How will you cruise next year due to the economy?

[andrewjohnyyz]

we wont be scalling back our vacations next year, we usually go away every April and December for a week, our budget is always under $1000 when we go to Cuba or another island, and when we cruise its just above that due to the extra price for airfare, i think our budget will still be the same but extra things like excursions and souveniers will be scalled back, seeing our Canadian dollar has dropped once again which costs us more. We look forward to our vacations twibce a year and i think something drstically would have to happen for us not to go.

[skiiergirl]

Other= cruises will be same, onboard spending same, excursions same, in port shopping/purchases might be reduced

[chief joe]

other= My 09 cruise already booked. I go where I want to, spend what I want to and hope they don't run out of rum.

[WE LIKE TO CRUISE]

we have 3 cruise left this year and 1 book for 2009. we like to cruise. take care and keep on cruising.:)

[buzymom3]

Airfare is CRAZY! We are booked for Freedom in March 2009...but we are hoping that either the fuel surcharge is removed or there are some good late deals. Airfare is $2500 from O'Hare to Ft Lauderdale...for 5!! I booked on Southwest the minute the new fares were released and this was the best I could do. I almost cancelled. But we will see.

 

We will cut back on board...no soda, no premium dinners, etc. Maybe only 2 shore excursions.

 

I really want to go on this cruise, but we are willing to cancel if things change...

[lindaincenterville]

Even though we already have 2 cruises booked for 2009, we will be watching for reasonable resolution of the fuel surcharge issue. The formulas I've read at several websites are ridiculous.

 

It would be almost impossible for a cruiser to benefit from these formulas, yet the lines are publicizing that they are reducing/reviewing them. It appears to me that unless the oil price stays at its current VERY low price, there will be no relief for consumers. Even one penny over the threshold entails the full surcharge!

 

I feel that there must be a happy medium (or sliding scale) to be fair. Both booking another cruise and keeping our December family cruise are dependent on a fairer resolution of this policy.

 

Linda

[sealovers]

Except for our upcoming cruise in early December, we always book at least one year out. The early specials are usually the best if we want a specific cabin. I do a lot of shopping and comparing as the final cost does vary depending on with whom you book. Some specials will include an on-board credit, while others will offer paid gratuities, thereby reducing our cost once on-board. Everything is completely paid prior to our cruise and the spending money is set aside to avoid the added expense of charge card interest. While it may sound boring, visiting some ports repeatedly has given us the advantage of knowing where to go and what to do without having to purchase excursions. Even though we would like to sail from ports closer to home (central VA), the cruises departing from a reasonable driving distance for us are overpriced and it's usually more prudent just to fly to a FL port.

[jojoe]

If we had not already booked with friends, I would change my cruise plans for '09. The airfare to Ft. Lauderdale is ridiculous. Can't even fly back the day the ship docks because the air is off the charts for that day. We have to stay over an extra night just to save on the air. We took a hit on investments, as well.

I am looking forward to the trip but that is all we will be able to do in '09.

[Jade13]

OK, don't hate me but look at my tickers. Yes, I really did win 2 cruises for next year.

 

Are you going to tell us how you won two cruises on the same ship?

[m steve]

that put us off this year. Unlike the Caribbean, taking off from ports seemed like at least a $100+ pp to do any touring. No $50-60 day trips there. Add in your purchases, lunch, entry fees, etc. and that doubles the cost of the cruise. Any experience that could be shared with us?

[Jade13]

Airfare is CRAZY! We are booked for Freedom in March 2009...but we are hoping that either the fuel surcharge is removed or there are some good late deals. Airfare is $2500 from O'Hare to Ft Lauderdale...for 5!! I booked on Southwest the minute the new fares were released and this was the best I could do. I almost cancelled. But we will see.

 

We will cut back on board...no soda, no premium dinners, etc. Maybe only 2 shore excursions.

 

I really want to go on this cruise, but we are willing to cancel if things change...

 

$50.00 pp sounds reasonable to me. Flights were running over $1,000.00pp to some Florida locations this year.

[lv2cruisgrl]

We have 2 cruises for 2009 that we booked way in advance, now the prices are up so glad we did it. 2010, we have Oasis booked only so far, will see if the prices go down on other cruises before we book another.

[Barbee524]

Are you going to tell us how you won two cruises on the same ship?

 

Google winner barbee524 and you'll see how and where I won.:D

[huffygit]

Like a lot of cruisers we have felt the downturn here in Scotland,we already get penalised for flights from here and to go any distance costs us a fortune.

We may look at sailing from the U.K. next year just to keep the costs down,although we really fancy New Zealand and Australia,our cruise at Christmas to the Caribbean has set us back over $10,000 for a balcony cabin.

Still i will have a great time and may just have to save until 2010 for the next one.

[tayl]

I will take less cruises. Last year I went on three plus two land vacations.

My next planned cruise, is with Seabourn next year. Unless there are excellent deals, with the various cruise lines, I will travel less.

[TN Vol Fan]

We are very lucky to have our March, 2009 BTB already budgeted and just about paid for. Our Oct. cruise is a Freebie from our Visa card points, although the airfare is almost as much as the cruise would have been. We are using low cost airlines whenever possible and will do less expensive day trips to the beach instead of excursions while we're in the Caribbean. We do Caribbean cruises and larger, further away ones in alternating years. So far, we have been lucky with that schedule. Happy cruising to all!;)

[Times Prince]

After researching alternate possibilities for vacations, we have found that the a cruise represents the best use of our vacation money, and gives the greatest value.

 

The problem is the cost for airfare to get TO the cruise, which will make us tend toward more US based home ports. Airfare can exceed the cost of a 7-10 day cruise - so that's a book in advance with lowest cost, but least connections that would jeopardize arrival at the cruise terminal.

 

As we have cruised more and more, we have found various ways to economize without sacrificing the quality.

• We tend to go with half day excursions which often cost less than full day local tours and don't wear us out so we can't enjoy the evening dancing.
  
• We bring our own snorkeling gear which enables us to find some great snorkeling venues at the cost of a cab ride and a drink at the local beach bar.
  
• We reseach and compare local tours with Princess Excursions.
  
• We find the ship's restaurants and food to be just fine, well above our normal faire and tend not to pay extra for specialty restaurants or eating onshore.
  
• We reserve the best quality cabin we can afford within our budget, but strictly observe some minimum requirements that enhance our enjoyment of the cruise (e.g. an outside view)
  
• Once onboard ship we enjoy ourselves but don't spend extravagently. e.g. for souvenier purchases we consider where we will put the article or whether it will go in a closet and gather dust.
  
• We limit ourselves to the best purchased picture(s) that remind us of our good time.
  
• And in advance, we have found a great TA who will get us good prices for our cruises.
  

Princess practically gives us money with Future Cruise Credits, as the initial investment lowers up front deposits, plus returns some or all of the money in on-board credits (OBC). That's a great way to reduce and control the costs.

[bv521]

We booked a penthouse with verandah on Crystal to celebrate my 70th birthday. I did not pay in full by 11/8 to save 3.5% as I had originally intended to do. Crystal has extended the final payment date to March 15th so I will wait until then to decide whether to downgrade to an A or AA category cabin. Our cruise is 9309, Los Angeles to Miami in May 2009 onboard the Serenity.

[CSIMelissa]

I have booked a Transatlantic, a European cruise and am considering a Christmas cruise for December 2009. I'm doing OK and I feel that I am doing my part to help the economy by traveling!!

[live2dive45]

I cashed in miles for our flights to Miami for our FOS Cruise in January. That certainly helps cut the cost and we are in the process of deciding on booking NCL out of Philly to Bermuda next October. Have you seen the prices for those cruises? You can't afford to stay home. Love a close-to-home port as I live outside DC.:);):o

[Harry and Lucille]

Put me on a wooden bench, chain my feet to the deck and give me a big oar. I will find a way.;)

[bigruday]

The last cruise i went on was in aug of 2006? I have noticed prices are still reasonable but what seems expensive is the taxes and fees. Its almost 200 per person. Is it me being cheap or have fees gone up sky high??

[Dusualsuspect]

When they drop the fuel surcharge (and I dont mean in 2010) and I dont want to receive 2009 shipboard credits in luei (sic) of returning cash fuel surcharge back to customers that they kept collecting,... only then will I start looking at booking a cruise. $100-$200 per person extra EACH is a lot of money..multiply that by 1500 or 2000 people (200 x 2000 = $400,000) which is added to the price of regular cruise price which has a normal fuel price already priced into its cost is a huge windfall.

These days cruiselines can buy fuel on a spot basis real cheap or they can lock down a price for fuel in the future now.

[edu-sense]

I run my own business and things are going so well we are taking on extra staff, due to the cuts in interest rates, we are taking a bigger cruise than normal and going for a suite, the savings we have just had confirmed this month from our mortgage actually pays for the cruise, so that was a bonus, just more money to spend shopping.

 

I think people who love cruising will just book earlier and give themselves more time to pay.

 

I know I will still have 5-6 holidays a year and at least one will be a HAL cruise for over 2 weeks.

[Fanofcruising]

We will closely watch the last minute bargains and take advantage of them. I would suggest that everyone watch the amount of the downpayment, not all cruiselines are safe in this market.