Cruising: How to Pay for Your Cruise
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Have you ever found yourself leaving town, the state or the country just to make sure you didn’t have to attend any holiday festivities with family, friends, boss, and co-workers? Usually, if you stuck around and attended these events, I’m sure you were wishing you had boarded a plane or a ship to take off for parts unknown. At least in these places, you wouldn’t have to be around these people.
I have met people who didn’t plan their cruises in advance, so they got on the ship at the last minute. Once man who is known for this nasty, expensive habit lives in San Francisco and works as a manager for the city. It is not unusual for him to take a cruise around Christmas or the New Year on impulse.
But since he does not give himself the time to plan and save for the trip, he is actually paying for his cruise for a year after he has taken his trip. He charges the cruise on his credit card at the last minute, and it usually takes him a year or more to finish paying for it. By then, he is always tempted to get out the plastic and charge another cruise to start the New Year.
“Why do you do this?” I asked him. “Why don’t you book the cruise a year or two in advance so it is paid for by the time you go?”
He shrugged like refusing to plan his vacation and spending excess money was nothing to him. “I was lonely. My boss didn’t have anyone to go with, so I agreed to go.”
Here’s a piece of advice for you. When you plan your cruise, go with someone other than the boss. You’ll have a much better time.
People will use their home equity loans to take cruises, too. Even if you had a line of credit, do not use it for travel. It's as careless as using a credit card and a very easy way to pile on the excess debt.
With advanced planning, his last cruise from San Francisco to Mexico during peak season could have cost half the $10,000 price tag that he ended up paying over the course of 12 months. Taking the cruise at the last minute and choosing a stateroom with a balcony only upped the price of the cruise.
The months of October, November and December is a great time to cruise places in the world which include Canada, New England, Hawaii, the Mexican Riviera, and the Eastern and Western Mediterranean. By November or earlier, Alaska is closed for the wintertime, and the natives have made enough money to see them through the winter until the tourists return around May. If you are home for the holidays, take advantage of being home and close to your family, friends, your computer, and the travel agencies. Interested in taking a cruise? Then do your research. People who have gone to the places you are interested in can tell you all about it. There are also classes offered in the community and at local colleges which can teach you about the region you want to visit. Bookworms have libraries and the bookstores for maps, current travel magazines, and tour books. Travel websites have information about tourist destinations. Not only that, you can read ratings by travelers since cruises are rated all the time and the information is always updated.
Remember that you don’t have to take a 7-day cruise your first time out. There are cruises lasting 2, 3 or 4 days. Other cruises last 7, 10, 14 or more than a month. If you don’t know if you’ll enjoy a cruise, you can always try cruising for less than 7 days. Your voyage will certainly give you the feel of being a passenger and what happens during a cruise. Without having to shell out a lot of money, you will know by the end of this short cruise whether you’d want to try going on a longer trip with more excursions and be surrounded by more staff and passengers.
Although many people say they cannot afford a cruise, but would love to travel this way, there are ways of paying for your cruise without mirroring the extravagant, reckless behavior of the San Francisco man mentioned earlier. If you are working with a travel agent, make your decision on what ship you’d like to take, when you’d like to travel, and where you would want to do. Some cruise lines allow their passengers to book their cruises way over a year in advance. With this time span, you can figure out how much you need to put aside on a monthly basis to pay for your cruise tickets, excursions and any other expenses you expect to incur during your travels. Don’t burden yourself financially and put your cruise expenses on a credit card and expect to pay the debt the following year. Don’t tie up your money on a trip that is already over. Like most cruisers, the idea here is to take a cruise after planning well for it so that by the time your journey ends, you don’t owe anything. If you plan properly and stick to your vacation savings plan, you will walk off the cruise ship with no debts. And because of this, you can always look forward to your next cruise. Depending on your finances, you could find yourself an old pro at saving for vacations and will be able to take a cruise each year.
A Note from Arlene: Check out my other Hubs on cruising. I've been on several cruises and do take a cruise each year with hubby. Right now, I'm saving up and gearing up for a tour of the Hawaiian Islands next year. We've been there before, but there is a magical draw to Hawaii for us. We would visit in a heartbeat if we had the cold hard cash in our hands. As for funding the cruises, I am retired and don't have money to throw around. A lot of people complain about not being able to afford anything, but the idea for going on a cruise is just like every extra you want. Save for it, but don't put yourself in sacrifice mode. If you don't want to shell out a lot of money on your first cruise, plan for one that only takes 2-4 days. The shorter cruise will (forgive me) get you feet wet. You'll find that these cruises are much more budget friendly.
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May. And I was dressed like that. It was so beautiful, and we did get to see some grizzlies. But I am so much the wimp when it comes to cold. It was windy, and there was not much time to explore because after our excursion, the town had closed down for the night. So all we could do as a group is look at all the goodies in the store windows. The air was cold that day, but so fresh. I was told by the locals that they are proud for staying just the way they are. I would be, too.
Inspiring stuff for the broke and cheap here Arlene, that'd be me...But hit the nail on the head about planning ahead of time, less stressful and more importantly less expensive.
I had not thought of taking a course about the region in which I'd visit while cruising. Good advice.
It'd be nice to be able to just jump ship and go! lol. =] However, as you stated (& are right about), planning it out in advance saves money.
I also agree w/ not tying up money once the cruise is over with (putting the expenses on a credit card). Not only are you still paying it off (as you indicated), but are stuck paying interest, &, therefore, may end up paying much more than originally planned for.
Great pictures. That must've been an amazing experience!
jenubouka, I'm sure my friend, Mr. Lonely from San Francisco is still using his American Success card to fund his cruises because it is a known fact that this is the way he pays for his cruises. Which is sad. Passengers rack up their on board charges during the cruise and settle the debt before leaving the ship. They either can pay in cash Or they make the full payment right away once the credit card bill comes. But if you put the cruise and all of its expenses on your credit card and chipped away at it using once-a-month payments--YUCK! You would be drowning in debt. I am part of the Semi Young and the Restless and Retired Broke Already Club. I know I do not have savings or anything else I can pull my money from. At least, I know the extra cash I'd love to blow is not there. Like most Americans (Boomers), I really suck at savings, but I can save if I made some effort. No savings=No yearly cruise=No Fun for Arlene. Put the carrot (cruise) in front of my fact, and I'm saving. At least $300+ a month and whatever money happens to come my way. And that only covers the fare. That's why it's so much better to plan months and months ahead. Depending on the cruise line, they could give you a break on the costs if you had sailed with them in the past. Which is what I'm doing now.
Good idea. Too bad all that point for earnings crap is a load of crap, or that would be great. Wouldn't it be great if there was a time share option for cruises? I worked as a private chef for a company that rented out yachts to groups and sailed up to Alaska for a week or two, fishing and cooking, didn't get any better than that although the sleeping quarters were the size of an infants crib.
How fun! And there's your ticket! Your culinary skills open many doors for you. Yes, the cabins can be small. No one really talks about them, but I am 5'2". No problema. My husband is 6'4". You can ask for an extension for the bed, but that's going to take up more space in the cabin. But it's the same thing if you travel on land. Go all over the place and do it right, you will just need the room as home base, including a place to sleep and unloading your digital camera. My neighbor's kid was about to work on a cruise ship for six months. I wanted to pick her brains when she returned, but she is such a mama's girl that she cancelled and didn't even try. We've talked to plenty of people working on the cruises, and it surprised me that most of the people working Alaska or Hawaii are only there to sell stuff or work in the restaurants or other businesses. When the season is over, they usually go home to Southern California. Recently, I got word that there was going to be a knitting cruise. Yeah, I could see myself attending that one. I would be so obnoxious that the knitters would throw me into the water and continue with the K1, P2. Who wants to sit around and knit while taking a cruise? You can knit anywhere! There are some who do take these type of classes, seminars and retreats. And it's not just the knitting. Lots of "theme" cruises, but there's already enough activities on the cruise ship. I don't think I could sit still for a writers' conference if it was held on a cruise ship. Way too many distractions.
Hi, Veronica! Thank you for your comments. My husband and I are lazy American tourists and have found cruises as the perfect vacation. Although I do have friends who like to hike and bicycle during their vacations, my husband and I will "hike" to the next restaurant or tourist destination, and that's about it. We love traveling together and would love to travel to all kinds of places, but the trip has to be paid for in advance. Or we don't get on the cruise ship. It's that simple. No money=No go. I guess it would be tempting to use a credit card, but it doesn't make any sense. Besides, why pay for a vacation you already enjoyed? That would be so stressful. Yes, and the interest payments, too. Making your cruise much more than you agreed to pay for in the first place. Those photographs were done with an ancient, 7-year-old Kodak digital camera with 5 mega-pixels. It has been a very reliable traveling camera, but now it is slowly dying. So in other words, anytime you go traveling, grab your camera--no matter what make and model. On a cruise, you are surrounded by all kinds of fancy cameras. As a photographer who used to get paid for my work, I no longer like changing lenses or lugging camera equipment around. The camera has to fit my tiny hands and the pockets of my jeans or jackets. I suggest that any travel bring a camera and have one them when traveling. You just never know what memorable photographs you'll be taking home. Snapshots are a lot cheaper and much more creative than the expensive photographs taken by the ship's photographers. So go places and shoot, shoot, shoot! Once you get home, you will always have the memories. Make sure you get a camera you are familiar with. I do want Santa to bring me a new camera. I'm not asking for an expensive one like my cruise ship buddies. I just want one that will be a work horse. Until then, I'm running my current camera into the ground.
You got to watch out for them there knitters.
Too scary for me! The tink-tink-tink would drive me crazy. That is, if they didn't convert to bamboo knitting needles. There's always someone in the group who will not do without the metal ones. Tink-tink-tink. Tink-tink-tink. If I hear that enough, I will tell you everything I know.
I've never been on a cruise before but good tips. I don't want to be like the San Francisco man you describe--enjoy now and suffer later. Definitely foolhardy but sometimes, when you're hooked on cruises, one may be tempted to be that rash. I like your picture, you're all decked out to enjoy the cold. Rated up.
angin, I am not a go-go-go type of traveler. I do not envy people who go to Europe for 15 days and need to pack and unpack all the time. I get bored easily, so if the tour guide does not have a wonderful presentation, I tend to wander. I would like to remember places and fill my writer's journal with notes and sketches. I would like to take photographs each day until my memory card is full. A cruise can be a test of certain areas because you can make arrangements and go back and spend the week (or more) there in the future. Thanks for the vote up. Looking forward to the warmth of Hawaii in 2012!
Arlene,
I hope that Santa makes you happy this year!
Good suggestions & funny - "done with an ancient, 7 year old Kodak". =] I used to use my grandfather's camera. Heavy, w/ tons of extras, but was reliable. So, I understand where you're coming from. None-the-less, there are some pretty decent cameras out there, that aren't too expensive!
My fiance & I have talked about saving money, & when the time & price are right, go for it (a cruise). I've researched some cruises, but mostly enter sweepstakes to win a free one. I think it's time I step up my game, and really start putting it together!
Where at in Hawaii are you going? All of the islands? I studied Polynesian Culture, and have been to Hawaii (Oahu) twice. You are going to loooove it! =]
Veronica, if you've studied Polynesian culture, that's that. You MUST go on a cruise to Hawaii. My husband and I went on a cruise of the islands through NCL at the time the stock market dumped. They have cruises all year, so we are going again next year. Before that, we stayed for a week at a hotel in Honolulu and visited with family. The cruise of the Hawaiian Islands is the best because you get to see a little of each island. Unfortunately, we paid through the nose for that one because we booked it at the last minute. But, we HAD to go. I never regret cutting loose with the bucks when it comes to travel expenses, but I did learn from that experience. Always plan your cruise well in advance to save you time and money!
I wish I'd had some of this advice when we went on our first cruise. Voting this Up and Useful.
Don't you love those cruises, alocsin? We are lazy travelers and don't like to get mashed into making destination decisions, but our goal is to take a cruise once a year. It is ideal to start saving the minute you get off the ship. If you save a year ahead of time, you can pick the cabin, better rates and maybe some perks thrown in. You are also forced to get serious about saving. I can't wait to get on that ship this fall.
FloraBreenRobison 7 months ago
Mom's sister and brother-in-law raised their family in Prince Rupert. When were you there?