Vacation budget WWYD?

[FairestOfThemAll37]

So, I started planning a trip for next fall. I found an itinerary that I love for a cruise, but it must be popular because the room category we want is quite high.

After doing some digging on other lines and what not, we realized that was "the" itinerary. However, we found a similar itinerary for the spring that was half the price. However, we'd have to shuffle vacations around to accommodate this timing and we lose a couple of ports that we really wanted to see.

So, WWYD? Would you opt for the itinerary you really want and the date you prefer or would you compromise to save $$$$?

Part of me is "I just want what I want (pout, stomp, pout)" and the other part is "that's so much $$$"

TIA!

 

[King of Naboombu]

If the price difference is that significant then I would go when it is cheaper. You're going to enjoy the cruise immensely no matter which one you choose. So if it were me, and I thought the two itineraries were closely comparable in terms of how much I would enjoy the trip, I would have a hard time paying 2x the price for almost the same experience. If it is half the price and you enjoy it you can use what you saved for the next trip and hit those ports you missed!

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

It would depend just how much more expensive it was and if taking vacation at another time would have a monetary cost as well, such as more expensive airfare, different excursion costs, etc.

I do agree with @King of Naboombu though, if it was 2x the cost, I would probably opt for the cheaper cruise because then I could take that money and use it towards another trip altogether or it could cover all the extras. I have a cruise coming up in 2 months to Norway. We don't usually book balcony staterooms because of cost, but for this cruise it was just $400 more total to upgrade, which was just a 15% increase in cost, so I decided it was worth the splurge this time.

 

[Marionnette]

So, I started planning a trip for next fall. I found an itinerary that I love for a cruise, but it must be popular because the room category we want is quite high.

After doing some digging on other lines and what not, we realized that was "the" itinerary. However, we found a similar itinerary for the spring that was half the price. However, we'd have to shuffle vacations around to accommodate this timing and we lose a couple of ports that we really wanted to see.

So, WWYD? Would you opt for the itinerary you really want and the date you prefer or would you compromise to save $$$$?

Part of me is "I just want what I want (pout, stomp, pout)" and the other part is "that's so much $$$"

TIA!

We make compromises every day IRL. When I go on vacation, I want to escape from real life. My personal preference would be to book the vacation that I really want instead of compromising. Taking a cheaper option has never failed to leave me feeling cheated.

I'd opt for the more expensive trip that has everything I want.

 

[Hikergirl]

Is it a once in a lifetime vacation? If yes, spend the money and do the one you really want.

I'm not a cruise person, I really have no desire to do one unless it is an Alaskan cruise. If I ever get the opportunity to do it, there would be no compromising.
If it was something I did every few years or whatever that would be different.

 

[TwoMisfits]

I'd go cheaper - you are never guaranteed to stop at any of the ports anyway, and spring cruising has much less risk of weather disruptions for ports...

 

[Bren's Mom]

I agree, ports are never guaranteed. There are so many cruise lines, ships and itineraries these days to choose from, I'd go with way less $$$ and find another ship/port combo that works for you also and be very satisfied with that.

 

[elaine amj]

I don't do once-in-a-lifetime things. Opportunities and special things come up all the time.

I find every trip a wee bit different about what is most important to me - whether it is the specific date, the itinerary, or the ship. e.g. one time we were debating between a 9 night RCCL (on a radiance class ship) which was only a little more money than a 3 night Disney Dream. We ended up choosing the bigger ship with the bells and whistles and the Disney experience.

Some trips, I have the time availability and/or budget constraints so choosing the cheaper option works out better.

If all else is equal, I choose the cheaper option. More money = more vacations.

 

[katmatry]

I would never spend vacation dollars on one trip wishing I was on another. NEVER

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

Thanks for all the opinions! I was kind of hoping this would be one of those situations where everybody would lean the same way lol, because I'm so torn!

I'd go cheaper - you are never guaranteed to stop at any of the ports anyway, and spring cruising has much less risk of weather disruptions for ports...

This is something to think about and research. I don't know how big of a difference there is between conditions in October vs March/April.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

Thanks for all the opinions! I was kind of hoping this would be one of those situations where everybody would lean the same way lol, because I'm so torn!




This is something to think about and research. I don't know how big of a difference there is between conditions in October vs March/April.

Hurricane season be dicey for cruises. I had a trip planned at the end of August 2005 and needless to say, Hurricane Katrina made it impossible to get to the port. It was a 5 day cruise and it sailed for 2.5 days of the 5, so they refused to refund any money. It was a lesson learned for sure to get trip insurance for fall cruises.

 

[TwoMisfits]

Thanks for all the opinions! I was kind of hoping this would be one of those situations where everybody would lean the same way lol, because I'm so torn!




This is something to think about and research. I don't know how big of a difference there is between conditions in October vs March/April.

Hurricane season on the East Coast is June-November...there is a much higher likelihood of all cruises in the Caribbean/Bahamas/Bermuda/Mexico to have missed ports this time of year than in the spring. It doesn't even take hurricanes to miss ports - just high seas (from far away storms) that make tendering or docking into port impossible...

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

Hurricane season be dicey for cruises. I had a trip planned at the end of August 2005 and needless to say, Hurricane Katrina made it impossible to get to the port. It was a 5 day cruise and it sailed for 2.5 days of the 5, so they refused to refund any money. It was a lesson learned for sure to get trip insurance for fall cruises.

Hurricane season on the East Coast is June-November...there is a much higher likelihood of all cruises in the Caribbean/Bahamas/Bermuda/Mexico to have missed ports this time of year than in the spring. It doesn't even take hurricanes to miss ports - just high seas (from far away storms) that make tendering or docking into port impossible...

We'll be on the other side of the world Technically typhoon season runs the same timeframe (may-oct), but our itinerary is mostly North of the affected areas. I don't know if other storms or the seas in generally are better in the Spring.

 

[Darcy03231]

I'd go with the more expensive trip. If I went on the cheaper one I'd constantly be comparing it to my perceived idea of what the more expensive one was like, and most likely wouldn't enjoy the cheaper one.

 

[gottalovepluto]

If you lose ports you want to see, that makes this an entirely different vacation IMHO. You're no longer comparing apples to apples and therefore you aren't saving $$$$, you're just picking a cheaper trip. Sounds like I'm talking in circles I know! But seriously, they aren't the same cruise if they are visiting different ports!

 

[gottalovepluto]

Hurricane season be dicey for cruises. I had a trip planned at the end of August 2005 and needless to say, Hurricane Katrina made it impossible to get to the port. It was a 5 day cruise and it sailed for 2.5 days of the 5, so they refused to refund any money. It was a lesson learned for sure to get trip insurance for fall cruises.

Ouch! I remember reading about a Disney cruise to the Bahamas last year or the year before that got changed to a week long cruise to Canada because a hurricane hit... Seriously. I felt SO bad for those people- But at least they got a whole cruise out of the deal!

 

[OrangeBirdGirl]

If this cruise is far from home where you wouldn't easily just go back and do the one you want at another time when it drops, I'd go for the itinerary you want. Why think the entire time "Gee if we did our original plan we'd be here right now".

 

[Scse1029]

We always book our cruises based on the itinerary we want. If that's the one you truly want to do, I would go with that.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

Thanks so much for all the input! We ended up finding a new itinerary that is pretty close to perfect and plan to go with that. The downside is that it's the most expensive of the bunch >.<

Luckily we have quite awhile to talk ourselves into not stressing about the price or to talk ourselves out of that cruise

 

[hsmamato2]

Op's question can have many 'right' answers...depending on circumstances. If you have the $$$ to spend on a vacation,just spend it where you want it. If you're struggling financially, but want everything 'perfect' then I'd think again. If it means you don't eat real food for months to pay for the $$$ trip,I'd rethink. For me,I look at bottom line and budget for every vacation.(That way I can go to more places) but that's what's important to me,as noted,a pp chose a shorter disney cruise over a longer non disney cruise. It really all depends. I personally would choose the less $ option,and adjust my other plans around that. This is of course, not knowing anything about OP's priorities.... just my own, which usually requires a strict budget line-