Am I a big spender or a tightwad???

[Tatka]

How is it possible to get scared? You aren't scared to live every day... believe me.. you can spend much more at home, if you don't watch money. It's not like they hide prices on the ships.

 

Our average bill for 3 people without tips and excursions is around $100-200 or less .. We do buy ship models to sell on Ebay, but it's not a serious income.:D

[WinnieinWA]

 

I would personally forego the shore excursions, but the husband is mortally terrified of taxis in foreign ports. Not rational.

 

And I'm sure the foreigners would be mortally afraid of you if they knew how you felt about them!

[DeniseAtBeach]

I have read with great interest all responses... what works for some does not for others... depends what your budget is, frankly.

 

We are used to all inclusive holidays where we drink what we want when we want, so the cruise experience definitely makes us be more budget conscious, but we do not deny ourselves...

 

We arrange our own excursions, take off the assigned tips immediately and tip where we see fit for excellent above and beyond service and our bill is usually about $100 per day.

 

I enjoy a bottle of wine with dinner every evening, sometimes 2...my Hubby enjoys his Grand Marnier in the evening, so why not treat yourselves. On sea days, we drink our share of rum and coke and never begrudge our bill; it is built into the overall estimated cost of our holiday.

 

We book an inside cabin and use the rest of our $$ for our other pleasures... I see why those prefer to book balconies or mini suites, but for us the cabin is a place to sleep, fool around, and bathe... we do not need a window or balcony for any of this!

 

Again, personal preference.... I would rather save on the balcony cabin and use that $$$ for other things which mean more to our overall cruise enjoyment.

 

Whether you spend $50 or $1000 per day, make the most of your cruise experience within your budget... I can bet I enjoyed my inside cabin cruise with a $700 bar bill more than the person who spent the same overall amount for a balcony with a meager bill .... again personal preference and what you deem important for your holiday!

 

Who cares if you are a tightwad or extravagantly overboard... do your thing, bay-bee!

 

8 days and counting!

[cudder]

I agree with Winnie, a tightwad, but it looks like you got lots of company, bottom line is as long as you enjoy yourself who cares what you are, diff strokes.CUDDER:confused:

[Tatka]

We don't budget, but we also don't throw money around.. We do pay for things that are expensive, but make sense.

 

For example we knew, that we didn't have much time to explore Rome and Florence etc on our own fully.. so we ordered private tours even though all excursions on that cruise together were more expensive that cruisefare itself. However we don't feel the need to spend thousands on drinks (although it could be more important for others).. We also splurged on a good camera so we take our pictures and don't buy ships'.

[caribill]

We arrange our own excursions, take off the assigned tips immediately and tip where we see fit for excellent above and beyond service.

 

 

Since once you remove the "assigned" tips, the tipping where you see fit to dining room staff and the room steward will only go into a tipping pool (the one that your autotips are not going into anymore). The ones you try to reward this way will get very little of what you hand them, most likely less than if you left the autotip on.

[WinnieinWA]

We arrange our own excursions, take off the assigned tips immediately and tip where we see fit for excellent above and beyond service and our bill is usually about $100 per day.

 

That's as tight as it gets!:mad: You hurt every crew member by doing this!!!! Sheesh!

[isyer1]

Well We have already spent $500 on prereserved shore excursions and spa services. We usually put try to bugdet by adding credits on our accouts leading up to the cruise and this crusie is no different, but we will still have a bill at the end.

 

I say your on vacation have a great time...have fun do, what you want and live a little. You cant take the money with you.

[amapola]

Back on topic... :) DH and I are far from tightwads, but we really don't find much to spend our money on onboard ship. We don't drink alcohol or soda (by choice, not because of $), but we might have a couple of Perriers or espressos. We buy a couple of photos, especially the "Welcome aboard" one because it makes a nice memory. We don't go to the casino or bingo. Maybe we're just really boring :D :rolleyes: .

 

On our cruise to Alaska we did spend quite a bit on excursions, though in the Caribbean we might just do 1 or 2 if we're going to a new island.

 

IMO spending little doesn't necessarily equate cheapness :p

[cpj]

would someone please explain this to me. I always prepay my tips on the shipboard account. On our last cruise which was 14 days long I gave the waiter an extra $50.00 on the last night from myself and my wife because he went out of his way with special request that we made. Does he have to share. that extra tip. I gave him cash along with his tip voucher. Would like to know it that is true.

[isyer1]

would someone please explain this to me. I always prepay my tips on the shipboard account. On our last cruise which was 14 days long I gave the waiter an extra $50.00 on the last night from myself and my wife because he went out of his way with special request that we made. Does he have to share. that extra tip. I gave him cash along with his tip voucher. Would like to know it that is true.

 

He has to share if you turn off the autotips, if you leave them on he gets to keep it.

[MichCook]

Are you a big spender or a tightwad - traveling first-class or on a shoestring??? No labels necessary....you are enjoying your vacation as you wish. I've noticed you've been fortunate to take two or three cruises some years. Good for you!

 

My DH and I take one cruise each year and we don't "count our pennies" so to speak. Of course, we try to exercise some restraint :) but, we spend $ on shore excursions, sometimes a spa treatment, sometimes a picture or two if they are to our liking, cocktails, a specialty dining experience here and there, a bottle of wine at dinner.....

 

On our last two cruises we averaged about $150 per day. We could be more frugal, I suppose, but we really want to fully enjoy our cruise experience each year. And we do! :D

[burm]

I enjoy a bottle of wine with dinner every evening, sometimes 2...my Hubby enjoys his Grand Marnier in the evening, so why not treat yourselves. On sea days, we drink our share of rum and coke and never begrudge our bill; it is built into the overall estimated cost of our holiday.

 

 

I can bet I enjoyed my inside cabin cruise with a $700 bar bill more than the person who spent the same overall amount for a balcony with a meager bill .... again personal preference and what you deem important for your holiday!

 

Wow! alcholic cheapscapes:mad:

 

If I drank 2 bottles of wine with dinner I wouldn't even need a cabin!