Have you ever thought about Carnival pricing in comparison to....

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

Bored, so doing a bit of mental arithmetic as I'm waiting for my spring cruise.

 

Two people flying Miami to (just) Cozumel: $1400

A puddle jump flight: $1000

6 nights for an average hotel room: $900

12 breakfasts: $120

12 lunches: $180

12 dinners: $300

Nightly entertainment (for kicks movie tickets): $144

 

Cost for 2: $4000+

 

Cost for 2 aboard a 7 day Carnival Cruise Ship with at least 3 ports: less than $1k

 

And still people complain....I just don't get it

[JaniceB]

Yes

[ginnstars]

Bored, so doing a bit of mental arithmetic as I'm waiting for my spring cruise.

 

Two people flying Miami to (just) Cozumel: $1400

A puddle jump flight: $1000

6 nights for an average hotel room: $900

12 breakfasts: $120

12 lunches: $180

12 dinners: $300

Nightly entertainment (for kicks movie tickets): $144

 

Cost for 2: $4000+

 

Cost for 2 aboard a 7 day Carnival Cruise Ship with at least 3 ports: less than $1k

 

And still people complain....I just don't get it

 

One of the selling points for TAs when offering cruises.

[Jamericannn]

Bored, so doing a bit of mental arithmetic as I'm waiting for my spring cruise.

 

Two people flying Miami to (just) Cozumel: $1400

A puddle jump flight: $1000

6 nights for an average hotel room: $900

12 breakfasts: $120

12 lunches: $180

12 dinners: $300

Nightly entertainment (for kicks movie tickets): $144

 

Cost for 2: $4000+

 

Cost for 2 aboard a 7 day Carnival Cruise Ship with at least 3 ports: less than $1k

 

And still people complain....I just don't get it

 

I definitely have. Nothing beats cruising.

[jsglow]

Bored, so doing a bit of mental arithmetic as I'm waiting for my spring cruise.

 

Two people flying Miami to (just) Cozumel: $1400

A puddle jump flight: $1000

6 nights for an average hotel room: $900

12 breakfasts: $120

12 lunches: $180

12 dinners: $300

Nightly entertainment (for kicks movie tickets): $144

 

Cost for 2: $4000+

 

Cost for 2 aboard a 7 day Carnival Cruise Ship with at least 3 ports: less than $1k

 

And still people complain....I just don't get it

 

While I agree that cruising remains a great vacation choice, I believe you must admit that your numbers are a bit slanted. For one thing, you've included airfare only in one calculation. While that might be true for folks in Florida (or near another cruise port), it is not true for most Americans, especially if the comparison is a Caribbean destination. It is very possible to do an all-inclusive in the Caribbean for $1500 pp (plus air). If you add tips, excursions and your bar bill to a $600? pp cruise fare, you probably can't get by for less than $1000 pp. It's still a good deal. But it's not like other options are double or triple. Consider this. How much would it cost to VRBO a condo in the Keys for a week? That might be a better comparison for you.

Edited December 28, 2016 by jsglow

[asalligo]

I find myself doing these calculations often as my wife does not care for cruising and only wants to take land vacations. You cannot get a room on the beach for the same amount of days as cruising for the same price.

 

We live near Gatlinburg and last year I said ok, no cruise, lets just spend a few days there. Start doing the math and it is still more than a cruise and Gatlinburg is nice, but no cruise.

[serene56]

Bored, so doing a bit of mental arithmetic as I'm waiting for my spring cruise.

 

Two people flying Miami to (just) Cozumel: $1400

A puddle jump flight: $1000

6 nights for an average hotel room: $900

12 breakfasts: $120

12 lunches: $180

12 dinners: $300

Nightly entertainment (for kicks movie tickets): $144

 

Cost for 2: $4000+

 

Cost for 2 aboard a 7 day Carnival Cruise Ship with at least 3 ports: less than $1k

 

And still people complain....I just don't get it

 

 

so to cruise you dont get airfare?

and why not just take a cab or the ferry instead of the puddle jumper?

I can do cozumel from Phl for about 3000 and staying at an AI

but my cruise is 2400 which includes air fare and tips.

[d12j28]

My upcoming 7 day Carnival Cruise:

Flights - $1300

Hotel night before and night after - $400 (if I didn't use rewards points)

Cruise w/balcony cabin $1400

Cheers - $800

Add in gratuities at end and well over $4,000 for 2.

 

My last 7 night all inclusive at the Majestic Colonial Club (adults only) in Punta Cana was $2800 for 2, flights included and not a penny more at the end.

 

Now I'm not complaining about the price of cruising. If we didn't enjoy it we wouldn't do it but an all inclusive is almost always cheaper for us.

[Ery]

I'm having a hard time with the numbers myself. Cruising is our go to vacation, but $1000? Our last Carnival cruise booked as a group, stuck with an inside cabin (tried to change, let's just say it didn't happen) it was STILL $735per person, then about $90 in tips. (Granted maybe you live in Florida and get a smoking deal, most of us don't) that cruise was sailing out of Long Beach as its 2500 miles closer, but airfare pp round trip was still $275. Already close to $2k, that's if you don't want a few cocktails, coffees etc while on board, excursion or specialty dining.

 

 

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[Havingfun2010]

Ok I'm going on a far off cruise for 5 nights and 8 days land with a jr suite and staying in a 5 star hotel half the land nights and a 4 star the other half. My total budget and s 6000. Twice as long and half way around the world. Your numbers are a bit high for Mexico. I could cut that in half! Plus let's face it Carnival we s far from 5 stars. Barely makes 2 stars

[asalligo]

Compare any land vacation and a cruise comes up at least comparable every time and everyone has so much more to do. Take four days in Panama City beach in January. Hotel on the water, but nothing fancy, food and entertainment for a family of four.

 

Hotel: $368 $82 a night plus tax

Food: $600 Waffle house type breakfast, fast food lunch and a sit down dinner for four.

Entertainment: $250 Cost of a movie for four each day.

Total: $1218

 

Four days on the Liberty to Cozumel out of Port Canaveral for my family of four $1122.68.

[Ery]

Ok I'm going on a far off cruise for 5 nights and 8 days land with a jr suite and staying in a 5 star hotel half the land nights and a 4 star the other half. My total budget and s 6000. Twice as long and half way around the world. Your numbers are a bit high for Mexico. I could cut that in half! Plus let's face it Carnival we s far from 5 stars. Barely makes 2 stars

 

 

Sadly that might be cheaper than a suite on Carnival

 

 

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[evandbob]

Bored, so doing a bit of mental arithmetic as I'm waiting for my spring cruise.

 

Two people flying Miami to (just) Cozumel: $1400

A puddle jump flight: $1000

6 nights for an average hotel room: $900

12 breakfasts: $120

12 lunches: $180

12 dinners: $300

Nightly entertainment (for kicks movie tickets): $144

 

Cost for 2: $4000+

 

Cost for 2 aboard a 7 day Carnival Cruise Ship with at least 3 ports: less than $1k

 

And still people complain....I just don't get it

 

I can find a few AI hotels in the Playacar section of Playa del Carmen that are cheaper than what I would pay as a solo for a Carnival cruise.

[kingston13]

Cruising back in the 80's was about what it is now honestly.

[finzup-kt]

Bored, so doing a bit of mental arithmetic as I'm waiting for my spring cruise.

 

Two people flying Miami to (just) Cozumel: $1400

A puddle jump flight: $1000

6 nights for an average hotel room: $900

12 breakfasts: $120

12 lunches: $180

12 dinners: $300

Nightly entertainment (for kicks movie tickets): $144

 

Cost for 2: $4000+

 

Cost for 2 aboard a 7 day Carnival Cruise Ship with at least 3 ports: less than $1k

 

And still people complain....I just don't get it

 

i don't think it's a fair comparison. For mexico there are tons of all inclusive (resort/hotel/food/drinks) packages available that are way cheaper than a cruise. We did a week AI in a luxury resort for under $2200 for 2 people. including flights from boston, all food, and all premium cocktails.

 

yes cruising can be affordable but i've never spent more on a trip to mexico than a cruise when all -in.

 

your $1k carnival price does not include airfare, alcohol, or a premium room like the resorts do.

 

Will I stop cruising? no but I know it costs a lot more to cruise than the initial booking fare :) they are just 2 kinds of vacations.

[asalligo]

 

Will I stop cruising? no but I know it costs a lot more to cruise than the initial booking fare :) they are just 2 kinds of vacations.

 

For many of us, it does not cost much more than the initial booking price. When it is only my Wife and I, a cruise pretty much incurs no further fee, she does not drink and I barely drink and we do not care for excursions anymore and neither of us gambles. This is the reason we have never done an all inclusive resort. Other than gratuity my last cruise was under $100 spent for the week.

Edited December 28, 2016 by asalligo

[DirtyDawg]

Bored, so doing a bit of mental arithmetic as I'm waiting for my spring cruise.

 

Two people flying Miami to (just) Cozumel: $1400

A puddle jump flight: $1000

6 nights for an average hotel room: $900

12 breakfasts: $120

12 lunches: $180

12 dinners: $300

Nightly entertainment (for kicks movie tickets): $144

 

Cost for 2: $4000+

 

Cost for 2 aboard a 7 day Carnival Cruise Ship with at least 3 ports: less than $1k

 

And still people complain....I just don't get it

 

We just got back from Cozumel yesturday. A week at an AI was $900 each with air, all food, drinks, nightly entertainment, and a private hot tube on our terrance overlooking the ocean. ;)

[finzup-kt]

For many of us, it does not cost much more than the initial booking price. When it is only my Wife and I, a cruise pretty much incurs no further fee, she does not drink and I barely drink and we do not care for excursions anymore and neither of us gambles. This is the reason we have never done an all inclusive resort. Other than gratuity my last cruise was under $100 spent for the week.

 

you must be lucky and live by a port. for me i have to consider airfare, parking @ airport, hotel the night before, etc.

 

also don't forget gratuities

[Computer Nerd]

you must be lucky and live by a port. for me i have to consider airfare, parking @ airport, hotel the night before, etc.

 

also don't forget gratuities

 

Someone's gotta live in Florida. ;)

 

Not luck though. Choice. :)

[winddawn]

Bored, so doing a bit of mental arithmetic as I'm waiting for my spring cruise.

 

Two people flying Miami to (just) Cozumel: $1400

A puddle jump flight: $1000

6 nights for an average hotel room: $900

12 breakfasts: $120

12 lunches: $180

12 dinners: $300

Nightly entertainment (for kicks movie tickets): $144

 

Cost for 2: $4000+

 

Cost for 2 aboard a 7 day Carnival Cruise Ship with at least 3 ports: less than $1k

 

And still people complain....I just don't get it

Ethnocentrism: "Belief that one’s own group and way of life are superior to others."

[Ery]

For us it's not the cost, we enjoy cruising. We enjoy the amenities the ships we sail offer, we enjoy the down time of not driving and getting to see different ports without changing hotels. We have friends that love all inclusives - sometimes they pay less than we do to cruise, sometimes they don't. They like staying at the same place and walking to the pool or beach every day. Everyone has a personal preference and no ones is wrong.

 

 

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[DebJ14]

The OP's pricing is too high. I like to mix it up and do an all inclusive at least once a year.

 

We can fly United Airlines FIRST CLASS from Houston to Cozumel and stay in an all inclusive (Occidental, Iberostar, Allegro, Fiesta Americana, Explorean, Melia, El Cozumeleno or Grand Park for 7 nights for under $3000 with insurance, gratuities, all meals and all drinks and round trip airport transfers. When we check out there is literally no bill.

 

We could save money flying coach and maybe not taking an oceanfront room, which would bring it down below $2500 per week. How do I know this? Just spent last night booking a trip for the end of April to Cozumel for a week. To spend $4000 we would need to stay at Secrets or the Cozumel Palace. Already been to Secrets and the Cozumel Palace has no beach so we're going with a master suite at Fiesta Americana this time and we opted for First Class airfare.

 

Carnival cruise in January on the Breeze in a balcony is $2200 + insurance of $238 + dinner at the steakhouse several times + cucina capitano + chef's table + drinks etc, so it will end up costing us $1000 in onboard spending.

Edited December 29, 2016 by DebJ14

[Warm Breezes]

You can make any cruise, AI, or other land vacation as expensive or inexpensive as you want depending on your choices of when you go, how long you go, where you stay, where you eat, and what you do. I don't think there is any apples to apples even comparing cruise to cruise or AI to AI unless you make all the variables the same.

 

We have had inexpensive cruises and we have had expensive cruises. We have had inexpensive land vacations and we have had expensive land vacations. It all depended on 1) our budget at that time 2) when and how long we had available to vacation 3)where we wanted to go and 5)what type of things we wanted to do. One thing I know for sure is that we have enjoyed each and every one of our vacations....and the memories are all priceless!!

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

Yup my math is fuzzy and broad so I'll let all of you take a crack.

 

Book me a trip from Miami for a duration of 7 days where I will be visiting 4 Caribbean ports, have a minimum of 3 meals a day, have entertainment in the evening, stay at a minimum 3 star hotel with service twice a day, have access to exercise facilities and outdoor recreational facilities. Make sure my flights are booked so that I am not spending any of my vacation time once I leave Miami until my return wasting away in an airport and that my belongings travel free.

 

I don't drink so "free" booze is not a consideration. Make sure myself my traveling companion and my extended family (20 of us last time) can all book at the same time. Provide me with places to visit where we have available activities for kids from 12 to 70 and free services for those 12 to 18.

 

Sure, its easy and often inexpensive to "all inclusive" to a single destination....but I want an apples to apples comparison where I can visit four destinations hundreds if not thousands of miles apart...where I don't need to pack up my belongings every time I travel from one port to another.

 

Good luck doing that for the price of a cruise. Oh, and remember that ocean view hotel rooms are always more expensive than courtyard facing rooms, that travel outside of the hotel area is an additional expense, that eating anywhere other than the hotel/resort is an additional expense.

[rjrpar]

I think you are right about cruising being s good value but your analysis has too many flaws to even discuss.

 

 

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