Weekend Cruisin': The Budget
So you’ve read about our magical day in Harry Potter World and the long weekend cruise and the fun and relaxing day in Nassau. Perhaps now you’re curious how much our first trip away as parents cost. Keep reading to find out. In all honesty, the trip cost more than I initially planned. Cruise costs can sneak up on ya. However, the bulk of the trip was paid for incrementally and before our flight left Eugene, so it wasn’t unexpected and we could still enjoy the trip stress free. This is mostly just a reminder that the “great deal” you get on a cruise usually comes with some added costs down the line.
Flights: $697.43
I used the yearly companion fare I get with my Alaska Airlines credit card to book these flights. My flight cost $545 and Brandon’s was $99 plus $53.43 in taxes and fees. Using the companion fare saved almost $400 off the cost of the second ticket. These were not the cheapest flights available, but ultimately, the red eye flight saved us the cost of an extra hotel night, which would have cost more overall. We could have saved money flying nonstop out of Portland, but we both prefer flying out of Eugene when the price difference isn’t exorbitant.
Lounge access: $50 (plus $4.50 for a couple of macarons I couldn’t resist while walking through the terminal)
One of the newer perks of my Alaska Airlines credit card is discounted lounge access with a same day ticket on the airlines. We had a long layover in Seattle and decided that $25 per person (vs. the usual $50) was worth 3 hours of comfort. The complimentary food and beverage options were substantial enough that we didn’t have to seek out dinner in the terminal either, another reason it was worth the cost. The sparkling rose was perfect to pair with my raspberry chardonnay and espresso fudge macarons from Lady Yum. And was pretty great to sip on its own too. Although the food selection wasn’t huge, the meatball soup and small salad bar made for a light meal that was ideal before a red eye flight.
Rental cars: $140.76
For this trip, we had two one way rentals. The MCO to Cape Canaveral rental, which was overnight, was $90.48 and the Cape Canaveral to MCO rental, which was just for the day, was $50.28. The best deal each way was with different rental agencies (Hertz and Enterprise, respectively), so it definitely was worth the time spent comparison shopping to find the best price. As I mentioned previously, it can also be useful to sign up for the loyalty club, even if you are not regularly renting cars, to get access to things like priority pickup. We also had to pay for gas, which I did not write down, but the cost was relatively minimal, probably less than a half a tank in total.
Universal Orlando: $532.05
Okay, so we knew this would be one expensive day. And it was. And it was absolutely worth it. We knew going into it that we would have to buy basically the most expensive park ticket possible - a one day, two park ticket. These tickets are rarely discounted. At the time we bought tickets, I could find special pricing for two day and longer tickets, but not for single day tickets. We paid $370.62 for two tickets. Yikes! Other expenses for the day were $26 for parking, $58.58 for a wand at Ollivander’s (I know, I know), $21 for one beer and one butterbeer at Hog’s Head, $42.24 for mediocre burgers somewhere in Jurassic World (the smell of fish and chips was offputting after the Forbidden Journey, so the Three Broomsticks was out), and finally $13.61 for some much needed pick me ups at Starbucks before we drove to Cape Canaveral. All in all, this adds up to be one of the most expensive days of my life. There are so many ways to enjoy the park within a more reasonable budget. Some experiences are priceless, though.
Hotel: $0
That’s right - Zero dollars. One of my favorite credit card perks is the free night I get each year with my Marriott card. This year we put it to good use for a free night at Residence Inn Cape Canaveral Cocoa Beach in a king suite. At the time I booked the room, the least expensive rate was $406 per night. We also took advantage of the included breakfast.
Cruise: $1588.31
This breaks down into a couple of major expenses and several small ones. First, the cruise itself. I did a lot of comparison shopping, literally weeks of comparing itineraries and cruise lines and the best price once I narrowed it down to a specific cruise on these dates. We paid a total of $921.23 for a guaranteed balcony room through United Cruises. Because I have a United credit card (sensing a theme?) and booked a balcony room, I earned 7 United points per dollar. They were also offering a $50 onboard credit, which we used toward onboard expenses. Gratuities were $87. We also purchased a drink package in advance, taking advantage of a buy one, get one 50% off Black Friday special (which, frankly, was a deal offered at other times, as well). A package including most alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and WiFi for one device per person was $253.12 each. I won’t go into the details, but my careful calculations indicate that we got our money’s worth despite the high price tag. We had also purchased day passes to the Coco Beach Club for $39.99 each, a cost that was refunded when we didn’t make it to Coco Cay. We turned around and spent the savings on an $82.60 lunch at the on board hibachi grill, Izumi. Brandon also upgraded his dinner one evening to the surf and turf option for $41.24.
Nassau: $245.78
We paid $160.56 for two tickets for the food tour along with a $20 tip. We bought a handful of souvenirs - $10.12 for some chocolates to take home, $20.10 for Brandon’s cigar, which did not make it home, and $15 for a gift for Harrison. The excellent coconut shell drinks we had on the beach were $10 each.
Miscellaneous: $213.85
Airport parking was $60 and we bought two bottles of wine to bring on board for $35. We had a meal at IHOP that cost $39.98 and a dinner at Grillz in Cape Canaveral that cost $78.87 (I ate ALL the coconut shrimp). We did get some free gas out of the deal when we cut it too close and literally ran out of gas on the highway on the drive back home from the Eugene airport. My father-in-law was thankfully willing to come rescue us from our stupidity and brought enough gas to get us to the closest gas station. Fun times. At least now I know what starts happening to a car just before it runs out of gas. Also, maybe don’t fully trust the mileage left indicator, especially when it’s cold.
Grand total: $3472.68
And that’s a wrap for this trip budget. Just for fun, I thought it would be interesting to compare what would have reasonably been an alternative to this vacation. So stayed tuned for a fictional comparison between the cost of this trip and an extra long weekend in the Bahamas.