anybody else thinking of throwing in the towel?

[Handsome58]

Stop cruising......for this coming August we have already paid and booked our flights out of National in Washington Dc...to Miami...on American....@ $245 rd trip......and since it was before May 12th we do not have to pay $15 for first bag or $25 for second.........we have a cruise out of NO...for Jan. 09....we fly Air Tran out of BWI for $265 Rd trip..............book early....but do not stop cruising.......life is too short.....

[Transport PIC]

It is getting bad. I just heard on NBC nightly news that the price of jet fuel is up 84% over last year's price. Airlines are cancelling flights trying to consolidate and keep planes full, flight times change a dozen times after you book, and delays are common because planes are so full that there is no extra capacity to catch up after weather or mechanical delays occur (and they will). Airline employees are so stressed that they treat passengers poorly.

 

I do something now when I cruise that I have never done in the past--we fly in a day early because the airlines are so undependable that you just can't risk going in the same day anymore. I choose embarkation ports where I know that I can get a direct flight to try to minimize the hassle factor.

 

It is getting so bad travelling that you do end up feeling that it isn't worth the hassle factor nor the price. Vacation just isn't supposed to be like that.

 

SSOceanlover has made a good point. Let's hope something gives soon.

 

Not all of us treat our passengers bad. However, there is a great deal of stress among airline employees for sure. We are not worried about cruising, we are worried about coming furloughs. This is a horrible time to be out of work. The cost of airfares has to go up to pay for the fuel, payroll, maintenance, lease payments on aircraft etc.. Instead of attacking the airlines we should all be attacking the oil industry. They are the ones making record profits every fiscal quarter. Not many airlines doing that. Rant over.

[misguidedangel]

I will not thow the towel in, rather I am going to fight for a reclass at work so I can make more money to afford a airfare and cruise fare!!!

 

Try being Canadian and having a limited choice for flights. You are lucky in the states to have a fair number of discount airlines. Canada has one discount airline that flies to Fort Lauderdale. The flight isn't cheap, almost as expensive as a regular carrier, AND the flight is anywhere from 10-16 hours from the city I live in.

 

I am looking at flights for January and I can't find a flight for UNDER $1200 US!!!!! Yes, that is for ONE person. Air Canada is not any better, with exchange it will work out to the same....

 

I can only hope that United, Air Canada, or WestJet has a seat sale that is a sweet deal, becuase the airfare for my "free" cruise will be more than the value of the cruise!!!!!!

[nybumpkin]

We live in MO and typically vacation in FL. With 4 kids we can't afford to fly, we drive. Yes it's more expensive but I can set aside and extra $10-$20 a month to cover the higher fuel costs.

 

As far as cruising we are porting out of Mobile next month and Port Canveral next year. We will drive to both locations for much less than flying.

poobears - Can I ask how you manage the logistics of driving? Do you drive straight through, switching drivers? I ask because I just said to DH tonight that for our cruise out of Port Canaveral next February I'm seriously considering driving given the cost of flights and more charges for checked bags, but I'm concerned it will just take too much time, take the kids out of school too many days, etc. We're sailing on Glory, leaving Saturday 2/14; I'm thinking that we could take 1/2 day Thursday and all day Friday to get to Port Canaveral from upstate NY, then drive 1/2 day Saturday and all day Sunday after the cruise to get home. Anyone think this is doable - or am I really out in left field somewhere?:o

[oceanv]

I feel your pain! Thankfully we live near the USA border we get to check flight prices from Seattle as well as Vancouver. Fortunately we booked our November flights to San Juan in Feb / March I think but even then if we flew out of VCR it would have been $850 each (yes each) and we got them for $435 each from Seattle. Plus the Vcr Flight connected in Seattle so that was a bit of a mind boggle (not in a good way).

 

And even more fortunate our next cruise is Alaska from Vcr which is pretty much the only place we can cruise to without taking a flight..... yay!:D

 

ITry being Canadian and having a limited choice for flights. You are lucky in the states to have a fair number of discount airlines. Canada has one discount airline that flies to Fort Lauderdale. The flight isn't cheap, almost as expensive as a regular carrier, AND the flight is anywhere from 10-16 hours from the city I live in.

 

I can only hope that United, Air Canada, or WestJet has a seat sale that is a sweet deal, becuase the airfare for my "free" cruise will be more than the value of the cruise!!!!!!

[chipmaster]

With the prices of fuel steadily going up it is affecting everything. Airfares are going crazy. With these prices I know the airlines have to raise their prices to even stay afloat but it's getting beyond what I'm willing to pay.

 

The price of our flights to and from Alaska will probably be as much if not more than the cruise.

 

With all the flight changes, flights canceled, charging for luggage, etc. I'm just about at the point where it's just not worth it.

 

Maybe the cruise lines can put some ships closer to where people live so that they don't have to fly. I know, wishful thinking.

 

Oh well, hopefully something will give.

 

Bill

 

In reality everything is going to change for those used to the American way.

 

Suburban living with huge freeways networks; I shudder to think of what this means in places like LA, Phoenix, Atlanta and other cities built on commuting to and from the burbs.

 

Lets not forget that the US uses more oil per / person then any other country. Everything from lighting and heating your house to putting food on the table is going to permanently change at 130 dollars oil.

 

There aren't the threat of OPEC embargos and gas lines of the 70's but life as we know it will change and it'll be very very bumpy and painful for the middle class and lower in the US. For better or worst the upper half can afford this but in the end its very very bad news for any business that depends on discretionary spending. They will be in for a sudden shakeout.

 

Of course the whole world could fall into recession and demand will drop and viola we'll be back at 75 dollar oil again and problem solved:D

[Cruisin Suzin]

Heck I'm just beginning to travel, I'll eat spaghettio's 3 nights a week, if I have to but I'm not gonna stop for now...it's expensive from Canada we have to fly everywhere, our airline ticket from toronto was over 500. but at least it's direct..in the future I'll have to take Carnival's air programs and fly for 7 hours and lots of stop overs but it will save money..

[Quench]

If I'm doing a land vacation that requires a flight, I will bite the bullet and fly. But a cruise that require a flight too-no can do.

[flipflops78]

Im with you.... I'd happily float around lake michigan on cruise ship with all the bells and whistles.

 

 

Sure lets just not set sail out of zion...we use to see the signs that there was medical waste on beaches. (I use to live near gurnee, now in Madison)

 

 

 

UGGHHH I wish I could drive to a port but it a LONG drive from here in Wisconsin and the one and only time we DID drive to FL... yeah a pipe fell off a semi and ripped apart the bottom of our van.

 

so yes it will hinder my plans as much as it breaks my heart.

[imlulu]

Going out of NYC again so we dont have to buy airfare.

[popsec]

If we want to escape VT winters we pretty much have to fly. We don't eat out, we own our own home, cruises are our big splurge and we hope to be able to keep cruising. We just heard that our pre-pay price for heating oil could be $4.00 a gal:eek: . Last yr it was $2500 for 1,000 gals....can we possibly be looking at $4000 this yr???? My DH starts collecting SS in Aug and it's depressing to think that heating fuel will eat up so much of that!

[BallFour4]

Based on your post you live in the Philly area, so we might have a plan for ya!

 

We live about 5 miles from upper Galveston bay and about 32 miles from the Port of Galveston. We have a middle class home, a Golden Retriever and a couple of Toyotas in the garage.

 

You and your family pass a background check, we pass one and you and I switch homes for a weekend or a few days... then you head to Galveston for a cruise aboard the Ecstasy or Conquest. If we wait a while then a couple of new ships might (key word..) come to Bayport. That terminal is about 6 miles from my driveway :)

 

You can extend your vacation in the Houston area for a small amount of labor in feeding Maggie the Monster Dog and adding chlorine to the pool.

 

This might be the pilot for the first Cruise Critic house swap. We can negotiate what you'd charge for my family seeing the sights in Penn and the I-95 corridor.

 

Don't we all wished that system would work! :)

[lovesublime]

No throwing in the towel here. I guess we're very fortunate, but our family is just not feeling the impact of a declining economy here. We live only 20 minutes from Galveston but have never cruised from there and don't intend to. We're just not interested in the itineraries offered from there. If newer ships with good itineraries sign up at the new cruise terminal in Houston then we may reconsider. In the meantime we're cruising Alaska (again) and our airfare was high, but not equal to the cruise. We live to travel.

[MaryZ]

poobears - Can I ask how you manage the logistics of driving? Do you drive straight through, switching drivers? I ask because I just said to DH tonight that for our cruise out of Port Canaveral next February I'm seriously considering driving given the cost of flights and more charges for checked bags, but I'm concerned it will just take too much time, take the kids out of school too many days, etc. We're sailing on Glory, leaving Saturday 2/14; I'm thinking that we could take 1/2 day Thursday and all day Friday to get to Port Canaveral from upstate NY, then drive 1/2 day Saturday and all day Sunday after the cruise to get home. Anyone think this is doable - or am I really out in left field somewhere?:o

 

You could do it, but you better plan on what you are going to do for snow and ice storms on the way down.

We have driven to florida, but never in the dead of winter.

[JessicaRN]

I'll never throw in the towel... but... we probably wont cruise as often. We already prefer cruising in the winter, which is cheaper, but we might cut back to one cruise/year instead of 2 or more.

 

Air from NY to MIA was more than 50% more for August than last January. I can't even imagine living in a place where your airport/airline options are limited.

 

- Jess

 

ps: Boo on AA for charging for the first checked bag. How many people fly without luggage??? Be honest and raise your prices.

[CanTex]

I bet we see the pendulum swing back to more ships being homeported in the U.S. again, like it was 3+ years ago. Unless the cruise lines can still fill the ships with Europeans on the summer itineraries there (and those embarking from Carribean ports in the winter), we will see the trend reverse. As is obvious from the postings here, air fares, new fees and just as significantly, the shrinking U.S. dollar are going to kill off those markets.

[PaulMedik]

DW and I spend over $500 per month for fuel. Add the expense of three boys and it's cheaper to cruise than to work! :p Well not really, but we do avoid gas bills for the time we're on the ship. Airfare is actually cheaper this year than any other year in recent memory; $49 each way for direct flights to FLL from WV!

 

With our fuel costs for driving to work, we're definately considering giving that luxury up. :D

[Mikel1733]

In reality everything is going to change for those used to the American way.

 

Of course the whole world could fall into recession and demand will drop and viola we'll be back at 75 dollar oil again and problem solved:D

 

 

I wish I could share your optimism for $75 oil. I'm afraid we are going to find out what its like to live with reduced expectations whether it be the car we drive, how much our food will cost, how much home heating will cost, what size of house we will be able to afford to heat. And for the poor of this country I am afraid we can expect more crime as they do what they have to do to survive. We can hope this is a bubble that will burst......but oil analyst Charlie Maxwell sees $12 gallon gas by 2010- 2015 lasting 10-12 years.. If so that will knock many of us (myself included) out of the cruising business.

[Rockee4055]

With the prices of fuel steadily going up it is affecting everything. Airfares are going crazy. With these prices I know the airlines have to raise their prices to even stay afloat but it's getting beyond what I'm willing to pay.

 

The price of our flights to and from Alaska will probably be as much if not more than the cruise.

 

With all the flight changes, flights canceled, charging for luggage, etc. I'm just about at the point where it's just not worth it.

 

Maybe the cruise lines can put some ships closer to where people live so that they don't have to fly. I know, wishful thinking.

 

Oh well, hopefully something will give.

 

Bill

 

Hey Bill - Yes, the airfare is out of control but nothing anyone can do about it right now.

 

The air to Alaska will be outragious, we've talked about this before. The good thing about or relo (due to job) to Georgia is that we are closer to the cruise ports in Fl. 7 hours to Tampa and Port Canaveral and about 10 - 11 to Ft Laud and mia.

 

I have a T&C van so I can take 7 people to Fl and back for about $150 in gas, so much cheaper than flying.

[MTcruiser]

We will not be throwing the towel in either. We are leaving next month...and will be DRIVING...all the way to San Diego from Montana. We have budgeted gas prices into our savings, so it shouldnt be a big deal. Theres no reason to stay home and pout about the gas prices and the rising prices on everything. Im all bout getting out and having a good time. Me freaking out bout the price of gas gets me no where...i still have to go to work every week day, and the kids still have to go to school....so unfortunately i just pay it and dont say a word...just keep smiling....

[Muumuu]

Hell No!!!!

 

I will continue to cruise.

[*CruiseFan*]

All I know is I am SO glad I drive a Honda. That, and my husband and I live in an up and coming area (artsy fartsy, LOL) in the city so it's a 7 minute commute to work, saving us a TON in gas. We also are less than an hour from Galveston, which in my car can be done on 3/4 of a tank round trip.

 

If we had to fly, I don't even know. It's not even the flying, it's the checking bags BS they're pulling now. Just raise your prices across the board if that's what you have to do and lets move on.

[Tbay-eh]

All I know is I am SO glad I drive a Honda. That, and my husband and I live in an up and coming area (artsy fartsy, LOL) in the city so it's a 7 minute commute to work, saving us a TON in gas. We also are less than an hour from Galveston, which in my car can be done on 3/4 of a tank round trip.

 

If we had to fly, I don't even know. It's not even the flying, it's the checking bags BS they're pulling now. Just raise your prices across the board if that's what you have to do and lets move on.

:cool: We are from Canada and have been paying $4.00 plus a gallon for awhile so your gas is not surprising. also - check out our air fares, absolutely unreal. we still manage to cruise but I will admit that we may do an all inclusive to Mexico this time around. I really do sympathize with you and hope you can swing it some how.:cool:

[grandmato4]

poobears - Can I ask how you manage the logistics of driving? Do you drive straight through, switching drivers? I ask because I just said to DH tonight that for our cruise out of Port Canaveral next February I'm seriously considering driving given the cost of flights and more charges for checked bags, but I'm concerned it will just take too much time, take the kids out of school too many days, etc. We're sailing on Glory, leaving Saturday 2/14; I'm thinking that we could take 1/2 day Thursday and all day Friday to get to Port Canaveral from upstate NY, then drive 1/2 day Saturday and all day Sunday after the cruise to get home. Anyone think this is doable - or am I really out in left field somewhere?:o

 

Sure that drive is doable from here in NYS to Florida but I'd personally not be planning to do it in February without building in extra hours to clear the possible snow/ice storms to get me to the cruise on time. Wouldn't be so worried about getting back as long as I could have an extra day off work IF we ran into storms.

[chasetf]

.........And I do wish they had more east coast departures...or Carnival could put a ship in the Great Lakes!

They can not get past Montreal..... how they going to get it to the Great Lakes...... unless they build it there. :D