How do you people afford all those cruises?

Of recent we have been booking inside cabins after final payment and paying about $50 per person per day. We live in Florida and drive to the port so no airfare.

That way I can sail several times as often for the same price:)

For me, I maintain a grove of lime trees and sell them to get cruise money :D

For me, I maintain a grove of lime trees and sell them to get cruise money :D

Now THAT'S funny. LOL!

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For me, I maintain a grove of lime trees and sell them to get cruise money :D

Brilliant response :)

Some of the things we do:

We have a change fund, the rule of the house is everyday you walk through the door the change goes in the pot. In Canada with Loonies ($1) and Toonies ($2) that adds up quick.

We travel together to work and pay $11 parking.. to make it an even week whoever gets the two days that week puts $10 in the pot.

We have a vacation fund, every payday we combinably put $150 into the vacation fund right from our paycheques.

Stock: we have an employee stock purchase plan... his goes to his retirement, mine goes into the vacation fund.

Obviously the last two are a committment but the first two, you don't even think about. We could probably pay for a 7 day cruise every year just in change.

I've been to Florida and I've been to Hawaii. No way in h*** would I move to Florida just so I could cruise more inexpensively!!! This is a joke, right?

 

 

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No, I think this post must be the joke. California? The same state that taxes you until you can't breathe? Florida is a right to work state, has NO state income taxes, gas is $3.40 a gallon and our governor has us with one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. Being able to drive to Tampa, Jacksonville, Cape Canaveral, Miami or Ft. Lauderdale to cruise anytime I want is just icing on the cake! :D

I'm sure SOMEONE will flag it, complain, and have it removed...:rolleyes:

 

But THAT is pretty darn funny! :D

Hey Buddy! :D

Everyone has priorities: new clothes; new cars or trucks; new furniture; expensive houses; eating out; drinking; travelling (cruising); etc. It's a matter of priorities for most people, but, unfortunately, low income limits choices for way too many.

As I am the cruiser in the family and DH won't go, I have a small on call job with a catering company that pays for my cruises. No guilt this way as it's not coming from the household account

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As a fellow Hawaii resident, I can suggest to Kekila that she put all the $$$ she saves from NO HEATING costs, and NO A/C COSTS into the

cruise fund. Its worked for me, for 20+ yrs.

My list for saving money to cruise often:

Balcony cabins on a newer ship like the Solstice class are very nice. You don't need to stay in a suite unless you have the money to burn - we certainly don't, but we've done a lot of cruises.

We enjoy the MDR food and have eaten at a specialty restaurant only once during all the cruises we've taken.

Bring a couple of bottles of wine on board to drink in your room, use moderation when drinking otherwise, and you won't need a beverage package either. We've never found it to be a worthwhile choice for us, especially with port-intensive cruises.

Don't spend money on excursions if you can easily hire a taxi or book an outside reputable tour company (assuming you're in a "safe" port). We often use the local bus system to get around.

Look for deals. Our last cruise was $750/each for a balcony.

Following the rules above, we've found that cruises are actually cheaper than land-based vacations.

Sue

Just imagine if you could cruise in the best suite as many times as you wanted throughout the year...now, would you really be happy or would boredom set in after say 8 or more? Okay, I know a few of you say 8 is not enough! Part of the game is saving for it; making it a goal that you plan to achieve...Delayed Gratification and not Instant Gratification! Part of the fun is the journey to the goal; that way you can really enjoy it! We almost all waste so much money from day to day, not even thinking about what we are doing. We are stressed, overly tired and exhausted. Those conditions lead to temptations to give us a quick fix. Dump the bad habits and replace them with something that you can do...saving is very much like being on a diet; it only works for a short period of time if you don't preserve!:cool: So, modify and adjust; you don't have to be perfect...

Is there some secret to cruising regularly that I am not aware of? I just booked my second cruise in 10 years and it is costing me a fortune for a Sky suite, specialty dining and beverage package, let alone the flight and hotel stays. Is everyone out there a billionaire or am I just paying rack rates stupidly? I researched a bunch of online cruise sites, but Celebrity offered just the same price for the cabin I wanted. So what gives, get up off your secrets to great cruising, I want to join you....

I am very thankful to you for having posted this question! First of all, I have often wondered about this myself, but felt it was none of my business how people afforded their cruises, so I was embarrassed to ask. It turns out, some folks at least don't mind telling, so that's good!

Secondly, I always assumed that folks with tremendously long cruise "resumes" must be in the travel business (which I am not, nor likely ever to be) and cruising either for free or nearly for free. This thread suggests that may not be the case.

Thirdly, it hadn't occurred to me that many cruises might have been accomplished simply by sailing in inside cabins! Although we are not among the cruisers who "use their cabin only for changing clothes and sleeping," and thus would not consider booking an inside or even an ocean view cabin, more power to those who do, and thus cruise more than we do!

Fourthly, and most importantly for me, reading this thread -- particularly reading the many posts which discuss what cruisers "sacrifice" in order to cruise -- has gotten me thinking differently about my own behavior. Case in point: just the other day I was "hanging out" at Target because I had a little free time, and in the end, my hanging out and browsing resulted in my heading to the cash register with about 6 accessory items that I thought were a good price and were attractive. They had caught my eye, and I wanted them, but I certainly didn't need them. Nor had I truly paid attention to the totality of what I had picked up (just individual prices), so I experienced a shock when the cashier told me, "That will be $63!"

I paid for the items, but I was determined to go home and reassess whether I really wanted to spend $63 on these baubles. All the while, I was thinking about this thread on CC, and I had already calculated in my head that if I "hung out" at Target like that 10 times in a year (an easy thing for me to do, as Target is 5 minutes from my home), I could easily spend $630, and that could be a cruise!!!

It was a shock to me, but a very good shock, and it was all because you posted the question you did.

So thanks! I will be returning most if not all of my baubles to Target soon.

In a way, you have changed my life! That is the power of Cruise Critic.

I am very thankful to you for having posted this question! First of all, I have often wondered about this myself, but felt it was none of my business how people afforded their cruises, so I was embarrassed to ask. It turns out, some folks at least don't mind telling, so that's good!

 

Secondly, I always assumed that folks with tremendously long cruise "resumes" must be in the travel business (which I am not, nor likely ever to be) and cruising either for free or nearly for free. This thread suggests that may not be the case.

 

Thirdly, it hadn't occurred to me that many cruises might have been accomplished simply by sailing in inside cabins! Although we are not among the cruisers who "use their cabin only for changing clothes and sleeping," and thus would not consider booking an inside or even an ocean view cabin, more power to those who do, and thus cruise more than we do!

 

Fourthly, and most importantly for me, reading this thread -- particularly reading the many posts which discuss what cruisers "sacrifice" in order to cruise -- has gotten me thinking differently about my own behavior. Case in point: just the other day I was "hanging out" at Target because I had a little free time, and in the end, my hanging out and browsing resulted in my heading to the cash register with about 6 accessory items that I thought were a good price and were attractive. They had caught my eye, and I wanted them, but I certainly didn't need them. Nor had I truly paid attention to the totality of what I had picked up (just individual prices), so I experienced a shock when the cashier told me, "That will be $63!"

 

I paid for the items, but I was determined to go home and reassess whether I really wanted to spend $63 on these baubles. All the while, I was thinking about this thread on CC, and I had already calculated in my head that if I "hung out" at Target like that 10 times in a year (an easy thing for me to do, as Target is 5 minutes from my home), I could easily spend $630, and that could be a cruise!!!

 

It was a shock to me, but a very good shock, and it was all because you posted the question you did.

 

So thanks! I will be returning most if not all of my baubles to Target soon.

 

In a way, you have changed my life! That is the power of Cruise Critic.

I can only speak for myself of course, but as I've aged (55 this year, ugh!) material things don't have nearly as much meaning to me as experiences and making memories do. We've never been what I would consider to be well off but we've been responsible with our money and saved when we could, as much as we could. As a result we are debt free, kids grown and we're on our own to spend their inheritance as we see fit, LOL. Nearly every thing I have my eye on in a store I ask myself, do I want it or need it? 99.9% of the time the answer is I want it and don't need it so I put it back. We have a vacation fund that we pay into every month just like a bill that is due. It all adds up. We're about to leave on our trip of a lifetime as a result of living our lives this way. You can even think of a cruise on a day to day basis. The next time you pick up something that costs $100 think of that as a day on a cruise ship. Which would you rather have? You'll realize the answer pretty quick. I'm betting you'll take those baubles back to Target!!!

Is there some secret to cruising regularly that I am not aware of? I just booked my second cruise in 10 years and it is costing me a fortune for a Sky suite, specialty dining and beverage package, let alone the flight and hotel stays. Is everyone out there a billionaire or am I just paying rack rates stupidly? I researched a bunch of online cruise sites, but Celebrity offered just the same price for the cabin I wanted. So what gives, get up off your secrets to great cruising, I want to join you....

We know couples who only book inside cabins and travel on cruises most of the year. We prior to this year always booked suites. We then retired and have downsized our home and our cruises to a balcony ( D2 on RCI) and sometimes Concierge class on Celebrity. There are some cruises where you do not need a balcony - a Transatlantic for example- and inside will work. How much is your cruise budget for the year? That determines how many we take.

Is there some secret to cruising regularly that I am not aware of? I just booked my second cruise in 10 years and it is costing me a fortune for a Sky suite, specialty dining and beverage package, let alone the flight and hotel stays. Is everyone out there a billionaire or am I just paying rack rates stupidly? I researched a bunch of online cruise sites, but Celebrity offered just the same price for the cabin I wanted. So what gives, get up off your secrets to great cruising, I want to join you....

As I'm sure many responded to you..You did go top drawer so to speak on this cruise. You could have saved by not staying at a pricey hotel before(and after)You could pick a discount airline. You didn't need the specialty rest. & beverage packages. As you say..Your tastes are simple..You like the best!

Love you question since many of us wonder about this. I'm sure there is no one answer. My husband and I did not travel outside of the USA until we were in our 50's and when our kids were grown. We have never gotten a suite but do get balconies. Suites are so expensive! Getting the best deal on a cruise and airfare is tricky and often when the cruise is cheap, the airfare is not. Sounds like you did your research and did the best you could.

We do some excursions when the cities are too far from the port but most of the time, get off and get on a hop on and off bus or just walk around. Research prior to leaving. We almost always eat in the main dining room - excellent food at no additional cost.

Limit the drinks - they are very expensive. I know this can be difficult.

Save, save, save - when you are at home. Start a cruise account, and add to it. Each time you go to the store, evaluate what you don't need and put that money in your cruise account.

Know that all things good come to those who wait. Also know that not all of us can continually travel. Some people are wealthy and don't have cash challenges. Wishing you many happy cruises.

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I have already commented on this post, but realized I left one thing out. We always book our cruises 6 - 12 months in advance and monitor any price drops before final payment. Our Azamara cruise this upcoming winter dropped $1,000/pp after we paid the deposit, so that is saving us a nice chunk of change. Eventhough most of our Celebrity cruises haven't given us price drops before final payment in our room category, higher category rooms have dropped allowing us to upgrade. We also have a great travel agent who processes these price drops and upgrades almost immediately. We are in our late 30's and do two long cruises a year. We have seen a lot of the world already. And choosing not to have kids, allows us to have a double income and disposable money for travel :D

Michael

My husband and I are in our 50s--no children. This is how I pay for ALL vacations--not only cruises:

In 2001 I opened a regular savings account with $300.00 and called it "Vacation Account". Then I started nickel and diming it to death. I grocery shop with coupons. At the bottom of the receipt, it will say, e.g., "you saved $22.50". The next day, I will transfer $23.00 (rounding up) from my regular checking account to the vacation account. I save my change and when I get a few dollars in rolled coins, that goes into the vacation account. I get a Christmas bonus every year at work which also goes in. If I buy something that offers a rebate, I mail it in. If friends want to go to a sporting event or a play, I volunteer to buy the tickets. When I'm paid back, that goes into the account. Any time there's any kind of windfall (like a tax refund) that too goes in.

Another thing I do is I use my AMEX card as if it were my debit card. For the Delta Skymiles. Unlike most people these days, I still keep a check register. So I pay for everything I can (groceries, gasoline, etc.) with my AMEX card. Then I enter the amount charged into my check register as if I used my debit card. I also pay a couple of monthly bills with AMEX. When the AMEX bill comes, I match the charges on the bill with the entries in my register. It always evens out and I pay AMEX in full. When on vacation, I pay for everything with AMEX and those charges are paid from the vacation account. Those Skymiles add up and free flights are a good thing. I try also to throw $100.00 per month into the account, but that doesn't happen all the time.

It's a relatively painless way to save money for a vacation. Sure, it's a little bit of extra work, but for me it's well worth it. We take a yearly cruise with premium drink package and book Concierge Class. We still manage to take two or three long weekend type trips too.

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My husband and I are in our 50s--no children. This is how I pay for ALL vacations--not only cruises:

 

In 2001 I opened a regular savings account with $300.00 and called it "Vacation Account". Then I started nickel and diming it to death. I grocery shop with coupons. At the bottom of the receipt, it will say, e.g., "you saved $22.50". The next day, I will transfer $23.00 (rounding up) from my regular checking account to the vacation account. I save my change and when I get a few dollars in rolled coins, that goes into the vacation account. I get a Christmas bonus every year at work which also goes in. If I buy something that offers a rebate, I mail it in. If friends want to go to a sporting event or a play, I volunteer to buy the tickets. When I'm paid back, that goes into the account. Any time there's any kind of windfall (like a tax refund) that too goes in.

 

Another thing I do is I use my AMEX card as if it were my debit card. For the Delta Skymiles. Unlike most people these days, I still keep a check register. So I pay for everything I can (groceries, gasoline, etc.) with my AMEX card. Then I enter the amount charged into my check register as if I used my debit card. I also pay a couple of monthly bills with AMEX. When the AMEX bill comes, I match the charges on the bill with the entries in my register. It always evens out and I pay AMEX in full. When on vacation, I pay for everything with AMEX and those charges are paid from the vacation account. Those Skymiles add up and free flights are a good thing. I try also to throw $100.00 per month into the account, but that doesn't happen all the time.

 

It's a relatively painless way to save money for a vacation. Sure, it's a little bit of extra work, but for me it's well worth it. We take a yearly cruise with premium drink package and book Concierge Class. We still manage to take two or three long weekend type trips too.

Well that is some great, helpful detail! Bravo! Considering the fact that interest rates in savings accounts are about zero % these days, you have described what I call the "Christmas Club" method of socking away money for a cruise. Good system, and good example of self-control which we could all emulate! :rolleyes:

My husband and I are in our 50s--no children. This is how I pay for ALL vacations--not only cruises:

 

In 2001 I opened a regular savings account with $300.00 and called it "Vacation Account". Then I started nickel and diming it to death. I grocery shop with coupons. At the bottom of the receipt, it will say, e.g., "you saved $22.50". The next day, I will transfer $23.00 (rounding up) from my regular checking account to the vacation account. I save my change and when I get a few dollars in rolled coins, that goes into the vacation account. I get a Christmas bonus every year at work which also goes in. If I buy something that offers a rebate, I mail it in. If friends want to go to a sporting event or a play, I volunteer to buy the tickets. When I'm paid back, that goes into the account. Any time there's any kind of windfall (like a tax refund) that too goes in.

 

Another thing I do is I use my AMEX card as if it were my debit card. For the Delta Skymiles. Unlike most people these days, I still keep a check register. So I pay for everything I can (groceries, gasoline, etc.) with my AMEX card. Then I enter the amount charged into my check register as if I used my debit card. I also pay a couple of monthly bills with AMEX. When the AMEX bill comes, I match the charges on the bill with the entries in my register. It always evens out and I pay AMEX in full. When on vacation, I pay for everything with AMEX and those charges are paid from the vacation account. Those Skymiles add up and free flights are a good thing. I try also to throw $100.00 per month into the account, but that doesn't happen all the time.

 

It's a relatively painless way to save money for a vacation. Sure, it's a little bit of extra work, but for me it's well worth it. We take a yearly cruise with premium drink package and book Concierge Class. We still manage to take two or three long weekend type trips too.

 

 

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This is exactly what I do too! Only I use a Chase Southwest Visa card. I can't even remember the last time I actually paid for a flight on Southwest. I keep a vacation account and also dump in any tax refunds, etc. I don't go so far as the coupon thing though. I do "deposit" money every month into it though. I make it a priority and treat it like a recurring monthly bill :) Then I pay my credit card bill in full every month after I check off all the charges in my check register ;)

I stay out of the malls.:D

Really, we all have our priorities. I know some people who are constantly redecorating and shopping. Some people buy big homes and fancy cars and boats. We spend more on dining, entertainment, and travel.

And we live 20 minutes from a cruiseport. We've been on over 30 cruises without ever flying to a port.

Just do it. Ive been travelling overseas since I was 20. Key leave the wallet at home when working. Saves tempting you to spurges. Many times I have to pay 2k in airfare to get somewhere. I just put the money aside and budget a holiday like an expense to be paid. I dobt own a car and walk or tske public transport saves a bundle.

We try to book cruises that travel at the beginning or end of the season, and look for ones during non-peak times (although we have two booked in the future which don't meet those requirements). We also don't do ship's tours or pay for taxis, choosing to do ports on our own with public transportation.

All of our expenses are put on credit cards which provide airline or hotel miles. We have been known to sign up for credit cards for the bonus airline miles and then cancel before the year is out so we aren't charged the yearly usage fee. We try to limit our expenses during our time at home by rarely dining out.

I worked for hospice for almost 15 years and learned early that life is short and days are precious. Travel while you can, the world is a beautiful place and should be experienced.:cool:

Yes, but everyone on the boards seem to talk about the suites and AQ and not that they are booked inside staterooms.

I have never booked a suite on Celebrity, as they are way to expensive. I have booked an Owners Suite twice on Royal on their Transatlantic sailings. On a per night basis, the OS was only a little more expensive than a balcony cabin on a 7 day Caribbean sailing.

Otherwise, in terms of vacationing, we have 2 incomes and no children.