Sitting on the fence...anybody else?

[Brad1185]

book it, lock in the air with cruise line, do a short pre stay, if you wait any longer, you probably will never get another chance. the price of oil is going to kill the travel industry. If the oil goes too high cancel and you lost nothing.

 

Its never going to be cheaper, lock it in before its too late.

[Napi's Mom]

"My 90 year old mother lives with us, she has money in the bank that she is "saving", she and my Dad saved it too, only my Dad has been gone for almost 13 years now and she is still saving! They never traveled - they always talked about all the places they would go "some day". Well some day is gone - she has money in the bank that some Nursing Home will probably get - or the government, and here she sits. She will not come with us. She sits and watches our cat while we cruise. I swore I would not be like them. I love my DH madly and we want to make memories together while we can. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?"

 

I know exactly what you mean, my parents went on few nice vacations, my Dad always wanted to go back to Germany where he was from, but they didn't do any of the trips they talked about, and he died without doing them. By then my mother was diagnosed as a "dementia" patient, whether Altzheimers or other we never knew...guess where every bit of money from the sale of their home, and a small inheritance, and all the savings went?? My DH family was the same!

When we got older we vowed we would do what we must to see as much of the world as we had time for, however we had to pay for it (but that's another thread) Our kids aren't getting a large bundle when we leave this world...we're using it now!

[cruzmaven]

Most of this has been said but let me throw in my 2 cents:

 

1. Don't cancel now. Wait until you get close to your final payment and re-evaluate then. A lot can happen between then and now in terms of prices, the dollar and the economy.

 

2. Add cruise air to your reservation to lock in the price and then look for your own air to compare prices at the last minute. You can cancel the cruise air at the last minute if you find a better deal. DO NOT BOOK NON-REFUNDABLE AIR NOW. That will lock you in to the cruise and take away your flexibility should X change any details of the cruise, which brings me to:

 

3. Do not rely on X not changing the details of the cruise. Ports may change, they may allow a major group to book blocks of rooms (See Dr. Laura thread on HAL board), they may charter the ship for that sailing and cancel on you. Should any such thing happen you have no recourse other than to cancel. DO NOT RELY ON CELEBRITY TO BE "FAIR". As a business they will do what is in their best interest and they do not appear to have much regard for their customers when making business decisions or in dealing with already booked customers affected by those decisions. (See the way they've handled the Solstice inauguaral change.)

 

4. Booking an alternate cruise closer to home for the same time is not a bad idea. It will expand your options. Whichever cruise you cancel, you can use that deposit money towards the cruise you keep.

 

Hopefully things will work out and you'll have a wonderful cruise. Just be smart about your planning.

[hcat]

As I posted before, we will also try to hang onto our 10 Day E. medit cruise for Sept 09 on Solstice, but when compared to a 14 day exotic carib cruise on Connie a few months after, it may have to go...

 

A cruise in Europe is itself a good value but for us it is also alot of work to get to--limos to & from JFK airport in US,, cabs, limo to cruise port in Rome, pre-cruise hotel & meals, costly excursions...bad exchange rate, high airfare...& long plane ride...All adds to the bottom line in terms of money & energy..

 

For the carib--its a quick flight from a local airport, visit grandma overnight & then cruise--& fly home...no fuss no bother...no work!

 

Of course the port experiences differ, but we will continue to evaluate as time passes..We are booked on Sostice for a carib cruise as well so if we cancel, we will still get to enjoy the ship!

 

Hope everyone can fulfill their plans but at a certain point reality must set in!

[agabbymama]

On my first trip to England in 1987, I was aghast that my $1000 spending money became only $500 once I exchanged it at the airport. Then when I started visiting Europe, the prices were much better and the exchange was great, as the dollar was so strong. It spoiled us, but now with the dollar doing so poorly, it's almost like that first trip.

 

I said the same thing last July when I booked our Med cruise on the Grand Princess. I got a pretty good rate on a balcony cabin, and said, "we have until July next year to cancel if prices get too high". Well, guess what, once you have booked airfare, tours, and hotels, and planned all year for the trip, there is no way you are going to cancel, even if you don't lose the cruise money. You have too much invested elsewhere.

 

SO, to make a long story short, make up your mind now, do you want to go regardless of the cost? If you can live with whatever the cost is going to be (could be higher, could be lower) then book it, otherwise forget it. But I don't see Europe getting any more affordable in the future, than it is right now. But nobody can predict the future.

 

Have a great trip, wherever you decide to go!

[EGG]

Here is my 2 cents:

 

I would not cancel now. I would watch the prices. I was considering cancelling the Europe cruise we just returned from. The price ended up coming down twice for a total of $600 each. However, price drops are few and far between. You can't count on this.

 

I would also advise you to be flexable with your cabin selection. I see you have snagged the popular aft CC cabin, but I just looked at your itinerary and with only 3 sea days and an October sail date you may want to consider a less expensive cabin. We did a late Oct. cruise to the Med 4 years ago and sundown was in the 5:30-6:30 range. This makes your aft balcony less usable. I would also consider that you might get cooler weather in October which I consider a great benefit for touring and that is why we go in October but less desirable for the balcony cabins. Sometimes in life you have to make choices and we have chosen to do twice as many cruises for the same price as others. The first thing we do is carefully evaluate the cabin. As for CC, that is something we would never use. We have always gotten top notch service from the room attendants without CC.

 

You will have to make hundreds of other decisions with a hundred other ways to spend money or conserve. If your attitute is that this is a huge anniversary celebration and I want everything first class then this trip will cost you more then you want to spend. The post cruise in Venice alone will be very expensive, although there are ways to minimize these costs. If you enjoy planning and doing things on your own you can save some money. Everything adds up. I would start searching these boards for advice.

 

Either way, this is a fantastic cruise.

[cusyl]

We went on a Mediterrean cruise for our 50th anniversary and never regreted the money we spent on it, even the expensive business class airfare.

We had traveled to Europe several times when we were younger on land trips, but this was our last hurrah. The following year DH was diagnosed with the big C.

Don't put off your celebration if you can afford it without breaking the bank. You have a whole year to save for it.

[Curly-Q]

To all that responded --a great big THANK YOU! The information and encouragement was tremendous and greatly appreciated! We WILL go on this cruise....but as so many have said, there will be a lot of planning. There is no way to know what the future my hold, but there's no need in fretting over something I can't change anyway. It's a special cruise for us, which is why I opted for the CC aft cabin; and as for the weather and how it may impact my balcony time...I can't change that either but I'm sure we will still enjoy sitting on that balcony watching the ship's wake!

 

As several have mentioned, I looked into some B&Bs and am really encouraged by the prices and ratings. This is our FIRST time to Europe, and it may well be our last....but it's going to be one FANTASTIC trip and we are going to have a great time! I am taking steps now to add cruise air then watch for ticket prices as those flight dates become available. My motto is plan, plan, plan, then shop, shop, shop for some great values. No matter what, this trip is going to be one terrific catalyst for memories that will last a lifetime!!! :D

 

Thanks again to all who offered their thoughts and words of wisdom!!

[HollyK]

I don't know why I didn't see this thread but I didn't. It was - to my mind - a valuable and thoughtful discussion of the subject and the OP's specific concerns which affect many of us presently. Moreover folks were so reasonable and down to earth. Wonderful discussion.

 

I am in a similar dilemna to the OP. I *almost* booked a Med Cruise and then re-thot - not for the cruise portion but the "What's the airfare and other costs going to be?" question. Can't book air now - way too far out. I'm getting info that Cruise Air cannot be locked in, as some suggest. Wrong or right I don't know. Need to investigate that. Another post.

 

I've experienced the parents that did then didn't travel (after a certain age), the parents that saved money and didn't spend (and yes while I'm the recipient of the result thereof - I truly rather that they had the joy) and the Alzheimers situation and the nursing home situation and and and, and I totally identify with that.

 

Sometimes my DH thinks/says I'm a spendthrift wanting and planning to go here/there and everywhere. However he always enjoys the trips. :) Watching my parents from a past perspective, we probably only have 10 years to truly enjoy travelling fully. I believe the time is now so I'm going to *book it Danno*. :D

 

Thanks so much all for sharing your thots/perspectives. It's made a big difference in my life.

 

Watch for my new Med Cruise booking in my sig! :D :D

[spearmint]

I have been fence-sitting on this itinerary (Barcelona-Venice), for a couple of reasons:

I know nothing about these two cities as far as airport/location to city/ship, ease of getting around, safety issues etc.

Then,too, I wondered about the ports. For example, Rome is a couple of hours away from the port city, is it not? Is there time to see anything worthwhile in Rome, without being rushed off one's feet?

 

Another thing of which I am unsure is the time of year. For sure, these cities will be hot in July/August. I notice the original poster is scheduled for October '09. What will the climate be like in September/October? :)Thanks for any responses.

[hcat]

Barcelona is a great city--lots to see (very walkable) & convenient pre-cruise if you stay one or two nights ahead,,,our cruise was in Sept so can't tell about summer crowds or weather....usual precautions re security & wallets worked out OK for us...but it is an issue out in the streets & at tourist venues...just be careful & follow the suggestions on the boards..It was our first trip overseas & we loved it

 

We took a ship's excursion to Rome--long ride on a nice bus (one pit stop) ...saw quite a bit there & had a nice lunch included--well worth it--We took the Imperial Rome trip..a bit of everything-- trevi Fountain,, Vatican & the forum.... (also pickpockets there too!) Also did a similar trip for Florence--same positive result...

 

we are still hanging onto our Sept 09 E Medit cruise RT Rome..but we have booked a back up closer to home just in case the airfare climbs to the unaffordable point for us.... the ship's air was not so great a deal so we have not locked in with them--maybe that's a bad tactic but want to try for air on our own..we'll know as soon as the dates open up or booking...

[Cruise Junky]

I have been fence-sitting on this itinerary (Barcelona-Venice), for a couple of reasons:

I know nothing about these two cities as far as airport/location to city/ship, ease of getting around, safety issues etc.

Then,too, I wondered about the ports. For example, Rome is a couple of hours away from the port city, is it not? Is there time to see anything worthwhile in Rome, without being rushed off one's feet?

 

Another thing of which I am unsure is the time of year. For sure, these cities will be hot in July/August. I notice the original poster is scheduled for October '09. What will the climate be like in September/October? :)Thanks for any responses.

 

All of these questions will be very easily answered with a quick read of the Europe Board. This cruise is awesome, don't hesitate, book it if you can.

[Denny01]

Nice Thread. Everyone pretty much responded to the OP and there were no 'diversions'.

 

One subject we may not have fully addressed that our OP brought up - undersold cruises. I haven't seen it, or read about it on any threads, but I don't believe Celebrity has ever canceled a cruise unless the ship has an issue. No cancellations due to being undersold. And some people raise the question about the cruise lowering the price as it gets closer to fill it up and the early people miss out. From what I've seen, most Celebrity cruises go up in price as time goes. That has happened with the two cruises I've pre-signed and you can see I have one in Nov 09! The Jan 09 cruise airfare went up after we signed up. And if for some reason, your stateroom class goes down, you'll get the difference. I check every once in a while, but I've not seen it, but others have done this - according to other posts.

 

So sit back and enjoy. We have cruise-air on both of these cruises - the S Amer cruise air cost was one of the reasons I jumped on that cruise. I always wanted to do this cruise but the airfare was always too restrictive and my freq flyer didn't support these ports. As for the European TA, we've done one TA and LOVED it. The airfare is nothing to shout about, but come Nov 08, I'll start shopping and hope to do better.

 

We save by flying in one day before and enjoy the departure city for a night out, saving a bit, but somethimes it's smart to bite the bullet and find a nice ** or *** star hotel and enjoy a city you may never see again.

 

I stayed at a nice ** star in Barcelona on the Ramblas that was walking distance of the port (was in the Navy), and Venice is unbelievable. No cars and little hotels all over the place! Not cheap, but Pizza San Marco is the most unbelievable site, walking into it after walking through all the narrow streets that lead into it. No cars, low noise, fantastic sites.

 

Denny

[TNhome]

GO! ENJOY life while you can, celebrate every day!!! One great way to help absorb some of the cost is to save money by putting away any extra cash you get from rebates or refunds. Save your change its amazing how much it adds up! Save any unexpected money that may come your way. Sure your not going to pay for a cruise this way but it is amazing how much it adds up. We do this in between all of our vacations and its great to have extra money for spending or absorbing some of those unexpected costs. I wish you both all the best on whatever you decide.

[spearmint]

All of these questions will be very easily answered with a quick read of the Europe Board. This cruise is awesome, don't hesitate, book it if you can.

 

Thanks. I should have known that! :)

[randolph]

It's too far out to book air, but Orbitz now has a guarantee that if you purchase air thru them, if the price goes down before departure they'll return the difference (up to $250pp).

[Giorgi-one]

[quote name='Curly-Q']Okay, I know this is a long way off, but I booked a 2-wk Med cruise (Barcelona-Venice) on the Summit for Oct 2009--a huge anniversary celebration--even booked a CC Aft cabin! That's the good news, but I'm sitting on the perverbial fence here thinking about cancelling the cruise. I know I have until 70 days prior to cancel with full refund of deposit. I was considering doing a short pre- and post-cruise stay, but looking at Europe hotel prices, it seems so expensive with the falling dollar. I have enjoyed reading the reviews and this will be our first =X= cruise. However, with all the associated costs going up and up, I am beginning to re-think my cruise choice.

All I hear is bad news regarding the airlines, fuel surcharges, and the US dollar. I know there's no way to know if prices will come down. I had planned to do my own air, but after hearing all the bad news, I wonder if cruise air would be a better choice -- of course, the whole thing may turn out to be a financial nightmare! Then, after all my planning, I'm worried the cruise will be undersold, then changed or cancelled alltogether! :eek:

I'm not trying to be pessimistic here, but is there anyone else out there seriously re-considering their cruise plans???? Will travel become for only the rich and richer??? I am posting here, but this is true for all the cruise lines.

I'm sticking with my plans for now....at least until the 100% refund clock winds down on the deposit. I may check into putting a deposit on a closer cruise, then see which one will be the better deal in the end; and watch the airlines with their problems and decide if it is all worth it!!![/QUOTE]

I don't think I have ever seen anyone worry about so many things almost 18 months away. Obviously, if you want to add days before and after your cruise it will cost more money. It would probably cost you twice as much to add days in New York City than it would in Barcelona. You did the right thing locking in the cruise and getting the CC aft cabin. You can't book air until about next January so no need to even look at fares until then. As far as hotels, check the ports section on Cruise Critic. Look at Hotel Continental in Barcelona - about 120 Euros per night. Located right on Ramblas one block from the Main Plaza. Has an all day snack buffet that will save you a fortune. Not fancy but clean and the best location in Barcelona.

[jannandjohn]

make up your mind, stick to it...and look forward to it with positivity.