Great Cruise Experiences at Little Cost

Good morning, Live Better than a Billionaire-a-Holics!

Are you feeling motivated this morning? I certainly hope so. I know that I am!

Can you recall reading books about romantic voyages to exotic locales?

Do you like being pampered?

Are packing and unpacking your bags a hassle when you travel?

Do you like to know your costs in advance?

If so, this blog post is for you.

Most billionaires can afford to have a yacht or two for any ocean-going trip they might want to take. A large yacht may require a permanent crew of 27 and use up an annual budget in the millions of dollars.

If that seems beyond your means, you're not alone.

Television and movies have encouraged the perception that you have to be worth at least a million . . . or be really old . . . before you can afford to take a cruise.

Although many people who do cruise are certainly senior citizens and look well-to-do, a cruise can be affordable for just about anyone. For example, a discount cruise could cost less than $60 a person per day. For that price, you have a room, all of your meals and non-alcoholic beverages and plenty of recreational choices and evening entertainment. Chances are that you cannot take a vacation on land for that little by the time you rent a hotel room, drive your car, and eat out in restaurants.

Another misconception about cruising is that you are likely to get seasick. While that's possible, it's unlikely. I don't remember seeing anyone who was seasick on a cruise. Here's why. The newest cruise ships are bigger than many skyscrapers would be if they were laid out horizontally. They don't move much in the water when full of people and baggage. They also have special stabilizers to reduce movement even more. You can also employ a variety of medicines that will prevent motion sickness for all but the queasiest. If you are concerned about being seasick, take a cruise that stops at some port of call every day so you can get onto land, stretch your legs and take another Bonine. Also, if you get a cabin on a lower deck (usually less expensive than the upper decks) there's less motion and less chance of feeling ill.

A third misconception is that there's nothing to do on a cruise ship. Actually, cruise ships are beehives of activity. Most will offer a different nightclub show every night at no extra charge, a variety of sports choices (including huge swimming pools) during the day, a full gym to work out in, a running oval, a daily stop at an interesting port or beach, and a lot of interesting people to have meals with.

A fourth misconception is that you have to tip everyone in sight. Well, tipping is expected and appreciated. The average cruise ship service employee earns less than a dollar an hour before tips. They work hard to make you delighted, and you don't tip until the end. Just plan on tips as part of your budget, and you'll be fine with the experience. After all, you would probably tip waiters and waitresses if you ate in a restaurant, had a porter carry your bags or had a room attendant help you with special services in a hotel.

Now that cruising sounds more realistic to you, how do you find cheap cruises that you will love?

1. Your advantage will be greatest if you can leave at the last minute.

Here's where retired people have the edge. Cruise lines don't like to leave the docks with empty rooms. They keep discounting the rates right up to the last minute. If you live near a port of embarkation for cruises, you can do even better because you don't have to find a cheap airline ticket to the port.

2. You'll probably save even more if you are over 55.

Cruise ship operators live off the senior citizen set. Even their discount rates have extra discounts in them to reflect that seniors are more likely to be on a fixed income . . . but have lots of time to travel.

3. Look for ports of call that interest you.

Much of the Caribbean ports have become virtually undistinguishable from other ports. They offer the same t-shirts, dried seasonings, and locally made perfumes. After three such stops, you'll wonder why you left home. Do some on-line research to find out about what can be done in each port before selecting a cruise. You can cruise anywhere you want in the world . . . you just have to add the air fare to get there.

4. Get on an e-mail list for last-minute cruise deals.

You can expect to save as much as 75% off the full-ticket price if you are patient and flexible about when you travel.

Many travel agencies specialize in this trade. The cruise companies like to keep it quiet that they do so much discounting . . . hoping that you will pay full price. Feel free to pick your own, but here's one site that seemed to offer a lot of good services: http://www.vacationstogo.com/index.cfm

If you go to any search engine and check for "deeply discounted cruises" or "last minute cruises" you should find more Web sites than you will want to visit.

5. Look into cruising when there are times of trouble.

Cruise bookings dive when there are problems in the world. The cause may be a revolution in a country that normally is a port of call, an outbreak of food poisoning, soaring gasoline and heating oil prices, or a series of hurricanes. Whatever the reason, the cruise lines still want to fill their ships. The source of the problem is usually avoided with great care (no one wants passengers to think these problems recur), and you will probably have a terrific time . . . while spending even less than usual.

What are you waiting for? Bon Voyage!

Can any billionaire do better? I don't think so!

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N.B. As you can tell, I'm experimenting with color. Let me know what you like and what I should change about my use of color. Many thanks to Linda Grace for her suggestions which I am following!

Please let me know what else you would like to learn, and I'll do my best to help in future blog entries.

Here are some upcoming subjects:

Tomorrow, you'll engage the world's leading experts to answer any question you have . . . free of charge!

Wednesday, let's join a great party with leading celebrities for a star-studded blast.

On Thursday, we will look at the exciting possibilities of enjoying historic hotels in Europe.

Friday, you will find out faster and better ways to publish your new book better than a billionaire!

On Saturday, I will begin to share my preparations for attending the Michigan-Penn State game in Ann Arbor on October 15 as a way to show you how to enjoy a college game more.

Sunday, we'll consider together the potential benefits of developing a strategic plan for your spiritual development.

On Monday, let's look at how you can turn your collections into valuable ways to meet celebrities.

If you are new to this blog, be sure to check out the updated table of contents entry that I posted on September 28. It will help you find earlier entries that may be of interest. I'll update this table of contents every week or so for your convenience.

August 31 was the most frequently read blog entry to date. Be sure to check it out!

Thanks so much for your support of this blog. I'm delighted that so many tens of thousands of people have made this blog part of their regular reading habit!

If you like this blog, please let others know who might also enjoy it. E-mailing your favorite post to them is a great idea.

Check out the latest index at http://livebetterthanabillionaireon5dollars.blogspot.com/2005/09/latest-table-of-contents-to-this-blogs_28.html to pick out your choice.

Thank you to my many friends, students, clients and blog readers who are spreading the good word about this blog.

If you are visiting today because someone invited you, I'm delighted to meet you! Let's stay in touch.

Remember to also visit

Live Spiritually Better than a Billionaire at http://livespirituallybetterthanabillionaire.blogspot.com/,

Be More Successful than a Billionaire at http://bemoresuccessfulthanabillionaire.blogspot.com/,

Enjoy Mansions Better than a Billionaire at http://enjoymansionsbetterthanabillionaire.blogspot.com/,

Enjoy Football Better than a Billionaire at http://enjoyfootballbetterthanabillionaire.blogspot.com/ and

Be a World Hero Better than a Billionaire at http://beaworldherobetterthanabillionaire.blogspot.com/.

I offer individual on-line tutorials and in-person seminars on living better than a billionaire on five dollars extra a day, creating 2,000 percent solutions (20 times the results with the same effort), developing more profitable business models and designing strategies that work regardless of the business environment. For information, contact me at ultimatecompetitiveadvantage@yahoo.com.

I am available to you as a speaker on these subjects. You can find my background at http://livebetterthanabillionaireon5dollars.blogspot.com/2005_08_30_livebetterthanabillionaireon5dollars_archive.html/.

May God bless you.

Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell