Any tips for saving money on a Caribbean cruise?

[Nick_Miller]

@Nick_Miller  when do your kids go back to school.  that cruise i sent drops considerably the last week of August.  If you have a school that doesnt start til after labor day.

They go back August 15th.

[champion]

I would consider fall break if I were you.  Great deals, less crowded boats, and hurricane season is not nearly as big a deal as people think.  Your odds of any issues are miniscule. 

[champion]

@Nick, I agree with boarder's advice that an all-inclusive might be better than a cruise if you only want to spend 4 days.  there's a bit more friction with a cruise--embarcation and disembarcation days feel like travel days--even if you don't fly you are still futzing around with luggage, waiting in lines, etc.  A 7 day cruise gives you 5 days that are free of that stuff, while a 4 day cruise only gives you 2.

[the_fixer]

Insert fuzzy math....

I always try to go as many days as possible for cruises or all inclusive vacations.

My personal experience has always been that a large portion of the cost of the vacations is in getting to the resort or ship... airfare, transfers, hotel.

The actual cost per person per day for a cruise or all inclusive is not that much of the total so each day you stay longer the cost per day drops.



Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[champion]

@boarder, it sounds like you are a good travel hacker.  So, a question for you:

It looks like that bookvip company gives good prices in exchange for listening to time share presentations.  Which may be a mustachian way to travel.  So I wonder a few things:

1) Are you affiliated with them in any way, including as a referrer?
2) Have you ever used them?
3) What was your experience like?
4) What are the cons of booking all-inclusives with 3rd party operators like this instead of directly with the resorts?
5) Are there any other bookers like this you've used and would recommend?
5) What are your thoughts on this whole arena of discounted travel in exchange for willingness to listen to timeshare presentations? 


(- It seems like a way to save money in exchange for a small amount of hassle
- It seems that mustachians are constitutionally better prepared than most people to calmly resist sales tactics and get the good deal without being sucked in by the sales presentation
- But it seems like a realm full of shady operators and risks of hidden fees, etc.)

What do you think? 

[Nick_Miller]

Okay we are going to do the 7 night route. Been texting with my wife and she'd really love to do that. I have a $10K bonus coming up next month and while I wanted to save some of it, after taxes, it will more than pay for our trip. We're still doing the Venture cards and should save $1000 that way. Also looking into the SW hack for airline tix.

In fact, we might splurge and go with a Disney cruise! We could do one for about $9,000!

[dandarc]

Insert fuzzy math....

I always try to go as many days as possible for cruises or all inclusive vacations.

My personal experience has always been that a large portion of the cost of the vacations is in getting to the resort or ship... airfare, transfers, hotel.

The actual cost per person per day for a cruise or all inclusive is not that much of the total so each day you stay longer the cost per day drops.



Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

This checks out on the per-day.  I've kind of wanted to do a Trans-Atlantic cruise - looked up the prices.  Want to do one even more now.  Of course, then you've got to figure out an international flight for one end of the trip.  I can see it now - 2 weeks in Italy, then 2 weeks on a cruise getting back home.  Would be awesome.

[boarder42]

Okay we are going to do the 7 night route. Been texting with my wife and she'd really love to do that. I have a $10K bonus coming up next month and while I wanted to save some of it, after taxes, it will more than pay for our trip. We're still doing the Venture cards and should save $1000 that way. Also looking into the SW hack for airline tix.

In fact, we might splurge and go with a Disney cruise! We could do one for about $9,000!

this is a joke right?

please tell me its a joke.

one thing to note with the Southwest Hack is SW flies into Ft. Lauderdale not miami - but if you're doing a pre cruise stay in a hotel it shouldnt be a big deal just keep it in mind if you end up going out of miami.

[Nick_Miller]

Okay we are going to do the 7 night route. Been texting with my wife and she'd really love to do that. I have a $10K bonus coming up next month and while I wanted to save some of it, after taxes, it will more than pay for our trip. We're still doing the Venture cards and should save $1000 that way. Also looking into the SW hack for airline tix.

In fact, we might splurge and go with a Disney cruise! We could do one for about $9,000!

this is a joke right?

please tell me its a joke.

one thing to note with the Southwest Hack is SW flies into Ft. Lauderdale not miami - but if you're doing a pre cruise stay in a hotel it shouldnt be a big deal just keep it in mind if you end up going out of miami.

Yeah but I think there is a $4 train that runs between the two, so that shouldn't be big deal.

And yes it was a joke. I'm glad I got some sort of reaction.

[boarder42]

Okay we are going to do the 7 night route. Been texting with my wife and she'd really love to do that. I have a $10K bonus coming up next month and while I wanted to save some of it, after taxes, it will more than pay for our trip. We're still doing the Venture cards and should save $1000 that way. Also looking into the SW hack for airline tix.

In fact, we might splurge and go with a Disney cruise! We could do one for about $9,000!

this is a joke right?

please tell me its a joke.

one thing to note with the Southwest Hack is SW flies into Ft. Lauderdale not miami - but if you're doing a pre cruise stay in a hotel it shouldnt be a big deal just keep it in mind if you end up going out of miami.

Yeah but I think there is a $4 train that runs between the two, so that shouldn't be big deal.

And yes it was a joke. I'm glad I got some sort of reaction.

that carnival cruise itenerary is likely one of the first ones we take our unborn child on when they are around your kids age - the experience at sting ray city will be awesome for them and if they like mayan ruins that boat ride to the lake with the wildlife and then the mayan ruins to top it off was amazing. 

At this point most caribbean islands look and feel the same(12 cruises) but those are 2 unique experiences i'll never forget.

[Mariposa]

You've got business income from writing, so you should get the Chase cards first because of their 5/24 rule:
-100,000 points for Chase Ink Preferred
-60,000 points for Chase Sapphire Reserve ($450 annual fee offset by $300 travel credit)

Then transfer all points to Chase Sapphire Reserve, book travel through the Reserve travel portal to receive the 1.5x multiplier, and 160,000 points = $2400 in travel. If your wife does the same thing, that's $4800 in rewards.

This site us updated with all the current best offers:
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/best-current-credit-card-sign-bonuses/

I consider myself a travel-hacker lite, but I don't pay for flights anymore.

[dandarc]

Yeah but I think there is a $4 train that runs between the two, so that shouldn't be big deal.

Wonder if that's the one that they're testing out a new high-speed train on.  New train keeps hitting pedestrians trying to beat the train - like 4 deaths already and they aren't even in regular service yet.  I get that being delayed by a train is a PITA, but if the gates down / lights flashing, just wait - better late than dead.

[boarder42]

You've got business income from writing, so you should get the Chase cards first because of their 5/24 rule:
-100,000 points for Chase Ink Preferred
-60,000 points for Chase Sapphire Reserve ($450 annual fee offset by $300 travel credit)

Then transfer all points to Chase Sapphire Reserve, book travel through the Reserve travel portal to receive the 1.5x multiplier, and 160,000 points = $2400 in travel. If your wife does the same thing, that's $4800 in rewards.

This site us updated with all the current best offers:
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/best-current-credit-card-sign-bonuses/

I consider myself a travel-hacker lite, but I don't pay for flights anymore.

this is very true and an avenue i had not thought of - Nick your card you currently have could easily be used on ship to offset costs and this method above could work very well for booking the cruise. 

i always forget about URs b/c i'm so buried in hacking i dont know if i'll ever get a chase card again. unless htey change policy.

[civil4life]

I apologize, but did not read all the responses, so I do not know if I am duplicating details.  I have gone on 3 Carnival Cruises.  All to the western Carribean.  Basically you can stay on the boat and not have to worry about spending any additional money.  The most expensive things are the excursions.  It is kind of mixed for me.  I enjoy just being on the boat, but I do shell out for one or two excursions.  You mentioned Carnival being rowdy.  I have never had that experience.  It is very family friendly.  The only issue my parents had on one of their cruises is that it was spring break and some sort of special kids group on the boat.  The kids were constantly playing with the elevators and so it was hard to get an elevator.

1.  You should be fine with a 4 person cabin.  It is like a dorm room.  My last cruise we had 4 grown adults in a cabin.  Really you are just sleeping in the room.  The rest of the time you are out doing things.  We had a small interior cabin.  However when I went with my parents still 4 adults they had more of suite with balcony that had much more room.  So if you are worried about room it is probably cheaper to get a suite vs 2 rooms. 

2.  My family has booked through AAA before and I believe if you are not picky about a specific room you get put on a list that the earlier you book you will get bumped up as people book after you.

3.  If you want to sneak in alcohol carry in a mouth wash container.

4.  Carnival lets you carry on non alcoholic beverages.  I usually bring a few bottles of pop to keep in the room.  My dad brings mountain dew to mix with his alcohol.  Also bring on bottle water if you plan to go off the boat to save money.

5.  Look for parking near the terminal.  There are usually plenty of parking companies that you can park your vehicle for less than the cruise line.  Check out Groupon for deals.

6.  The farther south you start your cruise the more you get to see.  If you go out of Miami vs Tampa you spend one less day getting to the islands.

7.  Although I had my passport on my last trip, I was never required to show it. 

8.  If you want to many times you can do the excursions on your own booking with someone on the island directly.  Only problem with this is there is no guarantee if for some reason you do not get back in time. 

9.  May check cruise prices through whole sale clubs like Costco.  I have not done the comparison to see if they really are good deals.

10.  Maybe check out livingsocial.com you may find a perfect family vacation on there.

11.  Not sure where you are coming from.  Is driving an option to avoid the flight?

[Nick_Miller]

Update!

We are booking a cruise today!

We are getting cruise/fees/taxes/airfare/night before cruise hotel (for four) for $5,000, which for a "last minute" type of cruise booking is not bad, from everyone I've spoken with. I know we'll end up spending another $1500-$2000 on gratuities, taxis, port excursions, and nickel and diming stuff. Cruise is for 7 nights in early June in the South Caribbean starting in San Juan, PR. Cruise has 5 ports of call on RCI's Freedom of the Seas.  Plus, we're spending another $500 on passports, so up to $7,500 total. Hopefully, we'll get to use passports again in a year or two.

Offsets:

1) We will have at least $500 (perhaps $1000) of travel credit through Capital One Venture by the time of the cruise.

2) Travel agency is giving us a $275 onboard credit.

3) I tell myself we'll save 8 days of groceries at home, and we'll turn off the air. No pets to board. This spending offset is probably around $200.

So hopefully $1,475.00 in offsets = real price of 8-night vacation is $5525.


Next time, if there is a next time, we'll book like normal cruisers and book it 12-18 months in advance to try to lock down a lower rate.

[boarder42]

man that is not a very good deal on a cruise.  even at this time i could find multiple cheaper cruises than that and SW flies to san juan so your airfare could be free. 

i feel like you took the advice here and said fuck it i'm just gonna blow a bunch of money.

[JoJo]

This seems OK price to me - ballparking 500 for airfare + 700 cruise x 4 people + 200 hotel.  Sounds right. 

Do research on shore excursions - there are some really awesome independent guides that offer tours that are way longer, more inclusions, and cheaper than the equivalent 52-seater bus trips the cruiseline offers.  If you share the ports you're going to I might recall the tours I did in the Caribbean a couple years ago.

[Nick_Miller]

SW prices were VERY high to fly in the day before the cruise (like 50% higher). They were cheaper on the day of the cruise, but we were not willing to risk it to fly in the morning of the cruise. Too many snafus could happen.

But Delta is actually cheaper to fly in on either day! We are flying out on SW, so we can hopefully travel hack for that flight. I forgot about that.

[boarder42]

This seems OK price to me - ballparking 500 for airfare + 700 cruise x 4 people + 200 hotel.  Sounds right. 

Do research on shore excursions - there are some really awesome independent guides that offer tours that are way longer, more inclusions, and cheaper than the equivalent 52-seater bus trips the cruiseline offers.  If you share the ports you're going to I might recall the tours I did in the Caribbean a couple years ago.

this seems like a consumeristic sucka price for a cruise just my 2c - a well trained frugalist would not be spending close to that amount at all on a 7 day cruise. 

also many of these islands and locations are still in disarray from the hurricanes. 

[I'm a red panda]

also many of these islands and locations are still in disarray from the hurricanes.

And without tourist income, will stay that way.  Go- tip locals heavily!

[Nick_Miller]

@iowajes, exactly. I think it's actually the perfect time to help out their economies.

The three agents I spoke with all said that the ports and tourism-related infrastructure was the first to be repaired on the islands, although St. Martaan was hit really hard and is still struggling. But still, in 5 months, they will be further into their recovery. And yes, we tip well and have no problem spreading a little wealth to those folks.

[Nick_Miller]

@JoJo, itinerary is:

Sail Date: 06-02-2018

FREEDOM OF THE SEAS Itinerary

Cruise Line : ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL
Date : Sat 02 Jun 2018

Cruise Length : 7 Nights

Sat 02 Jun

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO

Sun 03 Jun

PHILIPSBURG, ST. MAARTEN

Mon 04 Jun

BASSETERRE, ST KITTS NEVIS

Tue 05 Jun

ST. JOHNS, ANTIGUA

Wed 06 Jun

CASTRIES, ST. LUCIA

Thu 07 Jun

BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS

Fri 08 Jun

CRUISING

Sat 09 Jun

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO

[JoJo]

for those ports of call -

San Juan - see the Fort Morro if you have time.  Part of the NPS.  Take advantage of their free tours.  I basically ended up with a private tour up into the lighthouse with great views from the top.

St. Maarten - did a circle island tour with stops on the east & west side.  Included a stop at the airport where the airplanes fly over your head on the beach.  I'm not sure if they've put more barriers her after that lady died last year. 

St Kitts - did this one.  It was nice.  http://www.thenfordgreytours.com/the-grand-tour-of-st.-kitts.html

Antigua - did an overpriced trip to swim with rays.  WAY overpriced so I don't recommend.

St Lucia - this was probably my favorite trip of the cruise - http://www.cosol-tours.com/tours.html

Barbados - with 4 of you it might make sense to get a car and driver.  I didn't find any tours here that were worthwhile.  I don't recall anything memorable from our tour here.

[I'm a red panda]

San Juan- I don't know if the biolumincent bays will have recovered from the hurricane, but if they have- kayaking when there was no moon was amazing.

Antigua- We did a tour with Adventure Antigua (https://adventureantigua.com/) - we did the Eco Tour. It was phenomenal.

[Nick_Miller]

@JoJo  and @iowajes, thanks so much for the tips! I will paste them into the travel planning document my wife is almost certainly creating right this second.

(one of my wife's great passions is making travel spreadsheets. I don't judge)

[JoJo]

Oh, I should mention, if you aren't keen to doing a tour on an island, your cheapest choice is to do your own little tour around the capital/port and then get a bus/taxi and spend the rest of the time on the beach.  You'll need to research which beaches are nice and close to the port.  This could be as cheap as a few dollars per person.

[I'm a red panda]

Self promotion, but only kind of.... it's not like the blog is monetized or updated anymore.

Here is the blogpost I did about the Antigua tour.
http://skittl1321.blogspot.com/2011/01/cruise-round-up-january-5-antigua.html
7 years later, we still talk about it.

[ohsnap]

...

St Kitts - did this one.  It was nice.  http://www.thenfordgreytours.com/the-grand-tour-of-st.-kitts.html
...

We did that one, too - a highlight of our Caribbean cruise!  Mr Grey was an amazing tour guide; I hope he still personally leads the tours.

To the OP, there were plenty of stops on this tour for your kids to get out & run around.

[boarder42]

we did real st. lucia tours on st lucia it was pretty great very similar to cosol tours.  http://www.realsaintluciatours.com/

barbados has a cave you can go in we did this tour group with http://www.glorytours.org/tours.html

[SnackDog]

Books as far in advance in the cheapest month as you can in the cheapest room on the cheapest ship. Or look for a last minute deal. Repositioning cruises are dirt cheap, like $30/night/pp.

See if you can get an airfare and cruise bundle for less.

All you can do in the room is sleep, so get the cheapest you can stand.  Everything else on most ships is open and first some first served. Free food, shows, swimming, exercise, games, etc.

Don’t spend on any extras whatsoever.  No alcohol, games, food, etc. just go with what is included. It is more than enough.

No shore excursions. Just go for a walk. Buy nothing. Be back on ship for free lunch and dinner.

We did a bundle with airfare and hotel from Europe to the Canary Islands for a week for $700/pp with a good room on an older ship. Also did a dirt cheap one on an ancient ship around Southeast Asia. Loved both.

[Jrr85]

with your kids staying in your room you're still probably pushing 3k for the cost of a cruise in June.  There is a carnival out of miami that would run that without many perks included.  unfortunately you picked the worst month to try to take a cruise - How about an allinclusive. -

bookvip is pretty great for these

https://www.bookvip.com/hotel_details/holiday-inn-resort-los-cabos?id=79&pid=1458&destination_id=3&arrivedate=&from=--&to=--&bookedpackage=&hp=1&hotel_code=&adults=2&destination_code=&pc=

here is 4 nights for 2 adults and 2 kids in cabo for 299 bucks its hard to beat that.  lots of other deals around there too  book 2 4 night packages back to back ( i dont know if you can do this) and its 600 bucks

I would second the all inclusive.  June may be expensive for cruises, but for a lot of all inclusives, summer is their slow time.  Big difference could be plane travel though.  If you can drive to port, that's a big difference.  If you have to fly to the port of departure anyway, you should be able to get a nicer experience for cheaper by doing an all inclusive.   

[Cassie]

SD: there is no point in taking a cruise if you aren't going to do some shore excursions. The point for us is to see the sights.  Just walking around won't do that. Yes many things on the ship are overpriced and we skip them but not the excursions.

[Cassie]

WE are taking a cruise in Feb and we spent 2800 for a week cruise with excursions. WE do have 3 nights hotel beforehand which is a total of 300. Same cruise line but there are only 2 of us.

[JoJo]

SD: there is no point in taking a cruise if you aren't going to do some shore excursions. The point for us is to see the sights.  Just walking around won't do that. Yes many things on the ship are overpriced and we skip them but not the excursions.

Yeah, I agree with too.  You're in another country for pete's sake - you need to see the best sites - what are the chances you will be back?

[I'm a red panda]

SD: there is no point in taking a cruise if you aren't going to do some shore excursions. The point for us is to see the sights.  Just walking around won't do that. Yes many things on the ship are overpriced and we skip them but not the excursions.

But with only a few exceptions, independent excursions offer a better experience and a cheaper price.

(Example, if the shore excursion is "beach break" just get in a cab and go to the beach. And never ever scuba dive with the ship. )

[SnackDog]

There is not a lot to see in the Caribbean onshore. Usually a laid back town and some beaches. It’s not like the ship is moored in Sydney Harbor or the Galapagos.

[Dicey]

man that is not a very good deal on a cruise.  even at this time i could find multiple cheaper cruises than that and SW flies to san juan so your airfare could be free. 

i feel like you took the advice here and said fuck it i'm just gonna blow a bunch of money.

I totally understand the feeling you're describing,  b42.

PTF, 'cause my sister's cruising to the area in a week or two. She's raiding my closet for the trip, so I'll share this thread with her.

[I'm a red panda]

There is not a lot to see in the Caribbean onshore. Usually a laid back town and some beaches. It’s not like the ship is moored in Sydney Harbor or the Galapagos.

I've cruised the Galapagos. And I've had some experience in the Caribbean that were similarly amazing.  I wouldn't discount the whole region.

[Nick_Miller]

I think I insulted a local travel agent I was talking with.

We got a quote for the cruise, and I emailed it to her yesterday and basically asked her how much she could save us. She responded with $50 OBC. I then went to cruisecompete and an agent offered $275 OBC so we went with them (but they are in Florida, not local). So as I said yesterday, the cruise is booked.

Then I emailed the local agent back yesterday afternoon and said we had expected a bit more savings and were going with another offer. She replied this morning, obviously insulted, and basically said that she sees the same rates we see, but that the value in using her would have been to keep looking for any price drops that might occur between now and cruise time, and also to answer our questions that might pop up. She closed with something like, "I've been in business for 10 years and my clients love using me!" I did not respond.

See, I thought she would have done both of those things (answer questions and look for price drops) PLUS save us money at the front end. Were my expectations off?

My wife and I are perfectly capable of reading the cruise docs, etc., and reading cruisecritic for details about the boat. We've already watched youtube videos about the ship and some of you fine folks have already provided links for excursions.

So...what is the value of having an agent when there's so much info already out there? Don't they get kickbacks from the cruise lines? I thought they shared that kickback with clients?

[boarder42]

there is not really any value if

1. you will watch the cruise price and call up the cruise line when it drops. - i doubt you do this as you've not listened to most advice given here an just booked what was available and "in your budget" - basically spending up to and beyond budget b/c it was budgetted. - this is a reason i dont budget. - makes you feel comfortable overspending when better deals could be had.


but if she is true to her word and does this there could be value over the other agent. - i doubt she does this.

[Nick_Miller]

@boarder42 , you sometimes give very useful information but you frequently act like other people are morons if they don't follow every suggestion you make. Kindly stop responding to my posts. Thank you.

[boarder42]

Dude i'm sorry but this post belongs on the antimustachian wall of shame and comedy - there was piles of advice given here not just by me but by others about how to optimize this and come out way ahead and you chose to still spend over 5k on it which was more than your original budget for the all in price.  did you cherry pick some advice yes but to not expect face punches after you ask for advice and then ignore it and choose to over spend a budget is absurd IMO.  .


from my experience this is an open forum where we're allowed to respond to posts by others and to benefit others - people can take or leave advice but must also deal with the concequences of their choices they make public by being called out for a poor decision regardless of how that makes them feel.

i'm not quite sure why "vacations" seem to get more passes here than other consumerist spending.  i guess b/c its slightly higher up the wants pyramid than stuff you buy is. 

[the_fixer]

Travel agent services have pretty much been replaced by online services. Anyone with internet access and a few minutes of time can book the same thing at a lower cost. Superior knowledge about locations can be had at the click of a mouse.

Maybe large groups, the rich and people that do not have internet access or the ability to book online will keep them in business but I doubt it.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[HairyUpperLip]

I think I insulted a local travel agent I was talking with.

She replied this morning, obviously insulted, and basically said that she sees the same rates we see, but that the value in using her would have been to keep looking for any price drops that might occur between now and cruise time, and also to answer our questions that might pop up. She closed with something like, "I've been in business for 10 years and my clients love using me!" I did not respond.

So...what is the value of having an agent when there's so much info already out there? Don't they get kickbacks from the cruise lines? I thought they shared that kickback with clients?

The value is some people are honestly busy and don't have time to handle everything themselves and some people just feel more comfortable having an expert do something  (ie - hvac technician install a new furnace over DIY).

There is no magic, there is no kickbacks. The internet made it a more level playing field.

[formerlydivorcedmom]

Some larger travel agents can offer better perks because they book "groups" of rooms.  For every 8 rooms they book, they get money back from the cruise line that they then share with the people who booked via OBC.  Anyone can do this - you don't have to be a travel agent.

Smaller travel agents don't do that - they can't fill the block.

Using a travel agent means that you cannot talk to the cruise line yourself about the room you booked.  If you need anything, you have to go through them.  Sometimes this is easier through a local travel agent who may have more personal time to invest in watching for price drops for you.  Sometimes it is easier through a larger travel agent - you call them and they have someone available, whereas the small shop may not respond on weekends/holidays.  Sometimes it's easier to book directly yourself - you may waive the perk but you can handle your booking without going through someone else.

Now that you've booked the cruise, cruisecritic.com is where you need to be.  Lots of experienced cruisers there to give advice.

[Debts_of_Despair]

Why even bother posting if you are going to ignore pretty much all posted suggestions?  As someone who did almost the same exact cruise within the past year, you got robbed.

[boarder42]

Why even bother posting if you are going to ignore pretty much everything posted?   As someone who did almost the same exact cruise within the past year, you got robbed.

That's where my frustration came from as well. Similar to someone posting a case study about how they can't save but they aren't going to drop a clown car payment or give up cable and a large cell phone plan.  Why post if you're not going to listen to the advice.

If this were a post about ANYTHING outside of travel that was for consumerism it would be getting lit up a lot more. There is a soft spot for travel around here.

[southern granny]

We did a week cruise and the only food we paid for on ship was a $5 banana split.  The unexpected expense for us was tipping.  You tip everyone for everything.  For a shore excursion, we tipped the boat crew that took us from the ship to the shore.  The driver and tour guide on a bus to take us from the shore to the destination and then then a  tour guide at the destination, and then again returning because they were all different people. We paid the standard tips for ship crew with the ticket, but there are some you are expected to give extra tips to.    The tea and lemonade was free so that is what we drank, colas were extra.  The thing about a cruise is that you can spend as little or as much as you want.  We had a very good time without spending extra money.  But we saw some people spending hundreds of dollars on alcohol. 

[Nick_Miller]

Well, there are two or three people complaining that I'm being a spendypants, and the rest of the folks are being more positive and constructive, and still helping me save money, so I'll take that ratio any day of the week. I've yet to figure out how to please everyone in real life, much less a message board.

But to recap, advice I AM taking

I'm taking advice from posters about the best "bang for the buck" shore excursions.

I'm taking advice from posters about not spending $ on alcohol or gambling on the cruise.

I'm taking advice from posters about some travel hacks: (Venture card should arrive this week, as will our Delta card. SW card will likely follow)

We booked the CHEAPEST flight available that would get us to Puerto Rico the night before the cruise (Delta); it was so much cheaper than SW that the difference will also pay for the night's hotel AND dinner, AND we have an afternoon to see a little of San Juan.

We will likely fly out on SW and use travel hack to at least partially pay for it. But we only have a few months, and we just don't have enough expenses to funnel through a card to earn tons of travel miles by the time of the cruise. I am focusing on spending $3K first on one card, and then doing it on another.

I took advice from posters about using cruisecompete.com and it resulted in us getting a $275 OBC.

So anyone who says "I ignored most advice" is being over the top dramatic.


Advice I did not take.

Take a cruise in off-season.  Well, I'd LOVE to save money and do that, but we have two kids in school and we sure as hell aren't taking them out of school for a week in the middle of the school year. Worst case scenario, it results in unexcused absences and a ton of zeros in the gradebook. Best case scenario, they get excused absences, miss a ton of classes, and have a shit-ton of homework to tackle when they get back. Even a fall cruise would result in a MINIMUM of 2-3 days of missed school, likely closer to 4. We aren't doing that. I'm not sure if folks without kids understand this or not.

Don't fly unless you can fully pay for the airfare with travel hacks. Well, we can't drive to San Juan. Travel hacks we can likely use are discussed above, but I will NOT put discretionary expenses on a credit card just to get miles. That will loosen up spending too much and likely defeat the purpose of the hack in the first place. We will limit it to gas, groceries, utilities, car repairs, medical expenses, braces payments, etc.

Go to an all-inclusive with a time share presentation. I think someone suggested this. Uh, no.

Don't go to a single shore excursion. As someone else responded more politely, what is the fucking point of visiting other countries if you don't see any of them? We might never be back the rest of our lives! We will likely limit ourselves to two 'nice' (private) excursions. Then we'll probably pick two ports that are better suited to taking a cab into town and seeing the sights on foot for a few hours. And we might even skip one country to take advantage of a less crowded boat one day.

So we're all excited! The kids are super pumped, as is my wife, and this also gives us an automatic "no" to pretty much every other entertainment invite for the rest of the year. Someone asked us last week if we wanted to see Elton John, and of course I would love that, but we said, "No, saving for cruise." That will be our default this year.

I really appreciate the help I've received! I guess I'll even say to the folks who have ridiculed me, that I guess your intentions are noble and that I hope you are actually trying to be constructive as opposed to bashing someone for making decisions that don't exactly mirror your own. I have learned a few things over my 44 years, and one is that being ultra standoffish or extreme RARELY changes another person's views or actions.

[the_fixer]

An honest question that maybe you already answered but I missed it.

Why did you select a cruise departing from Puerto Rico?


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