How Many Cruises Do You Normally Take Per Year for Those Working & Retired

[Dennis#1]

As often as we can. We have averaged 5 per year for the past several years.

[Junkhouse]

Half retired. Two last year at least one this year. Want to do 2-3 a year when we are both retired.

[elchichicuilote]

We're working, with kids in elementary school. In April, we'll be taking our second cruise in three years.

 

We take a lot of non-cruise vacations. In June, we'll be flying to Jamaica and spending a week with extended family, in a private villa which our group has rented out for the time. In years past, we've done similar trips with (mostly) the same extended family members for roughly a week at a time in Tuscany, Belize, Costa Rica, Kauai, and the Riviera Maya. We've also done many long camping trips in most of the national parks of the Western US. For us, cruising in one mode of travel, but it's not the only mode, and we enjoy variety.

 

I really like the fact that, when cruising, as soon as you step on the ship, all the logistics and navigation are someone else's problem. On the other hand, sometimes I want to have a say in the logistics and navigation. On non-cruise travel, I like the fact that we can spend as long as we want in a particular place, get to know a local area and some of its people, and never worry about having to board a ship before sunset. Plus, we can explore smaller places without having to share them with 3,000 fellow shipmates.

 

It's all good.

[Johnamac123]

I am retired from my rat race job, working seasonally from 1/1 to 4/18. That limits my cruising to Dec 1-21 each year. I'm concerned about cruising from May 1-Nov 30 during hurricane season and when school is out. I am currently going on 1-2 cruises per year in December....

[Kylomom]

Working - 1/year but they are typically 11-14 days.

 

 

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[reallyhooked]

We are retired. 2 cruises a year :)

[xlxo]

One of the working poor.... I try to do one cruise per year.

 

I look at my savings... If I can afford it, one week.... if I can't, it becomes a one day repo.

[TonyL128]

We work and live in CA, last year we took 6 cruises out of FL. When we retire, we plan to move to FL and cruise full time!

 

 

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[DesrtDrmr]

Mixed up

Edited January 25, 2018 by DesrtDrmr
Mixed up note

[LuCruise]

From last cruise to next one booked, it'll be 3 years. We did Disney Parks in between and smaller trips (new York, Buffalo).

 

Would love to do more as it's the best way to travel but we have kids in school and DH and I work full time....so holidays are limited. They are also pricey as we have to fly to the port.

 

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[little britain]

6 cruises last year as well as trips to Hong Kong and a 2 wk land tour of India.

6 cruises booked for this year.

#livingthedream #youonlyliveonce #doitnow

[taylortime05]

We did and will be doing,16 each year from 2016 to Jan 1 2019.

We are retired and on a "quest" for "pineapple" ( will make it on the Presidents cruise Sept 29, 2018)

After that we will slow up a bit (I think)

 

Wow, congratulations! It sounds like a fun quest. Do you pick the cruises based on ship, itinerary, or good deals?

[cruiseguy1016]

We're still working. We try to cruise once a year. It's usually in March when we've had enough of the upstate NY winter weather. We also camp and usually take a weeklong camping trip every year. The rest of our vacation time is spent on long weekend trips and trips to visit our two kids, both of which live out of state. Our vacation ability is held back not by money but by the amount of vacation time we get each year. Retirement comes in 4 more years! I can't wait.

[Rewind]

Working - by the end of this year it will be 10 cruises in 8 years. Only reason I was able to sneak in the one this April is that the weather is cold now and I found some great rates on both the cruise and the airfare, and with our flight schedules we don't need a hotel stay.

[tdeyette]

My wife and I are both working and we average about 1 cruise per year. Our summers are spent camping in the Adirondacks of NY (weekends). Occasionally we'll visit family in California, or take a long weekend trip to Maine. Our vacations are limited by the amount of vacation time we have ... I should say My vacation time as my wife have more than I do.

 

Depending on how our retirement savings does it would be nice to cruise more often once retired, However there are a lot of places in the USA we would like to see as well.

[TickledBlue]

I'm working, MDW is a homemaker (so working too)...we do 2-3 a year. Next year, I get another week's vacation, might up it to 3-4 per year.

[Big_G]

Both working full time we were doing 4 per year. When the grand kids showed up, my wife cut her hours and took on daycare 2 days a week. We're down to 2 or 3 a year. Retirement is probably 4 - 5 years out.

[Funbobby68]

Business owner , so I get at least 2 a year in , 3 if I plan it right , shooting for freedom 55 so thinking after that one every 3 months should do it

 

 

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[George C]

We normally do 2, always at least one, have cruised every year since 1977, we also like Caribbean AI resorts

[Namelocg]

I live in So Fla, and am semi retired. I do scientific consulting work so I set my own schedule. I also get a lot of comped cruises from the casinos of various lines. Last year I did 7 cruises including a 14 night eastbound TA with a week in Spain after the cruise. I have 2 cruises coming up in Feb. The 3rd on Empress for super bowl and the 25th on Freedom of the Seas. I'll wait until I see what offers I get after those 2 before I decide what to do next. Hopefully I'll do 8 this year.

[BND]

DH and I both work and we average 2 cruises per year but they're almost always 9 days+ each unless it's Bermuda. I earn 5 weeks of annual leave a year and DH earns 4, but he can work Federal holidays and use those days later which he does when it's not a major one like Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years. We technically did 3 last year because our fall was a b2b. We also did 6 days at Walt Disney World. We go to the beach every couple of years. And NYC every 18 months - 2 years. We're doing a 9 night on GR in April and then a 9 night on Anthem in Oct with 6 additional days in Manhattan. And, hope to fit a long beach weekend (Thur-Sun) in this summer. We're retiring in 2 yrs(me) and 4-5 (DH) and downsizing our home (currently have a large home) and plan to cruise probably at least 4 times per year.

[Georgeny]

We've been on 5 cruises in the last 7 years. I really enjoy cruises, but my hubby says he wants to take other land vacations too. I'm told him I'd be content when we retire if we could take 2 vacations a year with one being a cruise and the other being a land vacation.

 

How many cruises do you typically take a year and are you working or retired?

 

Thanks

 

We are both retired ( did so young ) and were up to 4 a year until recently. Also until recently we had planned to spend up to two winter months sailing back to backs, ship to ship. Because of changes in cruising, lack of service, dumbing down mass market, nickle/dime policies we have cut back. We cruise all the lines and seems each line working hard at reducing staff, adding charges, do away with customer service faster than the next. Last cruise, holiday cruise from Tampa couple weeks ago was combined with land trip.

 

We were totally committed cruiseaholics since 1984 so we really have seen a collapse of what was basically a service oriented industry into a corporate market BS cruise industry. We are looking at land alternatives and going to try VIKING line in hopes new lines will do better. Cruise lines are so heavily leveraged now can;t see that they can change their increased onboard cost decreased service staff policies in the future. They have become just like land resorts only they can rock and roll and suffer maintenance problems you can't get away from coupled with smaller accommodations than land resorts.

 

George in NY

[DrewFoundLander]

I'm self employed and have scheduling flexibility, DW works part time. We started out doing 1 per year in 2002 then after 2013 it became 2 per year, we are now up to 25-30 nights per year on longer itineraries, we live at the end of the earth so travelling to and from the ship is a considerable obstacle.

 

Because winter sucks where we live we are making serious plans to curise non-stop from Jan thru March/April once our kids are a little older.

[John&LaLa]

When still working around 50-60 days per year. Double that these first two years retired.

 

Not sure about 2019 and 2020 yet. Only a couple booked now

 

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[datolim]

A few years ago before starting with RCL I was on this casino ship here so often.

There were times when I spend more days in a month on the ship than on land. Once when going on the ship I had this stale feeling. Then I realise it is because I have been on the ship too long and too often.

Now before you think I am a great gambler I actually get to go on the ship almost for free or just pocket money.

I play perfect BJ and game their system. They have since change their Comps policy and I have stop sailing with them.

Started sailing once a month with RCL from last year and RCL is costing me a lot more.