Cruises have ruined land vacations for me

[asalligo]

We live near Nashville and this weekend we found ourselves at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. This is the first time we have been there and we just loved the atrium. My wife said she would like to stay here for a few days and I loved the idea also. Here is the price for three days at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel.

 

Total for stay: 1350.24

 

Of course this is room only.

 

Here is the price for three nights on the Liberty for those same three days.

 

SUBTOTAL: $348.00

TAXES, FEES & PORT EXPENSES: $161.00

TOTAL: $509.00

 

My wife would really like to spend some more time on land based locations. Does anyone else find that all they do in these cases is think about how I could have been on a cruise right now for half the price?

[LMaxwell]

Does anyone else find that all they do in these cases is think about how I could have been on a cruise right now for half the price?

 

Exactly. And many land based vacations have so many other variable pricing for entertainment and food. Cruises are easy to budget for.

[tonit964]

We do the same thing.

We used to go to Lake Tahoe in the summers, and also stay in Vegas a couple of times a year.

When we do the cost comparison, cruises win every time.

We also like the fact that we unpack and don't really have to worry about anything else.

 

Meals and snacks are a short walk away and so much entertainment and pools nearby and not having to worry about getting a cab or renting a car on the ship to get to the places.

[cloudninecat]

We live near Nashville and this weekend we found ourselves at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. This is the first time we have been there and we just loved the atrium. My wife said she would like to stay here for a few days and I loved the idea also. Here is the price for three days at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel.

 

Total for stay: 1350.24

 

Of course this is room only.

 

Here is the price for three nights on the Liberty for those same three days.

 

SUBTOTAL: $348.00

TAXES, FEES & PORT EXPENSES: $161.00

TOTAL: $509.00

 

My wife would really like to spend some more time on land based locations. Does anyone else find that all they do in these cases is think about how I could have been on a cruise right now for half the price?

That's how I talked my husband into a family vacation cruise this summer. I was looking at a Florida vacation for 5 and figured out it would cost between $10,000 and $15,000 for 5 by the time we included rooms, food and entertainment. We got 2 aft balcony rooms for $6,000 including taxes, port fees and gratuities.

[Florings]

This is so true! I am totally hooked on cruising - not just for the fun and ease, but for the price. My husband would still like to do land vacations, too, but honestly it is so expensive compared to a good cruise....where you wake up and find yourself on a lovely Caribbean island.

 

Still in 2017, we will go to Williamsburg for a week - then cruise in the fall! Have to keep the husband happy too.

[klfrodo]

Not at all.

I do enjoy cruising but vacations, relaxing and having time with the family is not all about money.

Can t experience the Great Smokey Mountains from a cruise.

Cant explore or raft down the Grand Canyon from a cruise.

[riffatsea]

We cruise at least once a year.

We also go on land vacations and I don't compare their costs because they are completely different types of trips! We don't stay in expensive hotels on land and whether we go to honeymoon and relax or to actually be tourists and see different things we enjoy them all!

There are some cities in the world that are so rich in things to see/do that going to them on a cruise means you really don't get to experience the city at all!

I would not go to Europe for example on a cruise.

I like much more in depth visits there!

Sooo each trip has different experiences/vibes and we love them all!!

[siestakeys04]

I think about it every vacation, with the cruise it comes with food, land vacations unless it is all inclusive you have to find somewhere to dine. Love cruises!!

[evandbob]

If that's your preference, fine.

 

I prefer to shop around for land vacays the same way I shop for cruise fares. There are plenty of bargains out there for both. A little research can reveal deals that aren't apparent if you do a limited search.

[hattack]

alternate...your union will last longer...also look into train vacations (especially across Canada) which can encompass a short cruise out of the Pacific NW, a train ride and land component (Banff National Park)...let your children design their dream vacation and build it into your planning process...as they get older and become too busy for "mom & dad", you will cherish the time spent with them on a family vacation....to paraphrase the Visa commercial "priceless"

[FloridaMommyof3]

I do like cruising, but after June I'm going to be looking at a land based trip - most likely to Peru. I'm excited about touring a whole other culture and country at my leisure, rather then worrying about when I'll get off a ship and when I have to be back on.

[Toddcan]

It's not that easy of a comparison...

 

We cruise a fair amount, but we also just recently bought a vacation club membership for a land-based all inclusive resort chain. When I worked out the numbers (if this is the only consideration, which it's not), they came up pretty close in my case.

 

It's not hard at all to get an all inclusive to a nice resort (eg - Bahia Principe) for around $1,200 pp, including flights. And, just like cruising at the right time, you can get better deals than the $1,200 pp. This includes airfare, remember.

 

There are most certainly pluses and minuses when comparing the two types of vacation.

[atinys]

We live near Nashville and this weekend we found ourselves at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. This is the first time we have been there and we just loved the atrium. My wife said she would like to stay here for a few days and I loved the idea also. Here is the price for three days at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel.

 

Total for stay: 1350.24

 

Of course this is room only.

 

Here is the price for three nights on the Liberty for those same three days.

 

SUBTOTAL:$348.00

TAXES, FEES & PORT EXPENSES: $161.00

TOTAL:$509.00

 

My wife would really like to spend some more time on land based locations. Does anyone else find that all they do in these cases is think about how I could have been on a cruise right now for half the price?

Yes all the time.

 

Sent from my SM-N910P using Forums mobile app

[GUT2407]

We live near Nashville and this weekend we found ourselves at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. This is the first time we have been there and we just loved the atrium. My wife said she would like to stay here for a few days and I loved the idea also. Here is the price for three days at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel.

 

Total for stay: 1350.24

 

Of course this is room only.

 

Here is the price for three nights on the Liberty for those same three days.

 

SUBTOTAL: $348.00

TAXES, FEES & PORT EXPENSES: $161.00

TOTAL: $509.00

 

My wife would really like to spend some more time on land based locations. Does anyone else find that all they do in these cases is think about how I could have been on a cruise right now for half the price?

 

Yep, all the time.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Cruises are a bargain.

[sparks1093]

I very frequently compare what I'm spending on a land vacation with what I would be spending on a cruise. All too often I find that in order to spend the same amount we're staying in a budget hotel and eating from a chain restaurant of some sort.

[buggins0402]

The hotel in question is a 5* correct? Wouldn't an apples to apples comparison be against a per day rate on a luxury line (multipled by three)?

 

We have two land trips planned next year...both overseas. Both vacations will be much less expensive (on a per day basis) then I'm used to paying per day for the premium cruise line we usually choose. Hotels range from 4* to low 5*, in premium rooms including breakfast. Even adding other meal expenses, we'll be saving money on the land trips.

Edited December 20, 2016 by buggins0402

[Nitemare]

Not only that, buggins, but is that cruise price for one person or for two? If one, then you have to double the price to get the real price AND you have to add gratiuities.

 

Sure, cruising is often cheaper than land vacations, but cruises also have crazy embarkation and debarkation requirements that hotels don't have, and you're much more under the control of their schedule than you are with a hotel or resort stay.

 

But it's always going to be cheaper to cruise when you can pay your staff waaaay below minimum wage. Land vacations in countries with crazy low wages can be ridiculously inexpensive as well.

 

Edit: I love the Opryland hotel, by the way and have been there this time of year although it was nearly 10 years ago. They used to have a huge Christmas display and all sorts of events which jacks the price up over the rest of the year. Kind of like Holiday pricing for cruises. When I stayed there in spring the prices were half what the OP posted, of course that was a few years ago. I'm seeing $265/night for a random June weekend -- total of $983 for the 3 nights including taxes and all fees.

Edited December 20, 2016 by Nitemare

[navybankerteacher]

The fact is that cruises and land vacations are simply not comparable. You might enjoy both, but you need to identify the key elements. I suppose I could say that cabernet sauvignon has ruined iced tea for me. There are times when iced tea just won't do - and others when it is precisely what I want.

 

Cruising is a horrible way to spend time in the hill towns of Tuscany - but a great way of getting home from there.

 

The only essential similarity is that both are ways of spending free time away from home.

[biker@sea]

We live near Nashville and this weekend we found ourselves at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. This is the first time we have been there and we just loved the atrium. My wife said she would like to stay here for a few days and I loved the idea also. Here is the price for three days at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel.

 

Total for stay: 1350.24

 

Of course this is room only.

 

Here is the price for three nights on the Liberty for those same three days.

 

SUBTOTAL: $348.00

TAXES, FEES & PORT EXPENSES: $161.00

TOTAL: $509.00

 

My wife would really like to spend some more time on land based locations. Does anyone else find that all they do in these cases is think about how I could have been on a cruise right now for half the price?

 

 

D. W. and I Did 19 day 6,900 mile cross country motorcycle trip From Boston Massachusetts. to West Yellowstone Montana and Back. :D

 

Food, Fuel and lodging cost me just over 2 G's.

 

.

Edited December 20, 2016 by biker@sea

[iancal]

They are such different trips and we select them for different reasons.

 

In Europe, the cruise has to be extremely well priced for us to consider. When we go to Europe we prefer smaller, local hotels to the four and five starts. We find that we miss out on so much when we sleep and dine on the ship vs. land.

We choose land travel over cruise in SE Asia. Land was far less expensive. Cruise did not go to where we wanted to go and/or did not spend enough time.

 

We did a last minute AI two weeks ago. The choice would have been fly to FLL or LA to grab a seven day cruise. Or we could buy an AI and just show up at the airport. We chose the latter. The AI was half the price of what we would have paid for the cruise, air, pre cruise hotel, etc.

 

So from our perspective, it is a big depends on where you want to travel and how you want to travel. One thing though, we would not compare the meals on a mass market cruise line to good land based restaurant.. They are run of the mill banquet meals tarted up to look gourmet.

Edited December 20, 2016 by iancal

[fyrmnjim]

I love cruising, but am an avid land explorer too. We try and cruise once a year or so, but we also have an RV and take a 2 week trip every summer along with many other long weekends. There's so much in this magnificent country to see and we're only here for a short time.

[Nic6318]

Hi

 

I agree that cruising is a real good value, but the OP's comparison is exactly what it is...comparing an apple with an orange. They are different.

 

I agree that if you are staying in a 5* hotel and dining at upscale restaurants also paying for your shows in North America, then you should be comparing prices to an upscale/luxury cruise line. You have to realize where you go will also have a large influence on cost.

 

Last month we were able to stay at a very nice 5* for a week at an all inclusive resort in the Cancun area. We haven't been there for a number of years and were very happy. Accommodations and dining were exceptional, with top brand liquors available in your inroom bars. Certainly much more than you would get with any alcohol package on most cruise line. Spectacular architecture that would compare with most ships. Organized activities if you were interested, including watercraft on a beautiful beach, as well as nightly entertainment. Personal attention that you might have received in a different generation of cruising, now maybe on some luxury lines. The price, considering all inclusive meant everything available on the resort, air fare, as well as transfers, came in so very close to a one week Carnival cruise (inside cabin) that I was looking at, that it was a no brainer for me. I love cruises, but for us normally it is get to the port city the day before make our way to the port on cruise day, be prepared to wait. A little patience and your vacation starts. Great! A week later, a little bit of a nuisance and you get off the ship and you are on your way home. Everybody had a great time.

 

With the all inclusive, I didn't have to go anywhere the day before. Got to the airport for my scheduled flight and less than an hour after our plane hit the ground we were in the lobby of the hotel checking in with our welcome drink in our hand. Five minutes later we are in our room unpacking and back down to the beach area. Now how great is that. Oh yes, our week is over, we go down to the lobby half an hour before our included transfer is to pick us up. Check out of the hotel, go to the lobby bar sit down with snack and drink to wait for our van to come.

 

As I said to start, apples and oranges. The one main thing about going somewhere and staying is that you can do and see things you can't when you are just passing by on a cruise vacation. As was already pointed out, there are many wonderful places that cruise ships just can't go, but even the places that they do go you aren't able to see very much. If you don't want to see the world, you don't really need to travel. If you don't want to see much of the world then you can see quite a bit from a cruise ship. If costs are a concern you can always find ways to keep costs down.

 

just a matter of perspective

enjoy your cruises, but don't forget there is a big world out there that is worth seeing

[calliopecruiser]

We live near Nashville and this weekend we found ourselves at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. This is the first time we have been there and we just loved the atrium. My wife said she would like to stay here for a few days and I loved the idea also. Here is the price for three days at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel.

 

Total for stay: 1350.24

 

Of course this is room only.

 

Here is the price for three nights on the Liberty for those same three days.

 

SUBTOTAL: $348.00

TAXES, FEES & PORT EXPENSES: $161.00

TOTAL: $509.00

 

My wife would really like to spend some more time on land based locations. Does anyone else find that all they do in these cases is think about how I could have been on a cruise right now for half the price?

 

Remember: A happy wife equals a happy life. And, seriously, you think the quality of the hotels are equitable? No. If you want a Gaylord experience, cruising on the Liberty will not suffice. If you want a Carnival experience (hotel-wise), stay at a Comfort Inn and go visit the atrium in the Gaylord. Even the "Atrium" on the Liberty is far from an equitable experience with the atrium in the Gaylord.

 

 

Personally, my cruises are never that cheap for a couple of reasons: 1) I travel solo and 2) I cruise on a luxury line. I would no more vacation on Carnival than I would vacation in a Comfort Inn (I've stayed in lots of Comfort Inns on business trips, but I wouldn't choose it for a vacation).

 

Still, even cruising solo, my land vacations usually do cost more than my cruises -- but the experience is totally different. When I want a land vacation, being in a floating hotel at sea will not satisfy. On a land vacation, I get to experience more places, see more things, and be able to do whatever I choose whenever I want, changing on a whim. One a cruise vacation, I get a calm relaxation that I can't get on land, and I get the added bonus of not having to eat alone. A 2 week road trip in Portugal is not the same as a 2 week transpacific cruise.....they offer such different experiences that I don't compare the prices.

Edited December 20, 2016 by calliopecruiser

[asalligo]

You have made some excellent points. I have just cancelled my fall cruise and am booking a nice land vacation for the wife. I will try not to compare the two.

 

She never loved cruising, just tolerated it really. I will have to make some concessions.

 

Thanks