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From: Sue Mullen on 18 Jun 2010 19:16


Ohioguy wrote:
> So they are bragging about getting people to spend lots of extra $$ on
> the ship, and then saying they will be focusing on ways to get that to
> work on older cruise ships as well?
>
> Doesn't exactly make me more optimistic about going on a cruise trip.
> I usually spend between $100-$400 for a week vacation, depending on
> whether we go camping where it is free (still have to pay gas and pack
> food) or stay at a hotel. If I'm spending $1k per person for a cruise,
> I expect most everything there to be 'free', since I already feel like
> I'm paying out the wazoo for the experience.

Most everything "is free" on a cruise, about the only cost that everyone
should pay is the tips. Depending on the cruise line they are usually
$10 or $11 per person per day.

You can eat all day long and not spend any money, but if you do order
room service a small tip is customary. You can avoid this by going to
the buffett for snacks. All meals are free and can be taken in the
dining room or at the buffett. Soda and liquour you have to pay for, but
there is usually free coffee, tea and sometime lenonade at the buffett
24x7.

As some others have said, I would wait to book untill you have your tax
return in your hands.

sue

From: Stu on 18 Jun 2010 19:30
On Fri, 18 Jun 2010 19:16:02 -0400, Sue Mullen <kjmullen(a)comcast.net>
wrote:

>
>
>Ohioguy wrote:
>> So they are bragging about getting people to spend lots of extra $$ on
>> the ship, and then saying they will be focusing on ways to get that to
>> work on older cruise ships as well?
>>
>> Doesn't exactly make me more optimistic about going on a cruise trip.
>> I usually spend between $100-$400 for a week vacation, depending on
>> whether we go camping where it is free (still have to pay gas and pack
>> food) or stay at a hotel. If I'm spending $1k per person for a cruise,
>> I expect most everything there to be 'free', since I already feel like
>> I'm paying out the wazoo for the experience.
>
>Most everything "is free" on a cruise, about the only cost that everyone
>should pay is the tips. Depending on the cruise line they are usually
>$10 or $11 per person per day.
>
>You can eat all day long and not spend any money, but if you do order
>room service a small tip is customary. You can avoid this by going to
>the buffett for snacks. All meals are free and can be taken in the
>dining room or at the buffett. Soda and liquour you have to pay for, but
>there is usually free coffee, tea and sometime lenonade at the buffett
>24x7.

You can pickup a soda card for $45, allowing you all the soda you wish
while on board. Must not forget the fuel surcharge, usually $200

>
>As some others have said, I would wait to book untill you have your tax
>return in your hands.
>
>sue
From: Bill on 18 Jun 2010 20:01
On 6/18/2010 7:30 PM, Stu wrote:
>
> Must not forget the fuel surcharge, usually $200

I guess you have to allow for that possibility but there isn't anyone
currently charging it.

Bill
From: Harry Cooper on 19 Jun 2010 07:40


"Becca" <beccal(a)hal-pc.org> wrote in message
news:hvgtj001a9f(a)news2.newsguy.com...
> On 6/18/2010 12:35 PM, linnie wrote:
>> As "a wife" with three kids and a tight budget, I can say I have spent
>> most of our vacations on road trips, camping and visiting friends and
>> relatives. I can vouch that room service in a nice hotel is not cheap but
>> neither is the five dollar meal deal per person cheap when you are use to
>> making most of your meals.
>>
>> I remember when I scheduled our first cruise vacation in 2006. Hubby was
>> all about the cost, would he be bored, would people make him do things he
>> didn't want to do, etc.. He was honest about saying he didn't think he
>> would have a good time but would go this time just for me.
>>
>> Now, don't get me wrong, I love camping, but not every other vacation
>> with the other vacation being, driving to visit relatives. Can you say
>> lots of work for Mom. I was still planning meals, still buying groceries,
>> still cleaning up and on and on and on. Amusement parks, museums, plays,
>> concerts, restaurants and the like still aren't free in most cases. You
>> get the idea.
>>
>> It took three days of a seven day cruise to Mexico for my husband to
>> relax. It usually takes him three days to really relax on any vacation
>> but usually on our other vacations, we are getting ready to drive back
>> home. Once he realized he didn't have to "do anything" or that he could
>> "do everything" and that no one was going to make a fuss about his
>> choices, he had a great time.
>>
>> While my husband would have a beer with dinner, that was the extent of
>> our alcohol. Neither of us really drink soda, so we didn't get the drink
>> card. I enjoyed seeing the shows (Los Vegas shows can start at $50+ for
>> even the cheap ones per person). We enjoyed some of the lectures and the
>> rock climbing wall. The pool, hot tub, etc.. The peace and quiet in our
>> cabin. I enjoyed making love without worrying about the kids in the tent
>> next door, relatives in the room next door, etc.
>>
>> If we wanted to find a corner to read, that was no problem. I enjoyed
>> looking at the art in the auctions, the Solarium and some of the classes.
>> We didn't always go off the ship when it reached port but when we did, we
>> went to places that we were interested in, not places to please the whole
>> family, or taking turns, etc.
>>
>> I loved the food and if there was something that didn't satisfy, I just
>> ordered something else. My husband only ate in the main dinning room once
>> on the whole trip.
>>
>> The cost of that trip including, passports, parking (we drove up from San
>> Diego to San Pedro) souvenirs, ,clothes, gas, cash for the people taking
>> care of the kids, every cent spent toward this trip came to just under
>> $3000 and took a year to save up for.
>>
>> Up until then, it was the most we had ever spent on a vacation with or
>> without kids.
>>
>> After that, my husband was so sold on cruising that he helped me book a
>> family Alaskan cruise for 2008 and helped save up to pay for it. My three
>> teenagers had a blast on that trip. There was so much for them to do.
>> They still talk about it with their friends. We had a family suite so we
>> had some privacy. We are looking at our next big vacation being a cruise
>> to Greece and Croatia. Its going to take a while to save up for it.
>>
>> Now, because of the cost of 7 or more days cruises, cruising for us isn't
>> going to be an every year thing. Camping, fishing, visiting, etc. are
>> still in the rotation.
>>
>> We are both glad that he "did it just for me."
>>
>> As to paying for it. Please wait until the money is a sure thing. Makes
>> vacations way less stressful regardless of where you go if you are not
>> worried at each step about paying for it. For the trips we took, I
>> prepaid as much as possible and put extra money aside for just in case.
>>
>> -Linnie
>
> Thanks for posting this Linnie, I really enjoyed reading it. I am so glad
> your husband relaxed after a few days and he enjoyed cruising. I know
> cruising is not for everybody, but you never know until you try it. I am
> proud of the way you save for your vacation. It sounds like the ports are
> of more interest to you right now. After a while, you will begin to stay
> on the ship more and the ship will become of interest. If you live on the
> west coast, there are lots of specials for inexpensive cruises. There are
> a few travel agents here, go to their websites and sign up for their
> newsletters.
>
> I like the way you have scheduled non-cruise vacations to give the family
> some variety. This way the kids will not get bored, and neither will you.
>
> Keep reading and posting, like I said, I really enjoyed it.
>
> Becca
>

Hi Becca,

I think Linnie's post should be required reading for all married men on the
newsgroup. Seems to me that she told it like it is.

Harry Cooper

From: Sue Mullen on 19 Jun 2010 11:00
On Fri, 18 Jun 2010 14:51:36 -0400, Thumper wrote:

> On Fri, 18 Jun 2010 10:19:46 -0400, Ohioguy <none(a)none.net> wrote:
>
>> So they are bragging about getting people to spend lots of extra $$
>>on the ship, and then saying they will be focusing on ways to get that
>>to work on older cruise ships as well?
>>
>> Doesn't exactly make me more optimistic about going on a cruise trip.
>> I usually spend between $100-$400 for a week vacation, depending on
>>whether we go camping where it is free (still have to pay gas and pack
>>food) or stay at a hotel. If I'm spending $1k per person for a cruise,
>>I expect most everything there to be 'free', since I already feel like
>>I'm paying out the wazoo for the experience.
>
> $100 a week? Bullshit.
> Thumper

Thumper, please clean up your language or Jean andd George will demand
that you be killfiled.
--
sue
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