How do you do it?!

[med2cruise]

I am just off of the Liberty, Saturday and I am hooked. I am also trying to figure out how I can get on another cruise next summer (1 year after this one). This was our 2nd cruise the first was about 2 years ago.

 

I am trying to decide if it is better to do the early booking or wait. My problem is that I need to fly to the ports which add about $1,000 or more to my trip for my family of 4. We did order Bon Voyage to help with the bar bill (and it did greatly help - the kids are 19 and 21). We book our own excursions to save money and try to get the most bang for our buck.

 

I am even looking at cruises with the possibility of not doing an excursion maybe just walking around the port.

 

My whole family enjoyed the cruise and I am wishing that we started this sooner.

 

Karen

[dan40]

I'm a BP oil eceutiv,,,exective, exutived,,,,,boss!

[2oldsisters]

I agree with the person that posted "work hard, play hard". I don't care about having a big house and a big car, but I do care about having a vacation at least 2 to 3 times a year. Usually 2 cruises and a trip to Clearwater Beach for a few days. You need to choose what you want in life and we chose going on nice vacations.

[bythehex]

I agree with the person that posted "work hard, play hard". I don't care about having a big house and a big car, but I do care about having a vacation at least 2 to 3 times a year. Usually 2 cruises and a trip to Clearwater Beach for a few days. You need to choose what you want in life and we chose going on nice vacations.

 

Exactly! I totally agree. Isn't that what everyone works so hard for, to be able to enjoy ourselves when we get the chance to? What's the point of knocking yourself out if you can't find a little enjoyment every now and then?

 

I wanted to add that I save by making my own coffee rather than buying Starbucks at $4 a pop and no eating fast food lunches, even from the dollar menu. We've been known to frequent the dollar stores for household items, and look for bargains. We've even shopped in thrift stores. I kind of get a thrill when we find something we need at a bargain price.

 

There are many ways to save money a little at a time and before you know it, you've got enough for some nice vacations!

[richstan]

Brown bag lunch! Rather than go out for a steak dinner--eat at home (it helps, I love to cook) buy normal priced coffee or pack a thermos--at the end of the year you have saved enough for a nice cruise!

[cruisinthemed]

One more, that I forgot...Carnival credit card!!!

[Rysyonok]

One more, that I forgot...Carnival credit card!!!

 

Amen to that (except Celebrity in our case). And strict, virtually draconian budgeting 50 weeks a year. There are many things that can be cut off (Starbucks anyone?), saving quite a few pennies.

[sailaway anyday]

don i saw the one final ccl sailing on your posts are not crusing carnival anymore. just wondering . i met you on the inspiration sept 09. am going on the fascination oct 2 this year

[Mr_Cruise]

I'm a BP oil eceutiv,,,exective, exutived,,,,,boss!

 

*Like* :D

[onthehighseas606]

I don't own 2 houses and a cabin in the woods.

I don't have 3 cars and a truck.

I don't have a boat.

I don't have a Goldwing and dirt bikes.

I don't have matching quads for each kid.

 

I could have all those things if I chose to. Then again, I couldn't travel.

 

We all have choices. Some choose toys. Some choose travel. Few can do both.

 

Bingo, what really needs to be said beyond that?

[stefs111]

When our son was 15, I read somewhere that when children grow up, they remember things like vacations the most. We did not have much money, but I was determined that we were going on vacation at least every year for the next few years. Up until that point, we would go to the beach and do things in the Central Florida area, because we live in Orlando, just for a few days at a time.

 

Well, we went on our fist cruise that next year, and we will be taking our 15th cruise in October. Our son is 30 now, by the time he was 23, he had been on about 8 cruises. I wanted him to see the world with us, his parents, and to get as much out of the different countries as he could. See different cultures and people.

We used our income tax returns and have a jar that we use if we should get any money from insurance, or birthdays or anything at all. We do save our change also.

Sailing in May or October/November saves alot of money also.

 

I think it is a state of mind. We put in our heads we are cruising in, say, May, and then every time we get a little extra money, we say, good, put it in the cruise jar !!!

[tiggerman101]

-We are a Duel Income No Kids household.

-We both have jobs that let us take off a lot of time.

-I paid off all debts years ago and only charge what I will pay in full every month.

-I pay every bit of the vacation I can ahead of time.

-My partner pays for investments and I pay for the vacations.

-We make travel a priority over new cars, a bigger house, etc.

[Elmo31]

We set up a savings vacation account where a certain amount is auto matically deposited from his payroll check. It works out great! :D

[CRZCRAZY]

Both retired, saved all our lives. Book cruises during the cheaper season, ES rate. Use my credit card for everything to get the free airline tickets. Pay off the card monthly so we don't owe anything. No debt.

[more cruises]

We are just horribly addicted!! I can't go more than a couple months without a "fix." Our kids are out of the house and it's all about us now and cruising is such a great way to enjoy our time together.

 

Paula

[vacruizer]

I am just off of the Liberty, Saturday and I am hooked. I am also trying to figure out how I can get on another cruise next summer (1 year after this one). This was our 2nd cruise the first was about 2 years ago.

 

I am trying to decide if it is better to do the early booking or wait. My problem is that I need to fly to the ports which add about $1,000 or more to my trip for my family of 4. We did order Bon Voyage to help with the bar bill (and it did greatly help - the kids are 19 and 21). We book our own excursions to save money and try to get the most bang for our buck.

 

I am even looking at cruises with the possibility of not doing an excursion maybe just walking around the port.

 

My whole family enjoyed the cruise and I am wishing that we started this sooner.

 

Karen

 

Summer is the most expensive time to cruise other than maybe Christmas. Are you tied to school schedules? If not, then try looking at September, early December, early Jan. or May. Those times tend to be pretty cheap to cruise. Also, your profile says you are in PA. If airfare is too crazy, the Pride sails from Baltimore year round and is a great ship. Itinerary isn't the most exciting but it's better than no cruise at all for me. :)

[halos]

Vacation is a priority. (meaning a priority with our leftover money, after savings have been put aside)

DH gets 4 weeks vacation per year

Kids are grown...which is how we have leftover money. :D

[Traveler353]

Dear some of you,

HOW do you book so many cruises and have so many past trips?? I'm seriously wondering if you are well off or if I just need to figure more cruises into my budget. lol.

 

Book steerage class, 1A's or PT if possible. I can cruise 3 times for what some pay for one cruise. Same beds, food, great service and entertainment.

[RoadTripFanatic]

When our son was 15, I read somewhere that when children grow up, they remember things like vacations the most. We did not have much money, but I was determined that we were going on vacation at least every year for the next few years. Up until that point, we would go to the beach and do things in the Central Florida area, because we live in Orlando, just for a few days at a time.

 

!

 

I believe it!! We didn't have a lot of money growing up. In fact it's safe to say my parents struggled at times to make ends meet. We didn't have fancy clothes, nice cars etc. They always made it a priority to go on vacation once a year. In all honesty those are my fondest memories of growing up. That and the fact Dad always made a huge fuss over Christmas.

[golfadj]

It is all about choices. Had a great roll call and made some great friends.

 

My cruise cost less than the bar bills of some people we have met.

 

They make choices we make choices.

[mrpayroll]

Book steerage class, 1A's or PT if possible. I can cruise 3 times for what some pay for one cruise. Same beds, food, great service and entertainment.

 

Works Great for us also..My dad always said " we don't need a Rolls Royce when a Chevy will get us there " .....

[md10074]

This was only our second cruise with Carnival, and the last was 15 years ago :eek:, but I think we're hooked. :D Hubby didn't get seasick like he did the last time, so he told me to go ahead and get a future cruise certificate.

 

I won't be able to be a frequent cruiser because we can only go in the summer when it's expensive. The kids have special needs and there is no way they can miss school for vacation. I'm also quit my job when my daughter was born, and unless I find something with the P/T hours that I need, we're only living on one income.

 

We're definitely going to take at least one more because I'm hoping to sell my mom's house soon and we will splurge a little with that money. The reason we just took the cruise that we did was because my hubby just sold his dad's house. Both our parents passed away 2 years ago within months of each other. :(

[jennmaybe]

We are like many others of you.....we keep our debt very low. Have a mortgage, but we pay our cars off. We are very smart when it comes to brown-bagging the lunches, only eating out once a week, and not using credit cards.

 

We also would much rather cruise or vacation than to pay out $800 a month for two brand new cars every 5 years or so. We take 4-5 trips a year, only cruise once, but always do another big trip. Then we do smaller trips in between.

 

It's just about budgeting and being smart with your money...not spend more than you make!:)

[alleauna]

Migraine doesn't allow me to read through all the replies, but the first few made me think of this article my son emailed me the other day: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38614402/ :)

[elcuchio24]

I don't know if it's so much about money but just about how long you've cruised for. We cruise once or twice a year for the past 8 years.....so end up with a dozen trips, but really it's not like we're cruising every month or anything......