Can I ask a very blunt and nosy question?

[McDebbie]

Like the others our kids are grown also but another thing is that we don't really do entertainment things at home, movies, dinners out, etc. We do lunch out and DVD's :D No credit card debt and no car payments. My SIL goes to the mall EVERY week and I still have clothes I got when my 30 year old daughter was in junior high. (gawd that is sad) So I guess the answer is it really depends on how and where you want to spend your money. With 5 kids at home I would have a hard time in justifying a suite but hopefully in 10 years those kids will all be kicking in for a suite for you!

[DMH15]

I think you will find people of all economic categories in NCL suites. There are people who can afford them easily who just don't want or need a suite and you will find those who splurge (regularly or once in a lifetime). You have those who took an upsell too. It's quite a mix. I have found the folks I've met in suites to be down to earth and friendly. People book them for various reasons.

 

Now I am trying to find a way to cruise more often AND in a suite. Still working on that.

[Cubechick]

Hi. My name is Cubechick and I’m a cruisaholic. When you’re addicted to cruising, you find some creative ways to make it work. Such as:

 

Attempting to buy new living room furniture, but every time you save enough, you book another cruise. (been waiting five years).

 

Making an extra serving of dinner each night so DH can take it for lunch the next day.

 

Not going out for dinner on the weekends so you can save the money for dinner at Cagney’s.

 

Using a points credit card helps too. (nothing beats the old BOA NCL card).

 

Or even working on holidays (July 3rd this time), to get an extra vaca day to possibly squeeze in one more cruise.

 

Frankly, we have only been in suites a few times, last time upgraded (upsold) to an AA suite (first time in 13 cruises), but we’ll cherish every moment.

 

Hey! There’s money in the furniture account again….might be time to book again! :D

[justcake]

My DH and I will be cruising to Bermuda in August for our 15th wedding anniversary. We have 3 kids under 14 and this is only our 2nd vacation without the kids in the last 20 years. We were waiting to book to get a deal on a balcony but in the meantime my DH decided that we should go all out and book a suite. I didn't want to spend the money but my friend put it to me this way; divide the total amount by 15 (the years we've been married). She asked if our marriage was worth that and then the answer was simple. We booked an AC on the Spirit and can't wait to experience the perks. I only hope we're not ruined for life and that we'll never be able to cruise again if not in a suite! Oh, we're not rich either. We make a middle class income and spend no money on ourselves. It all goes to the kids for lessons and education. I am however very frugal and that makes all the difference.

[horsesrus]

In general, those of you who stay in the suites, are you getting good deals or upgrades (i.e. cheaper than the listed prices), are you just splurging for a once in a lifetime vacation, or are you very rich? My husband is a physician with a very good income, and I do not think there is any way we could "afford" a suite. But after looking at the pics of the AB suite....WOW!...I certainly wish I could. I don't mean to sound obnoxious but I would really like to know. I guess we could put it on a credit card and take a few months /year to pay it off. And granted we do have 5 young kids and are saving aggressively for college/retirement. We are also trying to live well within our means and have no debt other than our mortgage, which is relatively small, and our educational debt. But just knowing how the economy is right now, and knowing what my husband makes compared to the average Joe, I just don't know how people are cruising in them. I hope I am not offending anyone. I don't want to. I just want to figure out what piece of the puzzle I am missing.

 

Personally, we pay the listed price for our suites and don't "gamble" on the chance of a cheap upsell. We prefer suites so that's what we book. We are both professionals but by no means "rich". We just choose to splurge on a yearly cruise in a suite rather then 2 - 3 cheaper cruises a year in lower category cabins.

[2Cruise4Ever]

Hi Folks - I find this thread to be very interesting. If I may, I'm wondering why those of you that do cruise in suites wouldn't cruise twice as often in a balcony or maybe three times as many cruises in an interior? In other words, are the perks of a suite that much better than cruising way more often? Thanks!:)

 

Well, we only get so many vacation days a year from work. And, our kids are still in school. So, we can't do more cruises than we do (once as a family in a suite for a week; and once for a long weekend just DH and I in a balcony).

 

Now, once the kids are out of the house....... different story. We plan to cruise at least every 3 months. We'll both retire shortly after we become empty-nesters. And, we have maximized our 401Ks and other investment options. So, we should be able to travel as much or as little as we want.

[patch62]

We like to book the lowest category balcony..It is fine for us.. that way we can do two or more cruises a year.. Have done inside (once) and ocean view.. but will do the balcony from now on.. completed a Bermuda cruise in May and will leave on Sunday for Alaska... Kids all grown and on their own.. we try to be modest and not go "overboard"... but.. whatever floats one's boat!!!!!!

We like our privacy .. more than we would have if we were in a suite

[veggie59]

Thank you OP.....this is a very enjoyable thread to read! And you thought you would be flamed........NO WAY!

[mooline]

I have no problem at all answering this question - here's my story:

 

I'm really frugal. HATE to spend money on clothes (I still have 7 year old LL Bean things that I regularly wear -they're comfy!) My daughter asked me, when she was very young, "Mommy, why do all our clothes say "sale"? I have no problem at all buying clothes, shoes, handbags, etc from the thrift store. We live in a nice area but we don't fit in AT ALL with most of the people here who drive expensive late-model imports and carry $800 handbags. In fact, sometimes we joke that when we are out walking the dog in our raggy shorts and T-shirts, some people look at us as though they want to hand us a dollar (no joke! I think it's hilarious!) :D

 

We're not 'rich' in my opinion, but we live a happy and comfortable life, thanks to extremely hard work for many years (24/7, 365 type of thing) and a predisposition to save. We simply don't care enough to spend money on fancy cars, fancy clothes and material stuff like that. (But if others like to do that for themselves it's fine with us.)

 

But, we DO splurge and then some when we go on vacation. Can't really tell you why, we just do. I suspect we'd always sail in a suite, unless it was a really short cruise. We like to relax in the cabin and we like a bit of elbow room. We sprung for the Garden Villa on our most recent cruise - full fare, no discount.

 

Why did we do this? Because we wanted to make this trip very, very special for our daughter, it was a gift for her for years of hard work, earning her MBA and working full time. And we wanted to bring my sister and her husband along, for their 40th wedding anniversary. And we wanted to make a major, family memory - which we sure did!

 

Before I made the decision to change our reservation from an OS/PH combo to the GV, I thought "how will I feel if something happens and we can never again travel as a family. Will I regret not parting with the extra $$ for the GV?" The answer was an unequivocal, YES, I WILL regret it. So I coughed up the extra bucks - and never looked back. Now I think about Billy Mays and Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett. Life is so fleeting...

 

We all make choices about what to do with whatever funds we have. No choice is "wrong." Ultimately, if you feel good about the choices you make, then they are the right choices for you.

 

And, my personal opinion is, no one is "better" than anyone else just because they sail in a suite. They simply chose to spend more money for amenities, space, whatever it was that was important to them. The folks who saved for a year for an inside cabin are also making a memory and deserve every bit of respect, kindness and courtesy.

 

From what I observed on my recent cruise - my first on NCL - every passenger was treated with absolute respect and dignity. Nice - and as it should be.

[arubaaruba]

Did you mean paying only $900 for BA balcony? Per person? All inclusive? How did you get that rate?

 

We paid actually $894 for the two of us in a BA for the 3 night in January. Just got the BA again for Labor Day weekend for $924. We had done the OBO in January so only had to come up with the other $674. We are Lattitudes and Florida residents. Usually the Lattitudes gives the better discount, not sure which one we got this time, I didn't ask.

[Cruisin from Utah]

We sailed in an AB in May to Alaska. We chose to splurge as there is 5 of us and it was a better option than getting two rooms. It was still more expensive but if you sail during off-peak times it isn't too bad in cost. On our next cruise it will just by DW and I and I booked a spa suite on the Epic. Once again in the off-peak months but was able to get the Casino at Sea discount this time that saved a bunch of money. We are only paying $1350 pp including all taxes and fees which I feel is pretty reasonable for a suite.

[prg2101]

We always book a suite and always at least a year in advance......Pay some each month(like a car payment...we dont have one so it flows) I have read on these boards so many complaints about rooms being to small, etc...once we started cruising we got a suite and havent turned back....Penny pinchers and last minute people have to gamble on cabins....(esp. GTY people) so its all about homework and flexability

[DMH15]

Mooline-

 

Very nice post. Thanks for sharing.

[holomuku]

Mooline,

 

I so agree.

 

We have been fortunate enough to sail in several categories (including our first "cruise" which was a one day wonder where I could sit in the bunk and have my feet touch the wall against my feet ,....and I'm 5'3"...must have been a crew cabin in a former life!" It had one of those combo toilet shower deals... I don't think I could live with that for many days!)

 

On 9/11/01 we were in a suite on Celebrity Mercury in Sitka, Alaska- not to go into details here, but I knew I had lost several co-workers that day. I would have rather been in the previous bunker cabin and not facing the loss.

 

We have been thinking the last few months about planning in advance for our 25th wedding anniversary which we thought would be great on a cruise and which we had planned to include my sister and BIL who stood up for us when we were married in '86- --until my BIL passed away very suddenly a few weeks ago.

 

Yes, seize the day. If it's in an inside cabin, outisde, whatever-- just enjoy and make memories.

 

When all is said and done, it's not about the cabin- however the experience and the memories.l

[suzyed]

To answer the OP's question.....

 

We live way beyond our means and charge up the wa zoo!! :eek:

 

Hee heee...to a point, I am serious! We own two houses..one in Atlanta and one in Florida (not by choice...we simply have not been able to sell the Florida house)...so we (I) figure, we have money invested in that house that one day we will end up selling and then we can pay off whatever we owe.

 

When we cruise, depending on what cruiseline, when/why we are cruising, we book various types of cabins (I am quite sure I will never book an inside, however, just don't think I could do that...too close).

 

Our most recent cruise was on NCL to Alaska in an AE suite. It was our anniversary and we love the suite life on NCL.

Our previous cruise, last Aug. on RCI, we took the whole family (Me, Hubby, 2 daughters, one son, son in law and his son)...we booked 3 OV cabins.

 

I really shop around...check out all kinds of websites, for the best deals.;)

 

We have been in small OV's on Carnival, RCI; jr. suites on RCI, balconies on Carnival and Cunard and suites on NCL....it just depends. :)

[brunolvr]

DH and I are not rich, but all our kids are grown and gone , we own our home and cars and have no real bills to speak of. We like the comfort and perks of the suites and spend a lot of time in them. We could cruise more often in less expensive rooms, but we wouldn't enjoy it as much. We don't drink or gamble and don't buy a lot of junk on the cruises....so it probably evens out in the end. The same reason we like NCL is the same reason we like the suites...we like to be comfortable! We've never gotten an upgrade, always book the suite, but we have gotten some pretty good deals through our TA and by booking way in advance.

 

We figure to really enjoy this quality time together after nearly 40 years of raising our kids and working hard. I guess it's all about priorities. Of course we never could have done this when our kids were at home...so give it time...and look forward to the "suite" life in later years :)

 

Wow, jdenn4, we could be twins because your reasons are exactly the same as ours. We will be celebrating 41 years of marriage next month and just recently returned from our 7th cruise to Alaska.

 

Our kids are all grown and we own our home and have no car payments. Since we're both recently retired but aren't eligible for medicare yet, we do have a rather large monthly health insurance payment, but other than the usual monthly bills, we are debt free since we pay off our credit cards in full each month.

 

Both my husband and I enjoy the "suite" life with the perks and VIP treatment. Since 2003 we have cruised once a year to Alaska. Once we experienced our first AE Suite on the Star in 2006, we were hooked! Although we did get upsells in both 2007 (from our AE on the Pearl to a Deluxe Owner's Suite) and in 2008 (from our AE on the Pearl to an Owner's Suite).

 

We do scrimp and save all year so we can enjoy a memorable cruise to Alaska enjoying the "suite" life!:)

[terrymtex01]

First of all, Mooline..excellent posting. I feel the exact same way as you do.

 

OP..Doug and I have always cruised in a suite. Truth be told, at least at first, it was a necessity. Me being a larger guy, I literally believed I could not fit into a shower in the smaller cabins, even balcony staterooms. I don't know how the showers are today in the smaller cabins, but I have to say I'm hooked on the "suite life". I love how they make us feel pampered and spoiled and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Cagneys for breakfast and lunch perk. That to me is worth the extra money. If I had my way, we would sail in nothing but suites the rest of our lives.

 

Doug on the other hand is really opposite from me on this question. He would rather us cruise in a balcony stateroom and be able to cruise more often. I've lost almost 80 lbs over the last year or so, so maybe some day the shower size won't be an issue. Right now for us the issue is time off from work. We just both have started new jobs , him by choice, me by necesity, and are limited to the time we can take.

 

Bottom line for me is I love spending time with Doug, especially if it is on vacation. I love just sitting here next to him watching TV or checking out cruise critic or just cooling off together in the pool on these hot summer days of Texas or just driving around having an ice cream cone (yes, you can still lose weight eating an ice cream cone - every thing in moderation is what I'm learning in my old age 8-)). Only requirement I have for a vacation is I must have an indoor bathroom (will not go camping in a tent), and I will not cook while I am on vacation. I cook dinner 7 nights a week for us. And not just hamburger helper either (not that there is anything wrong with HH, I love it) but I mean in general I cook full meals. So on vacation I refuse to cook.. lol. One treat for me is when we are on vacation Doug lets me pick anywhere I want to eat, no matter the cost, as a thank you to me for all the cooking I do at home. Wow did I get way off topic - sorry about that.

 

The point Im trying to make is some day when we can take more vacations, then I might just have to settle for a BA so we can take more cruises. Right now, we are able to sail in our beloved suites merely because it is the one vacation we will be taking that year. Last year we were able to take two cruises, but that was a fluke, believe me.. LOL.

 

OP. you are doing the right things, believe me. All of that will pay off in the long run. Enjoy your children. As others have said, they will be grown and gone before you can blink your eyes. 8-)

[sjbdtz]

If you're a gambler, then Casinos At Sea (CAS) is another way to reduce the price of the cruise.

 

When we travelled in a Penthouse (and as we plan one again for EPIC), we relied on the discounted rate provided to rated players through CAS. That was a 17% helping-hand.

 

SJB

[Sparkylok6]

We have only taken 4 cruises and all of them were on NCL. Ou first three were on the Dawn in an AF Mini-Suite. We usually plan far in advance from 1 year ahead to 18 months ahead. There are 3 of us...me, DH and DS. While we have loved our Mini and we spent a lot of time in it just hanging out and relaxing on the balcony, I think I have been totally spoiled by the Suite life.

 

On New Year's Eve DH told me to book a cruise for my 40th Bday AND our first vacation by ourselves since we are married (almost 10 years). It was only 5 weeks away. We chose the Pearl and I booked us in an AF Mini. The day before we were leaving to go to Miami NCL called and offered us an upsell to the AE Penthouse for a small additional sum. We jumped on it and I don't think we will cruise in anything less in the future. The VIP check-in alone is worth it in my opinion. We didn't use the Butler much, but, found the Concierge to be really helpful. It was a vacation that will never be forgotten.

 

I have been on unemployment since the week before Christmas so I know that when I do find a job I will likely not be able to take vacation for any part of 2010. When NCL had the half off deposit special I booked us for another AE PH on the Pearl for March of 2011 and I am going to be paying less than I did this year. It is a long way off, but we have the time to save for it. I paid less up front, didn't have to "tap into" savings since it wasn't the full deposit, and have a budgeted amount to save every week for the final payment and our spending money. We also never do excursions through the cruise line, and that saves us bundles.

 

Enjoy the memories you make with your family no matter what category cabin you choose. Growing up my parents couldn't afford fancy vacations for us, so we camped at the beach every other week. We had the best times and we were always allowed to bring our friends. It is all what we as individuals make of our situations.

[Markanddonna]

Hi,

 

I'm a teacher, so all my cruising has to be done during the most expensive times of the year which therefore restricts my options. I'd love to do a suite but feel lucky to do an OV once a year. I also went inside once and didn't have any problems with it. My things are the food on a cruise and the excursions, so that is where I want my $ to go. When I retire, I hope that we can get balconies and suites on a regular basis.

 

Connie

[lhogan11]

In our case, we are a family of five. We can't all fit in one cabin so we always try to get connecting cabins (which isn't always easy to do depending on when you book). The cost of a suite isn't that much more when you consider two balcony rooms.

Our cost for the AB suite for our family was 8K. Crazy, I know, but it's my 40th birthday present and we splurged. We'll probably regret it, but we booked connecting balconies for Hawaii next year....not a suite.

[Pickels]

Hi Folks - I find this thread to be very interesting. If I may, I'm wondering why those of you that do cruise in suites wouldn't cruise twice as often in a balcony or maybe three times as many cruises in an interior? In other words, are the perks of a suite that much better than cruising way more often? Thanks!:)

 

Keep in mind, that unless you are retired, you usually can't get time off from your job to go on vacation. We go on a cruise once a year and always reserved a balcony cabin and earlier this year we reserved a penthouse at the stern. For future cruises, it's only penthouse at the stern. Once a year, it's got to be the best I can afford. Happy Cruisin':)

[Bocadude85]

We are a young couple in our early 20's who love to travel. We both work very hard and feel that when we go on vacation we want to be pampered, so when we book our cruise we always book the suite we want. We have never had a upsell and would not hold our breath on getting one.

[CC Help Michell]

In general, those of you who stay in the suites, are you getting good deals or upgrades (i.e. cheaper than the listed prices), are you just splurging for a once in a lifetime vacation, or are you very rich? My husband is a physician with a very good income, and I do not think there is any way we could "afford" a suite. But after looking at the pics of the AB suite....WOW!...I certainly wish I could. I don't mean to sound obnoxious but I would really like to know. I guess we could put it on a credit card and take a few months /year to pay it off. And granted we do have 5 young kids and are saving aggressively for college/retirement. We are also trying to live well within our means and have no debt other than our mortgage, which is relatively small, and our educational debt. But just knowing how the economy is right now, and knowing what my husband makes compared to the average Joe, I just don't know how people are cruising in them. I hope I am not offending anyone. I don't want to. I just want to figure out what piece of the puzzle I am missing.

 

We've sailed in a suite one time. In August of 2007 I found a great deal on a suite (AE) sailing in April of 2009, and booked it. The prices steadily climbed on our sailing, and I know we wound up paying less for both of us than some folks paid per person when they booked later. Shop carefully, you might be surprised. If you are flexible in sailing times, there are often some good deals in "off" months, and if you can sail last minute you may find good deals that way -- at least one cruise agent has a search engine for lowest-priced suites, which is a good way to look for bargains.

 

We really loved the suite, but don't have any other sailings booked in one at this time, and that's okay, too. :)

[gbcruise]

I'm really glad you asked this question & I have enjoyed reading the replies. Money management is the key to getting anything you need. We are a couple in our early 40's with 4 kids, 3 teens still at home. We have a mortgage but our home is moderate. Would I like marble kitchen cabinets instead of laminate? Yes, however I would rather take a vacation then have the marble so that's what we choose. I always ask myself regarding purchases do I want or do I need it? If I find something I like I also wait & if in 3 or so weeks I still really like it then I start considering the purchase. We always budget vacation into our monthly bills. I also will watch grocery shopping & plan around sales & use coupons, the coupons savings goes into vacation funds, rebates do too, any bonuses & all change is saved at the end of each day.

 

Growing up my parents worked very hard & rarely vacationed, they were waiting on vacations until retirement. Unfortunately my mom passed away two months after my dad retired which has impacted my immediate family to not put off these enjoyable times so we prioritize for it. Their are so many ways to save, one is to book early & keep watching for price reductions. Some ships never reduce, knowing which do & which do not is helpful.