Travel Tuesdays: 5 Tips When Planning A Cruise

Photo Credit:  Carnival.com

Sharee and I love cruising. This week we are cruising from the Charleston, SC port to Nassau, Bahamas; Half Moon Cay, Bahamas; and The Grand Turks. This will be our longest cruise at 7 nights. Below are tips we did or will do to to save money.

1. Know how much you can afford and the time you have to cruise away.  If your budget will be tight, try eating out less during the week for the next 6-9 months. Use those days to prepare meals at home and bring left over food for lunch.  In that time, you can save upward of $50-$75 a month which can pay for a 3, 5, 7 or 9 day cruise.  You should also factor in the cost of getting to the port destination which can be made via automobile or by air.

2. Talk to a travel agent.  If you are a past cruiser you can get an upgrade in cabin level and excellent travel deals during specific seasons.

3. Look for cruise deals online.  Sign up for cruise deals or visit the cruiseline website directly.  Many have deals listed, but you must act within a certain limit of time before it is SOLD out or expires.  Popular cruise lines include Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian.


4. Pay reduced or sometimes half off prices for Spa services when docked at a Port.  A friend who cruises often said I could get a nice facial or massage for about half the price when docked at a port for 10-12 hours. They want the business on the ship rather than you spending money at the port.

5. Finally, eat & drink as much as you can on the cruise ship when docked at a Port. You are allowed to exit and re-enter the ship as often as you want while docked at a port.  The only exception is if the location you are docked at is a long distance from the city center.  This is not a problem in the Bahamas, but European ports are often far from the city center.

What tips do you have when cruising?

Rhonda W. & Sharee W.

Take A Leap: Guest Post by Michelle from the UK

Take A Leap would like to welcome Michelle from the UK as our Guest Blogger.

Tips to Experience a Worry Free Luxurious Travel

Luxurious travel remains as one of the treasured memories of life. In order to enjoy comfortable travel you must have an efficient plan. A blissful trip takes you to a new world where you can have fun and enjoyment. Travelling gives a new experience where you can meet different people, know about their culture, food habits, tradition and can explode beyond the horizons. When you travel to new place you can taste different popular foods in those places by this way you can have self-experience rather than listening and reading about those places .There are several tips to experience luxurious travel such as:

Research: Firstly, decide your travel destination. Then start researching about the famous places to be visited at those locations. Shop intelligently to get the best packages. Most of the sites like Jetsetter, Tripalertz, kayak etc., offer total travel packages. Compare the travel deals from different agents and opt for the best one that suits your budget.

Budget: Prepare a travel budget and make sure that you include all the travel costs such as accommodations, ticket fares, shopping expenses etc. By this you can organise your plan in an efficient manner which helps to reduce the total travel cost.

Planning: Planning is important as it reflects the quality of the trip; if you do not plan well then you cannot enjoy your trip. After choosing the particular destination, decide for the mode of transportation. Book tickets early which reduces the travel costs. Collect all the necessary information about that location. With early bookings you can enjoy many facilities such as good deals, watching shows, fine dining in five star hotels.

Plan off-season: In order to enjoy worry free luxurious travel plan the trip during off seasons. There are many benefits like:

• You can have the best travel experience as there will be limited crowd.
• Can save your money by getting cheaper packages.
• Can take the advantage of various options like selecting the desired hotels, seats etc.
• You will have wide choices of participating in different games and sports.

Accommodations: Know the popular restaurants in those regions through travel guides, magazines or websites. Choose the best hotel that provides luxurious facilities. Go through their amenities and customer reviews. Make sure that they offer the following services:

• Intramural dines
• 24 hours facilities
• Swimming pool
• Laundry facility
• Fitness rooms
• Wi-fi access
• TV’s and snacks.

Travel insurance: It is must have this policy to face all the unexpected situations during the journey. As you can’t predict these circumstances having this policy beforehand gives you peace of mind. It covers the cost of

• Medical expenses
• Flight delays or interruptions
• Belongings loss
• Liabilities
• Accidents costs

Pack all the requirements: Make sure that you pack all the necessary items to avoid difficulties while travelling. For example if you travel with family, pack all the essential food items for children. If you’re under particular treatment pack all your medicines to evade all the risks. Know about the weather conditions and pack the right clothes.

Travel advice: Take advice from friends or relatives who have already visited the places. Taking advice from travel agents can also be helpful as they can guide you to enjoy the trip without any hurdles. By this you can have the best travel experience than ever.

About the Author:

crazy-payday.co.uk offers easiest and fastest same day cash loans for people who require fast cash for any purpose. My name is Michelle. I am a tech writer from UK. I am into Finance. Catch me @financeport

Saving For Travel

"You can’t accomplish anything worthwhile if you inhibit yourself.  If life teaches you nothing else, know this for sure: When you get the chance, go for it.” -Oprah Winfrey

When I think of travel, this quote resonates with me.  I have the chance to travel while I have health and strength, so I might as well go for it. Then the questions that comes up are, where do I want to go, and how will I pay for it.  And what I found out is that travelling doesn't mean breaking the bank.  Obviously there are costs to any type of travel. Transportation, food, and lodging are just a few of the major expenses to consider.  Rhonda shared with me some information from a blog reading that had a few tips for saving for travel.  Many that I currently use, and others I plan to implement. 

Open a dedicated savings account-name the destination and the time frame/year.

Think about what you're spending that you can slash- coffee and fast-food add up.

Put all extra money into the savings account- pocket change, work bonus, etc.

Get a side job- Whatever your talent, use it. In addition to maintaining full time careers, both Rhonda and I are pursing professional "side hustles" that we'll operate part-time.  I'm currently pursuing a real estate license and Rhonda a retirement financial specialist license.  We take our separate exams next month and the extra money from our "side hustle" will go towards the business, travel, and retirement accounts (ROTH, 403(b), etc).  We also want to "give back" in our community and help out family in need.

Connect to the savings- pictures, read articles and blogs. Keep end goal in mind.

Know how much it's going to costs- budget your travel in advance by writing it down, and sticking to it. Research destination and all identifiable expenses. Also consider an all inclusive package of 10 days or more. It often includes transportation/airfare, food, lodging, and attractions entrance fees.

Sell your stuff- Rhonda and I did this yesterday by selling our stuff at the flea market. We made enough to cover the table and a few "extra" bucks. A little adds up to a lot, and we have less clutter in the house! Yay!!

Keep track of what you make and what you spend before you go- use spreadsheets or sites such as mint.com.  I've personally used http://readyforzero.com to mark my credit card and loan payoff progress.  It keeps me accountable, and allows me to set goals.

The best advice I can give- Keep eye on prize, make sacrifices, and SAVE, SAVE, SAVE.