[BlackMetalVikingDad]

Hello, my wife and I really want to experience 70000 tons. We're working class, not poor, not paycheck to paycheck, but dropping several thousand dollars isn't something we can do on a whim. We have credit cards yes but I prefer to pay for things outright if I can.

So do any of you have a strategy for saving up money for the best Metal cruise in the world?

[TPH]

[Downvod]

I get the impression a lot of people attend who really can't afford it. You just find a way, it's absolutely worth whatever sacrifices you will have to make! They do offer an option to make 4 monthly payments, so that might be your best option if you don't want to load up credit cards. That, or apply for a 0% introductory offer on a credit card and throw it on there until you can pay it off.

[bodomdragon]

Unless you really struggle making ends meet, I don't find it THAT difficult to pay for it, and I'm mid-class in Spain, so if I can do it... It's just a matter of saving a few bucks each month, and if you really have budget issues, try to spend no more than a night in Miami before the cruise and go for the cheapest cabin. Also flights are not that bad 2-3 months before departure.

[meshuggah]

Apply for a hotel sponsored credit card, where you have to put a few thousand dollars of charges on it within the first few months in order to get a shitload of points. Book your cabin using that card, then use those points to book your now free hotel room in Ft. Lauderdale...and slowly pay off the credit card.

[Ti7aNiC]

I don't think 70K is as expensive as people think it is.

If you know someone on the boat already, and can get into a 4-person interior cabin, that's the best/cheapest. You never spend any time in your room anyway, other than to sleep/shower, so don't waste your money on the fancier rooms. I believe if you pay the full 70K ticket/room up-front, you get a 15% discount, and if you pay by a certain date, you get a 10% discount; I'm sure someone can correct me on the particulars there. I just remember that I got 10% off in 2016 and 15% off in 2017. Also, the prices went up from 2016 to 2017.

For the cheapest room, per person:
2016 Cruise Ticket/Room: $599.40 USD
2016 Taxes & Fees: $348.00 USD
Total 2016: $947.40 USD
2017 Cruise Ticket/Room: $623.05 USD
2017 Taxes & Fees: $369.00 USD
Total 2017: $992.05 USD

In 2016, I flew from Yellowknife to FLL. In 2017, I flew from Toronto to FLL (then split an Uber to Miami $25 USD). Both years I found seat sales around September/October.
2016 YZF-FLL Return: $691.84 USD *I recommend not living in the fucking arctic.
2017 YYZ-FLL Return: $272.34 USD

The biggest cost on the ship is alcohol, which totally depends on the person. It seems normal to spend between $250 USD and $400 USD on booze during the cruise, but I also know a few people who spent over $1000 USD just on alcohol. Pretty impressive.

Then there's Merch. I think a tee is $35 USD. There was one guy who spent like $500 USD on merch, but if you're a sane individual, this shouldn't cost you an arm and a leg.

There's also "shore excursions" which are the various activities you pay to do at the docking destination. If you don't want to spend any money (other than food/drinks) here, you don't have to; just chill on the beach and get burned to shit. I think the more expensive excursions are about $150 USD.

...and the last thing to consider would be staying in Miami (or Fort Lauderdale) the night(s) before the cruise, as well as the pre-party. Hotels are expensive, but if you split one or find an AirBnB you won't break the bank. Expect to get really drunk at the pre-party, even though you know you should save your liver for the cruise and told yourself you'd be good.

The whole thing can be done for under $2000 USD per person.
Disclaimer: I've spent more than that each year.

[acidbasement]

I go with my family, and yes it's expensive (and worth it), especially when we're paying full-price for our kids too.

We drive the 37 hours each way to Miami, so that we don't have to drop an additional $2000 on four plane tickets. "SETTLE DOWN BACK THERE OR I'M TURNING THIS CAR AROUND!" etc.
We stay in a lot of hotels for free on the way there and back, because my wife travels a fair bit on business and accumulates hotel points.
We only stay in hotels that offer free breakfast.
And mostly, we don't drink too much on board.

There are other ways to cut costs, like spending less on merch or whatever. You have to figure out what you're comfortable with. In the end, there's no way to make it cheap, but it's always going to be the best value for your concert-going dollar around.

[Ti7aNiC]

I go with my family, and yes it's expensive (and worth it), especially when we're paying full-price for our kids too.

You, sir, are exactly who I want to talk to. I have a 6-month old son. He will not be coming with me to 70K 2018, but I want to bring him along eventually. My gf is not a huge metalhead, but I could probably convince her to come along... Do you know if kids under a certain age are free? What's it like to bring a kid along on 70K? Any tips/suggestions?

[acidbasement]

I go with my family, and yes it's expensive (and worth it), especially when we're paying full-price for our kids too.

You, sir, are exactly who I want to talk to. I have a 6-month old son. He will not be coming with me to 70K 2018, but I want to bring him along eventually. My gf is not a huge metalhead, but I could probably convince her to come along... Do you know if kids under a certain age are free? What's it like to bring a kid along on 70K? Any tips/suggestions?

Kids pay full price. There is a free drop-off childcare service that operates for a lot of the daytime and evening, and you can pay extra for babysitting in your cabin at any time.

In general, the kids put a damper on how much partying and concert-going one can do, so if they're not into metal, it's probably not a good idea to bring them. My kids are metalheads and we've been bringing them since the youngest was 5. My thinking is that there's a tradeoff when you bring kids - on the one hand you party less and see fewer concerts, and on the other hand, it's the best family vacation. Every year they have a blast rocking out with everyone. My youngest crowdsurfed in a hot tub during Hammerfall, and my eldest, at 9 years old, sat by himself in the theatre and was completely floored by Saltatio Mortis, for just a couple of examples. Those are the type of powerful experiences that build their long-term identities, and they don't happen at other concerts or festivals.

There's also 70000 tons of profanity and debauchery, and a bit of nudity. The vibes are all good, and my kids understand that it's all in good fun, but I know some parents get uptight about that stuff. Send me a PM if you want more info and we can converse on FB.

[Ti7aNiC]

Kids pay full price.

Awe, I really wish 70K/RC had a lower rate for children.

some parents get uptight about that stuff.

hahaha, this is definitely not us; I'm not at all worried about that kind of stuff.

Every year they have a blast rocking out with everyone. My youngest crowdsurfed in a hot tub during Hammerfall, and my eldest, at 9 years old, sat by himself in the theatre and was completely floored by Saltatio Mortis, for just a couple of examples. Those are the type of powerful experiences that build their long-term identities, and they don't happen at other concerts or festivals.

That's really awesome, man. Thanks for the advice! Considering my gf isn't a big metalhead, and my son is so young, I'll probably shelf the idea for a few years. At least until he's old enough to enjoy it. Since the gf isn't a big metalhead, it's a bit of a trade-off between her watching him so I can catch more shows, while being quite expensive. I guess the best idea would be to work out a year when there's a few bands on board she's actually interested in.

I'll pretty confident my son will be a bit of a metalhead. He can't really avoid it in this house... He hears metal every single day and any time we're in the car. I'm a big fan of music in general so he'll be a bit of a music trivia buff as he grows up, I'm sure. Just the other day he really seemed to be enjoying Cattle Decapitation, while basically singing along. His baby yells were pretty on-point with Travis Ryan's high-pitch part in Manufactured Extinct, lol.

[Pellaz]

I don't think 70K is as expensive as people think it is.

This might sound weird, but it's actually reasonably priced compared to some other themed cruises out there. The Walker Stalker Cruise (for fans of The Walking Dead) is more expensive per-person and doesn't provide anywhere near as much entertainment "infrastructure."

I believe if you pay the full 70K ticket/room up-front, you get a 15% discount, and if you pay by a certain date, you get a 10% discount; I'm sure someone can correct me on the particulars there. I just remember that I got 10% off in 2016 and 15% off in 2017.

[Bob]

I quoted my friend $2500 USD round trip per person. A bit high maybe.

Booking: $1200
Airfare: $400
Hotel: $250
Incidentals: $300 - Uber travel fares, T-shirt, bar tab (mine was $250ish), meals before/after.

Save up $50 per week for a year.

Lots of variables tho. Pre-parties, onboard alcohol consumption.

I'm continental USA, so my travel expenses are less than our Euro/Canadian/South American brothers/sisters. My biggest expense is always alcohol, $200+ some. Some do the Rum-Runners to save some.

[sara]

My strategy has been... no strategy. This year June falls on a 3x payday month for me, so I'm reserving that extra paycheck towards the cruise ticket. Then I also got a 0% card. I'll put the whole thing on there, pay it off very quickly and sock away the points, the 5% up front payment discount, haha. I also got a good points deal with an airline card last year that covered last year's and this year's flights for me, but I'm on the same coast, that makes it cheaper.

People without that much money come every year. They get a buddy or two or three to room at the hotel with for the pre-parties. They, um, get creative about their alcohol intake. They split cabs with friendly cruise strangers wherever they go in Florida. They split a room outside of the roommate match-making system by hitting up the forum or a Facebook group, and it's one of the cheap rooms. You're a couple, but for other people, it probably pays to find a cruise vet who is looking for a roommate, as they get a discount and first dibs on the cheapest cabins.

[BlackMetalVikingDad]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm not expecting to find a way to make this a "cheap" vacation. Simply curious if anyone had a simple dollars per month savings plan. A credit card is probably much more efficient. Alcohol isn't going to be that much of an expense. At 33 I still hate the taste and my wife gave it up in her 20's. Yeah, we're boring.

Now merch? That's a whole other matter. I could see us spending hundreds on shirts and patches.

I have no doubt 70000tons is a worthwhile experience. A Caribbean Cruise with a Metal festival on board? Absolutely!

[Shadow Son]

I'm a bit of finance guy and personally I recommend setting up a high-interest savings account with an online-bank and funding it through scheduled direct deposit contributions. I personally call it a "Purchasing Fund".

1) If it's with an online-bank rather than a traditional bank, they can offer much higher interest rates then you'll ever see with a typical brick and mortar bank. I personally use https://www.eqbank.ca, but if you aren't Canadian I'm sure you can find equivalents wherever you are.

2) Set up regular, automatic contributions (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, etc.) that are direct deposited from you main bank account to the purchasing fund. Just treat it as if it is another bill you need to pay.

3) The money transfers typically take a few days to go through. THIS IS A GOOD THING. This prevents you from taking money out of the fund on a whim for impulse purchases. Depending on the bank they may offer a debit card. Do not EVER use it. This fund is meant for saving for specific goals (in this case, 70K) not for anything you feel like buying.

4) Over estimate how much you'll need. Other posters in the thread have listed pricing and costs already. Based off that add 10% extra value to your fund to make sure you can cover all the expenses involved when the time comes. Always better to have more than you need than not enough.

Hope that helps.

[13th_Clone]

Money saving techniques for our two 2018 tickets.

Step 1: Do taxes. Shit tax return is a bit less than anticipated...

Step 2: Frantically throw random amounts of money in cruise savings whenever I feel I can manage to

Step 3: Fuck, where the hell is my tax return?

Step 4: Fix minor error, receive tax return. Back on track!

Step 5: Open mailbox to find birthday card (and belated anniversary and Christmas) containing a helluva lot of money from a relative. Holy Shit!

Step 6: Goal met! Fidget ceaselessly until ticket sales are announced! Worry about the cost of travel and merch later

[Gratch]

I travel a ton for work, and save up my frequent flyer miles and hotel points all year to use for 70K. I haven't paid anything for travel in 2016 or 17, and had enough miles to cover my friend's plane ticket both years as well.

I also have a deal with my boss that if I hit my yearly sales goal, he pays for the cruise fee, which he did the last two years. Unfortunately, I'm not going to hit my goal this year (barring a serious miracle). I also promised that I'd take Mrs. Gratch to Hawaii for our 20th Anniversary (next June), so the chances of me getting to 70K in 2018 are looking really slim at this point.

[macamatic]

I have a few suggestions:

1. As you said, save up. Put away $2-300 (depending on your costs) per month and don't touch it. If your margins are so thin that that will bleed you dry, 70k may be an extravagance you can't afford on an annual basis, so maybr think about cutting that in two or even three and only going when you really like the lineup.

2. A 0% APR card. These things are extremely dangerous in irresponsible hands, but I'm guessing you guys can manage your money. They're amazing tools to offload debt without paying any interest and it's a strategy you can continue to use indefinitely as long as you have good credit and offers are available.

3. Plan ahead! This is tougher with 70k since often people decide whether to go not only as late as July but often months later, but if you think you want to go, book your flight and/or hotel way in advance. Airline ticket pricing makes no sense and you can often find a crazy good deal if you look early enough, especially if you're flexible (e.g. willing to fly through Orlando to save a few hundred bucks - I'll warn you Florida's public transit is not great, though).

4. Don't get drunk. I don't drink much to begin with, but when beers are $6+ apiece and I don't like going to concerts hammered anyway, I cut back even further. Some people spend outrageous amounts of money on alcohol and spend the entire cruise drunk. I think I spent less than $200 on all on board expenses.

[Memnoch]

Airfare: $400
...
I'm continental USA, so my travel expenses are less than our Euro/Canadian/South American brothers/sisters.

It's not that big a difference really. Finnair has direct flights from Helsinki to Miami for 400 euros round-trip at the moment for next winter. I don't think I've ever paid more than 600 euros for my flights (and even that was when the exchange rate euro vs. USD was closer to 1.50, so I saved loads on the cruise ticket and everything else). Norwegian has flights from Scandinavia to FLL for under 300 euros, Air Berlin etc. have stupid low prices from Germany and so on.

[cowboy71]

Its a lot tougher for us Aussies.

Couple of times I've managed to use my tax return money to fund the trip, one time I won a couple of grand on a lucky bet and that was a lot of the trip paid for, couple of years I had good work years where I got good kickbacks from vendors, and last year I won 5 grand in a competition

Unless one of those things happen again, me no go in 2018

[PacNW]

Could not have said it more perfectly than Shadow Son. I use this exact same technique for saving to pay for 70K. Only thing I'd add is do the automatic savings contributions on the day you get paid so it's like you never even had the money. Many companies will allow you to provide two bank accounts for direct deposit, so you could even have your paycheck savings amount go straight to the online savings.

I'm a bit of finance guy and personally I recommend setting up a high-interest savings account with an online-bank and funding it through scheduled direct deposit contributions. I personally call it a "Purchasing Fund".

1) If it's with an online-bank rather than a traditional bank, they can offer much higher interest rates then you'll ever see with a typical brick and mortar bank. I personally use https://www.eqbank.ca, but if you aren't Canadian I'm sure you can find equivalents wherever you are.

2) Set up regular, automatic contributions (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, etc.) that are direct deposited from you main bank account to the purchasing fund. Just treat it as if it is another bill you need to pay.

3) The money transfers typically take a few days to go through. THIS IS A GOOD THING. This prevents you from taking money out of the fund on a whim for impulse purchases. Depending on the bank they may offer a debit card. Do not EVER use it. This fund is meant for saving for specific goals (in this case, 70K) not for anything you feel like buying.

4) Over estimate how much you'll need. Other posters in the thread have listed pricing and costs already. Based off that add 10% extra value to your fund to make sure you can cover all the expenses involved when the time comes. Always better to have more than you need than not enough.

Hope that helps.

[biertroll]

RAMEN !!!!

+ what Shadow Son said. I use Barclays. Bankrate.com or something similar should work to help you decide.

But yeah, I stop going out altogether. Then again I stay in a very nice hotel for days before the cruise, stuff my face once in Miami and try and drink every alcoholic beverage once onbroad (I have saved quite a bit that once in Miami I just enjoy myself and don't worry)

[EpidemicReign]

I just minimized my contribution to my 401(k) temporarily. That's going to save me about $60 every two weeks.

[PerkeleenTursas]

I have 2 bank accounts. I trasfer money to the other one. Once 70k, flights and hotels have been paid, I exchange rest of the budjet for dollars so I wont spend them. I start saving from july and put 400-500 aside each month.