How do you afford frequent cruises????

[Rogillio]

I'll give you’re a slightly different angle on this.

I fundamentally believe that people live in TOO MUCH HOUSE! We were building our house I was getting a construction loan and was talking to the banker and he was telling me about a construction loan he had out to a guy for like $750,000. I said I didn't know how anyone could afford that much house. He said the guy was a doctor…but then went on to say that, at the end of the month, he didn't have any more 'spending money' than you or I did. When I looked incredulous, he said this doctor has $3,000/month mortgage and he had to heat and cool this huge house with $900 a month electric bills and had to pay property tax on this place etc.

He said most people have way more house than they need. They buy as much house as they can afford at their income and then, as soon as they get a few raises and build some equity, what do they do? They sell the house and go out and buy a bigger/nicer house!

I took this advice to heart and resolved I was not gonna live my life trying to get the biggest and nicest house I can get. We've been in this same house for 17 years now and last year we paid it off. Imagine how much you could spend on vacation if you didn't have a $900/month mortgage note every month!

~Mike

 

[Makua]

Disneydumnut said it best....automatic deductions. What you don't have you don't miss and you'll be suprised at how fast it adds up. I wouldn't consider myself a frequent cruiser, four in the past 5 1/2 years, but my DH plans on becoming one! I had wanted to go on a cruise for years but couldn't talk him into it, he spent 30 years in the Navy, to him going to sea was NOT a vacation! I just started a part time job just for cruise money, yes I'm crazy, but at a point in life where we can do more of what we want. I think alot of the more frequent cruisers are older even though it may seem odd that they would sail Disney. When you have little ones it can be very hard to save for vacations, they can suck you dry! Plus saving for college should come first!!! Speaking of which my DD is just finishing her Junior year and we will not have to borrow any money. Again I can't stress enough, automatic deductions! As for saving money on the cruise itself we live close enough to drive, we pick only one or two pictures to buy (that can be hard but add up all the ones you want and it gets very easy!), we only do one or two excursions and probably what saves us the most is that we don't drink. I've seen some of those bar tabs! One cruise we got a verandah and only used it for maybe 15 minutes so now we only get the cheapest rooms because we're never in there except to sleep. We also don't do the spa, the prices are really high compared to the same services locally. You might want to look into RCL or Carnival if you want something cheaper, the Freedom of the Seas looks awesome I think your children would like that.

 

[gmark2000]

Can snowbird FL residents somehow qualify for the discounts?

 

[birkner]

I'll give you’re a slightly different angle on this.

I fundamentally believe that people live in TOO MUCH HOUSE! We were building our house I was getting a construction loan and was talking to the banker and he was telling me about a construction loan he had out to a guy for like $750,000. I said I didn't know how anyone could afford that much house. He said the guy was a doctor…but then went on to say that, at the end of the month, he didn't have any more 'spending money' than you or I did. When I looked incredulous, he said this doctor has $3,000/month mortgage and he had to heat and cool this huge house with $900 a month electric bills and had to pay property tax on this place etc.
~Mike

Mike, wish someone could find a decent $750K house here, but not happening!! We sold my dad's house (where we grew up) which was 1750 square feet, needing a roof replacement, pool replacement and termites in the garage for 680K (16 bids) two years ago. This same house which was in our family for almost 50 years was just sold again (don't know if any repairs were done) last month for $785K. Real Estate in California is insane to say the least!!

 

[Rogillio]

Mike, wish someone could find a decent $750K house here, but not happening!! We sold my dad's house (where we grew up) which was 1750 square feet, needing a roof replacement, pool replacement and termites in the garage for 680K (16 bids) two years ago. This same house which was in our family for almost 50 years was just sold again (don't know if any repairs were done) last month for $785K. Real Estate in California is insane to say the least!!

Wow!! Yeah, I was using North Alabama as an example. Nevertheless, I think people generally spend too much on housing and can live comfortably in less expensive housing….for MOST parts of the country anyway.

 

[hopemax]

Not a frequent cruiser, but a frequent traveler. We also pay ourselves first. $700 a month goes automatically into an account for traveling and large unexpected purchases (like the $400 we just had to spend on tires ). And our car is almost paid off so we will be adding another $300 a month soon to our savings.

When DH and I got married we started doing automatic savings withdrawls to pay for our Disney honeymoon we took 6 months after we were married. It started with $50 per paycheck. Then as DH's salary increased we added some to our everyday lifestyle (chicken & fish for dinner instead of hot dogs & mac and cheese ), but mostly we added the extra money directly to savings, and 8 years later we are where we are.

We watch our daily budget pretty closely too. And we don't live extravagently. Instead of going to a lot of movies, we joined Netflix. I'm not a clothes/shoes/makeup person so I don't have those expenses. We are lucky to have a great used book/music/DVD/video game store so we don't buy new CDs or books we just trade in stuff we don't want for things we do want.

If you want to figure out how to start saving a few extra dollars. Right now, start keeping track of everything you spend in a spreadsheet and seeing where it all goes. Then examine every category to see if you value that stuff more than a yearly vacation.

That said, we get a lot of deals because my Mom is a CM and likes to see us

 

[WldWcnWmn]

Tax refund, eating a lot of PB&J sandwiches for a month, a Cruise Fund cash jar, and planning it a year in advance.

Us too!

I don't consider myself a "frequent" cruiser but... since I love to cruise and am not by any means wealthy I cruise in the off-season when the rates are better. I also usually book cat. 12 guarantees for Disney cruises.

That said, I really can't afford to take this kind of a vacation every year.

I am a single parent, and as we don't go EVERY year, we do go every other year. We did the 7 day Eastern in 2004 and the 7 day Western in 2006 and snuck in a Carnival cruise 7 day Western in 2007 and we'll do the WB Repo in 2008. We save in the "off" year and do CAT 12 GTY and fly from Portland to MCO for abour $270.00 RT do the rental car instead of transfers and keep the Hotel to $40.00 a night via priceline.

ANd don't forget mac and cheese and spaghetti

Yes, that, too.

 

[Stinasmom]

People ask me often how we manage to travel as much as we do. We have only cruised (DCL) twice and have a third trip in the hopper for 12/08, but we do go to Hawaii, Mexico, and numerous weeklong and weekend trips around our own backyard (the BEAUTIFUL Pacific Northwest).

My first answer is that I make travel a priority!

Like another poster said, many people live in way too much house. That is their priority. They likely have it decorated to the hilt and drive fancy cars too. Frankly, so much of that is those people trying to portray a certain image.

I would rather have older couches with slipcovers and a rather minimalist approach to home decor, and be able to go on a wonderful family vacation.
(Besides, with small kids, the slip covers wash!!) The kids won't be little forever, someday we'll likely adjust our priorities, but for now, DCL will be in the equation!

I also am very good at stretching my dollars! I agree with many of the above posters about saving $$ here and there. The Disney Visa has definitely helped! We usually have enough reward dollars to cover at least the tips on the stateroom charges.

As for those who take mulitple cruises per year... they're just filthy rich! (and likely worked very hard to be so... I begrudge them nothing!)

 

[joksten2000]

We're now retired and I can tell you from this end that it pays big time to put 10% away. We've send our kids thru school, bought a 1,000 pionts, enough to take the kids on a vacation every year (now 9 of us.) We also like to cruise often, the only problem we have is I can't stay out of the jewery stores. We have a modest 3 bedroom rancher, never saw the need to go bigger. Life is great when you save.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Ditto to pretty much everything allready posted. Here are a few others:

1. We do not have pets. Fido may well be a part of your family and you may well choose to have him over a vacation. I do not have a problem with your choice. My choice is to travel! My daughter's scout troop recently earned the Pet Care badge. Most of the families were stunned when the girls added up the true cost of their household pets for one year (don't forget grooming, flea/tick treatments, shots, toys, extra carpet cleaning, etc.). On average the girls' families spent almost $4000 each per year!!!! There is a cruise right there.

2. Eat vegetarian most nights. We only have meat one to two nights a week. This really cuts down on grocery bills, it's healthier and better for the enviornment.

These next several all have the benefit of being very good for the enviornment as well!

3. Cut down on the electric bill. I hang laundry out from late spirng to early fall (and use a rack for about half of it even through our New England winters). We are also really careful about leaving lights on, etc. Since we satrted REALLY trying our electric bills have dropped about $25 a month.

4. Drive less. It can be done. We really consolidate our trips and walk whenever possible (we do not live in town but we can drive there, park at the rec. center and walk in town to do errands all day).

5. Cut down on your heating bill. We spend about $1000 less per year on heating oil than our neighbors in similar homes. We keep the thermostat at 58 degrees and wear swaeters in the house (no one had central heat 100 years ago).

 

[jhannah]

Good points everyone has made. We didn't begin cruising until 5 years ago, but we've cruised 11 times already with our Magic cruise booked for January. We didn't start cruising until our kids were out of school. We don't own a boat, RV, airplane or other high-ticket/maintenance items like that. We bought a house we could afford (and have paid off.) We're basically conservative in our spending. We drive cars for a long time and don't attend the $100+ shows here in 'Vegas. Cruising is what we do, so that's where the bulk of our leisure money goes.

 

[Ub_Iwerks]

Maybe I'm the only one that's a little cynical and think that a lot of people really can't afford so many cruises, but they are carrying huge amounts of credit card debt. I've seen enough threads where people list all the credit cards they have to believe this. I do a lot of the saving and scrimping listed here, but Americans as a whole are racking up tons of credit on their credit cards. I'm sure there's at least a few of those people on the DIS.... of course, none of the people on this thread.

 

[Mom24Princesses]

Everyone has made great comments!!

I am addressing more of the 1st timers or want to be cruisers who wonder if they ever will.

My Sis and DBL and 2 DNs sailed DCL in the summer of 2000. We had just had our DD#4 and I said to myself . . .someday we will too.

Jump to 2004 when we returned from our 3rd trip to WDW in a year ("The Year of Our APs" - 21 nights on Prop in less than a year!!)

ANYWAY - we opened a new savings account at DH's CU and put $150 for the first 6 months as soon as we got home. Did some bill paying off and up-ed it to $300 per month after that. We put our tax refunds in and DID NOT TAKE A VACATION FOR ALL OF 2005!! DH's car rolled over to 100K at WDW in 2004 and he is still driving it. My "car" is a 2003. We cut out eating out almost for the first year (that was a problem area for us). Now we eat out 1 or 2 times a month. (1 w/DDs, 1 DH and I alone) FOR EXAMPLE tonight I have two pizza's in the oven and one more waiting - - -now 2 are "California Pizza Kitchen" (yes - frozen )

Having 4 DDs we had to go with 2 cabins. DH and I are teachers and must go at peak times - - no advantage there! Having 4 busy DDs I felt we needed to do 7 nights. I knew that for us we would not enjoy a 4 nighter. By the time we felt settled we'd be off the ship. SO we spent close to 10K for EVERYTHING. (cat 10s - NO WINDOW) BUT our usual vacation budget is around 5K now.

Problem . . .no one can do just one DCL

SO I am cutting everywhere I can to do the Western for next year.

Our trip to WDW in June with 2 rooms at ASMo and Disney Dining is over 5K!

I use Quicken and I have projected all our funds and accounts out to Jan 09. As mentioned - for this cruise I will use our Disney Visa points to pay "tips", for a fam of 6 on a 7 nighter that is over $500! (part of that 10K). I am hoping to rebook on board this time (did not last time) BUT I will only book DH , myself and younger 2 DDs on a 4 nighter (2 cabins still). We will add the older DDs if they can go (growing up )and move the date into 2010 (isn't that wild to think about)

We need new carpet and sofas. Someday we might get them. For now I prefer to dream DCL.

When I see someone in a new SUV or drive by roomie-new houses I think about DCL. (Do they keep photos/scrapbooks of their SUVs or post on disboards about all the joy they bring??)

 

[DisneyDmbNut]

Maybe I'm the only one that's a little cynical and think that a lot of people really can't afford so many cruises, but they are carrying huge amounts of credit card debt. I've seen enough threads where people list all the credit cards they have to believe this. I do a lot of the saving and scrimping listed here, but Americans as a whole are racking up tons of credit on their credit cards. I'm sure there's at least a few of those people on the DIS.... of course, none of the people on this thread.

I totally agree..alot of people think " i deserve a vacation" and charge it..this is a terrible habit! It is so easy to take out that card and swipe!
That is why I love my debit card..if I don't got it, I ain't gettin it"

i agree with the person who said about too much house..DH and I decided that we did not want to be a slave to a mortage..when the bank gave us the amount we were approved for, it was alittle scary! I know why S Florida is one of the top places for foreclosure. We ended up with a 2 year old townhouse...my mortage is at least $1000 cheaper than alot of my friends that bought all the house they could...but, i am getting OT

I still say "MAKE IT AUTOMATIC" - there is a great series of books about this..if something comes up that I need to spend money on, i just buy fewer groceries or we do without something else..never do I not put money in my savings..when your eye is on the "prize",( a 7 day cruise ) it makes doing without that new (insert vice) really easy!


ETA - Look into the ING and HSBC savings accounts online.they pay really good interest and if you have make direct deposits, it has little or no fees

 

[Joel110]

Wow!! Yeah, I was using North Alabama as an example. Nevertheless, I think people generally spend too much on housing and can live comfortably in less expensive housing….for MOST parts of the country anyway.

I agree...I would also add too much car payment, which is worse because at least property can appreciate. Everyone has a different situation, but there are a lot of people who overspend on a car (i.e. buying new vs. used) and could reduce their payments by $100-150 or more a month buying a 2-3 year-old car. Saving $150/month adds up to $3,600+ interest every two years, which would pretty much cover a 7 day off-peak, inside cabin for four.

We've never bought a new car, though we easily could, because there are a lot of great off-lease cars out there. Then we drive our vehicles as long as it's practical. Our 1996 Taurus had 295,000 miles on it when we figured the cost of engine repair exceed its value.

For the cruise itself, I would try and break your cruise down into mini-goals. Sometimes, it doesn't seem like such a mountain to climb when you break it down to smaller goals. Such as, your first goal, would be to payoff/save for a deposit. Then calculate the remaining balance and the number of months until the final payment is due, then make it a goal to save at least that proportionate amount each month. Instead of paying Disney, put it in a specific savings account to earn interest for the cruise. Once the cruise is paid off (about 3 months in advance) continue saving the same amount each month for the incidentals (i.e. tips, alcoholic drinks, port days).

For example, we just booked the 2008 EB Panama for four. The Cat. 11 cost us about $5,625 for 15 nights. It'll be our 2nd cruise. We booked on the DCL website and received a $25 onboard credit (OBC). Then, knowing Dreams Unlimited was offering $200 OBC if we switched to them, I used that to negotiate with my TA and received from him an offer of $100 OBC and a $200 Cash Rebate after the cruise. That basically brought the cruise cost down to $5,300 for us, divided by four people, it is about $353 per day at sea for my family or less than $89/day per person. Not a bad value considering the travel, food and entertainment involved.

So, since we already have paid a total deposit of $2,000, our remaining balance is about $3,625. My payoff date is late May 2008, which is 14 months. My "mini" goals are to save at least $259 per month until the cruise ($3,625 balance / 14 months). That pays off the cruise in May 2008. However, I would continue to save $259/month in June, July and August of 2008, which would add almost another $800 toward incidentals at cruise time. Those would be my minimums, but would then hope to add an additional $20-50 here or there to build up for other expenses.

We also prefer the Starwood AmEx card operated by Sheraton/Westin hotels for our incentive credit card. I know a lot on here use the Disney Visa. We don't carry a balance, but run everything we can through it for points (gas, groceries, wireless bill, wife's college expenses, etc.). Sheraton gives you a free room (including taxes) for as low as 4,000 points per night, or you can convert 20,000 points into 25,000 frequent flier miles with about any of the major airlines. I just booked two nights at the Swan hotel for 10,000 points a night.

 

[been2marceline]

We just wait for PC Repo's - with 2+ years between them, I can save up a lot of quarters!

 

[Kissimmee]

Looking for a bargain? Try the Transatlantic 14 day. Total price should be less that $6,000 for a family of 4 including airfare to Orlando and back from Barcelona. I don't think you can beat that.

 

[deaner]

Top 10 ways to make cruising fit in your budget:
1. Move to Florida to be near the coast, not only beautiful but also saves you the airfare costs.
2. Inside cabins are the cheapest way to go...but not as fun
3. Look for special offers, usually I can find them as 'last minute' trips. (see #1 above, that makes it easier to go at the last minute).
4. Stay away from peak periods (spring break,holidays)
5. Travel during hurricane season.. It may be a bit bumpy but is much cheaper.
6. Stop eating out and save that money for vacations, you would be surprised how much you can save for that. We eat alot of tuna on a bed of greens in our house. (I must say I then look better in my swimsuit on the cruise)
7. Be as frugal as you can on all household expenses, then bank that extra money. (cut back on cable TV, cell phones, clean your own house, do your own yard, watch how many extras you buy for the kids when you go to the store) Be cheap!
8. Divide up the cost of the number of trips you want to take and spread that out over a year, save at least that much each month.
9. Sell old items on ebay.
10. Join the travel clubs with the cruise lines they give you free stuff and upgrades !

 

[disneylover5]

for dh and i we skip expensive gifts for b-days, anniversary, and valentines day and put it towards our vacation funds!

We have a wonderful older couple that go to church with us. Freda and Tommy. They were talking at church about how they have saved money over the years so they could always tithe. Every birthday, Valentine's Day, any holiday that required a card....they would make a date to the local Hallmark store. They would spend 15 or 20 minutes looking at cards and pick out the best card for the feelings and never ever worry about how much the card cost.

They would then exchange the cards in the store, read them to each other, hug each other.....then put the cards back in the rack and leave...never spending a penny!!

I hate greeting cards...they are my pet peeve and now they cost like $3.50 each....

I love Tommy and Freda....we have now talked them into cruising with us Thanksgiving 08.

 

[pppiglet]

Maybe I'm the only one that's a little cynical and think that a lot of people really can't afford so many cruises, but they are carrying huge amounts of credit card debt. I've seen enough threads where people list all the credit cards they have to believe this. I do a lot of the saving and scrimping listed here, but Americans as a whole are racking up tons of credit on their credit cards. I'm sure there's at least a few of those people on the DIS.... of course, none of the people on this thread.

I'll admit it...(I know someone will flame me), but DCL got me hooked on cruising and this one coming up in May is charged. It's a once in a lifetime trip for us for our 25th anniversary with WDW attached. We know we'll never go back, so we'll worry about paying it off when we get back. 0 percent Disney Visa with Disney Rewards help a lot. After this, I'll wait til the 2011/2012 ships come out before we sail with them again, but those I'll start saving for now!