Vacation Plans Made

I booked a cruise in the Western Mediterranean for late November. We haven't done anything cultural in a while, so we're visiting a sampling of cities. We'll have a few days in Barcelona before the cruise.

I was amazed at how inexpensive the actual cruise part is (less than $500 per person for a week), and the whole thing with air, hotel and cruise is less than $4K. Of course, excursions are extra, but most of these are under a $100 per person. Alcohol is extra, and the bar tab broke the bank on our last cruise. This time I have a plan to moderate alcohol consumption by putting off my first drink until our predinner visit to the wine bar. Also, I will drink only when Mrs Vache Folle drinks, so unless she turns into a boozehound between now and then, we'll spend way less on beverages.

Another costly item for us on our last cruise was the spa. We had massages, facials, manicures, pedicures, what have you. And it added up, let me tell you. Nowadays, we have regular appointments for massages and facials and nail care, so we won't feel any need to treat ourselves to these things at three times the cost while we are on the ship. I am used to my regular masseur and nail care professionals who are way better than the staff on the ship. Instead, we aim to get the "spa package" which for about a $100 each gives us access to the sauna, hydrotherapy pools, whirlpools, steam, and the "quiet room".

With excursions and souvenirs and wine, I'm hoping to do the trip for under $5K.