Welcome To Cruising With The Kernick's!!

  My hubby asked me the other day "Why are you not writing a blog about cruising?" I had no answer so here I am on a day when it is too hot to go outside starting a new blog about...you guessed it cruising! I'm going to try to answer your questions and alleviate your concerns based on our experiences. First a little background.

  We are a family of four, I'm Ang by the way, who first cruised because we owned a Disney "timeshare" and converted that into a three-night cruise. Just to see if we liked it. With two small kids, the answer to that is absolutely!! The love affair had begun. Since then we have sailed on Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian as well as Disney. Each one is fun and comes with its own specialness.

  Living in Canada, our cruises cost more than our US counterparts. The exchange rate can make or break a "deal". Not to mention most of the time we have to fly first to somewhere south or drive the seven hours to NYC or nine hours to Baltimore. All added costs that can easily make our vacation budget unrealistic. Not tooting my own horn but it's staying within that budget that has made me learn little tricks to keep costs down whenever I can. Ready to begin? Let's go!

  The most important thing when getting ready to book a cruise, or any vacation really, is budget. How much are you willing to spend. Take an honest look at your finances and decide what is important for you on vacation. Lying to yourself at this stage is easy but it will leave you with regrets for months to come as you struggle to bring down that credit card bill! Sadly voice of experience here.

  This process ideally starts at least six months before you want to leave. Twelve to eighteen months would be even better. It would be great if you already had the money saved for your vacation before you book it but I live in the real world and know that doesn't happen very often. All cruise lines need a deposit upon booking but the balance does not have to be paid in full til 90 days before the cruise. Part of your budget plan can be smaller payments over longer periods of time. Another reason to purchase early!

  Remember your budget doesn't just include the cruise. You will need money for shore excursions, beverages, getting to and from the port, and gratuities. Vacation costs might also include airfare, train tickets, and hotels pre and post-cruise. Taxis, dog sitters, and traveling meals all need to be added to your equation as well. Make a list of everything and give it a realistic price tag. Don't let the number scare you, you will be fine-tuning the amounts soon. 

  That's it! Step one laid out for ya. Money is the first and most important part of planning anything. Once you've got that figured out the rest falls quickly into place. Next time we'll talk about figuring out what you really want from your vacation and whether you can afford it or not!

  Til then...Ang

 **If you have any questions ask them in the comments**

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