How Money Conscious Are You, on board

[heyabbott]

Once we're on vacation, I rarely try to think about money or how much something costs, large jewelry and electronics purchases aside. But it's annoying to hear people nickel and dime everything, try to get something for nothing and complain about the cost of the little things. Is it that hard to relax about money that it jaundice's your view of everything?

It's actually a little funny to watch grown people jockey for position to get an extra free drink or hors d'ourve.

[tomc]

I am very conscious of how much I am spending and how much things cost. I will not nickel & dime, but I carefully figure how much I can spend and for what, including choice of cabin (steerage) and departure port (no $$ air). I'm not cheap out of choice, but of necessity.

[dakrewser]

The secret, we find, is to pre-pay as much as possible. That way there's a lot less "watching the budget" needed on a day-to-day basis. For example, on our recent 7-day O'dam cruise, the final bill for our shipboard account was about $500 which included the $10/pp/day auto-tip as well as $100 in the casino so I'd have pocket money on the last day (surpringly, San Diego cabbies don't take Pesos!).

[lipoppop]

Spending money on a cruise is a good way to maintain harmony in the family. In this way the children will have less to fight over after our final cruise.


Spending can also be genetic in nature and/or inherited. We recently had some historical records from our family dating back to the 15th centery translated from early to modern English. One item is of note. The translation reads:

"Shop till you drop."

Don't forget chocalates for the DW Monday. Another way to maintain harmony in the family.

[RaffinOrganGrinders]

In the past we prebook tours to help budget. Unless you are planning on staying in your cabin you will spend some money.

George

[jhannah]

I guess the closest choice for us is "splurge within reason." We're on vacation. A cruise vacation is very special for us ... so we enjoy ourselves. We don't buy scads of jewelry or electronics and the like in ports. But if we see something we like or want, within reason, we get it.

I agree with Dave's approach. We pre-pay as much as possible. I like that with HAL you pay for your shore excursions when you book them. On other lines, that can make for a steep settlement of your onboard account. Then it's just a matter of living within our means. But an occasional splurge is appropriate, IMO. For instance, my DW found a lovely Greek vase on Rhodes. It was just what she had been looking for. The price wasn't outrageous, but it was a little more than what we generally spend for decorator accent pieces. We (and especially she) now have a beautiful, tangible reminder of our Mediterranean cruise.

Some day, when we're retired, it may be different. And that's okay. Meantime, the way I see it, it's just our kids' inheritance! ;)

[ekerr19]

I think I am the only one so far who selected "couldn't care less!"

When I am on vacation, money is the last thing I want or choose to worry about. :)

[Mary Ellen]

We're on vacation. A cruise vacation is very special for us ... so we enjoy ourselves. We don't buy scads of jewelry or electronics and the like in ports. But if we see something we like or want, within reason, we get it. This about sums it up for us. We don't 'splurge' but at the same time, we spend what we spend. We don't have a budget, but we're not extravagant people either. None of the categories seemed to fit us.

[bepsf]

Well, I chose within reason - when I pay.

...but when I travel w/ Joe - the sky's the limit!!!

[DFD1]

Seems to me that if you're a conservative spender by nature, that trait will follow you on vacation....and, I suppose, the opposite is true as well. at least most of the time.

For us, one of the nicest things about cruising with HAL is the convenience of pre-paying all of the major items.....now, even the tips. That seems to leave a relatively small part of the whole experience as a variable.

We were on Carnival a week or so ago and found everyone chasing around the first afternoon trying to be first to get the shore excurison they wanted before it sold out. Those charges all went on the on-board tab.

We looked at all the fuss and just decided not to purchase any at all. Too much grief.
IMO, Carnival and it's passengers would be better served to allow these to be pre-booked and paid for in advance.

[ekerr19]

I agree with Dave's approach. We pre-pay as much as possible. I like that with HAL you pay for your shore excursions when you book them. On other lines, that can make for a steep settlement of your onboard account. Then it's just a matter of living within our means. But an occasional splurge is appropriate, IMO. For instance, my DW found a lovely Greek vase on Rhodes. It was just what she had been looking for. The price wasn't outrageous, but it was a little more than what we generally spend for decorator accent pieces. We (and especially she) now have a beautiful, tangible reminder of our Mediterranean cruise.


Jim, We like to buy pieces of art from local craftspeople when we travel as well. We have some wonderful pieces - I am partial to watercolors done by local artists and have several from Tallinn, St. Petersburg, Nicaragua and my most recent purchase in Barcelona. They are such wonderful reminders of our vacations. We have found these to be some of our more reasonably priced purchases too.

It used to be you could get a good deal on electronics or jewelry in the Caribbean, but we don't bother with that anymore, as we find competitive pricing at home.

I also love the option to pay as much as possible before sailing. We book our Pinnacle and excursions, and other incidentals months in advance and get them paid off before sailing. I also like the auto tip being applied to the credit card - it lessens the amount of cash we need to bring for tips. I wish we had the option to add extra tips to our onboard account.

[jhannah]

[QUOTE=DFD1]For us, one of the nicest things about cruising with HAL is the convenience of pre-paying all of the major items.....now, even the tips./QUOTE]
I thought the tips were just added daily to your stateroom account. Do you just make an extra advance payment to HAL to cover this?

[heyabbott]

Well, I chose within reason - when I pay.

...but when I travel w/ Joe - the sky's the limit!!!

Can I go with Joe?:)

[RuthC]

Part of me believes that my life should run out minutes before my money does. :D
Part of me has that Depression mentality that there won't be enough money to live on. :eek:


So, I've never been much of a spender, but when I do spend I don't think about it. Splurge within reason? :confused:

[Cauvet]

I limit myself to Bingo only once a day!

[DFD1]

Ruth C, I share your angst. I read a great book a few years back that has become quite well known....."How Live Well, but Die Broke". It helped me feel a little better. LOL

[localady]

Part of me believes that my life should run out minutes before my money does. :D
Part of me has that Depression mentality that there won't be enough money to live on. :eek:


So, I've never been much of a spender, but when I do spend I don't think about it. Splurge within reason? :confused:

So well said RuthC!!:)

We would rather cruise more often and many times we don't play in the casino, play bingo or use the spa services. By keeping our on-board bills semi-reasonable I feel I can justify the more frequent travel.:cool:

[Krazy Kruizers]

We never worry about what we spend - money is not an issue.

Casino - not for us - but we don't mind watching others once in a while contribute to the HAL coffers.

[heyabbott]

We never worry about what we spend - money is not an issue.

Casino - not for us - but we don't mind watching others once in a while contribute to the HAL coffers.


Well, Carnival Cruise Lines is trading at historic highs. If you invested your cruise money last year you could almost pay for a cruise next year.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

We Never Never Gamble (they did not build those big Mega Resorts here on Winners) so gambling is not part of our spending. I guess we really never really worry about it, If I find some jewlery I want I buy it. We do usually pre buy our excursions. Usually our Ship Board account runs from $800 to $1000. If we were worried about money we probably would not be on the cruise to begin with. I think we have just gotten to the point that we just automatically know what we should spend money on and what we can't. I have never come home thinking OMG we should not of spent that much money.

I can imagine if one was a gambler and you spent a lot of time in the casino you could spend a lot of money.

[Stevesan]

Spending money on a cruise is a good way to maintain harmony in the family. In this way the children will have less to fight over after our final cruise.


Our goal is to leave enough for a casket and maybe a modest funeral. Uncle Sam will pop for the headstone and burial site.:)

On second thought I just might buy the casket now and use it as a coffee table. Great conversation piece.

[Krazy Kruizers]

heyabbott

We did buy Carnival stock many years ago at $12 a share even though we no longer use that to obtain ship board credit.

[HeatherInFlorida]

I want to pretend I'm Joe and travel with Brian;) !!

We budget what we're going to spend on a cruise. It's not that we're stingy ... we're just planners and unfortunately we're at a point in our lives when it would be awfully helpful to know exactly how long we're going to live. Then we could simply divide by the number of years and spend it all:) .

But since we don't know that magic number, we plan like we'll live to be 100. We never want to be a burden on anyone and sadly we don't have enough money to say "the heck with it, it's only money".

Maybe we're crazy, but we sleep better nights and we still have one heck of a great time.

[bonnyweed]

I have the eccentricity of enjoying the whole process of going on vacations for less $$. I get a lot of vicarious pleasure by knowing the going rate for cruises and then knowing an incredible deal when I see one. It's pleasurable to surf the net frequently & see if there are any bargains out there.
Once I have booked a cruise, then I have the fun of looking up the HAL price for shore excursions and doing research on how I can do better on my own. In many ports, I just enjoy setting off on foot and exploring at my leisure.
I bring one roll of quarters for the slot machines on the ship. When the 1 roll is gone...I'm done.
Cruisewear, formalwear and country club casual are not a part of my everyday wardrobe. When my cruise wardrobe is lacking,I go to a used clothing store and pick up a few cruise-appropriate items.....have done this for years and no one seems to have the impression that I am a bag lady.
I always bring 1 bottle of wine or liquor on board. If it gets confiscated for the duration the cruise, that's fine. Hasn't happened yet. I do buy drinks at onboard lounges as well.
I don't complain about being nickled and dimed. I pay the recommended gratuity.
My pre-cruise hotel is always booked on Priceline.
The day will not come when I buy overpriced ship photos, rent cabanas or have a suite. I'm happy with my frugal world and have enjoyed many cruises and land-based vacations in many exotic locations thanks to my "cheapness."

[jhannah]

Hey, it works for you and that's terrific! Bargains are to be had. It just takes some looking sometimes.

[Candy]

We're finally at that age that we don't have to stick to a budget. We take more spa treatments than before and spend more time in the casino. I still can't explain why I can lose $300 on one roll of the dice, but argue over fifty cents at the straw market!

4th Zuidy comin' up.

[careercruiser]

did you know you can save a lot of money if you work on a cruiseline? all your expenses are taken care of for you. meanwhile you make money.

i'm trying to break into the cruise industry. i want to be a cruise director eventually but i am willing to work my way up.

i have a bachelors degree in mass communications with some experience in theatre and performance. any suggestions?

[kryos]

The secret, we find, is to pre-pay as much as possible. That way there's a lot less "watching the budget" needed on a day-to-day basis. For example, on our recent 7-day O'dam cruise, the final bill for our shipboard account was about $500 which included the $10/pp/day auto-tip as well as $100 in the casino so I'd have pocket money on the last day (surpringly, San Diego cabbies don't take Pesos!).
That's what my final shipboard total was for a 10-day cruise on the Sun Princess last month. And that even included a couple of shore excursions because you don't pay for them in advance with Princess.

I don't nickle and dime, but I do have to set limits. I'm not into buying a lot of stuff in ports or on the ship ... just a few tee-shirts and stuff like that. I'm not a gambler, so the casino doesn't get donations from me.

My major onboard expenses tend to be at least one large pina colada each day, a few purchases in the shops, and photo processing.

My feeling is that if I'm careful about what I spend ... and by careful I don't mean denying myself anything that I really want, but rather just not wasting money on things I really don't care bout ... then I'll be able to cruise more often. To me, that's the ultimate reward. :)

Blue skies ...

--rita

[Silverfox]

We don't set a "budget" per se but know what's beyond necessary. We don't do the spa, go to art auctions, or even spend much in the casino. There are too many other things to do.

Our shipboard account is usually in the modest category. I enjoy several good glasses of wine before dinner, maybe even a good champagne. I guess it's what we don't do rather than what we do.

On a recent cruise we were down by the Guest Relations Desk and two elderly women were aruging about where they were going to mail their postcards. One said to the other: "I'm not paying 60 cents to mail a post card!" The second woman looked at her and said: "You paid $2,000 for this cruise and now you're balking at spending 60 cents?" That sums up the mentality of some.

[jhannah]

"You paid $2,000 for this cruise and now you're balking at spending 60 cents?" That sums up the mentality of some.
You have that right! I've heard this, too. It amazes me. Sure, none of us have a bottomless pit of money ... but why obsess over how much one particular item costs vis-a-vis what we paid to be there.

[HeatherInFlorida]

I've told this story before, but it fits here. My mother, who is very comfortable financially believes in spending wisely and has always watched her pennies, though she has travelled all over the world. She sent my husband quite a distance to buy a bag of ice because it cost less than "down the road". She gets some of her finest clothes at the Salvation Army and is proud of it. She is extraordinarily generous, yet she doesn't throw her money away. I've tried desperately to learn from her though money tends to flow freely through my open fingers.

I have known many wealthy people through the years who are extremely careful with their pennies and say things like "how do you think I ended up where I am today?". To this day my mother (good for me;) ) has not spent a penny of her "capital".

So laugh if you will, but those "pennies" add up and I wouldn't scoff at anyone who is careful with the nickels and dimes.

[tw1nk1es]

I agree with bonnyweed, planning will save you the most. Part of my DH's enjoyment of any trip is knowing that we paid less than those around us. In fact, the people he works with cannot understand how we can take so many vacation trips and cruises. On two of our cruises, our tab at the end was $0.00 and I never felt deprived once. Also, we have never had a free drink or been in any mob to receive any freebie. Our joy in traveling is going places and meeting people, not shopping and spending so thrifty is the right way for us to go!

[cgladin]

Love the Freebies! Glass of champagne and free piece of art at the art auction; Luggage tag for attending an onboard game; and I even dropped off some of those raffle tickets in the ports in the hopes of winning. I don't think there is anything wrong in taking the free things offered by cruise lines.

That said, we left our tips in place and gave extra to some crew who went above and beyond the norm to make our trip enjoyable. Enjoyed a drink or two onboard and went on a great excursion.

Counting the pennies and taking the freebies doesn't mean you can't have a great cruise; to me, it just means I budgeted and spent my money wisely.

[KatUK]

From reading through all these posts it seems that most people have the same principle. A saying that my grandmother used to say seems to sum it up.....

"Cut your cloth according to your pattern"

....if you can afford to splurge on luxuries and not have to keep track of what you're spending, then great. But if watching what you spend whilst on vacation means that you're able to take another vacation sooner rather then later, then that's great too.

One of the things I enjoy about cruising is meeting a wide variety of people. And when non-cruisers ask me "what sort of people go on cruises?" I find they're usually happy with the following explanation......There are the people who have never had to worry about money in their life and genuinely never give it a second thought, spending as much as they like as often as they like and buying the "best" of everything. There are those who have worked hard to earn what they have and now live comfortably, splurging every now and again. And there are those who have saved for years to enjoy a cruise and are only able to do so if they stick to a budget.

Then there's the category that I fit into....the "put it on the credit card, have a great time and worry about it later" brigade! This is not a category I'm in by choice....unfortunately I've been on sick leave from work for 18 months now so money is very tight. But I'd booked the cruise and paid the deposit so there was no way I was going to drop out. It does mean that I'll have to be a little careful about how much I spend on board, but I'd rather have an excellent cruise this year and not go on vacation at all next year, than deprive myself of things I want to have/see/do this year just so that I can go somewhere next year.

We all set our priorities differently and we'll never fully understand people who do things differently to ourselves. As long as everyone from the "splurgers" to the "penny pinchers" are enjoying themselves, it doesn't really matter!! :)

Kat x

[Sueseb]

Our onboard bill usually runs about $500 and will include some tours. We are not "shoppers" but do buy something if we see something that tickles our fancy in port.
I take $50.00 to lose in the slots and that is it. Of course if I win I might spend (lose) a little more. Happened once! But I did come home with more than my original $50.
We enjoy "last minute" cruising which is always less expensive -- and our cabin is some times interesting (as in right over the bow thrusters.) Rather noisy when you are pulling ito port at 5 AM but we got what we paid for and had a great time.

[jhannah]

I have known many wealthy people through the years who are extremely careful with their pennies and say things like "how do you think I ended up where I am today?". To this day my mother (good for me;) ) has not spent a penny of her "capital".
I believe you'll find that many (if not most) of these individuals came through the depression. Those were days that were beyond "lean times," and this is always in the back of their minds. They never want to go back to that, or any semblance of it.

[Tarkus]

i try to keep a perspective. as a scuba diver who usually dives each port-of-call, expenses related to that hobby can sometimes get to half the cost of the cruise. with that in mind, it'd be kind of foolish to worry much about $5 her or $10 there in the whole scheme of things.

that said, i'm not in the habit of dropping several hundred dollars in the spa or buying dom for my tablemates. but treating them to a nice bottle of wine once or twice... or buying what i want to drink when i want to drink it? no problem.

[HeatherInFlorida]

I believe you'll find that many (if not most) of these individuals came through the depression. Those were days that were beyond "lean times," and this is always in the back of their minds. They never want to go back to that, or any semblance of it.

You are correct, Jim. They did. And I was taught at their knees. But these are times, too, that we really don't know what's right around the corner. I'm an optimist by nature and I look toward bright, sunny days ahead, but an awful lot of people are in way over their heads. It's a little scarey when I see people booking expensive cruises and endless vacations while they can't even pay their mortgage every month. I hope none of these people have to get an ugly wake up call one day just because they weren't just a bit more careful with their money.

Doesn't mean we can't all have a lot of fun and it doesn't mean we shouldn't cruise, but we don't need to "have it all" ... the best suite, all the spa treatments, etc. We can still really have a good time on just a little less money.

Off my soapbox!!! Sorry!:(

[DFD1]

My mother is now 96 and widowed for 30 years. She came thru the depression and it shaped her relationship to money right up to this day. She is still very sharp mentally and is financially secure, but accounts carefully for every penny and laments having to spend anything over and above her basic living costs which are modest.

I have found that those who survived the great depression came out of it with a unique appreciation of any material comfort they may have and with a haunting realization, almost fear, that it can be taken away from them at anytime.

[jhannah]

I have found that those who survived the great depression came out of it with a unique appreciation of any material comfort they may have and with a haunting realization, almost fear, that it can be taken away from them at anytime.
All the more reason to enjoy it while you have it! Seriously. The time may come when it IS taken away. Health may fail. Lots of things can happen. We cruised once with a widow whose children sent her on the cruise. She told us that she and her late husband had planned to take that cruise for years, but just never got around to it. He became ill and died. My DW and I thought how sad that was. They missed their chance to enjoy that trip and its memories together. I hope to never have to look back and say "I shoulda' done it." That's one reason we continue to cruise. Someday we might not be able to.

Heather, I'm with you 100% with regard to those who spend lavishly on vacations (or anything else) when they have a hard time paying the mortgage. It's guaranteed they will have an ugly wake-up call some day unless they rearrange their priorities now. We've offered financial/credit counseling to our employees at work for this very reason.

[HeatherInFlorida]

All the more reason to enjoy it while you have it! Seriously. The time may come when it IS taken away. Health may fail. Lots of things can happen. We cruised once with a widow whose children sent her on the cruise. She told us that she and her late husband had planned to take that cruise for years, but just never got around to it. He became ill and died. My DW and I thought how sad that was. They missed their chance to enjoy that trip and its memories together. I hope to never have to look back and say "I shoulda' done it." That's one reason we continue to cruise. Someday we might not be able to.
...................


Jim, well here's another 100% agree! Interesting you bring it up because my parents planned to spend many happy years together cruising (they happened to be more interested in freighter travel) ... and they got to do so quite a bit, but not as much as they would have liked, until my Dad's untimely death at only 67. I'm so thankful they travelled as much as they did before his death.

And my Mom continued to do so alone or with friends for as long as she could. So I heartily agree with you ... "gather ye rosebuds while ye may ...":)

[ekerr19]

My parents waited... they scrimped and saved, we only took "driving" family vacations, my Mom bought everything on sale (she still does) and had the most creative uses for things most people just throw away.

They were fortunate to be able to retire early and the first couple years of retirement, they traveled extensively. Then, their health began to fail and while the money has never been an issue, they are very limited in where they can go and what they can do.

My Mom & Dad think my DH and I have the right approach. We save money for our retirement and for our kids college, BUT we also take at least one, and many times two family vacations (usually cruises) per year. The time we get to spend with our kids means a lot to us - they will be grown and off to college before we know it and I want all of us to have fond memories of the quality time we were able to spent together. :)

Not long ago, my Mom told me if she had it to do all over again, she would have done things differently. I am thrilled they are able to come with us on the Ryndam Christmas sailing in 2005 - one of the reasons we chose the itinerary is because it is fairly easy for them to travel to San Diego.

[AliceN]

Hi DFD1,
I think you are absolutely right-about the depression years. That is something I think will live forever in the minds of thoes that went through it.
We have a "trip account". We put rebates, tax refunds-anything extra that comes along-into that account. Amazing how it grows in just a few months. Also try to book with onboard credit to cover the tips. My TA contributes very nicely to that for us. Most of the time we leave with a 0 onboard account. Don't get me wrong-we are not cheap-but this is a "hobby" of my DH. I usually take home half if not all of our cruise cost from winning in the casino. .. It does happen!!
Saw you were from Chatt. I was born there now in FL.
Anyone on the Zuiderdam May 7th?
Alice in FLhttp://boards.cruisecritic.com/images/icons/icon14.gif

[DFD1]

Hey Alice. Sounds like a smart way to plan. Whenever I can figure a way to "best the system" a bit, it makes things all the more fun. Hope you have fun on the Zuiderdam.
We haven't gotten 'round to her yet.

[kryos]

I take $50.00 to lose in the slots and that is it. Of course if I win I might spend (lose) a little more. Happened once! But I did come home with more than my original $50.

My dear mother, God rest her soul, used to love playing the slots in Atlantic City. Dad hated them, but once a month drove her down there for her day of fun. Now me ... LOL ... I've always likened playing the slots to putting money into a vending machine that never returned the item ... but instead of walking away, putting more money in. :)

I remember some of our trips to Atlantic City. Poor dad, what mom and I didn't put that man through. They would be heading out to AC and it would be a beautiful sunny day. So, I would hitch a ride along so that they could run me over to the drop zone (which was on the way to AC) where I would spend a nice day skydiving. Dad and mom would proceed to Atlantic City, spend about six hours there, and then pick me up on the way back. Dad would always be frustrated by this point ... shaking his head and wondering why "I take my wife to risk our hard-earned money, and my daughter to risk her damned life!" :)

Ahhhhhh, those were the days. :)

Blue skies ...

--rita

[JaniceB]

I didn't think I would be concerned about money, but things have changed since I booked our cruise in March. I have to attend a conference the week after my cruise. My employer will pick up the cost, so that is not the real issue. The conference will be in Las Vegas. I am not a gambler, but there are many shows I would like to see. I have never been to Vegas and neither has my husband, so now he is joining me and his trip will not be paid by my employer. Talk about a double whammy. Thank god for income tax returns.

[FoxyTerrier]

I think I am the only one so far who selected "couldn't care less!"

When I am on vacation, money is the last thing I want or choose to worry about. :)

I selected this option too. We watch what we spending during the year, live very comfortabley and have no debt except for the house mortgage, so once or twice a year we let loose. We also have never come home with jewelry or electronics - we just aren't in to that.. I think the most extravagant thing I have purchased was a $200 crystal Wire Fox Terrier figurine. One place we always indulge in is booking a "S" stateroom. We work so hard all year long and having that wonderful room and balcony is so nice. We are also traveling with our son so it gives us all a little more room.

I also try and pre-book private tours - they cost less and seem to be of higher quality than the ones we have booked directly through HAL.

[FoxyTerrier]

Love the Freebies! Glass of champagne and free piece of art at the art auction; Luggage tag for attending an onboard game; and I even dropped off some of those raffle tickets in the ports in the hopes of winning. I don't think there is anything wrong in taking the free things offered by cruise lines.

I love the freebies too!!! As for all the HAL goodies we collect during a 7-10 day cruise - we are done lugging those items home. (Unless we get something new like our new HAL umbrella). So on the last night of the cruise we usually go to one of the lounges like the Crow's Nest and give them away to people who don't play those silly games. It's a nice way to meet people and it beat just leaving the items in the room.

On on such occassion someone gave us a bottle of Champange they had been given. We never turn away free Champange even if it means lugging it home....

[RevNeal]

I hope this didn't post twice ... the board is "acting up" again.

***

I guess I'm dull. I voted "I set a reasonable budget to have fun." The way I keep control of my onboard spending is by depositing some funds in my shipboard account, and then limiting my spending to that. Sometimes the front desk gets a little confused that I don't authorize a credit card with them, but I try to avoid that if I can.

On the Oosterdam week before last had trouble making up my mind about what shore excursions to take, so instead I had pre-deposited $300 with ship services a couple weeks prior to departure. Then, after boarding, I went to the front desk and deposited another $200 in travelers checks, that way I KNEW I'd have enough credit in my shipboard account to do what I want.

I spent:
$187 in shore excursions
$40.93 in the onboard shops ("Oosterdam named coffee mugs, shirts, etc)
$40.00 Photographs
$70.00 Auto-Gratuities ($10 x 7 days)
$17.50 Soda Card (good for 20 soft drinks during the week)
$50.25 Bar Bill (not counting Bar Tip)
$9.30 Bar Gratuity

My Statement came to: $414.98

The Front Desk gave me $85.02 back in cash the morning of disembarkation. Now THAT's the way to end a cruise ... with the ship owing ME money back. :D It's a nice feeling.

[trubey]

The late Stephen Birnbaum put it so nicely . . ."The next best thing to being wealthy is traveling as if you were."

Lane

[ron46936]

I voted for setting a reaonable budget even tho we do sometimes throw caution to the wind. Last time our account was $250 including $160 in tips. What the heck it's only money.

[Himself]

I always splurge within reason (more or less!)

[bluehorizonlover123]

Plan on spending at least $500 while onboard. Could go as high as $1000

[enjoycruises]

Our account is usaully under $200 for 3 unless we buy art at the auction and then "watch out"!

[cruzincurt]

CANDY, I agree with you. There is "money" and there is "gambling money". Both are separate. We'll put down $20 on the bones and use a 2 for 1 coupon for the drinks.

Studies show that most serious gamblers are frugal in their normal lives. By serious I mean those that know the odds and the correct strategdy.

We'll drop $250 a week on extras above and beyond the tips and gambling. Then again, we don't always lose at gambling. And we don't waste $3.95 on a "name brand" hamburger when there are ones we already paid for down by the pool.

[patrice1]

Let me start by saying that we live in the FL Keys, so vacations can be more far apart. We also like to cruise in the fall, so prices are much lower, which saves us a bunch. We always book a guarantee and have ended up with some fabulous rooms. But our last cruise was the end all ;) . We booked a guarantee outside and ended up in a suite (no balcony) with champagne waiting. Every evening, we play a roll of quarters for pre-dinner try at the casino. Never, ever win until this cruise when we won every night - at least $100 and one big one .:eek: We actually paid our onboard account and some off-board souviners with the money and came home with all the money we brought. We had a ball & it was the most frugal vacation we've ever taken.

We are now waiting for the 4th quarter itineries to come out so we can book our Panama Canal cruise in Dec. 2006 which is far enough away to allow us to pay off everything ahead of time.

[oliviaonthe beach]

This time we are reserving and paying for our July cruise excursions NOW so we will have everything paid for and will only need to set aside spending money come July. I hope this approach works better for us and we don't go "overboard" once we are on the ship!

[Host Walt]

I splurge, but my wife orders a preliminary statement of charges about 3 or 4 days into a cruise, then reality sets in.

When I see the amount that I am paying for stuff I charged a day or two ago that is already long forgotten, and she says that money could easily have gone toward a new flat panel for my desk, I get realistic rather quickly.

[cruzermon]

This is a very interesting discussion.

I selected "generally concerned about what I spend", despite the fact we never budget for our trips, whether on the sea or land-based. I always look at it as value for the money(or time) spent, so if free drinks are easily attainable, I'll go for them. I won't spend a half hour in line to get one, though. And, even though I never drink it, I'll b**ch and moan about any bar that dares charge $5 for a white zin.

Even though I do research our cruise and air fares, I know we do spend a lot on shore excursions and on board activities, well drinking if you must know. As I'm checking out the tours on our upcoming Alaska trip, I doubt I'd bat an eye at spending the multi-hundred $ for a helicopter galacier landing, but don't think I'd pay more than $20 for a 2 hour tour around the town. And, I'd probably rave, or so I'm hoping, about the helicoper trip and bellyache about the town trip, which probably costs a bit more that $20.

I guess I'll be the first to sing the praise of a great experience, and also be a critic of over-priced or under-delivered experiences as well. Fortunately, I haven't had too many of the latter.

So, even though money isn't a constraint (did I really say that?), I do want value for my money.

[Tatka]

I checked "I'm generally concerned about what I spend "

We are "youngish" family of 3 ( 33, 32, 13) and our kid will hopefully be in college in 4 years. As we usually travel when prices are high (school vacations) we usually book inside cabin.

We don't usually play in casino (except for Black Jack tournaments), as we have two beautiful ones nearby ( Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun).

We don't spend a lot in the ship bars (I usually have 2-4 drinks for whole cruise) as we prefer spend these money for shore tours.

We take tours where they make sense: Europe, California etc, but not on every Caribbean island . ;)

We don't buy ship pictures, but rather take 400 - 500 with our camera.

We don't buy soda card for our kid , as there is enough juice/water to drink (specially on HAL ships :) ), plus IMHO less soda is better for him.




It might look like we are on a cheaper side..but we also usually have 2 nice vacations yearly. (Cruise/cruise, Cruise/Europe, A/I / Europe) and this is 1 or 2 more than many of people our age with kids. ;)

[Huckelberry cruiser]

Never had a cruise with less than 1,000.00 charge. usually 1,500.00

We take one cruise a year and between the shore excursions, spa, pictures, tips, and bar tab ( I own a small company and my wife is a school teacher and we absolutely will not drive after drinking so we rarely drink much because of our busy schedules and late nites and we must be able to drive ). On a cruise we are not responsible for employess or driving so we try fine wines and enjoy nice cocktails. We are very lucky financially plus as others have said we pre-pay as much as possible.

[BIWOZ]

We try to keep within a fairly elastic budget without being obsessive. We like to have little indulgences that we wouldn't normally buy. I have to admit, though, for us it's the experience that is the attraction, not so much the "purchases". But it's a joy to have a few nice wines or a cold beer when we want ... and we do. Our favourite indulgence each night on our last cruise was a couple of mixed drinks each, listening to the string quartet, watching the snow and ice-covered hills slide past. Bliss!

[richnorto]

I can finally answer this question. We had not done a cruise in a long time and was curious how we would handle it! We didn't give much thought to money as we were paying for only drinks, excursions, tips, ect. We drank what we wanted, gambled what we wanted and did the snorkling we wanted. we still only spent around $6000 for a family of 5 including hotel, dogs kennel, gas, cruise, tips, excursions, souveniers, liquor for home etc.! We can't go to Disney World for a week for that!!!:)

[sheephugs]

Bonnyweed, If you ever make it South, Hilton Head Island thrift stores have "cruise wear" sections with gorgeous outfits.:)

[Scrumpy]

Heather,
I couldn't admire your mom more! I would love to be that way myself and I do try. My more successful relatives are well-known for being budget-conscious. One buys knock-off purses because no one knows the difference. She and her girlfriends love doing that kind of thing and think it's a real hoot. They'll go to those "ladies who lunch"-type events and giggle on the inside. Meanwhile, they have very nice homes and other "things" and give generously of both their time and money to various causes. Several years ago, and this still cracks me up, their answering machine broke in November or thereabouts. They put that on their Christmas list. They didn't just go buy an answering machine - and, since they have everything and are hard to buy for, it was probably a thoughtful thing for them to do. Actually, that is a big difference in spending style and potential *small* waste of money - we have voicemail, not an answering machine. In the long run, it's more expensive for a little more convenience... DH and I are not as financially successful, and both lack the proper mindset to find bargains. If there's a way to get ripped off, we'll usually find it. Get lucky sometimes, but I can research something until I'm blue in the face, buy it, then find out later that I didn't get the bargain I thought I had - or that I had invested in a "better" product that wasn't worth the price (Kirby vacuum cleaner - GRRRR). I have recently re-discovered consignment stores and Goodwill. It's amazing the clothing you can get there, sometimes obviously unworn. There is also a lot more variety than at a traditional department or specialty store.

There is a good book called, "The Millionairre Next Door". I haven't read the whole thing, but it's on my to-do list. Those who have it usually don't flaunt it. And, those who do have some showy things quite often drive a hard bargain to get them. People in my family didn't start out with money. The people I spoke of above started out in a small trailer and now have a large home in a fancy part of the city (equivalent to Highland Park in Dallas) and a gorgeous vacation home. It's amazing how those pennies add up!
Scrumpy


I've told this story before, but it fits here. My mother, who is very comfortable financially believes in spending wisely and has always watched her pennies, though she has travelled all over the world. She sent my husband quite a distance to buy a bag of ice because it cost less than "down the road". She gets some of her finest clothes at the Salvation Army and is proud of it. She is extraordinarily generous, yet she doesn't throw her money away. I've tried desperately to learn from her though money tends to flow freely through my open fingers.

I have known many wealthy people through the years who are extremely careful with their pennies and say things like "how do you think I ended up where I am today?". To this day my mother (good for me;) ) has not spent a penny of her "capital".

So laugh if you will, but those "pennies" add up and I wouldn't scoff at anyone who is careful with the nickels and dimes.

[Scrumpy]

Here is how my mind works: I'm turning 40 this year. My husband surprised me just over a week ago by telling me I could go anywhere I wanted for up to two weeks (and that was negotiable) and up to X amount of money (also negotiable) - or that I could buy anything I wanted up to that amount (negotiable depending on what it was), etc. I immediately wanted to mazimize the use of the time and the funds. We could have had a better cabin and a longer cruise. Instead, we have enough for a second, separate trip at a later time. (More practical people would have done other things, I'm sure; coulda made a nice dent in those student loans...)

I will be trying to get a 12-pack of my precious Mountain Dew onboard, not because I'm too cheap to buy it but because they don't HAVE it. Also, will probably take a few bottles of wine. A FEW, not enough for the whole trip. Some things cost over twice as much on the ship. That is not too terribly stingy, imo. I will be able to spend as much time as I want in the spa. Spas are my favorite places, but the nice one here is all the way across town and I don't like to get relaxed, then tense up in traffic all the way home. Other than liking spas, I am extremely low-maintenance and go months without visiting the hair salon because I simply cannot be bothered. That is my indulgence onboard - ahhhh spa treatments. Your comment about something for nothing would apply to me only if it was something I wanted very much. That "nothing" is part of the built-in cost of cruising (or a resort), after all. But, I don't jockey for position to get it because that isn't in my nature, so I'm sure there have been lots of "free" things that I've missed out on because I wouldn't queue or push through others to get them. I'm also terrible at bargaining, so if there is something I want in place that requires negotiations I do tend to get a bit frustrated. That is when I least enjoy myself and it is because I am thinking about money.

Scrumpy

Once we're on vacation, I rarely try to think about money or how much something costs, large jewelry and electronics purchases aside. But it's annoying to hear people nickel and dime everything, try to get something for nothing and complain about the cost of the little things. Is it that hard to relax about money that it jaundice's your view of everything?

It's actually a little funny to watch grown people jockey for position to get an extra free drink or hors d'ourve.

[kryos]

We can't go to Disney World for a week for that!!!:)
Actually you probably could go for even cheaper. I have a friend who does it all the time. They drive their pop up camper down from Philly ... barrel through in like 18 hours with stops only for potty breaks and gas ...

I am positive that they spend nowhere near $6,000 for a family of five ... and they are usually gone a total of about two weeks. They are a family on a budget and they stick very strictly to that budget. While they make sure the kids have the time of their lives at the various attractions (they don't just do WDW while down in Florida), they don't "waste" money either. They pack "munchies" for if the kids get hungry in the park, and unless they are gonna be in the park for like twelve hours, they don't waste money on a lot of food purchases. They wait until they get back to the camper and either fix something there, or stop at a budget restaurant on the way back.

While their type of vacations are not for me ... seems that they enjoy them and the kids always talk like they had a great time. Guess it's all a matter of what's important to you. While I like my nice food and fruity drink out on deck, these people could care less about that stuff. They're just looking for quality family time at a price that makes it possible for them to do something each year.

Blue skies ...

--rita


But, of course, they didn't get a cruise either ...