It is possible? Dream or nightmare?

[WishingStar78]

I really could use some help from you guys. Last week my family won a contest, the prize is a Disney Cruise to Alaska!!!

Unfortunately it's not as great as it seems, nothing is included except the cruise itself (up to 4 people in a single porthole room) and the taxes/tips (up to $6000).

The thing is, my family lives in a small community in Colorado, my DH (that's dear husband right?) is the only counselor at the local high school, and it doesn't pay very good. We decided that while our kids are small (DS 4 and DD 6) we would rather I stay home, and so we live very cheaply, and don't have much money for extras. It's something we understand and is usually not a problem.

Anyway, we had saved $2500 for a short trip to Disneyland while the kids are still young (my daughter loves princesses and everything Frozen). We could use the money to go to the cruise, but the outside costs are staggering, can it be done????

Please help, any budget ideas would be amazing! I need to figure this all out in the next month or so because DH cannot go after the middle of August because school will be in again.

 

[WishingStar78]

Oh, my parents were planning on paying for the airfare, they aren't really in a position to do any more, and I don't think I could bring myself to ask anyway...

 

[Lisa F]

I really could use some help from you guys. Last week my family won a contest, the prize is a Disney Cruise to Alaska!!!

Unfortunately it's not as great as it seems, nothing is included except the cruise itself (up to 4 people in a single porthole room) and the taxes/tips (up to $6000).

The thing is, my family lives in a small community in Colorado, my DH (that's dear husband right?) is the only counselor at the local high school, and it doesn't pay very good. We decided that while our kids are small (DS 4 and DD 6) we would rather I stay home, and so we live very cheaply, and don't have much money for extras. It's something we understand and is usually not a problem.

Anyway, we had saved $2500 for a short trip to Disneyland while the kids are still young (my daughter loves princesses and everything Frozen). We could use the money to go to the cruise, but the outside costs are staggering, can it be done????

Please help, any budget ideas would be amazing! I need to figure this all out in the next month or so because DH cannot go after the middle of August because school will be in again.

I'm not sure what you mean by "outside costs" if your parents are paying for airfare. You mean excursions? Excursions are optional. I think your biggest cost outside of the cruise itself would be getting yourself to and from the port. If that is taken care of then you carefully pick and choose what you want to do off the ship and research ports and see what you can do on your own vs. what is better done via excursion. With cruise, taxes, tips and airfare covered, $2500 seems like a pretty generous budget to me. I know it is different than Alaska but I'm doing a 4 day disney dream cruise to nassau and I'm only looking at a few hundred in extras for an excursion in nassau (just snorkeling, not the most expensive one) and a few drinks and a rainforest pass on board.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

I agree with @Lisa F . You would need airfare (which it sounds like your parents are paying ), transportation to port, although I would recommend flying in the day before. So transportation to hotel, one night hotel stay, transportation back to airport from port, then whatever's left from your $2500 ( budget for Disneyland), perhaps can be used for excursions. Sounds like a once in a lifetime opportunity for your family! Lucky! !

 

[adSimba]

If they don't have passports (I'm guessing they don't from the description) that is $500(ish) right there. Also, it may be necessary to get a hotel for the night before or after (or both) and they aren't that cheap in Vancouver, plus getting from the plane to the port(or hotel) and food for 4 along the way.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

Don't forget travel insurance! Add $200.

 

[WishingStar78]

If they don't have passports (I'm guessing they don't from the description) that is $500(ish) right there. Also, it may be necessary to get a hotel for the night before or after (or both) and they aren't that cheap in Vancouver, plus getting from the plane to the port(or hotel) and food for 4 along the way.

EXACTLY!

None of us have ever left the country, and there is a thread that keeps coming up where everyone seems to be saying that only awful parents would leave their country with their kids without proper passports. (that's $480) and the hotels for the summer are all more than 100 a night

 

[diznymom]

The ports in Alaska are beautiful. You don't have to do any excursions. You can walk around town if you want. Or you can stay on the ship. There will be activities going on all day if you choose to stay on the ship. Also, you don't have to stay in your room, except to sleep.

Our favorite day was Tracy Arm day. The ship does a slow circle so you can see everything.

All of the food (except packaged snacks and Palo) and soft drinks near the pool area are included in the cruise price.

What "outside costs" are you concerned about?

 

[diznymom]

Can you maybe have a garage sale or something to help offset the cost of the passports? The passports will be necessary.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

EXACTLY!

None of us have ever left the country, and there is a thread that keeps coming up where everyone seems to be saying that only awful parents would leave their country with their kids without proper passports. (that's $480) and the hotels for the summer are all more than 100 a night

It still sounds like you have plenty from the $2500, even with transportation, passports, travel insurance, one night hotel stay. ... Or are you saying you don't *want* to pay the extras that go along with the travel involved? Are you set on going to Disneyland? That would incur very similar costs (except the passports ).

 

[LSUfan4444]

If they don't have passports (I'm guessing they don't from the description) that is $500(ish) right there.

With 4 people you can rent a car from the airport for about $150 (each way $350 total) and drop if off near the port. Find the cheapest option for a hotel somewhere near the airport or port. Coming back, book a flight back home in the evening and a rent a car from a company near the port and return it to the airport. Get someone to drop you guys off at the airport at home to save on parking. Even if you spend $300 on a hotel the night before the cruise you're around $650 in with about $1850 left.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Passport cards are also much less costly than full passports.

 

[o&smom]

Don't forget travel insurance! Add $200.

Not sure if this would apply in this particular situation. Since they are not paying for the cruise, I am not sure that there would be a "loss" to claim. Otherwise, never leave home without it!

 

[MaleficentRN]

Don't forget travel insurance! Add $200.

If the cruise is paid for and your parents are covering the airfare, I don't see why the money you budgeted for DL wouldn't cover any other expenses. I daresay you would't even need half of the $2500.

 

[WishingStar78]

The ports in Alaska are beautiful. You don't have to do any excursions. You can walk around town if you want. Or you can stay on the ship. There will be activities going on all day if you choose to stay on the ship. Also, you don't have to stay in your room, except to sleep.

Our favorite day was Tracy Arm day. The ship does a slow circle so you can see everything.

All of the food (except packaged snacks and Palo) and soft drinks near the pool area are included in the cruise price.

What "outside costs" are you concerned about?

The passports, hotel, we don't even own a camera better than the one on my phone, so I'd really like to get a decent cheap one and that's about $100 so we can have pictures to remember (that was part of our expected Disneyland budget), Food costs (outside of the cruise) and transportation everywhere; can a regular taxi even fit 4-7 pieces of luggage and 4 people, (with 2 car seats?) and how much would that taxi even cost? in Denver a taxi around town would cost at least $20 for just a couple people. We couldn't possibly take this many people/stuff on public transportation... It's so overwhelming and it's so soon!

 

[LSUfan4444]

Passport cards are also much less costly than full passports.

If flying back to the US, they would need passports though.

Don't forget travel insurance! Add $200.

I wouldnt bother.

 

[WishingStar78]

and I'm not sure our thrit store luggage can endure that many baggage handlers...

 

[Cackyschmackers]

Not sure if this would apply in this particular situation. Since they are not paying for the cruise, I am not sure that there would be a "loss" to claim. Otherwise, never leave home without it!

The only time we have ever made a claim with our travel insurance was when our cruise was fogged in, we could not debark for hours, we missed our flight and our car to the airport, we had to pay for a hotel room that night because we could not get on another flight, and it paid for all that and the changes to the air. So the only time we've ever used travel insurance was not for the cruise but for the associated travel costs with interrupted trip.

 

[cmph]

The cruise will have the Frozen deck party as well as princess (and other character) meet-n-greets and Disney shows. You could certainly put your $2500 to the cruise extras, and you wouldn't necessarily spend all of it - but the question is, do you WANT to do that and sacrifice the Disneyland trip you intended?

Just b/c everyone talks about the amazing and expensive excursions doesn't mean you have to do them. If you had dreamed of going to Alaska for many years, then it would be a bit different. But you're going for the Disney vacation aspect, then realize you can just get off in ports if you want and look around for zero money. My kids would be perfectly happy to never get off the ship. I realize it's sacrilegious to many Alaskan cruisers to not do all the big-money excursions but the thing is... that's not necessarily going to be the stuff the kids remember most. My first cruise was to Alaska as a young teenager, and I barely remember the excursions. It was the ship that made the lasting impression.

The passports, hotel, we don't even own a camera better than the one on my phone, so I'd really like to get a decent cheap one and that's about $100 so we can have pictures to remember (that was part of our expected Disneyland budget), Food costs (outside of the cruise) and transportation everywhere; can a regular taxi even fit 4-7 pieces of luggage and 4 people, (with 2 car seats?) and how much would that taxi even cost? in Denver a taxi around town would cost at least $20 for just a couple people. We couldn't possibly take this many people/stuff on public transportation... It's so overwhelming and it's so soon!

I only use my phone camera, personally; photos on-board will cost more than Disneyland photopass but they do have that option. You could bring breakfast with you to eat at the hotel before getting on the ship, but all the ship's food is included unless you book a Palo meal for the adults, which isn't necessary at all. And maybe look into a hotel with a shuttle to the port? It sounds like you're freaked out more by the logistics than the cost, in that regard.

 

[MaleficentRN]

Passports $500. Hotel $250, Food $100, Transport $100, Camera $100, luggage $200. Where are you spending $2500?