Anyone go and not do much...?

[markm0926]

Just curious if anyone cruises, yet stays away from the expensive shore excurisions and photos they sell on the ship, etc...

It's seems you'd be able to get on the ship, go to the ports and really spend a miminal amout of money.

What do you all do to save?

Yes!!....we may have to be a bit CHEAP on our cruise due to some financial problems.


PS _ I won't be skimping on the tips ! I know they count on those as part of their pay.

Thanks!!!!

 

[LindaBabe]

3-day where I never got off the ship, and 4 - day where I took a city bus and then walked to Ardestra Gardens in Nassau. Whole morning cost me less than $20 - including buses, admission, food and souvenier.

On the other hand, you don't want to hear what I spent on pictures

 

[RellingTwin]

Do some research and book your own shore excurisions. You can save 30-50% for the same thing!
Bring plenty of film and take you own pictures.
If you like to have a cocktail, bring your own bottle, beer, or wine on board.

 

[tkd lisa]

We don't do a lot of the excursions with DCL either. Our 4 day trip, the only excursion we spent money on was the bottom fishing at CC ($110 for DH). We walked around Nassau on our own, and the kids stayed on board since they didn't want to go.

Our first trip (a western 7 day), we booked 2 excursions on our own and saved a pretty fair chunk of $. DCL usually charges full price for kids between 9 and 12, while most tour operators charge the kids price for that age range. Since both our kids fell into that category, that drove me to book on my own.

But there is always enough to do to keep you busy, even if you don't do any excursions. There are movies, the pool, the exercise room, deck 4 (comfy chairs for relaxing, the walking path for exercising, and shuffleboard for something in between), and the deck 10 sports deck which has basketball goals. There are usually a variety of free activities like golf chipping contest, build a veggie race car, etc.

Even on a limited budget you can have a great time on the DCL ships. Enjoy!

 

[Dreamer04]

markm0926,

Same here. Although we are still sailing in Feb '05, we've had a few setbacks and are looking at cutting corners.

Here is my plan and changes from last year's cruise:

No spa

1 night at Palo

No bingo or just the last night

We don't drink alcohol

Bringing our own mugs and using the free drink station on deck nine

Do my own laundry

Staying out of ship stores

The kids have a budget as well as far as game cards and smoothies-they are paying for their own. Savings their money as we speak.

No Shutter's!!!


Geesh! Wish me luck!

 

[CheapMom]

We are suddenly cash poor here. Luckily our whole trip is paid for but we will be doing very little in the way of extra spending.
-No arcade
-No or few alcholic bevs (we will bring beer, wine with us to drink on the verandah)
-No bingo
-No excursions
-No shutters (unless I really can't resist something) I will have my camera and plan on taking lots of pictures.
Each child will have $20 for a momento/souvenier.
If we do get off the ship in Nassua we will either do the Wyndham or the pirate museum.
I am budgeting double the recommended amount for tips (will tip between the recommended amount and give up to 200% the reco. depending on service.)
I am budgeting for Palo and an extra tip there

 

[Henlady]

Our plans for our upcoming 4 day Wonder are as follow:

No Spa - DH & I are not into that sort of thing
No Palos - this is our first Cruise & the food listed on the menus
is just fine with us.
No Pictures - Just DH and I and our best friends. We'll take
our own.
No DCL Planned shore excursions. DH and friend are planning to
golf at Nassau, while DF and I are doing a little shopping and
a side trip by taxi to Atlantis.
We do plan to spend on drinks & beer.
We're going mainly for the relaxation factor not to see how much we can fit in.

We are, however going to the WORLD following the cruise for
3 nights and we will definately pack most every minute of that time.

Only 372 days to go.

 

[poohssmum]

We did the 7-day Western in May of 03. We didn't book any excursions. Just wandered around the islands on our own, and had a great time doing it that way. If we had to save some money, we'd skip the alcohol and stay w/the free drink station, probably wouldn't buy any of the photos ... just make sure we had our camera going a lot, skip the arcade, we didn't do any spa treatments, so that's an easy place to save.

When we booked our first cruise, DH was astonished at the up-front cost. After we got home and really looked at things, we realized that the 7-day cruise was comperable, price-wise to what we've paid for 7 days at WDW. We love the fact that all food is included and therefore we don't have to feel guilty or get aggravated when our 5 y.o. doesn't eat his supper.

 

[mmouse37]

We just came back from our 11th DCL cruise...granted we have tons of pics from our previous cruises.....but this time we did no shore excursions, no shutters, very few drinks, no palo, no spa (except me for a manicure).

You definately can do it very inexpensively.

MJ

 

[two-foxes]

One little $$ saving tip from us....on our birthdays, christmas, etc, instead of getting lots of stuff that I really don't need, I ask for Disney Dollars. They can't be spent anywhere but WDW, DCL, and Disney Stores, so I can't spend it like cash. Between gifts and our bank one Visa, we had over $600 for our trip. I think my inlaws think it is strange to give her adult son and his wife Disney Dollars for gifts, but she knows it goes to something we love and really cherish...our Disney Vacations!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Good for all of you!!!!

That is awesome that you are able to do your cruises--despite some financial difficulties that some have mentioned that prevent you from going all out.


We are very close to booking a cruise--but then I remember that the month we are booking is the same month as our homeschooling convention. So if we go, we couldn't do all the extras!

Great topic! Thanks OP for posting

p.s. I started a change jar which was mentioned on the budget boards. Many reports from those who have done this was how easy all that spare change added up to a sizeable spending budget. Anywhere from $100 extra to someone who had maybe $1000 (they saved a really really long time). Sometimes they sneak in bills as well instead of buying that cofffee. But you can do it however it works for you. Come check out the budget boards for other ideas.

 

[christinou]

We did a 3 night cruise, with no excursions at all, then on our 7 day Eastern last February, my husband did go scuba diving, but the girsl (6 and 8) and I just went off shopping in St. Thomas, and took the water taxi ($5 unlimited use for adult) went to Great Neck beach where we spend $15 for a lounge chair and the use of the water trampoline, that was a lot of fun. We did not buy any pictures, no bingo, I did have 1 afternoon in the rainforest cafe ($15), you do not need to spend money to have a great time, there is so much going on the ship.....

 

[smchan]

Originally posted by markm0926
Just curious if anyone cruises, yet stays away from the expensive shore excurisions and photos they sell on the ship, etc...

It's seems you'd be able to get on the ship, go to the ports and really spend a miminal amout of money.

Yes - though for different reasons. I don't like to do vacations "commando" style. I enjoy cruising for the benefit of disconnecting and relaxing, so excursions rarely interest me. I'm sure they're fun - but I enjoy my vacations without them.

On my last 7 day, I snorkeled at CC ($25) and that was it in the way of excursions. As for the port visits, my wife and I did venture out for a few hours at each - but we mostly enjoyed the empty ship.

Sam

 

[smchan]

I should've added - be sure to budget for travel expenses to and from the port. They seem to add up to more than my expectations: meals, hotels, gas, transfers, car rental or whatever mode of transportation you use.

If you need a hotel the night before or after your cruise, check out priceline. Not hard to stay in the airport area for $30-$35/night in a nice hotel.

Sam

 

[JWG]

On our first cruise - 3-day Wonder in August, 2000 - my wife and I didn't do any extras except Palo's and alcohol.

We still didn't have enough time to find everything on the ship and see all we wanted to see. At CC we just enjoyed the adult beach and the Stingray's in the water.

This next trip in 9/05 - we're going to do it a little differently. Its our 5th anniversary so we've been saving to have a bit more of a blow out, but I had no complaints about our 3-day without any additions!

 

[TLHB70]

Thanks for this neat thread!
We are about to go on our first cruise and I was wondering the same thing. We, too, plan to head to WDW after the cruise, and to be honest, I am saving all our extra money for the parks. I figure that I can live without the excursions for the cruise. Honestly, I am just wanting to relax out on a lounge chair at CC. My dh and I want to just walk around Nassau and see the the area. We will probably see Atlantis, but we plan to do that on our own because of what I have read on these boards. We don't drink alcohol so that will not be a problem. I am so glad to see that saving money is a "can do" on this cruise!

 

[hopelea]

On our first cruise I think I spent $700 on extras, that included tips for three, excursions in every stop AND shutters, which I bought every family formal night picture they had!!

This time money is tighter and I am thinking we will only do excursions on CC, one banana boat ride for all of us. Bring our own snorkel equipment. I know I will spend a lot at shutters, I can't help it. I hate carrying my camera around.

We also have been saving for two years all of our change in a money jar. I have more than enough for tips for the four of us.
I am really thinking I can keep myself within a $300 limit, not including tips. Do you think I am crazy??

 

[tecdavidt]

Spending little money on the cruise is simple, no shutters, no spa, no excursions and no purchases in the ship's store. I find with each cruise we go on we buy fewer and fewer pictures from the ship and less in the store. As far as excursions we do our own and it is cheaper. We hire a taxi to take us to where ever it is we want to go unless where we want to go is within walking distance. A beach on your own is always cheap and fun. Limit your drinks and on DCL bring your own. Remember the drink station on deck 9. We always have felt a cruise is a cheap vacation compared to a Disney land vacation. Enjoy. Kathy

 

[MarcyIn Florida]

Originally posted by markm0926
Just curious if anyone cruises, yet stays away from the expensive shore excurisions and photos they sell on the ship, etc...

On this past cruise, we didn't do any excursions and didn't buy any pictures. We did a lot of walking on shore and hailed pour own cabs -- that's pretty much how we've always cruised, and we love it that way; for us, it's more of a "create our own adventure" sort of thing, and we love it.

 

[CM_Mom]

We did the less expensive excursions ($ 40 each) and maybe a couple of lattes in Cove Cafe and one glass of wine. Now Shutters is another story. Had to really watch the budget for those.

You can really spend as little or as much as you like and still have a MAGICal or WONDERful cruise. We're thinking of going on the Wonder in January - have to check work schedules before we can book - and plan to just relax and do "nothing" Disney style.

BTW, Marcy the pictures are adorable.