How many of you are waiting to book another cruise due to the economy?

[Gingee]

How many of you are waiting to book another cruise due to the economy? I can tell you we are waiting because of not knowing what is going to happen to the job situation. I am dying to be looking into another cruise right now but reality tells me to wait. How about you?

[Stevekiel]

I don't worry about it. I just booked a cruise for 2010.

[Gingee]

Did you get a super deal?

[MCManders99]

Well we are booked on Freedom of the Seas in Dec 09 for my cousins wedding. I lost my job at the end of last year. DH had two jobs and he lost his FT job (he's a corporate pilot). Luckily his PT job was able to give him FT hours. We are still going on this cruise as before DH lost his FT job, we just saved enough money to pay off this cruise. Now we were planning on doing a 5 year Anniv cruiise to Alaska again on Princess in 2010, but that has to wait till I get a new job and save for the cruise. Unfortunately the money we were using to save for that cruise was used for a money emergency. Maybe we'll do a 6 yr anniv in 2011. We will see.

[cassieroll]

We are cruising in June and are now discussing whether or not we want to do a family cruise next year or 2011 so not exactly holding back but not booking like a fiend either. ;)

[Arwenmark]

Now see one of the biggest problems with the economy is people not buying things as usual. I continue to buy whatever I need and or want to buy. I am getting some bargains but not always. I currently have two more cruises, and just took one in December.

If everyone would go back to buying things the recession/depression would be over much sooner.

[Gingee]

I disagree about spending like crazy. My husband works for a Fortune 500 company and so far they have laid off 25,000 people (and we suspect more to come) so we want to save our money for the necessary things.

 

But dang I want to go on a cruise and it has only been two months since my last one but has seemed like a year or so.

[FUN33]

Why would you wait? As long as you are booked far enough in the future, you can always cancel 75 days (some cruises will have a different number) in advance and receive a full refund.

 

In the meantime, you may snag a great price. If the time for your cancel period comes around and you just don't feel financially right about it, cancel and you haven't lost a dime.

 

If the economy has drastically improved, the cruise line will likely have increased it's prices, and you have yourself a great deal.

 

Go for it.

[uppitycats]

We aren't scheduling anything that takes us further than out of state, for now. (Well, one weekend trip will take us just across the border from Wisconsin into Illinois...) We're spending money on essential purchases as always, and thinking about a new furnace/air conditioner (there are some tax breaks for upgrading, I'm learning), but vacations, especially expensive things like cruises, aren't necessary.

[cusyl]

This could be my last cruise :( I hate to spend the money since I lost so much in the stock market.

[linda_22003]

We're taking our next cruise as planned. We're not planning one for 2010 at the moment, but that's because we're planning to go back to Paris. Both of our jobs are "safe" for now, but we continue to put money in savings. We have no debt and no car payments and a low mortgage, so we've done as much as we can to protect ourselves. Other than that, we have no intention of putting our lives "on hold" just because the economy isn't booming.

[jpg1747]

I have one cruise booked right now. I'm watching prices on two other short ones this year. If the price drops below my maximum, I'll book those also. As soon as the November 2010 schedules are fully open, I'll book one for next year.

[RetireeWannabee]

Waiting, but not directly because of the economy.

 

Waiting for Mom to sell her house and move to Houston so we can combine a visit to see her with a departure from Galveston.

 

Of course, her home being not yet sold is related to the economy. :(

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

We are not skipping cruising, but we are taking shorter cruises lately. They aren't as satisfying, but besides the economy, we are concerned about my frail elderly mother's health and don't dare be gone too long.

[lovingwife1229]

How many of you are waiting to book another cruise due to the economy? I can tell you we are waiting because of not knowing what is going to happen to the job situation. I am dying to be looking into another cruise right now but reality tells me to wait. How about you?

 

My husband and I decided a year ago that we wanted to celebrate our 10th anniversary on a first cruise.

 

We started saving then.

 

We booked last month...and already had more than enough saved in that short amount of time to pay the deposit. Since the cruise isn't till January 2011...we still have plenty of time to save.

 

When we booked...NCL was giving a $500 OBC...that we felt we couldn't pass up.

 

Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

[suezyq50]

We save for our vacations. We are not going to wait. Work can be stressful, healthcare and education, not to vacation. Gives us good excuses.

[Roz]

I look at it this way - regardless of the national or world economy, it comes down to my personal economy. I either have the money to book and take a cruise or I don't. Fortunately, I have the money. I'm in my mid-50s, and I see people around at work having heart attacks, having to retire on disability, dealing with various cancers, etc. I want to live my life to the fullest while I can, and not wait for some far off day when everything's perfect, because that day will never come.

 

Roz

[PattyG12]

I intend to enjoy my life. I will not retire and sit in a rocker on the front porch wondering "what if ..." ... If you book and can't afford it, you can cancel it. I save a little each pay check and tuck it away. When final payment is due, then I pull it out and it's done. That's when I start paying for excursions and putting a little away. By the time of the cruise, I don't need any extra money and have no worries. My Freedom cruise in September is almost there! I've pre-paid for 3 excursions, flights, hotel. Just another few paychecks and the cruise will be paid. Then I can start saving my cash for the casino and the bar!

[njmomof2]

We have a cruise booked for August 2009 and another for October 2010.

 

My job for the moment seems fine (although I don't think I can count on any raise in July or bonus in December). DH works in an industry that is high end luxury for many people so he's seen a decline, but he's working hard and so far he's okay.

 

DH's mother was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 ovarian cancer. She's just started chemo this week. I think about her and her life these past years that DH and I have been together. She been a widow for many years, and before her husband died, she never worked. After he passed, she had to get a job, and the minute she was able to legally collect SS she stopped. So she lives on a limited income (but has been babysitting for a number of years for cash money), lives in a senior development, has no mortgage (paid her house in full when she sold her original), no car payment, keeps the heat at 60, cheap cable, doesn't use either of her phones other than minimal use, etc.

 

As long as I've known her, she's taken 1 vacation, and that was along with us (and my mom) just before older DS turned 3 (to WDW). Since then she's never travelled. She did with her husband when DH and his brother were younger, but not in probably over 20 years. She has friends who go to FL for the winter and have offered to have her come down, but she never goes. I think she might have gone 1 time and stayed at the friend's house (for no expenses). I think about this and don't want to find myself 20 years from now regretting the things I never did, thought were too expensive, didn't have time for, etc, and then find I'm sick and might not have more than a couple of years to live.

 

I think that we have to realize that life will eventually get back to a more "normal" state and while I don't advocate wasteful spending, I think we need to move forward in our lives as we normally would.

[KULPN]

We have one booked for 11/09 and another for 4/10. I can't imagine not going but if something happens and we can't that's the way it goes. We have elderly parents & who know when they may pass away. Guess life has risks. Having a cruise booked is worth it to me in these hard times, because it gives me something to look forward to. Once the cruise is paid for, if things get worse financially, we can avoid booze, gifts etc but still get away. I still think a cruise is cheaper than a land vacation. You have to eat even if you stay home.

[Gingee]

Well I thought of looking for a "really good deal" but so far (and just started) I haven't found anything that excites me except that new Oasis ship and boy is that expensive.

[Cymro1953]

I don't worry about it. I just booked a cruise for 2010.

 

And we've booked a 2nd one in December this year for us and our 2 sons

[davex100]

We have booked one way out on 12/4/2010

[Putterdude]

We have one booked for 5/09, another for 1/10 and are waiting for the 1/11 itineraries to be released. A bit painfull to be sure but cruises do offer good value for your vacation dollar.:)

[spongerob]

It's not the economy that is making me wait. It's the uncertainty of knowing how much more of my honestly-earned money that I will told I will have to sacrifice in order to pay other peoples' mismanagement. It's that uncertainty that hurts our economy, not the other way 'round.