Well, we had to cancel...

[vbmom87]

It does amaze me that so many others are still able to cruise not just yearly but even more frequently. It just seems like even people with good incomes (like us) and retirees with good portfolios have been hit by this economy..

 

 

 

I wonder the same thing. Ever since I joined this board I have been mystified as to how much money people seem to have for cruising. I was a stay at home mom so I attribute it some to the fact that we had only one income to work with. My other best guess is that people knew how to invest a whole lot better than we did. I was just glad we were able to get our one and only cruise to Alaska in last summer. I doubt we would have gone if our plans had been to wait until this year. I do hope our new president and the leaders of the other countries, can get our economy rolling again. We all need this. Meanwhile, try to buy USA made products and support those companies that really got our country to where it was. Too often we have turned our backs on American countries who were the backbone of the growth of this country. We really need to support ourselves. No one else cares.

[mariner]

We walked away from HAL a few years ago because of the rising onboard expenses.

 

Do we miss life aboard ship? Yes. Did we find cheaper but high quality alternatives on land? Yes.

 

Face it. The economy will turn around hopefully sooner rather than later. Not worth throwing your life into a tailspin for a cruise.

 

Keep looking forward and all the best.

[Pokeynose]

I wonder the same thing. Ever since I joined this board I have been mystified as to how much money people seem to have for cruising. I was a stay at home mom so I attribute it some to the fact that we had only one income to work with. My other best guess is that people knew how to invest a whole lot better than we did. I was just glad we were able to get our one and only cruise to Alaska in last summer. I doubt we would have gone if our plans had been to wait until this year. I do hope our new president and the leaders of the other countries, can get our economy rolling again. We all need this. Meanwhile, try to buy USA made products and support those companies that really got our country to where it was. Too often we have turned our backs on American countries who were the backbone of the growth of this country. We really need to support ourselves. No one else cares.

 

I was a stay at home Mom until my last boy was in highschool, then I volunteered in a hospital for several years helping on the oncology ward 4 days a week. I could have gotten a real job for $$ but I felt this was the best for me. We couldn't afford a cruise and put 3 boys through college. I guess we could have afforded lots of things if I worked but it wasn't for me. Our first cruise was a gift from our older son for our 50th anniv. He said it was time for us to enjoy our life. We don't have much money, lost lots this past year but as I said in a previous post we decided to take another cruise before the job and money crisis hit our economy, went the cheaper way since booking in Sept. is less $$$. I know you weren't picking me out in your post but many people who can take their cruises must know what they can afford or not afford. I have also wondered how people could afford so many cruises a year but then I thought it's none of my business. With the years we have left my DH and I will do what we can afford, no regrets. I never will regret being a stay a home Mom and I'm sure you don't either. Our new President has a lot on his plate. I pray he can turn this county around. As to buying Made in America, try and find those things that are affordable. Everything is made in China, etc. because it's cheaper. I don't like it but that's what's happening to lots of businesses nowadays. I'm off my soapbox now. I hope you will beable to take another cruise soon.:) I hope I didn't offend anyone with this post.

[mariner]

Pokey,

 

How they afford it? They spend no money aboard.

 

They think that's a good thing. It isn't. Killing the cruise line and forcing them toriase prices to cut back. As if that's a good thing.

 

You have nothing to be ashamed of.

[Susie51]

I am sorry to hear about your husband and his employees are unemployed. You seem like wise people. I hope your husband finds work soon.

[RuthC]

Camille, I'm sorry to read of the decision you felt you had to make. I hope things look up for you and your DH soon.

Our little state seems to be in the lead down this economic path---who would have ever thought we would be the trendsetters! :rolleyes: Never can get it right, can we. ;)

But this, too, shall pass, and there will be blissful cruises in your future. Hang in there. :)

[jnc411]

Was sorry to see that you had to cancel. For us , we have put off booking a cruise. We had hoped to cruise early spring , if DH health permitted , but now with things they way they are, we are waiting. Our youngest son is unemployed and we will be helping him, so that is more important to us right now. If things turn around , we can always book a last minute cruise. Prayers for all of us now during these uncertain times.

Cori

[kryos]

With the years we have left my DH and I will do what we can afford, no regrets.

And that is the bottom line ... you have no regrets. In the end, that's all that matters.

 

I think many people who take a lot of cruises are older. They've raised their families and put all their kids through college. Their houses are paid off and they have reached the point in their lives where they really don't have that many bills to pay. So they cruise with their spendable income. When you and your DH get older, then perhaps you will find yourselves in this position.

 

In my case, I generally cruise once a year. Some years, I do a longer sailing which is pretty pricey. How do I afford it? I pretty much give up everything else in order to save up the money for my cruises, and even then I struggle. But then that's my particular priority. I am a single woman with no children. I have an "average" job ... decent income, but certainly not bountiful. I pick up "side work" when I can ... and I am careful what I spend. I don't have every electronic gadget known to man, and I live in a modest home in the city while most of my friends live in nice single homes in the suburbs. They have two cars in the driveway, while I have none. I take public transportation. Many of my friends go out more than me, which costs money. I work night work and have a rather limited social life. Often my big event of the week is to take my 95 year old dad out to dinner ... sometimes to a restaurant like Olive Garden or Outback ... but more often to the local diner where the food is good, yet cheap.

 

When I am onboard the ship, I certainly don't book suites. I usually book the lowest category guarantee and generally spend my cruise in an inside cabin. I do not overspend onboard ... although I must admit to a weakness for nice shore excursions. I save up for them and buy them online in advance of my cruise in order to keep the onboard spending down. I never use the services of the spa, other than to get my hair cut while onboard ... something I just like to do. I don't gamble and I don't drink to excess. Other than simple things like maybe a tee-shirt or two, I don't spend in the onboard shops. I'm not a shopper or much of a souvenir collector, so I don't spend a lot in the ports, other than perhaps a tee-shirt from a place I've never been. Since my wardrobe for work is comprised 100% of tee-shirts and jeans, I actually consider those tee-shirts as buying "work clothes," so the money spent on them is not entirely a waste.

 

My onboard bill for a 35-day cruise amounted to about $1,500, which I think is pretty good ... especially when I heard others talking about having bills in the $6,000 and up range.

 

So, that's how I manage to afford my cruises ... by being very careful with spending in other parts of my life, and then being conservative while on the ship too. I have one cruise booked for October, a 19-day sailing to Hawaii ... and then another tentative cruise ... very, very tentative ... for March of 2010 ... a 33-day sailing to Hawaii and the South Pacific. Depending on the state of my employment situation come that time will determine if I take the March 2010 cruise. If I lose my job before October, I could even wind up cancelling that cruise.

 

You made your decisions in life, and found other things more important to you than cruising. You had other priorities and you honored those. As you say, you have no regrets, and that's the way it should be. So don't worry if you can't cruise that often, or even at all in the next several years. Trust me, as this economy worsens over the next year or so, you're gonna find a lot of other people, including myself, in the same boat. But at least you know that you did the best things over the years for your life and your situation, just as I do for mine.

 

Trust me ... contrary to what you read on these CC boards, cruising is not the be all and end all of life. In other words, we won't die if we can't take a cruise. :)

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Commieri]

I was reassured by all the nice posters here, hoping for the best for everyone who's had to cancel either for illenss or the economy. I had purchased insurances but we actually we got the full refund of the deposit from HAL. I think the boooking agent could have taken a $100 cancellation fee but didn't. I cancelled Southwest air and so have a credit for future flight which hopefully we can use sometime within the year. So actually just out $162 that I paid for the Trip Cancellation policy.

 

I too feel badly for everyone affected by this mess through no fault of their own. So many people, young and old, worked hard, and did the right things but are facing huge uncertainties. We're not too"old".. it's all relative.. both 57 and had not planned on retirement any time soon. Now, it may be work til the nursing home!!! But hey, I am trying to stay positive. DH was working tons of hours and we essentially had no life during the week... just weekends. Maybe , God willing a new job will come that may pay a bit less but allow us some better quality of life.

 

Meantime, I will keep checking the obards to see what's happening in the world of cruisers.