Questions for FREQUENT cruisers.

[lindalans]

I've just returned from my FIRST EVER cruise. I was aboard the Volendam for the return trip to Alaska. What a truly fantastic week which by far exceeded the expectations I had. Thanks to captain Bos, officers, crew and passengers for being a part of this incredible journey.

 

Needless to say I am now completely hooked!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I know many of you are frequent cruisers so I'd love to know how you save, or cut back on things, to go on so many cruises.

 

I'm disabled, on a low income, don't drink or smoke, so any tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

Do you book far in advance, or last minute? Which way is cheaper? How do you get onboard credit?

 

I've already paid the cruise consultant a $100 deposit on my next cruise!!!!

 

I certainly won't book through the travel agent I've just used!!!!

 

Any suggestions or tips would be greatly appreciated;);)

 

Thank you.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I am sure everyone has different ways they save. First several years ago I purchased 100 shares of CCL stock so that every time we cruise we get ship board credit a 7 day cruise gets you $100 ship board credit and 14 day or more gets you $250. The we always have a deposit waiting like you did which was good. We just started cutting back on things we did not need to spend money on and for several years my husbands pay check went straight in to savings account that was set up just for cruising. Unfotuntately October 31st I lost my job and still have not been able to find one so his paycheck is now paying the bills but we have still managed to save what we can and looked for very good deals. While it is very fun to plan far in advance our last 3 or 4 cruises were booked very last minute 2 weeks or less before the cruise and we were able to get some very good deals.

My husband is now out of vacation time till January but we will continue to place a few dollars a week back into our cruise savings. By cutting back on little things and thinking I do not need to spend money that, it can go into the cruise savings which in the long run is probably the best way.

[suse]

I think it's important to think about things. Does the baby need shoes? That's important. I have been pretty poor in my life and so, I never thought about a cruise. Then, I got an educatation and then got some more education and so. The most important thing I ever learned is, have no debt, or little, make sure your kids go to college and make sure you pay the bill and leave them debt-free, and get a little saving account. You know, one of those that's just yours. It's so much fun. And don't forget to pray every day and thank God for everything. That is huge. We never eat dinner without a prayer. And you know what? We're the ones saying grace at the table next to you, how good is that? Sorry this is so long.

[suse]

I can't believe i mispelled education. Ugh. Sorry. Where is Pipedreams????

[user8]

I don't have a magic formula for how to save for a cruise but the preceding posters have made some very good points. I do all that they suggest plus any time I get a few extra, or unexpected, bucks, I stash it away for our travels.

 

The important thing imo is to save regularly. I put our travel into a money market account at our credit union rather than in a savings account because it pays a better interest rate.

[RuthC]

My mother was an adult during the Depression, and learned how to save; she taught me. The rules were "If you can't afford to pay cash for something, you don't need it", and "Use it up; wear it out. Make it due, or do without".

I was fortunate to have a good job, and squirreled it away for my old age. Now, I'm old! :D So, I'm spending it so the family won't have anything to fight over when I'm gone. (My little contribution to world peace. ;))

[waiting2retire]

Suse, I'm not Pipedreams, and I'm not even sure I can insert the image I want here, but here goes...

 

[sillysailor 1955]

My mother was an adult during the Depression, and learned how to save; she taught me. The rules were "If you can't afford to pay cash for something, you don't need it", and "Use it up; wear it out. Make it due, or do without".

 

I was fortunate to have a good job, and squirreled it away for my old age. Now, I'm old! :D So, I'm spending it so the family won't have anything to fight over when I'm gone. (My little contribution to world peace. ;))

 

You mother sounds like she was a very, very, wise woman. I'm with you work hard and play hard:D

[CowPrincess]

We certainly don't cruise like a lot of people on this board do, but we seem to be averaging 2 a year, since we started taking vacations!

 

We've stopped eating out, except for birthday celebrations. We don't do "formal" gifts (e.g., Christmas, Easter, birthdays) to each other. All the deposits for the bottles we return, we put into our cruise fund (yeah, maybe only $30 or $40 a year but still....)

 

We buy future cruise credit when on board, then when we get home, pick our next trip and book. We've only done 7 and 10 days cruises. We watch, watch, WATCH airfare, as that is our biggest expense. When we see flights we can live with, at a good price, we book 'em.

 

My clothes come from the thrift store. I will not spend $100 on a pair of blue jeans, to wreck them the 1st or 2nd time I wear 'em. I buy books at garage sales for 4/$1. They can be traded in at the 2nd hand book store, too, if there's a book I really want :D

 

We have a freezer, and when something is cheap enough, we fill the freezer. All our groceries are purchased on sale. If food isn't on sale, we don't buy it. I often make my own bread. I make most of our food, we don't use "convenience" foods.

 

Every car trip is multi-purpose. Grocery store, bank, vet clinic, post office.

 

We've had outrageous vet bills recently (and they appear to be a new fact of life), so I sold off some stuff that I've been collecting for decades on ebay. We have no loyalty to any utility provider, so will switch in a heartbeat when we can save $10/mo on cable or internet.

 

No debt, unless it is an emergency for which we must use the credit card.

[Down-Unders]

I've just returned from my FIRST EVER cruise. I was aboard the Volendam for the return trip to Alaska. What a truly fantastic week which by far exceeded the expectations I had. Thanks to captain Bos, officers, crew and passengers for being a part of this incredible journey.

 

Needless to say I am now completely hooked!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I know many of you are frequent cruisers so I'd love to know how you save, or cut back on things, to go on so many cruises.

 

I'm disabled, on a low income, don't drink or smoke, so any tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

Do you book far in advance, or last minute? Which way is cheaper? How do you get onboard credit?

 

I've already paid the cruise consultant a $100 deposit on my next cruise!!!!

 

I certainly won't book through the travel agent I've just used!!!!

 

Any suggestions or tips would be greatly appreciated;);)

 

Thank you.

 

 

Glad you enjoyed the Volendam, we hardly ever use a travel agent as there are many reputable sites to book on line. That $100 deposit can be transferred over to one of these sites, I find dealing direct with the cruise line usually is more expensive but saying that we have booked direct with them on some occasions. Sometimes we book ahead say it is Canada/New England in the fall, we know it is a short season therefore we would book ahead, same with Alaska. Repositioning cruises can be great value say Montreal to Miami, but you them have to get home from Miami. Carribean you can wait and get last minute deals, there are many options and by staying on the boards asking plenty of questions you will find out what is best for you.

 

 

 

:):):)

[RevNeal]

I've just returned from my FIRST EVER cruise. I was aboard the Volendam for the return trip to Alaska. What a truly fantastic week which by far exceeded the expectations I had. Thanks to captain Bos, officers, crew and passengers for being a part of this incredible journey.

 

Needless to say I am now completely hooked!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I know many of you are frequent cruisers so I'd love to know how you save, or cut back on things, to go on so many cruises.

 

I'm disabled, on a low income, don't drink or smoke, so any tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

Do you book far in advance, or last minute? Which way is cheaper? How do you get onboard credit?

 

I've already paid the cruise consultant a $100 deposit on my next cruise!!!!

 

I certainly won't book through the travel agent I've just used!!!!

 

Any suggestions or tips would be greatly appreciated;);)

 

Thank you.

 

Welcome to the "club!" There are few things as wonderful as this particular "addiction," and I can prognosticate that it will take a LONG time (and MANY cruise days) to "get it out of your system." I've been trying to do that for YEARS, and I've still not managed to get it out of mine. :D

 

I'm not wealthy ... I'm a church pastor. However, I don't really have any other expensive hobbies ... not any more. I spend just about every vacation day I get aboard ship (i.e., 5 - 6 weeks a year), usually in 21, 15, or 10 day increments. Such cruises are not cheap, so I usually book inside cabins and are thankful that I have family and friends who like to cruise with me and share the expense of that inside cabin ... however, I've also cruised with single supplements, and I've been in outside cabins and even in verandahs. But, I try to cruise as cheaply as possible ... and usually on the longer itineraries.

 

I budget my cruises into monthly expenses, save money for them every month, and try to pay them off in-full without resorting to credit. This means that I put back several hundred dollars every month into my "cruise savings account," and wait for it to build up before I make my payments. If I were to spend money on expensive hobbies, cars, or other costly activities, I probably wouldn't be able to afford cruising as much as I do. It also helps that I periodically get to cruise as a Guest Minister aboard HAL ships, and this means that I get to go for a LOT less. :) But that doesn't happen very often.

[herbshopgirl]

"Do you book far in advance, or last minute? Which way is cheaper? How do you get onboard credit?"

If you live close enough to a port to drive to it then cruising without airfare cost is the cheapest way to go plus you can snag last minute deals. When you pick a cruise which requires airfare then you will have to plan ahead since last minute airfare can be expensive.

If you book a cruise far in advance then you can just watch the price and if it drops you can ask for the price reduction or upgrade. Booking in advance has its advantages because if the cruise gets popular and the price goes up, you are already locked in at the lower price.

"I've already paid the cruise consultant a $100 deposit on my next cruise!!!!"

Excellent. We try to purchase a future cruise on each trip. This will save you a large deposit plus gets you some on-board credit.

Hope this helps,

Susan

[leoandhugh]

Lindalans, I notice you say you are disabled. Does your disability require that you book a handicapped accessible cabin? Did you have one on Volendam? If you do require one for instance because of mobility (wheelchair or scooter) and several other handicaps, you will find that you need to book very early to stand a chance of getting one of the few accessible cabins. We use both wheelchair and scooter and always book 6 to 12 months in advance of sailing. As such that precludes some of the lower rates unless you are able to spot a price drop in your cabin catergory after you book.

Since you say you will be booking directly with the cruise line(s), may I suggest that you talk to the Special Needs department, if, indeed, you do require an accessible cabin. They can be very helpful if you spell out for them in detail what your requirements are:)

[bcd2010]

All the deposits for the bottles we return, we put into our cruise fund (yeah, maybe only $30 or $40 a year but still....)

 

Yes it's only a small amount per year BUT... small amounts DO accumulate.

 

Don't forget the old change jar -- every night, put all your change into the jar -- and once a week, put in an additional $1 bill. You'll hardly notice. I usually end up with a couple hundred a year this way. (Bank of America has a keep the change checking account option where the difference between the amount of the check or debit and the next whole dollar amount is transferred to your savings account - so if something costs, say $16.29, then 71 cents is moved from checking to savings account -- I'm saving at least $100/year this way, too).

 

If you don't use coupons yet at the grocery store yet (or even if you do), put the amount you save in coupons in your change jar, too.

 

In short, find ways to save small amounts that you'll barely notice. Follow the suggestions mentioned in other posts. And figure out one big way to save, e.g., $100/month (or more if you can afford it) in a savings account dedicated to your vacations, deducted automatically from your checking account like your other bills.

[lindalans]

Thank you all for your replies and suggestions.....CC is awesome and was so helpful when planning and researching the cruise on the Volendam.

 

The cruise was to celebrate 3 things! My dream of cruising; my 60th, and celebrating the 50th year of living with rheumatoid arthritis (yes I was diagnosed when I was 10 years old!!)

 

As I am unable to walk long distances I took along my small power wheelchair. Despite not booking until February I had no problem getting a HC outside cabin on Dolphin deck which was very roomy. Next time I will book an inside to save money (after all you are only in the cabin to sleep!)

 

Hopefully too, I'll find someone to share with me so i won't have to pay the single supplement.

 

Thanks again for your suggestions.

[English_in_Spain]

I quit smoking and the money I save from that helps.:)

[bcd2010]

I quit smoking and the money I save from that helps.:)

 

Yes, I was going to say this but the OP said she doesn't smoke or drink. How about Starbucks coffee, candy bars or soda pop? Can you give up anything like that and save the $$? Any bad or expensive habits you can give up can help. Join Netflix instead of going out to movies or get them from the library (books & magazines, too), etc. Of course, many of us are already cutting back because of the economy.

[PatsyAnne]

I appreciate that you don't want to use the same travel agent again. In my case, I have a travel agent who is experienced with cruising and has worked out ways to save me money, so you might see if there is a good travel agent near you.

 

Either way, welcome and enjoy your next cruise! Trish

[RuthC]

Hopefully too, I'll find someone to share with me so i won't have to pay the single supplement.

If you can't find someone to share a cabin, consider HAL's Guaranteed Share Program. You book a cabin in a specified category, and HAL finds you a roomie. If there's no one to share with you, you get the cabin to yourself---with no single supplement! :)

It's a good deal.

[Susie51]

These are great ideas. I hope they help you save for your next cruise.

 

We live in a small 3 bedroom house that is paid for. We started cruising after it was paid off. We drive used cars that we bought with cash. We always pay our credit card off each month. All of this adds up to a big savings. Doing without foods that are empty calories helps a lot also - no chips, soda pop, candy, ect. can add up.

 

Make it fun to save - like on your change jar put a picture of a cruise ship so you can visualize your goal.

[fabby50]

A couple things - look for places in your town or surrounding area that might be getting together a group cruise. Our local city college does this and we went on our first five or so cruises with them. We got a lower group rate, group transportation to the port, and on ones where we had to fly, group air rates. Also, the travel agent handling the whole thing did monthly payment coupons, so I was able to pay a little each month for about an 18 month period to pay off our cruises. It was also nice to see people from our town around the ship -we were not expected to go on shore excursions or eat dinner together unless we wanted to, we just got a discount for being booked as a group.

 

If you can't find something like the above, consider getting a group together on your own. Most cruise lines include a free/discounted cabin for groups over a certain number. Check with the different cruise lines and you could work with a travel agent to form your own group and get the free/discounted cabin for yourself.

 

Consider a credit card with benefits or points. Although there was a lot of discussion when NCL changed their credit card program, I still have mine and, just by using my credit card for just about all my purchases, I've acrued enough points for a $250 discount on a cruise of my choice within 6 months. The card has no fee and I pay it off monthly so I never pay interest. If you are well disciplied about paying it off monthly, it's like "free money".

 

Most cruise lines have loyalty programs. Although it's really nice to try a bunch of different ones, you might want to stay with one line so you can get discounts, upgrade offers, etc. Every lines program is different, so you may want to do a little research. We get discount offers almost daily from 4 different cruise lines now.

[Bodger]

Don't forget the old change jar -- every night, put all your change into the jar -- and once a week, put in an additional $1 bill. You'll hardly notice. I usually end up with a couple hundred a year this way.

 

Just be careful where you cash in this change. In our part of the world there are machines in the grocery stores that will convert your change to cash.

 

Yesterday I cringed as I watched a fellow yesterday pouring in a bucketful of coins. I wonder if he realized they charge 9.9% for this service. That is $9.90 out of $100. :eek: To rich for me!

 

Bodger

[bcd2010]

Just be careful where you cash in this change. In our part of the world there are machines in the grocery stores that will convert your change to cash.

 

Yesterday I cringed as I watched a fellow yesterday pouring in a bucketful of coins. I wonder if he realized they charge 9.9% for this service. That is $9.90 out of $100. :eek: To rich for me!

 

Absolutely true. And the tellers at my bank won't convert the change to dollars for me anymore -- I suspect there's a hidden connection between the bank and the companies that own the machines. It really irritates me, because I saved that money for ME, every penny of it. So I just take my change to the bank (you have to go inside) and make a deposit into my savings account monthly. They have to count it out (usually in the same machine they won't use just for conversion) but somehow that makes sense to them (eye roll). No fees or anything so far. And if, in the future, there are problems, I've made it a point to create a bit of a personal (friendly) relationship with one of the people who sit in an office in the bank -- the tellers will/must only follow the rules, the "others" can override those rules.

[KathyPet]

I retired when I was 60. DH has his own business and is still working (the man loves it. Go figure!). We live on his income. I will be 62 in Feb and even though we don't need to collect my SOcial Security I am going to put in for it. Guess where it's all going? That's right. Into a savings account so we can cruise some more!

[Candy]

We cruise 2-3 times a year, mostly on the Zuiderdam. Whenever an unusual expense comes up, I think of it in terms of cruises.

 

For instance, I'm looking to trade in my roadster for the same car only 3 years newer. It's in perfect shape, has low miles, and is the perfect car for me. A new one will cost me 6 cruises. SIX CRUISES! I simply can't justify that.

 

No pool in the back yard for us... that's 10 cruises!

Even a long, lazy weekend at the beach will pay our air fare!

 

Five trips to 'Bucks is a dinner at the Pinnacle!

 

Candy the ZuiderPrincess