How can people afford expensive cruises?

Whether it those are not be a 12-night Crystal Cruise, or a Holland America Grand Voyage, the fact remains, these cruises are expensive. Twelve, fifteen, twenty-five thousand dollars per person....these are not your $599 7 night Caribbean sailings.

My sister and I are both in our 50s, married to professionals, have incomes of about $125K per year and own 4BR/2BA suburban homes in affordable areas, drive "average" cars like a 2010 Toyota Camry, and don't have small children in our households. We put moderate amounts--between $2000 to $4000 a month--away towards retirement. We consider ourselves middle-class.

So in reading these cruise boards we notice many, many cruisers who are in income brackets similar to or lower than ours, yet they seem able to take expensive cruises my sister and I can only drool over. Retired teachers and policemen, former university professors, electricians, retired Teamster employees, Vice-President of a local bank, etc. etc. Some are living in condos, others in single-family homes...the point being, we don't know how they can do it.

NOT being nosey; rather, looking for insight into how we, too, can enjoy those perks!

Thanks a bunch.

It is a matter of priorities...same as people who seem to have fancy cars, or trucks to pull their boats, or any other "toy" that some people have. That is their priority, and they choose to spend (or borrow) their money that way.

In our case, I would tend to agree with your philosophy. We don't have children, we worked a heck of a lot during our working years (I averaged over 700 overtime hours a year), and we saved like crazy. We didn't have the "toys" mentioned above, nor did we take many expensive vacations then. We did make more money than you are currently. Now we are enjoying the benefits of our hard work and savings.

Whether it those are not be a 12-night Crystal Cruise, or a Holland America Grand Voyage, the fact remains, these cruises are expensive. Twelve, fifteen, twenty-five thousand dollars per person....these are not your $599 7 night Caribbean sailings.

 

My sister and I are both in our 50s, married to professionals, have incomes of about $125K per year and own 4BR/2BA suburban homes in affordable areas, drive "average" cars like a 2010 Toyota Camry, and don't have small children in our households. We put substantial amounts of money--$2000 to $4000 a month away towards retirement. We consider ourselves middle-class.

 

So in reading these cruise boards we notice many, many cruisers who are in income brackets similar to ours, yet they seem able to take expensive cruises my sister and I can only drool over. Retired teachers and policemen, former university professors, electricians, retired Teamster employees, Vice-President of a local bank, etc. etc. Some are living in condos, others in single-family homes...the point being, we don't know how they can do it.

 

NOT being nosey; rather, looking for insight into how we, too, can enjoy those perks!

 

Thanks a bunch.

Most of us save and plan ahead for our cruises. We may or may not take land vacations. With careful planning and looking for good cruise prices, we enjoy cruising and find it to be a good vacation bargain.

Some of us cannot afford to cruise on the upscale lines and do not pay the amounts you mentioned. Instead you'll find many sailing with NCL, Carnival, RCI, etc. and having a great time. We might be in an inside room, but we are still sailing. Also, being thrifty onboard is important. You will not find me at the spa. I cruise from a port that is close enough to drive to in about 5 hours. This saves $$$ on airfare and if we leave early in the am there will no hotel costs.

For next year DD and I have decided to kick it up a notch (special occasion) and we have a suite. This is new for us and we have the least expensive suite, but we will still have all the perks. We booked early and are watching the prices rise steadily for this category. Our cost per person will be less than $300.00 per day and includes gratuity, cabin, food, etc. and our butler and concierge. That's cheaper than most land vacations.

You too can cruise, but perhaps not on a "Grand" voyage.

Diversity in cruise prices and the demographics of those who choose which lines is no different than those for a land vacation. If you go to a resort town, you will find choices, from a Four Seasons resort hotel complex to a Motel 6. Some people will spend their week happily at the Motel 6 for $60/night, while others will not go "lower" than the Four Seasons at $600/night. Same town, same access to restaurants, attractions, tours. Just like when different cruise ships stop at the same port...

It isn't all about how much money a person has, but it does have some play. Everyone can go to the Four Seasons if they want, but it may take some people years to save for it, while others can do that vacation at least once a year.

DH and I are in our 50s and I consider ourselves middle class. We have been lucky and have managed 5 cruises in 12 years. Many of our friends go on trips every year - Cuba, Mexico, Dominica are very popular (and affordable) destinations. Although winter can be harsh, we don't take one of these holidays, we save and manage a cruise every 2 to 3 years. Unlike you, we don't save 2000 to 4000 a month for retirement, we put away substantially less. I guess we're spending that money now. It all depends on priorities.

We live in a small 3 bd house we do not drink or smoke

we do not eat out very often

we have decent cars & a motorcycle

we are retired with modest income

we save our $$ for our annual cruise on a nice cruise line

It is all about priorities

YMMV

I think the people who take $20K cruises are not making $125K a year and saving up for it. I think they are the 1%ers in IMHO. They can afford it.

Or - it is a once in a lifetime vacation and they saved up for years to be able to take it. But I think most who do take the luxury cruises are not middle class.

And let's not forget that many people are in debt, and take vacations they cannot actually afford. (Not saying that's anyone on this thread, or even on these boards, but it is true in the US generally.)

Whether it those are not be a 12-night Crystal Cruise, or a Holland America Grand Voyage, the fact remains, these cruises are expensive. Twelve, fifteen, twenty-five thousand dollars per person....these are not your $599 7 night Caribbean sailings.

 

My sister and I are both in our 50s, married to professionals, have incomes of about $125K per year and own 4BR/2BA suburban homes in affordable areas, drive "average" cars like a 2010 Toyota Camry, and don't have small children in our households. We put moderate amounts--between $2000 to $4000 a month--away towards retirement. We consider ourselves middle-class.

 

So in reading these cruise boards we notice many, many cruisers who are in income brackets similar to or lower than ours, yet they seem able to take expensive cruises my sister and I can only drool over. Retired teachers and policemen, former university professors, electricians, retired Teamster employees, Vice-President of a local bank, etc. etc. Some are living in condos, others in single-family homes...the point being, we don't know how they can do it.

 

NOT being nosey; rather, looking for insight into how we, too, can enjoy those perks!

 

Thanks a bunch.

I know people who have spent $100K + on new RV's over the time we knew them. But won't go on a cruise because they say it's too expensive.

They might only be able to use their RV for 6 months a year with only about 12 trips in that time . Don't forget the cost of a new truck with every new bigger RV purchased.

I know we could not afford the luxery cruise. But we do save each year for the one cruise a year around our anniversary.

We have modest cars with no payment

Don't go out to eat often

Don't go out to movies or bars

If it is a leftover in the fridge we eat it. No wasting money on the food

We just save and save but the one cruise a year is something to always look forward too. Maybe they do the same thing with a bigger income than us.

I lead a very frugal lifestyle. My daughter is grown. I do not have to have new clothes and shoes every season. My tiny two bedroom house has been paid for for a number of years, I drive a 2001 car, carry no credit card debt, eat out at moderately priced restaurants and save as much as I can. I started a special account to save for my upcoming world voyage in 1996!

I believe a lot of these people are in the higher income brackets. Over 200,000 per year.

But, I also believe that some of these people are

1. People who have saved some money all there life to take that one grand "retirement" cruise.

2. People that have had parents or another relative pass and use their inheritance to take a "luxury vacation".

3. People that have relatives that "treat" them to a "luxury vacation"

and of course

4. People that come into unexpected money in lottery or gambling winnings or from settlements from a lawsuit.

I am in the number 4 category when my wife recently won her car accident suit and was awarded and very nice settlement that will allow us to book a very nice 30 to 45 day cruise when we get the last kid through school this next year

We make travel a priority, but don't make our cabin a priority :) We are happy with an oceanview cabin usually.

We live very frugally, my car is 10 years old, DH's is 17 years old. We don't go out for dinners at home, we have a limited entertainment budget that permits one or two live concerts or ballet a year, and we save money every two weeks to go on our one vacation a year. We pay cash for everything. Everything.

I think that some people (not all, but some) travel on credit/line of credit/home equity. I also think that for some, the big splash-out uber-deluxe suite on a longer cruise is the ONE big expensive vacation they will take for a decade. (That will be DH and I when we retire and sell the house in which we live.) I think there are others, though, who figure "life is short, eat dessert first" so they may be spending what they could be saving.

We make travel a priority, but don't make our cabin a priority :) We are happy with an oceanview cabin usually.

 

We live very frugally, my car is 10 years old, DH's is 17 years old. We don't go out for dinners at home, we have a limited entertainment budget that permits one or two live concerts or ballet a year, and we save money every two weeks to go on our one vacation a year. We pay cash for everything. Everything.

 

I think that some people (not all, but some) travel on credit/line of credit/home equity. I also think that for some, the big splash-out uber-deluxe suite on a longer cruise is the ONE big expensive vacation they will take for a decade. (That will be DH and I when we retire and sell the house in which we live.) I think there are others, though, who figure "life is short, eat dessert first" so they may be spending what they could be saving.

Good post and agree!

Have been on a cash only basis for more than 10 years and it makes a big difference in your lifestyle and a positive one.

NOT being nosey; rather, looking for insight into how we, too, can enjoy those perks!

 

Thanks a bunch.

Usually they're not perqs, they're earned and planned-for expenses.......Life is about priorities, and a lot of things are possible to purchase, but every purchase means the loss of a different purchase opportunity. It might be that others make adjustments in their housing, in their entertainment costs (which include eating out), in their transportation costs, or in their retirement plans.

The choices others make might not be right for you - for instance, if you skipped a few months of retirement savings every year, you could take a fancy cruise every third year. To some, that choice would be a great thing to do, and for others, it would be ridiculously foolish.

Then there are those who live in debt, so their spending does not match their (presumed) income, and there are those with inherited or lottery savings, so again their spending does not match their stated occupation. But for most, it's about prioritizing their saving and spending.

Both my husband and I are educated beyond our 4 year degrees and have jobs befitting that level of education. We are 100% debt free for 20 years and frugal savers. My husband is an engineer and banks about half of his income and works for a company that still offers very good, very affordable healthcare and savings matching up to 6% which he does. I work part-time with a non-profit; I retired from full-time work at 29. My job includes many free cultural events so we pay little or nothing for trips to the ballet, theater, films, etc.

We have a use it up, wear it out, "do we really need that?" mentality that means we don't pay for expensive cell phones (my plan costs $8.25 a month), new cars when we have good condition paid-for cars, few meals out, etc. We live in a newer, nice but modest home in an affordale town for which we paid cash, saving many thousands in interest, mortgage insurance, etc. We don't buy many multiples of things but have just enough for our needs until it needs replacing. We don't smoke, drink very moderately and don't eat much meat or convenience foods. We don't buy things that can be gotten free; we enjoy public libraries, parks and events our tax dollars help provide in our county. We both exercise and eat healthfully so as to limit doctor visits and their co-pays.

Our only big extravagance is travel and it became a high priority once we were totally debt-free. Also, I was very ill for a few years and vowed that if I survived, I would travel the world. Check and check.

Our thinking is "far less stuff, WAY more travel." We never feel deprived but always feel fortunate to be able to live as we choose.

Not saying this is the case for most, but just because it is written on the internet does not necessarily make it true. :rolleyes:

I could do research and write a grand tale of a B2B in a Royal Suite that would be very accurate...doesn't mean I actually went.

Not saying this is the case for most, but just because it is written on the internet does not necessarily make it true. :rolleyes:

 

I could do research and write a grand tale of a B2B in a Royal Suite that would be very accurate...doesn't mean I actually went.

Good point and likely it happens more often than we realize.

My wife and I are very lucky to be able to take at least two cruises each year and they are generally three weeks or more each. My wife was a wonderful money manager so we have no mortgage, money in the bank along investments. In addition we are both retired so we have the time. We generally take a yearly transatlantic cruise and then spend time in Europe either before or after the cruise - depending whether it is Fall or Spring. We have two additional things in our favor: (1) we live in south Florida so the Florida ports are "just down the road" and (2) one of our daughters is a flight attendant so flying to or from Europe is fairly cheap.

Some people might not have anybody to leave there money to.

Some people don't have children and can travel as well or as often as they want without worrying about it.

Some people will spend their week happily at the Motel 6 for $60/night, while others will not go "lower" than the Four Seasons at $600/night.

Then there are those of us who figure out a way of staying at that Four Seasons, but not spending $600/night. For instance, my first night in Rome last year was spent at the Intercontinental - for which I paid nothing. All other nights in Italy were free on points. The deals/tricks are out there, it's a matter of working the system to obtain what you want.

The main reason we can afford pricey vacations is that we didn't have children. I believe it's been said that it costs $200,000 to raise one kid. The next reason is that we lived below our means. Where we live, it's location, location, location. The same house on a different street could cost hundreds of thousands more, with higher taxes to boot. We live in a nice house, but in the less expensive part of town! We were able to successfully invest the $$$ we would have spent on a more expensive house. We both have pensions as well, so SS is money to blow at this stage in our lives. We have people with higher paying jobs( than we had) in our neighborhood ie Dr.s and Atty's. I used to ask myself why are they living here??? They too have discovered the secret to a satisfying retirement! Last but not least.....many inside cabins when we were younger, as well!!

I am a single senior lady who was able to retire at age 60. I have been traveling extensively for 6 years, cruises, Elder Hostel programs and my own land trips. For me, the secret is research, I spend a lot of time looking at possible cruises or trips, know what is a good price, then jump on a deal when one pops up. I learned how to "work the system", use Priceline, rewards cards, early booking discounts etc. I use a travel agent only to actually book the trip, and that's because I get a member discount, and she has been amazed at what I've paid for my cruises and trips. My transatlantic on the Jewel was an example where I was active from time of booking on the cruise critic board for our sailing and was able to join in on the charter buses and private tours organized by our members. I saved well over $1500 on shore excursions and transportation, and had better tours than the ship offerings. Cruise critic forums often give great tips for savings.

I do splurge onboard in the casino, love my slots, but I don't drink or use the spa. I have a jar where I put money saved with coupons, or buying books at Goodwill for a $1, rebates etc. That is my slots fund :-).

I also am willing to sail in an inside cabin, as a trade off of not going at all, especially when I have to pay the single surcharge (but now we get double points yeah). I am thrilled that on the Allure I am going to have a Central Park View cabin, and on the Legend I have an outside cabin with a big window, both because of price drops and sales that made them very very reasonable. I have friends who insist on a balcony that they use for maybe half an hour a day, that is their choice. But I go on 3 cruises to their 1 cruise. I have to stay in decent hotels that are safe for a solo traveler, but there I use priceline, or stay at a chain hotel and collect rewards points for future stays.

I am looking at a river cruise for 2015, started my research. One way to save seems to be willing to sail with only 2 month notice, the rates are half of usual, and they include the airfare.

It is funny how the same people who have made snide comments about my frugal life style now want to know how I can travel so much. I just smile and say "Remember the smaller condo, the mid level car, the books from Goodwill, restaurant coupons etc that you made fun of? Well, that is why I am leaving for a cruise in a week."

Just don't settle for false economies that will ruin your trip. And once you go, enjoy yourself even if things don't go 100% perfect.

Not everyone is in yours and my income bracket. The last long cruise we were on there was a couple who EVERY YEAR book a suite on the QM world cruise which goes for about $60K a person!

Not everyone is in yours and my income bracket. The last long cruise we were on there was a couple who EVERY YEAR book a suite on the QM world cruise which goes for about $60K a person!

How lovely for them. Cannot help but pour a little cold water on this. One has to hope they are also charitable. Think of all the good that could be done with just half of what they have spent on world cruises.