So how to make it happen more often?

Time and Money. Those seem to be the two things to hold us back every time. We hear our friends say “we don’t have enough time to take a long trip due to school, work or our kids activities.” And it’s too expensive…especially to cruise! That last one…it’s a myth not a fact. So, here are my top 5 tips to save money on your next cruise vacation.

Tip #1

Book early and on a promotion. When you book early you simply put down a deposit. This allows you to pay off the trip overtime until final payment is due typically three months before you set sail. It’s like layaway for your vacation only no extra fees or interest.

When booking find a promotion that will save you money. We never cruise Royal Caribbean without booking during a kids sail free promo as an example. Plus on promo you have the chance to get free money in onboard credits, free airfare and so much more. Don’t leave money on the table!

Tip #2

Avoid peak seasons. Peak seasons are those times when the majority will travel. Think spring break, holidays and summer break from school.

Look to book in the months of January, early February, May, August, September, October and the first part of November. These times are off-peak. Do keep in mind that August through November is technically Hurricane season for the cruise industry–make sure to purchase travel insurance.

Tip #3

Cut out the Extras. Just like the excursions the extras can really add up. We are talking about drink packages, gambling (including BINGO), speciality dining and the most controversial of all gratuities.

Drinks

We have never purchased a drink package. EVER. Our kids don’t drink a lot of soda to begin with and the ships offer complimentary juices and milk which is all we do for them on a normal basis. They aren’t missing out and neither are we. We will buy a few drinks when we cruise and also bring on our own. Did you know that you can bring your own on some lines? I’m always going to tell you to double confirm however, on several lines you are allowed one bottle (per/person) of wine/champagne when you board and that lasts us quite a while.

Speciality Dining & Gambling

We haven’t done speciality dining unless it’s a special occasion or for a rare date night when we travel with the grandparents. If you wait to book onboard you may see a savings of up to 50% discount. We budget for gambling and on some trips don’t do it at all. And BINGO holy cow that’s pricey so save up or cut it out.

Gratuities

Let me start by saying this is one of the most controversial areas of cruising. We always pay gratuities for the adults. We NEVER prepay gratuities. Children under a certain age are not expected to pay gratuities. We have in the past removed the gratuities for our children and used the cash to tip various staff. This is a controversial topic as many believe when you don’t pay gratuity you are hurting the worker’s lives. Literally taking money out of their pockets. That’s not entirely true. The workers are on a contract and get paid a salary. They also earn extra from the lines for various reasons, but those gratuities, the cruise line gets to decide where they go and you will never know.

Read more about gratuities and how to save in this area! BONUS….we were featured in the article published on September 23, 2019. Cruise Fees go Overboard. Here’s what to watch for, from automatic gratuities to service fees by Christopher Elliott, special to USA Today.

Tip #4

Hold off on excursions. These can be a high ticket cost on your cruise. Some popular excursions can run $75 (and many more much higher) per person. For a family of four that’s $300 alone for a 3-5 hour experience. Is it worth it? We rarely go on excursions, we prefer to DIY (do-it-yourself). We save a ton of money this way and still get to see and do activities that the cruise line is charging for.

Tip #5

Choose your location wisely. We often overlook that which is right under our nose. Look at the ports closest to you. It may not have the newest and prettiest ship but I’ll challenge you….what do you really need out of a vacation?

Our closest port is Baltimore, MD and she happens to have two amazing smaller ships. One from Royal Caribbean and one from Carnival. They both happen to be favorites of mine. We are also within a five hour drive of New Jersey and New York which opens up the possibilities then to NCL and other lines and some of the newer classes of ships.

We prefer the smaller ship out of the closer port. The overall cost is worth not having the latest and greatest and when we sit down to talk about what we all want out of a vacation: pool, entertainment, dancing, kids club….well any size ship has what we want!

If you skipped to the bottom that’s ok! Here’s what you missed. The top 5 ways to save. 1. book early and on promo. 2. travel off peak 3. cut out the extras 4. hold off on excursions and 5. choose your location wisely.

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‘Tis the season! The festival of lights has already begun and we are just a few weeks away from Christmas. I always try to find something fun to give at the holidays for travel. Something that will make our lives a little easier. This year I had something custom made but can’t tell you all or else my family would see!

Whether you need a quick gift for Hanukkah, stocking stuff or Christmas gift we hope you find something on here useful! Here is our list of must have gadgets for travel and you can find them all on our setting sale page too!

1. Travel portable charger: I bought these years ago at a wholesale club and took me awhile to use them. Once I started though it’s been amazing. You charge up one of them and then it’s ready to go and it has a light indicator on it for how much charge has left. BONUS it also has a flashlight. Great for the cabin!

2. Towel Clips: So why do you need these? Because when you cruise you all get the same towels! Try to find your chair without them!! We have also done specialty ones for our favorite sports teams!

3. Water bottle: We bring our own water bottles. We never purchase a drink package–not big soda fans and prefer to spend the money on excursions. You can fill your water at the drink stations and you can even fill it with the additional drinks offered such as tea, lemonade or flavored water. We bought one of these and had a friend do a logo so we could always find it!

4. Baby powder: It seems silly but it’s our favorite beach product.  A small amount takes the sand right off! Perfect gift to give a clue to the trip that they may not know and keeps them guessing! We realize there have been some recent legal issues surrounding Johnson & Johnson’s and only recommend purchasing if you feel comfortable.

5. Extra Nail Polish: Our latest favorite. As a mom to two girls we all love getting our nails done. Only now instead of struggling to find the time to go to the salon and pay $60++ for one that will last we use Color Street. 100% nail polish strips, made in the USA and lasts about 2 weeks and durable in water. And I use them on my girls too! PLUS we can fix them ourselves easily by bringing some extra strips and small bottle of nail polish remover. These make great stocking stuffers!

6. Sticker Puzzles: These are one of the BEST activities to keep the kids busy during dinner! You can take one sheet out at a time and bring them with you. They have different puzzles for boys and girl and for the older kids they have more extensive designs such as the one below.

7. Backpack/Cross body bag: This was our favorite backpack of all time! I may just buy another one. We got it as a shower gift when we had our first born. It survived until last year (8 years). It has insulated pockets and so many areas to put extra clothes, gifts your purchase if you shop, can hold an ergo or baby carrier. Perfect for travel in general!

8. CWTF Magnets or Shirts: We love having a magnet on our door. It makes it easy to spot! Many families also have speciality shirts made! We have ours and both our magnets and t-shirts can be fully customized to your family! If interested in customizing your own just CLICK HERE.

So, if you are looking for a great stocking stuffer idea or something new for your trip we highly recommend these items!

The post Setting SALE ~ A guide to the best stocking stuff and travel gift ideas for the Holidays appeared first on Cruising with the Family.

Let’s talk budget! Gee, everyone’s favorite topic right?

So you’ve seen those commercials and ads where they say cruises just $399 per/person right? Well, guess what? It’s not just $399 and I’m going to tell you today the real breakdown and use an example from one of our past cruises.

Each cruise line is different when it comes to pricing and offers. I don’t think I am going to be the first to tell you that Disney is a fantastic line and caters to kids AND it’s one of the most expensive cruise lines out there. What I can tell you is that I know many who have been on Disney and what they’ve spent for a 5-day cruise is more than I’ve spent for a 12-day cruise which is why we have yet to sail Disney. So, you really need to decide what matters most with your budget.

Below are all of the costs you can expect to pay when cruising:

• cruise fare
• taxes
• Port Fees
• Gratuities
• Insurance
• Excursions
• Drinks
• Internet
• Gambling
• Miscellaneous

Let’s break these down for you.

We’ve put off the possibility of doing a cruise because we think it’s going to be too expensive. I want to know what to expect to budget for an entire cruise vacation—not just the rate I would pay for the people/room rate, but what else to plan for? – Diana F., VA

Cruise Fare: so your cruise fare is going to include your accommodations, your transportation via the cruise ship and tenders at some of the islands, dedicated kids/teen programming, meals in the complimentary dining venues (breakfast, lunch and dinner daily), room service for select items, coffee, tea, select juices, water, entertainment such as shows nightly at two times, art auctions, select activities (games, scavenger hunts, dance lessons and more), fitness center, sports court activities (basketball, ping-pong, jogging track), pools, hot tubs, in-stateroom TV, and phone calls between rooms onboard.

Taxes: Your Taxes are typically calculated on per vessel or ton basis and then the cruise lines spread that out over the passengers so you can expect to pay less than about 20% of the base cruise fare (that’s the one above here) however, sometimes it can be as high as 50% so just be aware. These are non-negotiable. What does this cover? Typically this covers local harbor pilots to guide the ship in, inspections, IRS charges, baggage handling, and security services.

Port Fees: When a ship docks at a port of call the local authorities require a fee and so prior to your cruise the line will add up the charges from the various ports of call you’ll be visiting and pass these costs onto you. The total fees will depend based on the number of ports and which ports you visit. There is no standard in these fees. The more you visit the more expensive it will be. If for some reason you are unable to dock due to weather or are diverted you are refunded these fees as a credit to your onboard account.

Gratuities: This is usually the largest discussion out there these days when it comes to costs. Most of the time gratuities are automatically added to your bookings. I DO NOT automatically add mine EVER. This is a personal choice. Typically the gratuity charge is approximately $14.00 USD per/day per/person (adults and children). Please note it’s different for all lines. The charge is higher for guests in suites. When you chose to pay them onboard they are added to your account on a daily basis. The gratuity is something that is a way for the cruise lines to reward the crew members and it is shared among several different areas both those working in front of and behind the scenes. These can add up very quickly. For a family of four such as ours, it’s just too costly. What we do typically is pay for 2 in the room and then have the others removed entirely off our statement by visiting the guest services desk. We then will tip in cash and a private envelope (handed out on board) those who have had a direct impact on us such as the wait staff in the dining room, room steward and sometimes the crew in the children’s area. Again, it’s dependent upon service. I am not a fan of the auto tipping not even in restaurants so know this is a personal option and one to make on your own.

Insurance: I personally work with a travel agent and even she has said to use the insurance through the cruise lines! Yes, it’s an extra cost that you don’t have to purchase however, it’s really smart to budget for this and depending on when you are traveling almost a must. If you are traveling during hurricane season or in the winter and risk issues with travel you would want to consider adding this on. What most cruisers don’t realize because they think they don’t need it is that it can cover you for many reasons including being delayed and missing the ship, getting sick or hurt prior to your vacation, or even having an emergency that cuts your trip short! It is also helpful for having any issues onboard such as sickness. So, what’s the cost? As most insurances are done by age it is the same for cruising and you can expect to spend between 5-7%.

Excursions: I think this is where one can spend the most amount of money. Excursions occur in each port and are a way for you to experience the island from visiting historical sites, to swimming/snorkeling/scuba to culinary and so much more. These will cost anywhere from $30 on a low end per/person upwards of $200 per/person for experiences such as swimming with the dolphins. Children ages 3 and under normally don’t have to pay however check with your cruise line don’t hold me to that one. You DO NOT need to book these through the cruise lines however, by doing so you are guaranteed to not miss the boat when it sails. That being said, I’ll be sharing my tips on this in another post so stay tuned!

Drinks: Ah yes, the drink packages. I have to confess, these bogle my mind (more so the non-alcoholic ones). I’m not sure why it’s necessary and yet it’s definitely a money maker. So here’s the quick break down. Drink packages are offered on different levels such as soda only, coffee cards, refreshments (coffee, tea, juice and soda and non-alcoholic drinks) and then alcoholic beverages. If you are wanting soda only expect to pay anywhere from $8 and up per/day and per/person! So for just 2 in a room that’s over $100 more for one week. Alcoholic packages can start from as little as $35 and up per/day and per/person. We’ve found a way to really save in this area and will be sharing in a future post.

Internet: Our post on Why-Fi? will be coming out soon however, in the meantime the biggest question usually is can I get on the internet? Yes, you can and you can expect to pay as little as $4 a day for social sites only upwards to $14 per/day for full access to surf and stream. These rates are for one device.

Gambling: If you like to take a chance on lady lucky then you’ll need extra cash! You can put money on your credit card but beware there will be a 3-5% fee for doing so. The day the casino opens there is usually lower minimums on the table games and sometimes during the week you can find lower price buy-ins on tournaments or table games as well. Just be sure to check your calendar of events. Included in gambling I will say a little bit about BINGO. Everyone loves a good game of bingo. If you want to play onboard it will cost you. Typically packages are offered that include multiple cards and it can cost anywhere from $20-$80 to play 3-6 games. Winners receive cash prizes put straight to their accounts and sometimes even a free cruise! BINGO is played almost each day so save up if you plan to play.

Miscellaneous: Most everything is complimentary onboard however, there are some items that will cost extra if you are wanting to partake or purchase such as art auctions, babysitting services, galley tours, mixology courses, sushi or cupcake making, salon & spa, specialty dining, photos or photo packages and gift shops. When you aren’t onboard expect to pay for any of your transportation (if not on an excursion), souvenirs, and meals (this doesn’t apply to a cruise lines private island). Lastly, we always budget in for the cost of parking at the port or flights/hotel and pet-sitting while we’re gone.  

When we budget for our trips we factor in all of these except the excursions as we typically have a separate budget for those and aren’t quite sure what we might want to do when we first book. Our kids save their money as well to be able to do things they want such as visit Disney when we are in Port Canaveral or swim with the dolphins in the Bahamas. As you can see it won’t cost just $399 for that cruise yet we’ve still found that it’s well worth the investment as we don’t do all these extras that I’ve spelled out for you. So, it’s a pick and choose really! You need to decide what’s important to you and your family and go from there.

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