Help

[CHERBEAR16]

:confused::confused::confused::confused:HELP:confused::confused::confused:

 

Heres the short version of my long story.....

 

I have wanted to go on a cruise for 10+ years and have studied and studied and studied, I was with my husband for 15 years I booked and paid for a cruise and 2 months before we were set to sale he left me, so I cancelled the cruise and got my money back

 

ive always wanted to take my "kids" and now they are turning 16 and 17 so NOWS THE TIME

 

I studied Royal Caribbean and now I find myself booking with carnival

 

We are going out of Miami FL 5 of us for $1600.000

 

but we don't have the money for airfair, trains, hotels etc please help with that and as much CARNIVAL/CRUISE tips as you can

 

IT WOULD BE APPRECIATED!!

[firemanbobswife]

You may want to look into credit cards that offer points for hotels/frequent flier miles upon sign up. Of course, use responsibly.

 

I have gotten quite a few round trip tickets like that. My last one a few weeks ago. Free airfare on American Airlines and one free checked bag per person when traveling on the same reservation number. It was just me this time, but came in handy for the 3 of us in January.

[PhoenixDawgCruising]

:confused::confused::confused::confused:HELP:confused::confused::confused:

 

Heres the short version of my long story.....

 

I have wanted to go on a cruise for 10+ years and have studied and studied and studied, I was with my husband for 15 years I booked and paid for a cruise and 2 months before we were set to sale he left me, so I cancelled the cruise and got my money back

 

ive always wanted to take my "kids" and now they are turning 16 and 17 so NOWS THE TIME

 

I studied Royal Caribbean and now I find myself booking with carnival

 

We are going out of Miami FL 5 of us for $1600.000

 

but we don't have the money for airfair, trains, hotels etc please help with that and as much CARNIVAL/CRUISE tips as you can

 

IT WOULD BE APPRECIATED!!

 

Now I'm confused. You say your kids are turning 16 and 17, but then you say 5 of you are going? Do you have 2 sets of twins??

 

Are 5 of you in 1 cabin??

 

How do you plan to get to Miami with no money for airfare or trains?? Even if you drive you will need money for gas, food and parking.

 

I'm not sure I understand what kind of help you are looking for. It's one thing to travel on the cheap, but you will need some funds to get to Miami, especially 5 people.

Edited May 27, 2014 by PhoenixDawgCruising

[CHERBEAR16]

Let me be more specific.

 

It is me, my boyfriend, my son , my daughter and my boyfriends son going which equals 5 people.

 

I have PLENTY of money, but I feel it is very foolish to pay the exact same price on air fair as the total cruise price which is the case thus far.

 

Just looking for cruise tips and tips on maybe some places to book flights on the cheaper end or a different way to travel .

[riffatsea]

You either have the money to travel or you don't.

You might have credit cards to help but you certainly cannot come on here and expect people to donate to your vacation?

[snc_cam]

300/person to fly round trip is not a bad price. You may also want to check the cost to fly into FLL since the POM is within a taxi/shuttle drive and may be cheaper than flying into Miami.

 

Not sure when you cruise is, but SWA is having a Fall price sale right now.

 

Steve

[Captain Canuck]

where is the idea that you are looking for donations coming from....this is a person who is looking for $ saving ideas for the rest of a trip

 

see from profile that you are in MD. so for airfare check out area airports and also area airports in Florida. MIA is close to Ft Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. lots of deals to be had on internet search sites.

 

even though it ads to the cost you should plan on staying night before in cruise port area. too many things to go wrong that may result in your missing your ship. you can find one (search cruise critic) that has free or cheap transport to the ship.

 

enjoy your cruise

[CHERBEAR16]

you have GOT to be kidding me, I have money, LOTS of it......donations?????????? I was simply not wanting to pay the same price in air fair as I was for the cruise !! THATS ALL and was asking for suggestions

[CHERBEAR16]

thanks !!!!!!!!!

[hawaiissunshine1]

Have you thought about changing to the Pride? It shows that you live in Maryland, and the pride may be a good option. My mom lives right outside Baltimore, so when we went, the only person who had to travel was me, and we had my stepfather drop us off at the port. But even if you had to park, it would be cheaper than flying.

 

If you are set on Miami, look at flying into Ft Lauderdale. Southwest leaves from BWI and goes to FLL. I have found its cheaper to do that (I leave from Manchester, NH and connect at BWI), rather than flying from Boston to Miami. We save money by flying into FLL, getting a hotel, and using SAS transportation to get to the port. We use the Best Western FLL airport/Cruiseport, as they have a 24 hour complementary airport shuttle and free breakfast. And they take Expedia coupons (try using a mobile Expedia app, they may give you a discount code).

 

As for Carnival tips, don't forget all of the paperwork (passports, birth certificates, etc) And if the children that are traveling with you are minor, I believe they need a form from their other parent giving permission to take them out of the country.

 

Other than that, relax and have an amazing first cruise!

[PhoenixDawgCruising]

Let me be more specific.

 

It is me, my boyfriend, my son , my daughter and my boyfriends son going which equals 5 people.

 

I have PLENTY of money, but I feel it is very foolish to pay the exact same price on air fair as the total cruise price which is the case thus far.

 

Just looking for cruise tips and tips on maybe some places to book flights on the cheaper end or a different way to travel .

 

 

First you say you have "no money" then you say you have "plenty of money".

 

Either way, it is VERY common for airfare to be equal to OR MORE than your cruise fare, happens all the time, depending where you are flying to and from. And you have a group of 5, so flying will be costly.

 

This whole thread seems odd.

[CHERBEAR16]

thanks so much for your kind response !!

[Brown815]

How big of a vehicle do you have? It's a little under 18 hours to drive from Elkton to Miami, could break it into two days. Ten hours or so to Savannah, then the rest of the way the next day. Then you pay each way for gas, meals, a cheap hotel room or two, and tolls. More time and maybe more stressful, but cheaper than flying, I would think - unless you get a phenomenal deal on flights.

 

Trains can be just as expensive as planes, and can take longer than driving - but not always

[CHERBEAR16]

I am getting $1600.00 going out of Miami and they quoted me $5500.00 going out of Baltimore

[K&P Luv2Cruise]

Let me be more specific.

 

It is me, my boyfriend, my son , my daughter and my boyfriends son going which equals 5 people.

 

I have PLENTY of money, but I feel it is very foolish to pay the exact same price on air fair as the total cruise price which is the case thus far.

 

Just looking for cruise tips and tips on maybe some places to book flights on the cheaper end or a different way to travel .

 

Driving is your least expensive way for 5 of you. Mapped out on Google, it should take you approx. 15 hours +/- depending on your exact location in Maryland. You could also try using MS Streets & Maps, which can also provide you with approx. gas cost for the journey.

 

Regarding flight costs (if you prefer to fly), check out alternate airports in the area (i.e. Fort Lauderdale), as sometimes it is cheaper to fly into a different airport. However, you will then need to consider adding in the cost of a shuttle to Miami.

 

There are lots of economical hotels/motels in Miami where you could spend the night pre-cruise (and some let you park your vehicle for free while your on the cruise if you spend the 1 night there).

 

Check out the Ports of Call board here on CC for other helpful information regarding travel to Miami (or Fort Lauderdale).

[lizjoemom]

I am getting $1600.00 going out of Miami and they quoted me $5500.00 going out of Baltimore

 

1600.00 for 5 people is a fantastic price! Do you mind me asking what ship and what the itinerary is? What month is it sailing? I might consider booking this myself if it's that cheap!

As for airfare, Jet blue is pretty cheap into Ft. Lauderdale, I would definitely recommend flying in at least a day before, especially if you use jet blue, they don't have that many flights and they don't reschedule you if your flight gets cancelled so beware! Also, if you are considering coming into port on the same day I would seriously consider purchasing the cruise trip insurance (prices vary) because if you miss the ship, you will lose your money.

[jackparts]

To save big bucks, I used to drive from Reading Pa to Miami by way of I-95. 16 hours of driving and we stayed in a Holiday Inn outside of Savannah. Next day, 5 hours I was in Miami. I realize it's a long drive but with 2 drivers splitting the driving, not a bad idea.

[riffatsea]

Sorry but to me when a person tells a sad story and then talks about not having money and asks for "help" it means they want money.

Folks who "have plenty of money" don't do that!

[kona_wahine]

Cherbear, you did say in your original post you don't have the money for airfare, trains, hotels. :rolleyes:

I think the only way you have around it is to drive. Not sure how long of drive, but you could take turns and not need hotels. You will need to pay parking. Once on the ship you don't have to spend a dime if you don't want to. Also, you don't have to spend a dime in ports, but unless you want to stay right at port then you may have taxi or excursion costs. It just depends on what ports you are stopping at.

[kona_wahine]

I am curious, are there five of you in one room? If so, it may be your last cruise!! ;)

[originalgolfer]

Good luck on cheap flights. I paid 1450 for just my wife and I to get to Puerto Rico for our Cruise. 300 a person is cheap imo

 

Sent from my HTC0P3P7 using Tapatalk

[INCHARGE]

To save big bucks, I used to drive from Reading Pa to Miami by way of I-95. 16 hours of driving and we stayed in a Holiday Inn outside of Savannah. Next day, 5 hours I was in Miami. I realize it's a long drive but with 2 drivers splitting the driving, not a bad idea.

 

First of all, congrats on booking your cruise! You will love it. Now, if you all fly, you will most likely be paying more than your cruise.

 

I agree with jackparts. Also, does your 17 year old drive? If so, you would possibly have 3 drivers then. Take a cooler with beverages, snacks and fruit for the road. Have fun, and consider the drive an adventure, not a chore you have to get through. You will be on vacation, so enjoy every minute of it.

 

It is not our business if you have lots of money or not, the bottom line is that anyone can save money if they plan ahead. You are a family of 5 people, so there is no need in going into debt. I don't blame you, I like to save also.

 

When you get on the ship, there are many ways to save money. There are many posts here that will go into detail.

[jmcancruise]

Can't help with travel costs, but my advise on saving money other ways is have a budget and stick to it. We budget a certain amount a day and can carry it forward, but never go over the days amount. On the ship you don't really NEED to spend anything. Once off the ship you will probably want at least a little to take a taxi to the beach or something, but investigate carefully and you can really save a lot. I think half of the fun of the cruise is the planning, and if you are on a budget you just have a little more of a challenge. One other suggestion. Make the teens pay there own way for extras. No reason they can't try to save for the things they really want. It would help to take some of the pressure off.

[PhoenixDawgCruising]

Sorry, I call shenanigans! I sail with 5 people all the time, we have never fit in one room, nor would we care to (there are a few that can hold 5, but not many) and they are certainly more than $1600 total. Are we talking a 7 night cruise here??:confused:

 

I also notice that when asked what ship this was on, OP has yet to respond. If they do, I plan to try to book it just to see.

 

They have no money, they have plenty of money?? If they have plenty, why ask for Help???:p

 

SHENANIGANS I say!!:eek:

[luvtrips]

Some suggestions for you...

Have the kids get part time jobs so they'll have their own spending money.

I sell stuff on Ebay. I love yardsales, and I buy things for cheap and sell them. It adds quickly for cruising cash.

Check the sailing you are on frequently for price reductions. On board credits (OBC's) are helpful . If there's a price reduction, just submit the form and they'll give you credit on your account.

I booked the Ramada Inn/Miami springs/Airport hotel for my pre cruise night.

It's only $70 (depends on when you're going, rates fluctuate some) but it includes parking, free breakfast, and shuttle from hotel if you fly into MIA.

but I agree with other's suggestions of just driving in. It might be your best best to save on transportation costs.

Other than that, yes, flying is very expensive! Sometimes more than the cruise. Especially if you're flying to Miami. FLL might save you some on SW, and bags would be free. Then you can get a shuttle to the port.

Good luck, enjoy your cruise!