Travel Expenses and $ Tips

One of our questions whenever we are planning an adventures is ‘what will it cost?’. While we would love to be millionaires and travel the world year round… that is sadly not our reality.

The good news is, we an still travel regularly with some simple budgeting! It all comes down to what is important to you and where you want to spend your money.

Summary

First, I want to share insight into our costs per trip. While we may follow a budget and try to make choices appropriate to us, I fully recognize that our choices may result in higher or lower costs than what you may choose to do. This should give you an idea where we fall in that spectrum.

On average, we budget about $5,000 for a ‘small’ 3-7 day trip, which is usually based around the US. For example, a cruise leaving Miami or Los Angeles.

For a ‘large’ trip, like traveling internationally (flying to EU, etc.) or a longer trip (8+ days) we budget about $10,000.

Since we started tracking exact costs in 2022, our actual cost per day has been about $560. Below is a detailed breakout for each trip we have taken and their estimated costs.

Helpful Information / Tips

Here is some additional context into our spending and budgeting methods. As well as tips we have learned along the way!

Please be aware that we are not ‘budget travelers’ trying to save every penny we can. Instead, we try to balance our wants vs what is reasonable to spend on any given item for our trip.

General

• No matter the trip, we always budget a $500 buffer. Not only does this help in case of unexpected expenses, it also helps balance some of the smaller costs that often get forgotten, like an Uber from the airport to the hotel.
• American Express Travel Cards (Platinum and Gold) have been one of the best choices we have made. I could write an entire post just about these benefits, but I will try to keep it brief!
  • Hilton Gold status means it’s very easy to get to Diamond status with a few hotel stays a year. This has allowed us comfort without additional cost through early check-in, guaranteed rooms, Executive Lounge access, and more.
  • Global Entry, TSA Pre-check, and CLEAR fees are all covered as a cardholder. All of which have easily paid for themselves.
  • Delta and Centurion Airport Lounge access means that not only do we get the added comfort of a lounge, we get to save the costs of food we may otherwise purchase while on layovers and such.
  • No foreign transaction fees, and no travel notifications required.
• Depending on the trip, food costs may need to be budgeted.
  • Whenever possible we try to leverage hotel complimentary breakfasts.
  • We generally only eat Breakfast or Lunch, so we plan on $25 per person per meal. This should cover drink, meal, taxes, and tip.
  • For dinner we budget $50 per person per meal. This should also cover drink, meal, taxes and tip.
• Activities/Excursions can be harder to plan for. To start I generally assume $100-$200 per locations per person. I try to refine this by defining the activities or excursions we want to do and adjust from there.
• We have found a common theme that we generally split costs relatively even 3 ways: Flights, Cruise/Hotel, Activities. While not an exact science, it’s a good reference for us to know how a trip budget is balanced.
• While third party companies like Expedia can offer really low rates, we never use them. Previous work and experiences in the hospitality industry have taught me that there are some serious negatives and lack of control when it comes to these bookings.
  • Your are often losing out on loyalty rewards and status.
  • Little to no changes are allowed without calling the third party for adjustments.
  • For example, if you are a Hilton Diamond member, the hotel will work with you to as best as they can to accommodate you. However, if you show up as an Expedia reservation you are the lowest priority to them (not saying they will be rude but much less accommodating).

Flying

• Flying is one of the few areas we accept slightly higher costs for added comfort. While Phoenix is hub to American which would provide cheaper flights we find Delta to be significantly more comfortable.
• Delta is one of the few airlines to offer a mid-tier seat, Comfort +, with added legroom and snacks. While slightly more expensive, it has always been worth it.
• We also have access to Delta Airline lounges when we book a Delta flight. This adds significant comfort to our departure and layover waits. Free WiFi allows us to work with easy, and the food is always incredible, saving us on over priced snacks or restaurants at the airport.

Cruising

• A key point to remember on any cruise is that each line will vary with the approach to costs. It is extremely important that you pay close attention to the details of deals or bonus they offer.
• Cruise lines will offer ‘benefits’ during the book process, generally drinks, WiFi, Specialty Dining, Gratuities, Shore Excursion credits, etc.. While enticing, make sure you evaluate their use and cost first, because few things are ever truly free.
  • Drink packages will have an automatic 20% gratuity charged based on the original cost of the package. While the value of the drink package may be free, you will still be charged the gratuity which can easily be an additional $150+ Per person depending on cruise.
  • In addition, if you are going to be in port 6 out of 7 days, is it worth it to have a drink package if you are rarely onboard to use it?
    • We only consider getting a drink package if we are ‘At Sea’ at least 3 days, or close to 40% of the cruise days. These trips usually have a lot of downtime and its nice to have the comfort of drinks when you want them.
  • Alcohol drinks generally cost $10-$15. Make sure you do the math based on the gratuity charged and ensure you will truly drink that much. If not, you can skip and always buy drinks as you go.
    • We generally choose to pay as we go. Getting 1-2 alcohol beverage per day.
  • Soda packages can be cheaper ($10 per day + 20% gratuity) and can be a good alternative to the ‘free benefit’ if soda is a requirement.
  • Specialty dining will also have an automatic 20% gratuity charged, though not as significant as the drink package because its a lower upfront cost. Generally about $25 per person will be added to the cruise if this benefit is selected.
    • We usually remove this benefit as we prefer the buffet due to its flexibility and convenience over the complimentary or specialty dining rooms.
• Standard 20% room/service gratuities are the common-missed cost on cruises. You can usually pre-pay these with your booking, or they may be included as a benefit.
• Celebrity offers an ‘all-inclusive’ rate which includes drinks, WiFi, and prepaid gratuities. They will also have a ‘base’ rate which can be significantly cheaper. While gratuities will be charged either way, make sure you review the cost difference and determine if drinks and WiFi are worth the cost.
  • In our experience, it is not. See comments above on drink package.
• NCL will also have a ‘sail-away’ rate, but they do not let you choose your room if you choose this rate. That is a dealbreaker for us, so we choose the regular w/benefits rate and then remove the optional drink and specialty dining.
  • That usually leaves free WiFi and $50 per port towards an excursion.
• Beyond the benefits they may offer, make sure you pay attention to cost per day, just because it is a short cruise does not mean it is the most cost efficient. It’s common to see a lower cost per day the longer the cruise is. This just means a 4-day cruise may be the same cruise cost as a 7-day.
  • Just remember that more cruise days may mean more ports and excursions which can increase you costs in different ways.
• Some cruise lines like Virgin Voyages charges you by room instead of by person like most others. Keep this in mind so you are not put off by higher initial costs when the total remains similar to other lines.
  • Virgin Voyages is also unique in that they don’t offer benefits when booking, nor do they have drink packages. Everything is charged as you go.

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Hopefully this information helps you make an informed decision regarding your travel budget. I will continue to add information as I come across new tips!