Cruise vs Land Vacation

[JVNYC]

We have been cruising on Oceania for the past 5 years and this year we are taking a break and doing a few land vacations (Spain, Netherlands).

 

It was hard to not book Oceania this year as I always look forward to having a cruise coming up. Being at sea is so relaxing to me and of course all the wonderful things that come with sailing Oceania make it even better.

 

I went to Barcelona in May for 9 days and did a few day trips and had an amazing time!! I had been there 4 times before but always spent only 2 nights prior to my Oceania cruise. This time I truly fell in love with the city. I was able to really experience it and focus on just "being" and less on "seeing." The meals, the walks, the night air all were fantastic.

 

I feel like you really can't experience a place when only spending a few hours a day off the ship. Sometimes when we get to a port I'll go in after breakfast and find myself returning to the ship around 1:30 pm for lunch (can't miss the Terrace buffet). As much as I love being on the ship, I feel like I've been missing out on all the wonderful places I'm visiting. I don't think you can really enjoy a place fully on a cruise visit. It's just an appetizer!

 

I still work, I'm not retired so I can't spend all my time traveling (wish I could but eventually I can). I usually book 14 nights on Oceania and spend a few nights before. It was nice this year to not have to take almost 3 weeks of my vacation time all at once and now can schedule a few trips throughout the year. I'm wondering if I want to do this again next year. :)

 

Was wondering how many of you take a break from cruising and if you enjoy your land vacations as much or even more than cruising?

[Noxequifans]

Good question. We did all our land vacations prior to cruising. We took over 10 escorted European tours and thoroughly enjoyed then. Also trips on our own .... Berlin, Prague, Dublin, Ireland, Quebec, Halifax, plus numerous US vacations. But it was time for cruising and we now only take O and find it totally fits our current needs.

[JVNYC]

To clarify, I'm doing these land trips on my own....not an escorted tour. Don't think I'd like that.

[Chris86]

This is a very good point. I agree a cruise dosn't provide an indepth destination experience. However it shows you everywhere inbetween your destination very well. I design my trips to incorporate both.

[bitob]

All our land trips were independent. We loved them. You get to connect with a place if you stay for a while. Try renting a place in Tuscany for two weeks and driving to all the small towns. We stayed at cretaiole, an agriturismo where Rick steves has staid. Amazing

 

Or drive the romantic road through Germany and visit the small towns along the way

 

Or try the cotswolds

 

Get a good guidebook and you will love it

 

Or just spend two weeks in Paris. Nothing better. You can take side trips but no need to

 

 

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[Chris86]

To clarify, I'm doing these land trips on my own....not an escorted tour. Don't think I'd like that.

 

Cruises provide alot more flexibility than escorted tours. Its like a cruise only your told where and when and how to do things all day.

[bitob]

Cruises provide alot more flexibility than escorted tours. Its like a cruise only your told where and when and how to do things all day.

 

 

 

Plus 1. We are currently on a tauck river cruise. They do a great job but never again. It's not for us. Too regimented. Hate the bus and groups. Tired of palaces

 

On cruises we only do private small group tours. Organized tours are not for us

 

Today we bailed on the included tour and explored Vienna on our own

 

 

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[Harters]

We have our first Oceania cruise coming up shortly. In fact, it's our first full cruise holiday for many years (we did a short one from Miami, during a three week trip to America a couple of years ago). The last full cruise was nearly 30 years back - we did three on P & O, but became bored with the idea of cruising and fell out of favour with the formality - I havent owned a jacket in years, yet alone a suit.

 

Since then, a variety of land based holidays, including an annual three week trip to Spain, fairly regular long haul trips (America, Canada, South Africa), shorter trips for a week or two to mainly European destinations (Spain, France, Belgium, Italy & Cyprus being favourites). All of them enjoyable. We're looking forward to this trip and are interested to see how much we'll enjoy it, but I doubt if it will become something we'll do that regularly in future. But who knows....?

[CorgiNole]

I agree that you don't experience as much depth with just the part day visit to a given place that a cruise ship offers. However, it does provide a glimpse - and based on our cruise last year, I intend to plan a longer visit in Greece in a few years to several islands I never would have known about/considered, had I not first been introduced on the cruise. Our land tours tend to involve ME doing a lot of driving, which I don't find relaxing. Husband wants to plan a road trip to the west coast (we are in NC) for next summer, before our son graduates and moves out. Part of it sounds exciting, and part sounds downright exhausting.

[bitob]

Land trips require a lot more energy and stamina than cruising. Best to do when you are younger and fit

 

At our stage in life we prefer to cruise. Like to unpack once. Fortunately we have seen most of the world so cruising suits us now.

 

 

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[jo-b]

Another plus for land tours is that you can see the interiors of countries:) We love our cruises but do tend to see them more as a relaxing hotel break, we aren't beach lovers and don't like the idea of "lounging by the pool" in a hotel on land, but I can quite happily sit and read or watch the world go by on a ship.

 

We tend to mix the two, land based holidays to see new places, or experience them in depth and cruises as a break.

[Harters]

but do tend to see them more as a relaxing hotel break,.

 

My companion in life has always said this about cruises, phrasing it that you "go to the ship, not to the ports" for your holiday.

[bitob]

One more point

 

It is possible to hire a private guide for land trips and emulate high end organized tours using same hotels but setting your own agenda. Price is often less you don't have to be on a bus with a large group and you can eat when and where you like

 

 

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[JVNYC]

One more point

 

It is possible to hire a private guide for land trips and emulate high end organized tours using same hotels but setting your own agenda. Price is often less you don't have to be on a bus with a large group and you can eat when and where you like

 

 

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Excellent point....land vacations are SO much cheaper than Oceania! We always stay in a PH on Oceania and it usually comes to $500-600 per person per day. We can stay at a 5 star hotel and have amazing meals (in Spain they are so cheap to begin with) and pay way less than that.

[Noxequifans]

My companion in life has always said this about cruises, phrasing it that you "go to the ship, not to the ports" for your holiday.

 

For our recent O Cruises to Central America and the Caribbean we did regard the ship as the "destination" insted of the ports. But on our O Asia cruises the ports were the "destination" for us and I was able to revisit places where I had been when I was in the military. Memorable experiences.

[LHT28]

There really is no comparison

They are a totally different experience

 

For us gone are the days of travelling by motorcycle packing up each day or two to drive to another location

 

which was fun & exciting when we were younger not so much now

 

The last 10 yrs we have preferred cruises to land trips

 

 

Do what works best for you.....it is a personal choice

[rittsail]

We enjoy both. 2017 has been a non Cruise year. Enjoyed a long weekend in Boston, MA visiting US historical sites and enjoying great food. Then visiting the Pacific Northwest this September for a 10 day trip to Olympic National Park - can't see/experience that on a cruise! I love both types of trips and very blessed to be able to do both types.

 

 

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[Paulchili]

Agree with several posters above.

We have traveled extensively on land trips - with organized groups and on our own - earlier in our lives. It was exciting and rewarding. Later in our lives we started cruising and now we love the leisurely way of travel that cruising offers vs the more strenuous land travel.

My advice - travel on land while you are younger and can deal with the demands of a land trip and save cruising for later in life. Each type of travel is different and rewarding in its own way.

That is not to say that you can't mix and match along the way.

Happy and safe travels to all on land and the seas. :)

[Mura]

We're just back from a couple weeks driving through northern Portugal with friends. We've done many private land trips in Europe but never a "group" tour. I don't think I'd like an escorted tour either.

 

One argument I make about the value of a cruise (other than sheer enjoyment) is that it gives you a taste of the ports. You clearly won't see a major city in a day although some smaller ports can be done well in a short time. But you can learn if you want to come back later and spend more time there. Just as OP enjoyed Barcelona so much on this trip if more time to spend in that wonderful city.

 

Mura

[AZjohn]

Count us in enjoying both cruises and land vacations. Cruises are just a small glimpse into a country/village/culture. It's great to experience a multitude of places on a cruise which no packing/unpacking is necessary. But, nothing better than staying somewhere you like for a longer period of time.

 

Next May we will do a week land vacation in France with some good friends. Then hoping on a one week cruise on Riviera to go to ports we haven't been to yet. Then staying one week land vacation in Italy and Switzerland after the cruise. Kind of think this is the best kind of trip for us to enjoy (yes, still working and vacation days are limited).

 

Have fun,

John

[TrulyBlonde]

We agree with Bitbob relating to river cruises. We just returned from Tauck Danube this May (excellent) but cannot stand the regiment and the bus tours. Often, we left the group and went out on our own. We had done the Rhine and Rhone prior and hated river cruising. I thought going with a luxury brand would make it better. River cruising is not for us period.

 

Our final day was in Budapest and we hired a driver to take us to Vienna where we rented a car. We had been to Austria many times but wanted to see Hallstatt Lake, Kitzbuhel, and Cortina in Italy (skiers). I had planned well in advance and our hotels were all within 2 hours of driving daily. Our final stop was Venice and we then embarked on an ocean cruise to Dalmatian coast.

 

After returning home, I called our TA and cancelled all ocean cruises until 2019. We enjoyed our road trip so much and the time on our own doing our own thing. We had not done that in Europe for years and it was wonderful.

 

I am cruised out for a while and just wish we could drive on the right side as to tour Scotland and Wales and parts of Great Britain we have missed.

[tvmovielover]

...just wish we could drive on the right side as to tour Scotland and Wales and parts of Great Britain we have missed.

We like to do both land and sea trips. Our most recent trip was to Scotland last month. portofinoitaly, even with many tourists, everything in Scotland is well marked and there are keep left reminders for keep right drivers everywhere. Maybe start there? It was a great place up and down the country. Edited July 7, 2017 by tvmovielover
spelling error

[Harters]

I don't think I'd like an escorted tour either.

 

We did an escorted tour to South Africa. It packed a lot into the three weeks and I think it would have been difficult to have organised that ourselves. Not impossible, of course, but the tour was definitely hassle free. It worked for us and, indeed, we've booked another tour with them to different parts of SA for next year.

 

FWIW, the same company offers several escorted tours to America. Not something that we are ever likely to consider, although we did base our own "music trip" last year on their itinerary. And I suppose if I ever become too nervous about the driving, then we might change our minds.

[TrulyBlonde]

We like to do both land and sea trips. Our most recent trip was to Scotland last month. portofinoitaly, even with many tourists, everything in Scotland is well marked and there are keep left reminders for keep right drivers everywhere. Maybe start there? It was a great place up and down the country.

 

Thank you. So many wonderful places to see inland vs ports. Something to consider, but we may end up on trains and use private drivers. I do not think DH will want to be that adventuresome.

 

I am even ready to just pack one bag ( I love clothes and dressing up) and feel kind of free and easy :) but only luxury hotels. This will give me something to plan and work on.

[Sny]

I think it might be an age & mobility thing too. We did many trips on our own, when we were in our 40's, 50's and 60's - many to visit families of exchange students we had hosted, or related to auto racing. I agree that it's a wonderful way to experience the culture. Our first Oceania cruise was to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary last November and it was so right for us now. We're going to Alaska with Oceania in August. We do spend a lot of time talking to the staff, especially our butler (India) and steward (Jamaica) and most of our waiters (if they are not rushed). The staff are quite interesting and personable and we love hearing about their families and talking politics with them.