So, the original intent of this vacation was two-fold. One, we wanted to squeeze in a mini cruise before our big blow-out next year. It was Sarahs idea, you know. She had to try it out we were just helping her, yeah. Something like that. And two, we knew that the only way we could manage the mini vacation would be to not spend any money on the boat, with the exception of tips and a few things that I had been setting cash aside for (bike rental, Palo, and the spa day).
So, did we succeed? Indeed, we did. We had a blast, as did Sarah (despite her less-than-enthusiastic response when we grilled her in the wee hours of the morning after only one cup of coffee). Now we KNOW she will love our 2008 blowout.
Being a budget cruise, we had to make a few little tweaks. First and foremost, we shared a cabin. Which, while it took a little getting used to, was not bad at all. The curtain really helped, and we were rarely in the room anyhow, so we never really seemed to step on each others toes. Oh, and ladies: if you are going to share a cabin with someone else of the female persuasion? Make sure she is a shower-ninja like Sarah!
To be fair, neither of us is very high maintenance, so getting ready was never an issue.
Another part of our budgeting was to get an ocean view room instead of our usual verandah. I LOVE the verandah, but the large porthole? Not bad at all! I didnt feel a bit claustrophobic, and the lower deck kept us very close to all of the nightlife. The only regret I have about the room was having to take the elevator up to the pool, and the location directly under the noisy gangplank. Which, to be fair, would not be an issue if you like to get up two hours before sunrise.
How did we do with the budget? Fantastic! Had we not gotten the Florida resident rate discount, which put $200 cash back into our hands right before we sailed, we would have been content to bring booze aboard and just drink that. I think a bottle of wine (or even a half-bottle, depending on how much wine you like), something sweet (either pre-mixed or mixable in juice), and a versatile spirit like vodka or rum would have been enough to get us through the whole cruise and then some. Without the $200, we would have probably only treated ourselves to one mochaccino each, and maybe a pina colada or konk kooler on CC day. So if you want to treat yourself a little bit, just put about $20 on shipboard credit, and bring your own brown bag.
We did not buy any photos, because we took enough to feel like we captured the moments we wanted. Lionel took the one of us with Captain Jack Sparrow, and it looked EXACTLY like the one the CM took. Besides, we still have the Shutters pictures from the last cruise we took sitting in the envelope I brought them home in.
We only purchased a few inexpensive things at the gift shop for presents, and that wasnt even totally necessary. Its just that we had the credit, and I thought it would be a nice gesture. Without the credit, we would have either gotten them something to share (like the box of animal cookies, which is super cute and a great bargain!) or just given them
DCL pins.
All in all we spent about $270. Now, considering that we had saved money ahead of time for tips (around $60), Palo ($20), and the rainforest room ($30), that means we spent only $160 of our reimbursed $200 on alcohol, mochaccinos, my hoodie and gifts for the parents.
Do you know what this means?
We actually MADE $40 on this vacation.
Not only that, but being on a limited budget made us more creative about our activities and explorations. We saw and did so many new things:
- Match Your Mate
- adult scavenger hunt at Wavebands
- Disco party (wheee!)
- playing board games in the Cove Café
- self-guided walking tour of Nassau
- midnight showing of Pirates on the big screen
- Groupers Pavilion
- pirate treasure hunt on Castaway Cay
- lunch at Serenity Bay
- the view from the Heads Up bar
And, of course, we threw in some old favorites:
- reading on deck four
- relaxing at Serenity Bay
- hot tubbin
- going to the movie theatre
- walking around on deck and enjoying the scenery
Now, when we take our cruise in September 2008, we will most certainly NOT be on a budget. In fact, I plan to visit the spa villas at least once, and we will be at Palo whenever we are able to get in. I might even consider getting in a kayak at some point. But, I think we will also be looking for those little, often-overlooked things to do for fun that dont cost a thing.
The big, burning question: will we be able to sneak in another 3-nighter before September rolls around? Maybe. But unlikely. You see, Lionels car is about to die, and it seems we have this other vacation that we should probably start putting money towards. Oh, and my Parents want to take us skiing in February (the nerve, lol), for which we will need to buy some winter gear. Also, we really need new carpet. And the bedroom could use a new coat of paint. And we were considering a second dog. And, and, and
.
Does that mean I wont be looking at the
Dreams Unlimited site every so often to see what the Florida resident rates are running? Certainly, it does not. After all, a girl can dream.
And that, folks, is the end.
Until next time!
Note the bargain hoodie.......
I'm looking forward to hearing about your next cruise.
Thanks for the wonderful compliment!
I make a pretty good proof reader..
(that's me in the middle...)
