To those that will keep cruising how do you plan to save $$

[kasic302]

Silly, I took em to the bank after I rolled em. and got bills. Used a shoe box to carry them.

 

 

I did that once for a different kind of trip. Used what I thought was a nice, study (albeit heavy) box.

 

My luck? I get inside the door to the bank and the bottom of the box gave out.

 

I'm glad to say that I could provide the entertainment for the staff and other customers waiting in line. Granted, I'm not sure if they were laughing at me running around trying to track down the coins that broke out of their wrappers, or the fact that I sounded like Yosemite Sam.

 

Word to the wise... use a plastic box. Or put all the change in a couple layers of plastic grocery bags before they go into the box. :-)

 

-K

[IHATESNOW]

I should sell my 20 y/o daughter who is in college and just drying up the bank account!

 

 

LOL!! We have one of those 20 yr old daughters in college too. Let me know the market value on yours so I can make a sound financial decision!

[kasic302]

And my way...

 

EBAY.

 

:-)

 

-K

[IHATESNOW]

We 1.)book in advance. 2.)Have a "vacation account" in which we have so much automatically deducted from each check 3.) buy FunShip dollars for about 6 months before cruise 4.) book private excursions or do beach days

5.) smuggle small amounts of booze 6.) take some cokes and water on with us 7.) limit shopping

 

 

Please tell me more about these funship dollars. What are the advantages of buying them and what are they used for?

[sjcruiser]

I save by cutting back in those areas I really don't need to spend money in. Examples are packing lunch, snacks, coffee and drinks from home, while at work, school or while out running errands. I save a little from each pay, just for me and part of this goes into my vacation fund. I set a portion of my income taxes and stipends from school, along with purchasing fun ship dollars. I also do some handyman services/home repair, painting, lawn services during the year. After expenses/supplies, 100% of these funds go towards vacation. The money I make from doing handyman repairs I don't even let is sit in my checking, savings or vacation accounts. If a vacation or trip has been booked and a deposit made, once the check clears the bank, it goes directly to offset the balance, or in the case of Carnival, to buy funship dollars/OBC for my S&S card. When the trip comes, normally it's paid for 100% except for the rental cars, which don't allow you to pay before the rental.

[sjcruiser]

Fun ship dollars are Carnival Gift Certificates that can be used to purchase a cruise or can be applied to your onboard spending account. You or family/friends can purchase the certificates by calling Carnival or buying them off the Carnival website. They start at $25.00 and go up to $500.00, but you can buy as many as you want (2, $500.00 certificates=$1,000.00, etc). The certificates are mailed to the recipient and they in turn mail them back to Carnival for redemption. Or if you or someone else buys them online, in address fields #1 & #2 for the recipient on the Carnival website, if the buyer enters the booking number, the fun ship dollars/gift certificates will be applied directly to the onbaord spending account without mailing them in. I have purchased over $500.00 for my August Cruise since booking in February. My birthday is in a few weeks, and for those who don't know what to get me, I asked them to buy the fun ship dollars.

[tcup]

Stay out of the duty free shops!!!

[GlendaleCruiser]

I travel a lot for work, and I get to keep my FF miles (lucky me!). So:

 

1. I usually use those miles for free flights to port. With the high price of gas right now I can save more by buying a cheap flight or using FF miles to get there if it is in Los Angeles (from PHX).

 

2. On board I usually get a picture taken everywhere on Formal night but only pick out one to buy. Maybe one other small pic at dinner with friends or leaving the ship in port.

 

3. Shop around for cruise specials. I never spend top dollar. I know that every dollar saved is ONE MORE cruise I will get to take eventually. My TA helps to find better deals and upgrades.

 

4. I don't usually shop onboard. I don't need more jewelry so am not easily tempted by those stores. Souvenirs have to be very special for me to spend more than tiny money. Maybe one T-shirt ($5 special) and Past Guest pin is good enough for me. I make sure before I leave that I have all those "forgets" like suntan lotion, lip balm, batteries, aspirin, candy, bathing suit coverup.

 

5. I like to have a drink special, but not every day. On Mojito day, I have a couple or three (woo-hoo). I enjoy the free stuff, like espresso after dinner with dessert. I bring on board a six pack of Diet Dr. Pepper and that defrays soda costs. I don't usually drink more than that and I can always get ice in the room.

 

6. Careful spending on excursions. I am reluctant to spend a lot on an excursion--like helicopter rides. I am much more inclined to go to the beach. I like to go shopping, but always keep in mind exactly what I'm going to do with this item when I get back (I have a scarf in my closet from Ensenada to remind me). I get my Retin-A and vanilla in Mexico, but not touristy stuff.

 

7. I don't buy new clothes for a cruise as a rule. I keep using the ones I have for the most part.

 

8. I am planning to retire before the next cruise in 2009, which will be a real splurge for me, what with airfare to London and Rome. I will have my car paid off and am doing all I can to pay off my house. Then I will work part time just enough to finance my cruising. Like another poster, I am hoping to save enough in gas, wear and tear on car, lunches, etc to help finance future cruises.

[lorriv20]

This was an interesting topic for me. My DH and I cruised almost 2 years ago, and got a fantastic deal on the Caribbean Princess. We loved cruising and vowed to do it again SOON. Then came our new grandson, hubby's new job and political campaigns. Simply put, life got in the way. Fast forward to now and I was really hurting bad for a cruise. The main problem is that because of my DH's job schedule, the only time we could cruise is between Christmas and New Year. Combine that with higher air fare and surchrges, and our cuise became more expensive. In addition, I have a medical problem and need to have a bathtub for sore mucles ( plus I am a little spoiled and love my balcony). After much research and wrangling with Airfare, we splurged and booked a catagory 12 suite on the Facination. The high cost does worry me. We will just need to be more thrifty. Luckily, I have several months to pay for the cruise. As far as on cruise spending, we have decided to forgo Christmas gifts to each other and spend the money on the cruise. We are also very weird (and lucky) for cruisers. Neither of us drink, so we normally have soft drinks and splurge once a day on the virgin drink of the day. We are also not big casino people. I am just THRILLED to be going on a cruise again!

[LoLa_in_GA]

I have noticed a few threads about pax that are throwing in the towel and deciding not to cruise. I would like to hear from those that plan to keep cruising and some of their thoughts on saving money.

 

Personally, I plan to limit my time in the Casino. I will just fly to Vegas when I want to gamble. Im also looking at doing more beach days rather than booking excursions.

 

Some have mentioned downgrading their cabins from Balcony to oceanview or insides. I think going the guarantee route could would be a good idea, especially on the Spirit class ships, which have lots of balconies. I imagine in the future, more people will be doing Guarantees as a way to save money.

 

So what are some of your cost cutting ideas?

 

NOT sailing again!

 

we had a relatively small bar tab. we took our alcohol on. yep, know you're not supposed to, but with four of us sailing...ca-ching! took a case of water on as well. room steward kept our metal trash can filled with ice, and we put some small bottles in the fridge, and others in a giant ziploc bag in the trashcan.

 

did our own booking for excursions-same trip, same experience, saved $$ by doing independents (and actually, in some cases, got 'extras').

 

will not give up a balcony, but we DID do the room guarantee. wound up one floor higher than we expected-although sons were still banished to the first floor, interior (they didn't care-they only slept in there, while we spent a LOT of time on our balcony). our room was listed for several hundreds of dollars over what we actually paid...

 

we don't do the casino-if i am going to spend money, i want something to show for it-pounds count!

 

we didn't buy 'souvenirs;' my big regret is not going back and getting my windchime in cozumel (i collect them to my family's chagrin). i did see a gorgeous silver/lapis bracelet and necklace in cozumel. husband wanted me to price it and buy it, but i refused to. he still grumbles that he should have just bought it, but my attitude was 'family vacation-let's buy stuff for the FAMILY or save money to use on family excursions.' he still thinks he made a mistake by listening to me. (love him for that!) however, we already have nine BILLION t-shirts with every locale possible, so who needed another. no knick-knacks, (paddy whacks, etc...sorry it's late here); no shot glasses. only gift i brought home was for the house/dog/cat sitter.

 

we did treat ourselves to the supper club......worth it, too....

 

i have a p/t job-the last few months all of my paychecks went to pay for excursions-so our budget stretched a bit further...

[LoLa_in_GA]

LOL!! We have one of those 20 yr old daughters in college too. Let me know the market value on yours so I can make a sound financial decision!

 

Hmmm, i am convinced, each time my 18 yo son says, "sell michael," his 21 yo brother....that we would have to PAY someone to take him off our hands for us! i don't recall being that expensive/annoying/insane when we were his age and in school!

 

LOL.

[scubacindy]

I cannot give up my cruises! I bit the bullet and booked my cruise August 16, with or without my sister I am going! I work to be able to enjoy life. I cannot take it with me and if I left all of my earnings to my family I know that they would go out and enjoy it! So, why shouldn't I?? I do plan to see that my son's and their families are going to get something out of my lifesavings, but I want to enjoy myself now.

 

That said, I have to look at where my parents are and what they have gotten from all their scrimping and saving up, my father is no longer living, he did enjoy life to the fullest and loved to travel, loved the ocean and cruises. Before he died he made sure he did travel and go do as much as he could. He would want his family to do the same. Now, my mother she was the scrimp, save, cheapest way to go type. She, did get to travel with my Dad some but during the last years they were traveling she was in the early stages of Alzhiemers, before my Dad was diagnosed with cancer. During the time he did get to travel, he was getting treatments, but kept on going, mom was in a nursing home. She still is, and basically is just here. She can't enjoy any of the benefits of travel or doing anything, she doesn't know and I guess doesn't miss it. Hard to tell.

 

I want to get to go and do as much as I can, we never know where our lives will take us. So, I give up going out to eat during the week at night, I take lunches to work, I am doing all I can to keep my daily driving to a minimum and not need to fill my car tank often. For entertainment I am doing more reading and watching movies at home.

 

I am happy and still plan to travel! yoohoo for my going ahead and booking my August cruise!:D

[OhioJeff]

Someone posed a similar question, so thought I would give this a boost. Its interesting to read some of the responses based on how things in the economy have changed from June to November.