No I’m not cheap, but I would still like to be able to afford a vacation

With soaring gas prices and tighter budgets, travel can sometimes seem impossible. Just a five day trip to Vegas can run you well over $900 for one person. Affordable travel is possible, but you just need to know how to do your homework.

The first thing to do is take the time to study the travel trends. June is a popular month for weddings, so weekend flights tend to be more costly. Find sites that can help you determine when is a good time to go. Once you have determined this, book as far in advance as you can. The closer you get to your travel date, the more expensive your flight will be. Yes, you may score a great last minute fare, but their are risks and issues involved with that.

Yes, sites like Priceline and Hotwire may have great last minute deals. However, there is not a guarantee. Sometimes you can find a $100 flight. Other times, you will be stuck with a $500 flight. Priceline and similar sites are great ways to try and find a last minute deal, but you have to read the fine print. With Priceline guarantees that if they find you a deal your flight will depart between 6am and 10pm on the requested day. This could pose an issue. Let’s say you are in San Francisco and you are flying to Indianapolis. If you do not fly out of San Francisco until 9:30 at night, you will not actually reach your destination until early the next morning. If you have to be back to work on a specific day, you cannot take a red eye flight back. However, you run the risk of that happening. Many times red eye flights are the ones with seats open at the last minute, so this is a serious concern.

Networking is also a very powerful tool in booking vacations too. Sometimes you can make business and personal connections with people you can contact. People you know may have experience with booking online travel. They may know of discounts and deals you can use to your advantage. If you are fond of a city, you can befriend tour guides and hotel managers. If you can provide a service such as publicity, write the hotel or tour a good review. Let the company know about your efforts, and they may be able to help you with discounted rates.

Look to online travel communities for ways to save too. Lonely Planet has a web site that can be very helpful for traveler. The site has links to booking sites like kayak.com. Kayak runs searches several airline sites and additional travel sites, and it lists the best deals it finds. It is great way to find a cheap flight. There are links for train travel and accommodations as well. Another thing the Lonely Planet site has is their bulletin boards. You can search the boards (called Thorntree) for ideas on where to stay and things to do while in your vacation location. If you do not find what you are looking for, you can always post your own question. That way locals and former tourists can weigh in with their opinions and insights.

You can afford to travel! While prices are rising, you can still see the cities you love and the sights you enjoy without breaking the bank. You just have to know where to look.

 

Cruising Basics Addendum

Remember if you are cruising you need to apply for that passport.  Your birth certifiicate will no longer be sufficent!

Carnival Cruise Line Basics

 

My family took a five day cruise with Carnival. We cruised on the Inspiration to Grand Cayman and Cozumel. My family had a wonderful time. I was happy with my overall experience, but there were a few things that could use some attention and consideration.

 

First let’s look at the good. The Carnival employees were wonderful. They were always kind, polite and very helpful. The service was amazing. Our waiters and room stewards, even our bartenders knew us by name and took great care of us. We were truly spoiled.

 

We were a family of four sharing a suite. We were not an easy bunch to clean up after, but they did graciously. The room steward went above and beyond. When they come in to do your turn down service, they leave “towel animals” behind. We looked forward to returning from our after dinner drink and being greeted by the animal of the day.

 

The dining room staff was always friendly. They were always accurate with their recommendations and very helpful. They gladly brought two entrees out for those of us who couldn’t make a choice. If we ordered something we did not like, they made sure we got another entrée.

 

The other thing is that with a cruise, so much is already included. Your meals, juices, water, coffee, room service, cabins, there is not a cover for the clubs….and the list goes on. You really are in control of how much you spend above and beyond that. Sodas, adult beverages, specialty items (coffees, sushi etc), spa and beauty services and items in the store are additional costs. You can partake in them or not.

 

The negative things are not glaring, but they are things that could have helped make our wonderful vacation even better. The most apparent issue we ad was that the ship isn’t always handicap friendly. My father wears a leg brace. He doesn’t do stairs well. That means everywhere we went, we had to take an elevator. Really the ship isn’t that big, if it had just been my sister and I, we could have easily taken the stairs. However, when you have someone with some mobility issues, this just isn’t possible.

 

Don’t get me wrong, they were very accommodating to those in wheelchairs. Our issue is that dad is not in a wheel chair. He just has difficulties getting around. On a ship with many levels, this can be an issue. This meant long waits at the elevators leading to lost time and aggravation. Maybe an idea would be to have a handicap accessible only elevator. You would need to have a special coding on your sail and sign card to activate the elevator and you could only take one person to accompany you. The rest of your party could take the stairs or another elevator.

 

The issue was that my mother booked us a later flight out of Tampa. This really isn’t Carnival’s problem, but this lead to a few issues. First, they promoted that there was an excursion for people in our situation. When we enquired about it, we were told the excursion had been cancelled. Okay, so we were on our own for a few hours. Having something for the passengers would be helpful. The other issue is, once we decided we would just go to the aquarium (across the street from the terminal) we needed somewhere to stow our luggage. When we asked the information desk if there was a place nearby to do this, they had no idea. They said there might be a place at the aquarium. Imagine my surprise when I have barely cleared the ship and I see a HUGE sign saying there is luggage storage available on the main level of the terminal building. You can’t tell me no one on the ship had NEVER saw that sign? The aquarium had tiny little lockers for bags, but nothing nearly big enough for our luggage. I guess in this instance, the employees just need to be better informed.

 

Additional Helpful Hints:

 

Buy a soda card on the first day. We bought two cards for the four of us. We spent around $22 for each card. This gave us unlimited soft drinks for the duration of the cruise. This was a must for a bunch of caffeine addicts my family is become. It is a great deal if you drink a great deal of soda.

 

If you drink, there is a daily drink special. It comes in a hurricane glass. You can keep this hurricane glass a souvenir. However, the glass has another purpose. You can get the drink specials refilled for a slightly lower price.

 

Wait until the last day to buy things on the ship. There will be big sales on that last day at sea. Look for jewelry and other items in the gift shops. The spa treatments will also be cheaper on that last day.

 

Skip the breakfast buffet. Buffets are great, but the selection isn’t the best and it can be crowded. Get up a little earlier and check out the dining room. Get someone to wait on you and get a better selection.

 

When you are off the ship, stay on ship time. Ship time stays the same time (time zone wise) as the original port. The time zone of your current port may be different. Ignore the time on your cell phone and stick to the time on your watch.

 

Drinks on the ship are a bit costly. However, you can still catch a break or two. Take a close look at the Carnival Caper. You will find drink specials and happy hour listings there. Also, make sure you go to the Captain’s Cocktail Party on the formal night. The whiskey sours and the manhattans are great.

 

Gratuity is ($10 a day) will be automatically charged to your Sail and Sign card. However, if you think your server or steward deserves more, you can feel free to tip in addition to the standard amount.

 

A larger ship may sound like more bang for your buck, but think about the needs of your group. Bigger ships mean more travel time and more walking. My dad does not do stairs well and can’t really walk for extended periods of time. A bigger ship would have been a nightmare for us.

 

 

Need a midnight snack? Remember that the pizza bar is open 24/7. Yes it is always open and staffed. The ice cream machines (also in the lido deck dining room) are also available 24/7. Of course, you can always order room service. The food charges are included in your costs, but it is customary to tip the delivery person.