Is $12,000 per year in travel enough

[Nemo2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dixonge I'm surprised at the prices of Transatlantic cruises - we spent that much for a one-week Alaskan cruise ten years ago!

There are deals around, (there are also 'expensive' (from our perspective) repositioning cruises, which we avoid), we just monitor what's offered, and buy what we consider are 'bargains'.............in 2013, we'd only been home from the Barcelona-Florida trip for a short time when we noticed the, almost last minute, Civitavecchia-Florida cruise......found a cheap flight, (Toronto to Rome, via Moscow), and grabbed it.

(That we don't drink, frequent the 'pay extra' restaurants, gamble, go to the spas, etc, also impacts the bottom line.)

[dixonge]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nemo2 (That we don't drink, frequent the 'pay extra' restaurants, gamble, go to the spas, etc, also impacts the bottom line.)

We cruise the same way. OK, we've only done one cruise, but no gambling, no gift-buying. We booked our own off-boat excursions direct, not through the cruise line. No spa. Minimal restaurant time. Still felt like we got ripped off. LOL

But these longer cruises appeal. Curious why you don't like the repositioning cruises...?

[Nemo2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dixonge Curious why you don't like the repositioning cruises...?

No, no, repositioning cruises are about all we do*......it's the ones we deem expensive that we avoid........sorry if I wasn't clear on that...(I do tend to ramble).

(*We have an eastbound coming up a month from tomorrow, and a westbound in November.)

[Bamaman]

The cruising world is getting more competitive. Norwegian has new management, and they're making much needed changes to their ships' operations. Heavens knows they needed some changes, especially in their main dining rooms and food services.

And when changes come at one cruise line, the other cruise lines have to follow suit.

We're scheduled on Celebrity Constellation out or Rome in April for 12 days going to Malta, the Greek Isles, Turkey and back up to Venice. When we booked 12/15, inside rooms were $865 and ocean view rooms started at $1299. Today's rates are much higher as demand has been very high for this cruise. For once, I agreed to go an outside room.

We're receiving a free $660 drink package with gratuities (normally 18%). We're also receiving a credit that covers all room attendants gratuities and food service gratuities. And there's still a $40 credit that can be spent in the shops. And since our anniversary is during this time, they're giving us a dinner in a specialty restaurant.

I told my wife it they were giving any more freebies, they'd be paying us to go on this cruise. We're also flying Norwegian Air Shuttle for 50% the rates of legacy air carriers. All in all, this is another bargain trip of a lifetime.

[Nemo2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nemo2 A few more details to be finalized, but our next month's trip, leave Toronto March 27, return to Toronto April 24, is shaping up to come in or around $4,700 Canadian ($3,395 US at current rates). This includes: - Parking near Toronto Airport - Medical coverage. - One way flight for 2, Toronto - St.Maarten. - One night's accommodation St. Maarten. - 12 day cruise St.Maarten - Barcelona (including mandatory gratuities). - One night's accommodation Barcelona. - Train Barcelona - Leon. - 5 night's accommodation Leon. - Train Leon - Ourense. - 4 night's accommodation Ourense. - Bus/train Ourense - Porto. - 5 night's accommodation Porto. - One way flight for 2, Porto - Toronto. - Food (we're not 'restaurant people', so we'll be shopping for, and preparing, our own......when we're not on the ship, that is). - Some side trips (out of Leon/Ourense/Porto) using bus or train.

DW just finalized the tally......at $4,855 Canadian we ran 3.3% over our estimate.

Flight: Toronto to St. Maarten $695.00
Taxi from airport to hotel $31.00
Accommodation: Philipsburg (1night) $120.00
Transatlantic Cruise (Total Price including gratuities) $1,408.00
Accommodation: Barcelona ( 1 night) $63.00
Train from Barcelona to Leon $94.00
Accommodation: Leon (5 nights) $248.00
Train to Ourense $32.00
Accommodation: Ourense (4 nights) $183.00
Train/Bus to Porto $73.00
Accommodation: Porto (5 nights) $297.00
Flight: Porto to Toronto $865.00
Parking $134.00
Medical $202.00
Other: 2 Day trips, food, taxi in Vigo, misc $410.00

Total $4,855.00 Canadian

[Sunset]

Nemo2
That sounds amazing.
Can your DW plan a trip for us...

[Nemo2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunset Nemo2 That sounds amazing. Can your DW plan a trip for us...

Right now she's occupied with our Fall trip :

- Toronto-Malaga flights $788.32 Canadian total.
- 18 nights in Malaga studio Best Location- ESPECERIA ST. - Apartment - Malaga $835.71 Canadian total.
- Cruise Malaga-Miami, 13 nights, (oceanview) $789.74 p.p. US (port taxes included), with $225 US onboard credit (which we'll apply against the 'mandatory gratuities').

Haven't booked Miami-Toronto flights yet.....monitoring.

[audreyh1]

I figured out that one way trips cost half as many airline miles as round trips, so that is a way we might try if we ever do a repositioning cruise. I don't think DH would go for it though. He doesn't care for large ships or many days at sea.

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nemo2 Right now she's occupied with our Fall trip : - Toronto-Malaga flights $788.32 Canadian total. - 18 nights in Malaga studio Best Location- ESPECERIA ST. - Apartment - Malaga $835.71 Canadian total. - Cruise Malaga-Miami, 13 nights, (oceanview) $789.74 p.p. US (port taxes included), with $225 US onboard credit (which we'll apply against the 'mandatory gratuities'). Haven't booked Miami-Toronto flights yet.....monitoring.

Wow, great prices to Spain! Which airline?

[Nemo2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1 He doesn't care for large ships

Although we'd prefer the (unfortunately way more expensive) smaller ships, and stay far, far, away from the behemoths, the Horizon, which we just took, is ~ 47K GT, and the Rhapsody, which we'll take this Fall, is ~ 79K GT.....not ideal, but manageable from our perspective.

[Nemo2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1 Wow, great prices to Spain! Which airline?

AirTransat.......we've used them a number of times and are quite happy with them; (I believe this one is their last flight for the season).

Cheap flights to Europe, Florida and Sun destinations | Air Transat

[YVRRocketSurgery]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nemo2 DW just finalized the tally......at $4,855 Canadian we ran 3.3% over our estimate. <snip>

Really appreciate the breakdown of costs. We started tracking and documenting our travel costs the last few years so we can try to estimate our future travel spend. It's always nice to review others people's costs to see if your numbers make sense.

[Nemo2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by YVRRocketSurgery It's always nice to review others people's costs to see if your numbers make sense.

With widely disparate approaches/lifestyles, it's pretty much essential to know if one is comparing apples to apples though...........which is one reason we try to provide links to accommodations, etc, that we book, in order that people can judge for themselves whether it's apropos to their personal tastes.

We have friends who might not/wouldn't stay in places we go to, and what they like we often/generally find too expensive or 'culturally restrictive' (for want of a better term). One couple, long time friends whom we adore, opt for the 'gated community/manicured lawns' approach, while we generally end up in back alleys in the old part of town(s).

Another couple, were they to suggest a place to stay, we'd likely go there, sight almost unseen, since we're in sync, (at least where 'suitable accommodation' and 'value for a dollar' is concerned).

[rodi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nemo2 DW just finalized the tally......at $4,855 Canadian we ran 3.3% over our estimate. Flight: Toronto to St. Maarten $695.00 Taxi from airport to hotel $31.00 Accommodation: Philipsburg (1night) $120.00 Transatlantic Cruise (Total Price including gratuities) $1,408.00 Accommodation: Barcelona ( 1 night) $63.00 Train from Barcelona to Leon $94.00 Accommodation: Leon (5 nights) $248.00 Train to Ourense $32.00 Accommodation: Ourense (4 nights) $183.00 Train/Bus to Porto $73.00 Accommodation: Porto (5 nights) $297.00 Flight: Porto to Toronto $865.00 Parking $134.00 Medical $202.00 Other: 2 Day trips, food, taxi in Vigo, misc $410.00 Total $4,855.00 Canadian

Is this per person - or total for 2.

[2017ish]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nemo2 ... We have friends who might not/wouldn't stay in places we go to, and what they like we often/generally find too expensive or 'culturally restrictive' (for want of a better term). ....

+1. We had this exact conversation last week as we were checking out of a very nice, relatively cheap B&B/Inn in a part of Portland Or. that either is, or soon will be, "up and coming." Most of our friends would not have been willing to stay there--and their tastes are, likewise, too expensive for us.

[Nemo2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodi Is this per person - or total for 2.

Total for two.

[6miths]

Thanks Nemo2. It was fun to read this thread and very informative as well. I'm really looking forward to this kind of travel once I can convince DW that she is not indispensable in the workplace nor for the largely grown children. Prague for a month or two is definitely on my list. Thanks again. Cheers.

[rodi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nemo2 Total for two.

Awesome!!!

[Nemo2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodi Awesome!!!

One (major) area where we likely spend a great deal less than most is food.....our most memorable meal (off ship) this trip was a delicious bowl of Caldo Verde in Porto at a tiny sit/stand-at-the-counter bakery/cafe...it cost us €1 each.

[tulak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 6miths Thanks Nemo2. It was fun to read this thread and very informative as well. I'm really looking forward to this kind of travel once I can convince DW that she is not indispensable in the workplace nor for the largely grown children. Prague for a month or two is definitely on my list. Thanks again. Cheers.

Prague/Czech Republic is a great place to visit without spending a lot of money.