Well It's Fun for the Money, Two for the Show...

You don't need to splurge beyond your budget to enjoy a great cruise.



This morning, a friend shared a childhood memory about Saturdays at her grandmother's house in Seal Beach, where "Nana" would give her a dollar to spend any way she wanted on Main Street, which usually meant Malted Milk Balls, licorice and Pixie Stix at Rexall Drugs.

The first place I personally remember distinctly is Seal Beach, where we lived when I was a toddler.  After moving to Westminster, my family regularly returned to visit our friends, the Mays family, where Muriel had to move all their cereal boxes out of the lower cupboards when we came over, or I would sit down in the kitchen and help myself to a straight-from-the-box feast.

When I was a little older, our dad was the one who would give us a dollar to split, and I would usually buy a Big Cherry or Mountain candy bar, occasionally substituting candy cigarettes, Cup-O-Gold or Smith Brothers Cherry Cough Drops, which I ate like candy.

The sugar rush would power hours of roaming around on our own, and apparently it was the same for Debbie and her sister Jan.

Debbie also mentioned the Bay Theater, which happens to be the first theater I remember attending.  "State Fair," the Rodgers and Hammerstein Musical starring Ann-Margret and Pat Boone was an early favorite, mostly because of Pat Boone's sports car.  It set me down the road to loving convertibles, owning a Fiat Spider in college and a 1988 LeBaron ragtop at my peak of business success.



I think a movie cost one dollar back then.  Years later, when I was a teenager, I could still go to a movie theater in Stanton for $2.

These days, of course, going to the movies in the evening is more like $14 a pop, plus another $15 for popcorn and soda.

Yeah, as Granddaddy said, a dollar doesn't go as far as it used to.

But if you take even the cheapest cruise vacation, you can live large without spending a lot.

Your meals and snacks are all included, or at least they can be if you don't buy the extras like sodas and adult beverages.

Cruises allow you to bring one bottle of wine per person, so any couple can tote along two bottles of $5 screw cap Sutter Home or even Trader Joe's Two Buck Chuck.



Also included is admission to great live performances in multiple venues, including production shows featuring show music, classic rock, jazz, classical, reggae and other types of music.

There are frequently movies on big screens, indoors and outdoors, and some cruises now include full Broadway musical plays, although they tend to be on full weeks aboard newer ships.

Right now, I want to focus on spending the minimum and having a ton of fun for the money.

You don't need a balcony room to have fun a cruise.  As long as you're not claustrophobic, you can take an interior room to save money and still enjoy almost everything on the ship.

You can often gamble on stateroom location to save even more by booking a "guarantee" to be assigned later.  On a short cruise, this frequently works out well, because you won't be going too far out to sea.  If you book early, as you might get some good upgrades in location or even category by the time the cruise arrives by being at the top of the list.



On shore, you don't necessarily need to take a shore excursion, although they may add to the fun.

Often, there's a nice beach or some other place close enough to the pier to walk or take a cheap bus to explore on your own.  Doing a bit of research in advance helps with this.

And just staying on the ship, taking advantage of having the floating resort almost to yourself, can be a lot of fun too!

The bottom line is that except for "gratuities," which cover well-earned tips for room stewards and restaurant wait staff you inevitably find on your final bill at about $13.50 per passenger per day, you can theoretically enjoy your trip without spending any money during your cruise.

Add pre-paid gratuities when you pay for your cruise, and you don't need to bring any money at all, although the cruise line will still require a credit card on file for your room.

They hope to tempt you to spend more once you're having fun.



In fact, they count on passengers splurging a bit.

Otherwise, the ship might actually lose money on any give cruise because they do include so much great food and entertainment along with the lodging and transportation between ports that the price of admission can be something of a "loss-leader."

Are you free to get ready?  (It's okay to groan here!)

For to go, you only need to email Wes@CruisePlanners1.com.

"Better service leads to better trips!"