drink cheap wine."

That said, because we drank a lot of cheap wine in our younger years, now we can book suites.

 

Agreed. Another way of saying this is that if I don't spend my money, it is just more first-class flights my children or grandchildren will be taking.

 

If you are concerned about money book the lowest level cabin that doesn't give you angst. In other words, book the lower of whichever level you are comparing (inside v ocean view, ocean view v balcony etc.). 

 

As discussed, it is what you personally value. Some people only book suites and drive cheap cars and some only book inside cabins and drive expensive cars.

 

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Travelling2Some

Travelling2Some

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20 minutes ago, slidemaster5 said:

 Some people only book suites and drive cheap cars and some only book inside cabins and drive expensive cars.

 

Very good way of putting it.  People with the same economic level may use that money very differently. 

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DCGuy64 Great Review Rare

DCGuy64

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We almost always book balconies, unless the itinerary isn't worth it. We once had a balcony on a February Mediterranean cruise, and I regretted booking that. It was too freaking cold! I should have booked a cheaper cabin and pocketed the difference. Last year on the Oceania Nautica, the balconies were outrageously expensive so we went with an inside. (It was something like $5,500 pp for an inside and $10,000 pp for a balcony).

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schmoopie17

schmoopie17

Posted
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1 hour ago, DCGuy64 said:

We almost always book balconies, unless the itinerary isn't worth it. We once had a balcony on a February Mediterranean cruise, and I regretted booking that. It was too freaking cold!

Been there...done that (and shouldn't have).

 

We did a TA across the North Atlantic in November and Mrs. Schmoopie insisted on a balcony. During the entire 15 day cruise, I can count the number of times she sat out on the balcony on one hand. (Actually, on no hands, since she never sat out there once).

 

Could have had more money for wine and food in Italy (and every other stop)...

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Asawi

Asawi

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1 hour ago, slidemaster5 said:

 

As discussed, it is what you personally value. Some people only book suites and drive cheap cars and some only book inside cabins and drive expensive cars.

 

I book cheap rooms and ride a bicycle. But I travel A LOT (not just cruising)! People ask me how I can afford it. Cheap rooms and a bicycle... 😄 (Although my "lowest acceptable standard" is considerably higher now that once upon a time.)

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graphicguy "Live from...." Rare

graphicguy

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59 minutes ago, CptBoatface said:

And the delicious MREs!

 They all kind of tasted more or less like....well....Cruise Critic would censor me if I described them.  LOL!

 

You can actually buy them on Amazon.  Not exactly sure why someone would want to.  Apparently someone who has never tasted them.  But, they're there.

 

 

 

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RocketMan275

RocketMan275

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19 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

 They all kind of tasted more or less like....well....Cruise Critic would censor me if I described them.  LOL!

 

You can actually buy them on Amazon.  Not exactly sure why someone would want to.  Apparently someone who has never tasted them.  But, they're there.

 

 

 

Preppers buy them for survival rations.

Hunters buy them for their hunting trips.

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