Cruise a good value??? I think not.

[MpwdMom]

 

Cruising is a great value for us. We're only a 2 hr drive to port...we don't drink, we don't gamble, we rarely buy pictures.

 

In fact, they probably lose money on us. ;)

[casinokaron]

i think the cruise is so much better we are going on freedom at spring break with 4 adult and 3 children we could have never did the disney thing for what we are spending for the cruise ......and we are going for 8 days ...it really wasnt bad price as others thought it would be for easter break ..well happy sailing i know we are going to have a blast we are flying to fla and cruise and flight was way under what disney wanted for 5 days ..

[michelle1836]

you also get to visit different places on a cruise while at at AI you dont. and most importantly, you will get to meet me!! what greater deal is there! see you on June 23rd :D

[loohoo1]

Several of your senarios include renting a home or staying with a friend/family.

 

one of the valuse for me in a cruise is not having to clean up after myself (dishes, laundry, etc), not having to cook, getting see several locations with out having to repack.

 

Also looking at staying somewhere in a hotle or resort (other than AI) you will have to add cost for Daily trasportation, food and entertainment.

 

I think the value levels off.

 

 

 

I think it's a great value for us, even though we have to book 2 cabins (family of 6). I've looked at AI vacations and they tend to be MUCH more expensive than our cruise vacations are.

 

We've done the renting the big house, for years we went RVing, and in each case, I was the one who had to grocery shop, cook, clean, and pack!

 

For our cruise vacations, I just have to pack!!! It's really the only type of vacation that mom (me!) gets an actual vacation and that, in itself, is worth every penny!

[loohoo1]

I have 10 and 13 year old boys. That is absolutely true! :)

 

 

LOL, I have a 16 yo, 14yo, and 11 year old twins--ALL BOYS! You can't feed them cheaply :)))

[MissDiva1]

For us right now it is not even close, cruising is not a value vacation.

 

We vacation once a year and factoring in all the cruise expenses we incur such as airfare, hotel, cruise fare, on board account, port expenses, etc, an All Inclusive beats it hands down. Mind you, we don't book the bowels of the ship nor do we book 3* resorts. We were able to go to a 5* resort this winter for 2 weeks for much less than a 10 day cruise would have cost us.

 

I agree! All said and done a land vacation is much cheaper for us. But I can see if you book the cheapest cabin, no airfare, hotel, drink or gamble........it would be dirt cheap. But why would I subject myself to that:p

[sarsie]

Just responding to OP, not read rest of thread yet.

 

I'm from NC. I spent four days at the Outer Banks last year..it cost us $2000 NOT INCLUDING the rental, as we had family that paid for that! We live in KS. NC is a 3-day drive, with 6 family members, requiring two hotel rooms each time we stopped, gasoline (and it was only $2/gallon then!!!), and food (we took all our own for travel-ate sandwiches at rest stops and took our own drinks, fixings, snacks, etc. in a cooler, then we bought groceries to make our own food once there). We did a couple things, bought a couple things, but that "Free" vacation still cost us $2000. And we had to spend it with my ILs!! lol Enjoyable nonetheless. We did stop and spend about $300 in Gatlinburg and Ober Gatlinburg.

 

Now, in the alternative, in January, we are taking a 7-day cruise out of NOLA, which will INCLUDE two cabins, all our food, MOST of our entertainment, all the drinks for hte kids (well, we'll take sodaa nd they can drink lemonade and milk at meals), and very little extra expense for us (we budget well and don't buy a lot of "souvenirs")..ALL TOTAL, including the rooms, tips, gasoline to get there, hotel, and parking-will be under $3000.

 

So..a 4-day vacation on the Outer Banks having to do what the ILs want for $2000, or a 7-day vacation on a cruise ship with just my family, doing what we want to do for $3000? Hmm, seems like a GREAT Value for me!

 

ETA: We drive to Galveston or NOLA

[MissDiva1]

I have a lot of sympathy for the original poster's comments. I have seen it posted numerous times how "cheap" it is to take a cruise. Personally, I think it is one of the most expensive vacations there is. I figure it is about $1,500 per person for our family of 4 to come cross-continet from PNW, once you factor in the cost of the cruise, the airfare, the hotels in transit, the transportation, anything you do in ports. We went to Hawaii in January for 8 days and it cost about 15% less than a 7-day Caribbean cruise would have cost.

 

But it all comes down to what you value. Some people like being waited on, and that has value for them. I get nothing out of that. Some people hate doing "chores" (like cooking meals) on vacation. I've got no problem with that. I'm off work and I can cook without it being perhaps 50% of the free time I have for an entire day? That's not a chore to me.

 

I'm not a fan of "renting a house with friends or extended family" because for me, most of the fun of a vacation is getting away and spending time alone with my immediate family. But we frequently rent a condo, rather than stay at a hotel, because it gives us more room and we can buy groceries and cook our own meals rather than having to pay for expensive (and usually less healthy) restaurant meals.

 

But you can never get a perfect apples-to-apples comparison. On a cruise you get to visit different destinations (pro), but you're stuck on their schedule (con). There are numerous activities available to you (pro - if you're into that kind of thing), but you're stuck paying inflated retail costs for things like alcoholic beverages (con), rather than dropping by the local liquor store.

 

I will continue to take cruises, but it is not my only type of vacation and not necessarily my most preferred. It is a pretty good value, but not exceptional and not typically better than a regular vacation.

 

We have experienced that as well.......we are now thinking of changing our Dec cruise to Hawaii...

[MissDiva1]

It's not logical to make a comparison such as you're attempting. What would it have cost you to drive with your family from say' date=' Seattle, to Miami, including gas, all your meals and hotel rooms? I'm thinking it would be far more than $1500, not to mention that you'd all be totally exhausted by the time you got there. Even if you drove 500 miles a day, it would take you close to a week each way to make the trip.

 

[b']It sounds like you're comparing a west coast vacation near your home to one which would require extensive travel to an east coast or southeast destination. [/b]What you're doing would be the same as me complaining about the difference between a 12-day trip to the Carolina coast and a Mediterranean or Baltics cruise of the same duration. Although, when you factor in hotel, meals and entertainment at the beach, it might not be all that different after all. :).

 

We are in Calif. so we are in the Middle of Hawaii and Miami......it is still cheaper for us to vacaiton in Hawaii then to cruise after factoring in all the costs........

[cathyoo]

We take two vacations every year. One cruise, the other is renting a large vacation home in the Poconos and having my 4 children, their spouses and my 7 grandchildren and whatever sisters, nieces and nephews, etc can get away.

 

The cruise vacation is no work, no worry, pure relaxation. The Pocono vacation..that’s my working vacations. I cook, clean and worry, worry. It is a lot of people to keep happy.

 

Cruise vacation – nice memories, great entertainment and lots of laugh. Pocono vacation – wonderful memories for my children but mostly for my grandchildren, great entertainment, tons of laughs and mostly a full heart.

 

Budget wise I think they probably run the same. The cruise is nice because it gets paid off so far in advance.

 

If I had to give up one it would probably be the cruise. While I absolutely love cruising, I love when my granddaughter tells me she is dreaming about our next Pocono vacation.

[cruisingreena]

well for me i can book a 9 night cruise to mexico for under 2000.00 for the cruise and about 400.00 for the airfare... 100.00 prehotel, 1000.00 spending money..that's 3300.00 for 9 nights family of four

a 7 day all inclusive for us would be over 4000.00 and that's only 7 nights..and children and i dont drink...so for me cruising value is much better..way cheaper than all inclusive..and if you do drink that's what rum runners are for..and i bring my own soda and water..so really i cruise for very cheap

[halos]

I love to cruise and cant' wait until June when I get to do so with extended family. But......I read here and there that cruising presents a good value......I don't think its a rip off but good value I don't believe.

 

A good value to me is renting a big home on the outer banks with a few families and enjoying the week.......or a drive to vacation if you live in northeast like to to lake george or cape cod or upstate NY.........or an all inclusive in riviera maya (if you like to drink you save tons on booze).........or staying at auntie's home near the beach. lol.

 

If a family of 4 has to fly to miami, take a 7 night cruise, and stay at least 1 night in a hotel in miami and take shuttles too and from airport.....look what that costs.....a ton.

 

anyway....just wondering why many of you think its a good value....remind me again so i keep my enthusiasm high for my trip.....

 

I guess it depends on how you define 'vacation.'

If I'm renting a home on the Outer Banks for a week and having to make my own bed and cook my own meals, wash my own sheets and towels that is no vacation to me.

I live 6 miles from a beach. I can stay home and save a ton and do that....well, for 3 months out of the year, anyway :p

 

I just got back from 9 nights in Florida...spent a TON of money. I don't know how people take large families to Disney.....it is ridiculous.

Cruising can be cheap, although it isn't usually cheap for us...but that's because of the choices we make on board....for us, it is worth every penny.

[h_blond2]

I think cruising is a god value, at least for us. We drive to the embarkation port the night before and stay in a reasonably priced hotel, such as a Super 8. We aren't huge drinkers, don't eat in the speciality restaurants and keep our on board spending to a minimum.

[Green4me]

To h_blond2 we sailed the Southern Ground cruise with Zac Brown Band last Labor day. Talk about a cruise and value. 4 nights, 28 bands including 5 perfomances by ZBB. No one on the ship unless you were booked to do the same, ie private booking only Zac took over the whole ship from carnival. he even had his own chef Rusty tweaking the main dining menu. We drove to the port 15 mins from our home. Love your signature:)

 

To the Op, I don't see where there is a winner or loser here, thats why we live in the USA and have choices :D. If you fret about cost on your trip that to me is a set up for a bad experience. Go with the flow and enjoy! :D

 

smooth sailin

[jobell]

Up until October of last year we were strictly land cruisers. Long distance trips or just short trips nearby. Until we started planning our first cruise I never realized all the expenses included in a land vacation. Not saying that we will never not do another land vacation but the cost of some land vacations is equal to 2 7 day cruises and 1 3-5 day cruise. Yes, you have the cost of gas if you are driving or airfare if you have to fly, but once I am on the ship I don't have to worry about what to do that day, where to eat, whose going to drive or if there is a room at the inn. The cost alone of renting a house in the OBX pays for at least 2 cruises.

 

Personally for me, I rather cruise then have to find a hotel, get tickets for a park or sit around half the day asking each other what do you want to do. :cool:

[SoonerOne]

I just checked what it would be to go to the Moon Palace All-Inclusive Resort in Cancun for a week, airfare included and it would run around $3000 for 2 people as opposed to the $1500 balcony cabin I am paying for our week cruise in November. We've done both and just prefer cruising, the sea, different ports, the food etc. We think cruising is an excellent and value based vacation:)

[jnl134]

We've done land based and cruise vacations. I love to travel but I also like a good deal. I've never booked a cruise without booking airfare first. The cruises out of Miami tend to be the least expensive. Most times there less than the one out of my home town NY even adding in the airfare. If you do your research you can almost always find a deal for any type of vacation but cruising is an unbelievable value! Airfare fron NY to the carribean is almost as much as a cruise alone would cost and we get entertainment & all our food included!!!!

[kf657]

Well, I do have to say that when we went on out first cruise, I was in a panic when I saw the total cost..BUT, Then when I figured the following:

 

2 Cabins for 6 people

3 plus meals and snacks per person per day

Sightseeing

Entertainment

 

We figured out cruising is a good deal.

 

We also have both driven and flown to several ports,and for our family it is a cruise hands down versus a land vacation! Gas in a car, even at these prices vs plane tickets for 6 is still a better deal..

 

We are also not big drinkers...and our children use thier own money for little things they buy.

[WeBeCruisin']

There are some people who just don't like cruising and/or are impossible to please.

 

In 1996, I was on the inaugural British Isles sailing of the Sovereign of the Seas. One of our excursions was in Scotland and we went to lunch at a very old luxury hotel on the banks of the river in either Glasgow or Edinburgh. As we approached the dining room, the tour guide motioned to some fishermen in waders in the river and told us that they were in the process of catching our lunch,.

 

We were given a choice for lunch between salmon in a delicious cream sauce as the entree and some kind of roast beef. One of the women in our group (who was probably as old then as I am now) was very upset at the choices and demanded a cheeseburger and french fries. The dining room manager explained that they didn't offer that option. She got louder and louder, and was demanding that they bring her a cheeseburger and french fries. The manager told her that they didn't even have the provisions to make such an entree. He apologized to her and then walked away.

 

She was furious and refused to eat anything, and ruined the meal for the rest of us because all she could do was loudly complain about how her grown children had made her go on this stupid 12-day cruise and how she hated everything about it and would much prefer to be sitting on her front porch in Pennsylvania chatting with the woman next door.

 

What a waste. :rolleyes:

[jax430]

I had this same debate with my husband the other day, as I'm eagerly planning a cruise for this summer. Since I can only travel during peak times, cruising is not as good a value for us as it is for others, but as I pointed out to DH, what you get for the money is more than worth it. Is it a "cheap" vacation for us? Absolutely not. Is it a good value compared to a comprable land-based vacation? I think so, and I enjoy myself more on a cruise than anywhere else.

[MissDiva1]

It's all about priorities and what you want in a vacation......you certainly cannot compare 2 inside cabins that hold 6 people to an AI with a balcony ocean view.....I can't imagine an AI even trying to sell a box with no windows to sleep in lol!

[Crusin6]

I guess it depends on how you define 'vacation.'

If I'm renting a home on the Outer Banks for a week and having to make my own bed and cook my own meals, wash my own sheets and towels that is no vacation to me.

I live 6 miles from a beach. I can stay home and save a ton and do that....well, for 3 months out of the year, anyway :p

 

I just got back from 9 nights in Florida...spent a TON of money. I don't know how people take large families to Disney.....it is ridiculous.

Cruising can be cheap, although it isn't usually cheap for us...but that's because of the choices we make on board....for us, it is worth every penny.

with a large family at Disney..the smart money goes in late August....gets the free food plan.....stays at moderate resorts on the proerty or better yet gets the family suite at the value resorts that sleep 6 with 2 baths..2 tv's and a frig..... and a kitchenette...flys to Orlando and gets the free WDW transportation to and from the resort from the airport...oh and...uses the Disney Visa card...and charges every single penny that is spent during the year so as to get the Disney points...there are many more pointers...but everyone here has heard me about this already....:D

[Shelbyjane56]

I love to cruise and cant' wait until June when I get to do so with extended family. But......I read here and there that cruising presents a good value......I don't think its a rip off but good value I don't believe.

 

A good value to me is renting a big home on the outer banks with a few families and enjoying the week.......or a drive to vacation if you live in northeast like to to lake george or cape cod or upstate NY.........or an all inclusive in riviera maya (if you like to drink you save tons on booze).........or staying at auntie's home near the beach. lol.

 

If a family of 4 has to fly to miami, take a 7 night cruise, and stay at least 1 night in a hotel in miami and take shuttles too and from airport.....look what that costs.....a ton.

 

 

 

anyway....just wondering why many of you think its a good value....remind me again so i keep my enthusiasm high for my trip.....

 

Even living in North Indiana cruising is a great deal for us, we get free airline, even if we have to change our flight its all free, as well as hotels and upscale as well and we also get free rental cars which is good as we fly down to whatever port we are leaving for, atleast 2-3 days early to just relax. I do realize we are fortunate, but its a good deal for us!

[T. Advisor King]

It's not logical to make a comparison such as you're attempting. What would it have cost you to drive with your family from say' date=' Seattle, to Miami, including gas, all your meals and hotel rooms? I'm thinking it would be far more than $1500, not to mention that you'd all be totally exhausted by the time you got there. Even if you drove 500 miles a day, it would take you close to a week each way to make the trip.

 

It sounds like you're comparing a west coast vacation near your home to one which would require extensive travel to an east coast or southeast destination. What you're doing would be the same as me complaining about the difference between a 12-day trip to the Carolina coast and a Mediterranean or Baltics cruise of the same duration. Although, when you factor in hotel, meals and entertainment at the beach, it might not be all that different after all. :).[/quote']

 

One of us obviously is missing the others' point. And I'll admit, I'm not sure which one. I was comparing the cost of a Caribbean cruise (with air travel from PNW) to a Hawaiian vacation (obviously, including air travel from PNW). I was not contemplating driving to Florida and had no idea where that came from.

 

A cruise for our family of four (two teenagers, two balcony cabins) would be about $6k. The trip to Hawaii (28th floor balcony in Waikiki with full ocean view) was about $5k. Whether or not it is a fair comparison for someone else is only partially relevant. For us, those two vacations are virtually identical substitutes in terms of how much we enjoy them and the extent to which we're being frugal (or not). We certainly wouldn't look at one as the "luxury" trip and the other one as the "cheapie".

 

The fact that the Hawaii vacation is 14% longer and about 15% cheaper doesn't mean we'll never take another cruise. It is simply a confirmation of the original poster's sentiment in response to numerous posts claiming that cruise vacations are either "cheap" or "a very good value". I agree that they are a pretty good value. So is a Hawaiian vacation from where I'm living. The Hawaiian vacation is a slightly better value.

 

I appreciate it is a huge difference when you live close to a port and don't need airfare for four, transfers and a couple hotel nights.

[GaNavy]

I love to cruise and cant' wait until June when I get to do so with extended family. But......I read here and there that cruising presents a good value......I don't think its a rip off but good value I don't believe.

 

A good value to me is renting a big home on the outer banks with a few families and enjoying the week.......or a drive to vacation if you live in northeast like to to lake george or cape cod or upstate NY.........or an all inclusive in riviera maya (if you like to drink you save tons on booze).........or staying at auntie's home near the beach. lol.

 

If a family of 4 has to fly to miami, take a 7 night cruise, and stay at least 1 night in a hotel in miami and take shuttles too and from airport.....look what that costs.....a ton.

 

anyway....just wondering why many of you think its a good value....remind me again so i keep my enthusiasm high for my trip.....

 

OK, I'll be happy to remind you!! :D

 

I'm not sure - as another poster suggested - that all of these are really comparable, but assuming that they are...you've only talked about out-of-pocket costs. To me, there's more to "value" than just how many dollars I had to shell out.

 

So, it's worth a lot to me that I don't have to cook (which includes deciding on menus and buying groceries) or clean (dishes, bedrooms, making beds, etc.) or drive, and that I get waited on hand and foot while being hauled around to beautiful places with exciting things to do, different people to meet, new foods to try out, and yes! a Diamonds International in every single one of them - woo hoo!! :rolleyes:

 

All right, forget the cheap joke about DI. I cruise because I love being out on the ocean - something that's the same for everyone no matter what ship they're on or how much they paid. I love the beach, too, but it ain't like being at sea... what is the view of the full moon rising over the ocean worth? or the sight of all those stars if there isn't a moon? Those things just aren't the same on land.

 

Holy moley, I hope your enthusiasm is improved.... mine sure is, now all I need is to go book my next cruise... ;)