You're going on ANOTHER cruise?

[nyllrap]

My husband and I have been on 10 cruises, several with our daughter (who is now grown), but I am retiring in a month and we are moving to Florida. When we bought our new home, the first thing I did was book a cruise out of Port Canaveral, which is 1.5 hours away from where we are moving. I tried to convince my husband to do a B2B, the first going to Western Caribbean and the second going to Eastern Caribbean. Couldn't convince him, although I will try again if I see a better price. I plan on booking a lot more cruises, since I will now have more time to cruise. Like many others, we can cruise because we have always worked very hard and saved. Now we are fortunate enough to be in a good place financially, and we plan on enjoying life. Four years ago I had a sudden, serious illness which resulted in a 6 month hospitalization, 8 abdominal operations, life-support, almost didn't survive. I retired on disability, but got better and went back to work for 2 years. I am doing great now, and plan on enjoying whatever time I have left (I am still young - am turning 59 this summer).

[Gunner22aa]

Children are off on their own with their own families now. Burned the mortgage years ago. Just shy of 60 and thankfully we both have good health. We often get asked about cruising as often as we do or other forms of vacation. We do have friends that think we must have won the lottery or something. Far from the truth. We have obtained our financial freedom through a lot of hard work and even more skimping over the years. Some sound investing has also paid off as well. We don't however buy a new vehicle each every two years or feel compelled to have a new home every few. We just downsized as a matter of fact from way too big for us to still too big for us but a bungalow.

We each get choices in life. We were fortunate in ours and are now reaping the rewards of which frequent cruising is one of them.

[simong]

good for you me to cruising is a good value if avoid excessive drinks, cruiseline tours (heavy mark up) and gambling in casino (unplayable games) this saving can put you on more cruises

[jr8934]

I'm glad I discovered this thread. I don't want to "boast" about my next cruise so I keep it to myself. Then my BFF gets angry. Says I keep things too close to my chest. Guess you can't win them all!

[CruisinCindy]

I'm glad to have found this thread too, my DH and I just happened to be talking about this exact thing right before I saw this! We had lunch with some relatives the other day, and the first thing they said was, "So where are you going NOW?", and not in a nice, conversational way. I could almost see the eye-roll. So, we decided not to talk about our travels anymore because we're starting to get that reaction from friends and relatives. We have never bragged or boasted about these trips, but just answered their questions about what we're doing since we both retired.

 

We look for the best prices, don't book suites, and are fortunate to enjoy the perks of Elite status, and OBC from our TA. So, we don't spend much, but it is certainly more value per dollar than any land based vacation. That's what we try to tell our friends and why we keep cruising, but I think people still have the impression it's expensive to cruise and that we must be rich, which we're not. It sure is nice to be on Cruise Critic and amongst others who understand!

 

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using Tapatalk 2

Edited June 7, 2013 by CruisinCindy

[wana_go_everywhere]

Love this thread! My dh & I love to travel. We have no kids, a teeny house, few gadgets, no car, don't drink, and rarely eat out BUT last year, due to some incredible luck, we were able to go abroad 4 times including our first ever cruise. Boy am I sick of being asked (usually by people who spend the price of an inside cabin on their weekly night at the pub) how I can afford it, am I rich?! I've started to develop a complex. I'm feel guilty spending my own hard earned money!! While I'm not I think I'll stick to bragging on the travel forums where people are actually happy that I'm happy! On that note, we have just booked a Caribbean cruise for February 2014, I'm so excited :D

[JinxyB]

I work very hard and am fortunate to have a well-paying job that I enjoy. At this stage in my life cruising is the vacation that works for my family and is the most enjoyable! I cruised twice already in 2013 and have two more planned for this year. I'm stopped sharing my cruise plans with casual acquaintances at work-tired of hearing "you are going on another cruise?!"

[MrsNancyG]

My experience as of late has been less about how often we vacation, but the fact that we're cruising in a Suite on NCL which has become the issue. I swear if one more person points out to me that I can do 3 cruises for the price of this one, I may just snap. Do people honestly believe that I booked passage without even noticing what I was going to pay as compared to the other options available on that ship?!

 

I'm an accomplished person, yanno. I graduated high school, briefly went to community college, studied court reporting, worked as an administrative assistant, married, have raised two great kids and live a better-than-average life in an upper middle-class suburb. I've been known to shop for groceries and even balance a checkbook.

 

Yet time and again I hear about how many other cruises I can take for the same amount of money by downgrading. ummmm, I KNOW that. We booked what we WANTED and know what it costs. Why is it so important for people to involve themselves and point out the obvious as if it is something only they can see?

[cctn]

I no longer tell my friends I am going on a cruise - relatives seem to think we should be visiting THEM on land vacations (which we also do but they want us to do it more often) instead of Wasting our time going on Another cruise = since we always seem to go to the Caribbean - and what's wrong with that?

so - I love CC cuz I can talk about cruising and folks here Understand -

Corkey Carol

[NEARKPirate]

My first cruise justified me booking multiple cruises. I'm in my forties and while looking around the ship I noticed there were a lot of people that had waited too late in life start having fun. So I started my "bucket list" while I could enjoy it. I have a "fun" budget and I hope it includes a cruise every three or four months. I'm truly blessed that I can do this and that I've learned to enjoy life. I used to be live to work, I like working to live!

[Smokeyham]

My first cruise justified me booking multiple cruises. I'm in my forties and while looking around the ship I noticed there were a lot of people that had waited too late in life start having fun. So I started my "bucket list" while I could enjoy it. I have a "fun" budget and I hope it includes a cruise every three or four months. I'm truly blessed that I can do this and that I've learned to enjoy life. I used to be live to work, I like working to live!

 

Good for you!

 

I agree; I've talked with a number of people over the years who have said things along the lines of "This is our first cruise, and we are loving it. Wish we had started earlier so we could some of the more active excursions (zip-lining, etc.)."

[cctn]

Good for you!

 

I agree; I've talked with a number of people over the years who have said things along the lines of "This is our first cruise, and we are loving it. Wish we had started earlier so we could some of the more active excursions (zip-lining, etc.)."

 

 

Wish we had started earlier too -- our first cruise was in 1988... and been going every yr since then - however, wish we had started when the Love Boat hype started earlier than 1988 -- I see you are in the bay area also -- muggy out today - guess it's suppose to rain a bit -

Host Corkey

[BrianC-80]

I know the feeling. The wife and I are strongly considering a second cruise this year and we both feeling actively guilty about telling anyone as it feels like such an extravagance to go on two cruises in the same year. But we can just about afford it (the second cruise will admittedly be booked on a last minute deal, so we're keeping an open mind about where we're going).

[poolreader]

When they ask me about going on another cruise I ask them what they think it cost to cruise. I tell them the price including taxes and tips. They are usually surprised at how cheap it actually is for the value. I ask if they go to Starbucks, how often, and what they spend. Most of the time I figure out they spend more than I do on a cruise. Then some of them smoke and when we calculate the cost of that, again more than I spend on cruising. I explain that I am addicted to cruising just like they are to Starbucks and smoking. But my addiction has no health risks, and it does not hurt anyone else.

[Jimmy Geegitz]

Yea. Been going on at least 1 a year since our first. One year we went on 2.

[3DBeach]

We get asked the same question "how can you afford to go on vacation all the time"...we go on 2 vacations a year.

I've tried explaining to our "friends" that ask that we are frugal when it comes to some other things and find the trade off much more valuable. I also look for deals on everything related to our travels (flights, hotels, rental cars etc.) We know people who spend more money on their bar tabs and shopping than we do on our vacations.

Like many of you have said at least we have CC to let us get our excitement out about our cruises.

[daijayx2]

Hello all.

 

My name Is Melissa and I'm an addict.

 

I will admit I spend majority of my time researching and planning cruises.

 

I have sailed a total of 7 times so far, 3 being this year and I have 5 more booked for the remainder of the year and one for Jan.

 

People ask me all the time, "you're going on another cruise?". Yes. Yes I am! I love it!

[texaridian]

When I started this thread by asking how you respond to well-meaning (???) friends about cruising, I never dreamed so many people were in the same boat (pun intended! ;)).

 

I love the ideas and thoughts you all have put on here. To the person who said they are getting grief about actually booking a suite, all I can say is congratulations to you! I'll join you in the suite life someday if I can manage it.

 

Keep it up everyone!

 

Carol

[uncleg]

I get asked this because I try to go once year. I just say I am my favorite person and I like to be treated good. You can't argue with that.

[secondchance]

I love to cruise. That is a vacation of choice. Going on my 6th next May. Finally got DH to try it out and he goes with me now. There is no place in the world that offers the relaxation of being at sea.

[webehicks]

I thought it was just us! LOL...

 

We love to cruise and are pretty unapologetic about it. We get comments from a few friends - I just smile. Let them be snarky. I'll be ordering a Dirty Banana and watching the ocean :) We've actually turned family and some friends on to cruising. Now they get it! 6 of them are joining us on a NYE cruise this year.

 

Seriously, though, for me it is a chance for the 3 of us (myself, DH and DS) to be unplugged from the rest of the world and spend time together. If we choose to do that on cruises it's nobody's business but ours.

 

Happy cruising :)

[lor74]

We LOVE to cruise....and frequently hear "you're going on another cruise!" from some people.....not because of the cost, but because they do not understand why we aren't doing other types of vacations. Only my fellow cruise critic junkies can understand that it is a love for being on the ship, and the cruise can go anywhere or nowhere....it's all good! It has gotten to the point that associates ask me all the time "so when is your next cruise?", to which I usually have a date I can tell them....this year has been quite busy, as we will going on our 4th ship in 2013....to be followed by 2 more in Jan.....Life is good :)

[SeagoingMom]

It is not anybody's business but our own whether or how we can afford a cruise, and I would never allow myself to feel pushed into "justifying" my financial ability to cruise.

 

That being said, if an attempt to put the entire subject to rest seemed advisable, all one would have to do is run some numbers, and show "interested parties" (read "nosy or critical interrogators") how much it costs per night to cruise.

 

The most impressive numbers would of course be the per night cost of, say, an inside cabin on an inexpensive cruise line (fare only, divided by number of nights.) Let them think that this is what you paid. This might be the best way to get detractors to begin to congratulate you on making such an economical vacation choice, and leave you alone! Unless they are researching cruising themselves, they would probably never figure out that a different cruise on a different line in a different cabin, with excursions, beverages, and specialty restaurants added in, could be somewhat (or a lot!) more.

 

Obviously, sincere inquirers (say, good friends or relatives who might be considering cruising as an option for themselves) might be the ones with whom you discuss more specific numbers (like, if you chose to, what you actually paid.)

[palmtree12345]

I agree 100% with you SeagoingMom......When we have friends ask about how much it cost's to cruise I usually give them a ball park (inside cabin) length of cruise and gov.fees and taxs......then if they are serious I help break it down for them......then give them my TA's number!!!!! lol and let her do the walking!!!!

 

We also love to cruise and I really don't care what people think.... as for a fact, I know what a land vacation cost is all about.... and truly if you were to break that down, they can see for themselves what a huge savings a cruise can offer......

[cjnwildfire]

My hubby and I get asked this question too. We simply tell them we are truck drivers, we have driven all we want too. This is the only way we can truly relax and not have to DRIVE (too far) to get there!:)