How will you cruise next year due to the economy?

With the economy in a major slump, job losses and people watching their pocketbooks, we'd like to know what your plans are next year when it comes to cruising. Many people, now more than ever, are paying close attention to their budgets regarding leisure and entertainment and scaling back on the non-necessities. So how will you cruise in 2009? Take our poll and post your opinion!

We will fly to Miami, board the Norwegian Jewel and have a marvelous cruise.

We are looking at a Trans Atlantic to celebrate our 40th anniversary. Presently it is out of our price range. We are waiting to book in hope of getting a better deal.

Also, we are waiting to see if the cruise lines remove the fuel supplement charge.

Spanky

We most likely won't cruise...or for that matter, take a vacation...in 2009, unless something dramatic happens with the economy and the stock market moves back up. I can't look at last-minute deals...I need a handicap-accessible cabin, and those are never available at the last minute. While I absolutely love cruising...I love to eat, put gas in my car, and heat my house, too. Can't do all that and cruise, too.

I dont know what to check. I have 5 cruises booked and plan on going on them all. Some are home port and a couple are not. Is that "other".

We are looking at a Trans Atlantic to celebrate our 40th anniversary. Presently it is out of our price range. We are waiting to book in hope of getting a better deal.

Also, we are waiting to see if the cruise lines remove the fuel supplement charge.

Spanky

I agree with Spanky. Fuel prices are lower now than before they were added back in 2007. There is no reason for fuel supplement charges other than greed.

I have my dream trip booked and paid for. I have taken a BIG hit in my investments. I have decided I am going on this trip anyway............if it is the last GRAND thing I get to do then so be it.....at least I DID it!

I will hope and pray it all comes back.......and I can continue my dreams of traveling via cruise ship!!

We have 2 cruise booked for next year, one out of LA on Mariner of the Seas and the other on the Oasis Inaugural. We have the first one paid completely off and air booked so no matter what we will be going but as for the Oasis if times get drastic we will have to cancel that one. Do not plan on not going on the Oasis but if it comes down to it we will decide at the last moment (before final payment) whether to cancel or not. But as of now the economics have not hit my family and we are very fortunate.

we still plan on cruising, but have decided to cut down on how much we spend on vacation. Not only will on board purchases go down but pricy excursions will be replaced with less expensive "do it yourself" excursions.

Note the reason we are cutting back is more because of the exchange rate with the Canadian Dollar everything just costs us $15% more.

I am fortunate to live half way between New Orleans and Mobile. No long drives or expensive hotels bills to go cruise. I take at least one cruise a year and one shore vacation to the mountains of Western North Carolina for a couple of weeks. (some time in the hopefully short future will be moving up that way)

there are some great deals and sales out there...right now we have 2 booked and are considering a short Baja Mexico cruise in the summer if we can find a good rate

We have one booked in Jan of 09 and that will be it for awhile.:( As much as we started to like going on a cruises we will only be able to go on short vactions on land. Probably will visit family so that way we won't have to book a hotel room. Fortunatly we have family in Florida, Texas, Colorado and Minnesota. So we do have several options. But as soon as we can we will be going on cruises again:D

OK, don't hate me but look at my tickers. Yes, I really did win 2 cruises for next year.

We will use FF miles and hotel points to cut back on costs. I imagine we will be more aware of our spending - shipboard and port while on vacation. Since we are in the mid-west we do not have the luxury of sailing from a home port and it isn't feasible to drive two days to get to a port. :rolleyes:

We may also look at driving a few hours to save $$ on air fare. There can be as much as 400.00 to 700.00 difference if we are willing to drive 2 to 5 hours.

We consider flying and hotels part of the "cruise" budget. This may make a difference in what we book for 2010.

I have a cruise booked for spring, 2009; and one booked for spring 2010; next year I'll most likely book one for 2011 - in celebration of my retirement. (Any excuse is fine by me!!:-))

we have our second cruise booked for next year already and after that its back to the AI, nothing against cruises we love it thats why we are going out with a bang (temporarily) on Freedom :D

I had already booked the cruise with two friends. We are doing a Royal Caribbean Panama Canal cruise. It is $849 each for the first two and $5?? for the third, but we are splitting costs evenly. Hopefully since gas prices are going down, we will get the refund for the fuel supplement. If they are actually charging tax on the tips, we will be giving the tips to the crew in cash prepared ahead of time. We will have some onboard credit, which we will use. I am not a big spender in any case, and we will be visiting friends in at least two ports. I always take my own water bottle, fill it up with ice and water from the ship before leaving-- no way am I spending money on water which is already there free! I bring my own cans of diet coke-- it tastes no different from what they have onboard and a lot better than the fountain coke--and costs me about 25 cents a can. I am doing some retirement home hunting on the way there and back and hope to be able to park my car in Miami. My friend lived in Costa Rica and we both and her sister, have plenty of souvenirs of the places we are visiting. Where I will spend is on photos and a very few souvenirs and scrapbooking kit.

Betty Jean

We have a Med cruise booked, we don't have to pay it till April, we have the money in savings for it, also we will be using FF miles, we just wait and see, still planning to go on this cruise, we just deceide end of March how things look then.

The part that makes me so angry is the outrageuos airfares. We're booked on a New Years cruise and we're paying almost as much to get to Miami on a crammed airplane as we are for the 7 day cruise (room and board!!!).

[i am with you...there are some great deals here in Australian also but we use the cruise season from Nov. to April & althought we have now completed AUST to New Zealand 3 times, we head out on another on on the Millenium next week as the price was cheap for a balcony (out first time) rather than inside or outside.

Althought the Aussie dollar is only .67c to US $ we are still planning to go on the 33 nt cruise Auckland to Hong Kong in March but may cancel & re book after the finals have been paid (the fares may come down)

It is too expensive to fly to the USA or UK for other cruises as the airfare sometimes out weighs the cruise cost.

Remember....you can't take it with you so enjoy!

We've taken such a big hit on investments it really scares me.:eek: So altho we're booked for an Alaska Cruise next year...well, we'll just have to wait and see. Since we live on the Eastern Seaboard, there's little $$ to be saved getting to the departure port.:( Hopefully by the time the cruise balance is due, things will be getting better. :o

We enjoy cruising so much that we cut back all year long, as necessary, to continue to cruise. I would rather skip going out to dinner and a movie and save my 10 day voyage in paradise with my husband and family.

Booked with a CC Group, from a local port, in a shoulder season but before hurricane season!;):D

OK, don't hate me but look at my tickers. Yes, I really did win 2 cruises for next year.

OK, you got me....I'm curious....how did you win TWO CRUISES?????

Will be reviewing the economy and making future decisions on booked cruises at the last possible minute