Does cruising stop some from trying land vacations?

[navybankerteacher]

Only to the extent money spent on cruises is not available for other options.  When I feel lazy and want to escape winter for a bit, a cruise is attractive.  If I really want to travel and see/experience some place, land is the way to do it.

 

But, then, money spent on land travel keeps me from cruising — so, it’s a two way street,

[Mike981]

1 hour ago, calliopecruiser said:

Cruising can be very cost effective (especially for couples or pairs)!  However don't limit yourself to just international adventures......they are wonderful, but the US has a lot of interesting places to investigate too.  For instance, I did a wonderful road trip in the SW, including 3 national parks and a couple of other parks and monuments (granted, that was 2 weeks).   Also in the area of Washington between Seattle and Spokane (that was 1 week).  

 

Oh I absolutely agree with you. Unfortunately we travel in the winter to get away from the cold and that really limits you in the U.S. and even then you can get a cold snap. A few years ago we rented a house in the Keys and the week before they had a serious cold front come through killing many-many fish. I think the warmest we got all week was 60º.

On the flip side, my daughter (23) took a solo four month trip this past summer all over the western U.S. and Canada. I'm still jealous.

[iancal]

We have not found cruising to be particularly cost effective over the past few years.  That is probably why we are doing for less of it.   Especially in Europe and Asia.  For us it is both the cost side and the benefit side of the equation.  Perhaps in a few years we will change our perspective.  We would much rather spend more time bouncing around the Greek Islands by local ferry or driving/training through parts of Italy that we would cruises in the Med.  We have cruised in the Med, east and west, numerous times.

 

Our vacation preferences changes as our free time increased.  Fewer AI's, fewer cruises and more extended land trips.  Sometimes a combo. As we age I have no doubt that these preferences will change again.

[jocap]

Usually we've driven on to a ferry, and spent time touring round. The last time we did that, three weeks round Germany, we found that the very best part was the 24 hours on the ferry back to the UK.

We realised that we might enjoy cruising after all...and now, although we've still had to drive round Europe for certain occasions, it's not something we enjoy, compared to being lazy at sea. Age is a big factor in this.

[douglanglois]

I find land vacations with the kids really quite stressful at times. They get a vacation, but my wife and I seem to be constantly planning, arranging, and keeping them entertained. That's one of the reasons we tried our first cruise last year. After about a week, my wife looked at me and said "you know, I think this is the first time in nearly 10 years I've seen you really, properly relax."

So yeah, cruises have definitely spoiled me on land vacations, at least when taking the kids for sure.

[ldubs]

We do both and enjoy both.  We have a very large close knit family. Cruises are generally our first choice for family group trips.  Land vacations more for just Mrs Ldubs and me.   For land trips, we do our own planning as opposed to using a tour agency.  

 

Anyway, I understand your question.  I can see how the conveniences of cruising would cause some folks to not consider land tours.  

[sprint180]

It has me.  I live in Nebraska and have seen Mt. Rushmore 14 times.   Nothing to see around here.  Then I found cruising and I'm not looking back.  Besides, it doesn't get any better then not having to cook and clean for a week.

[judytata11]

I think of a cruise as a vacation which I enjoy now and then but I like to travel and have been all over the world on land trips.

[GUT2407]

We love cruising, and as Mrs G isn’t allowed fly and I have a back that makes driving long distances a problem it suits us best to cruise but we still do ”land time” just not as frequently as we’d like to.

[MicCanberra]

yes, but not us.

[JMorris271]

We have cruised about twice a year and always have enjoyed our time. Often,   looking back, I think we could have gotten and done  so much more  out of doing a land trip there. Missed waterfalls, museums,  the people, foods and so on.

 Choosing where to go, what to stop at,  how long to say and not being afraid we'll miss the ship are definitely cool reasons to do a land trip.

At this time, we have a 2 week cruise booked for Japan but I am looking into converting this trip to a land trip for the reasons I just stated.

For me, sometimes  a cruise can be too restrictive ; but still I will never get tired of a cruise.

Edited November 30, 2018 by JMorris271
Word changed

[iancal]

We have found that there are some countries, some areas that simply do not lend themselves to cruising for our preferences.

 

SE is one such area.  Having spent a number of winters in Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia we realized  that cruises would either not get us to where we wanted to go, or if they did the ports were too far away from the sites and the port time was simply not sufficient.   So this is one area that we  do not consider attempting to pick up  a last minute cruise. 

 

We felt the opposite about cruising around the bottom of South America so we did that one but we wrapped a fair amount of pre and post cruise independent travel around it.

 

Cruses, AI's, and land travel vacations are not mutually exclusive to us.  We often combine two of them.   And we meet a fair amount of people who do exactly the same.

Edited November 30, 2018 by iancal

[MicCanberra]

Yes, we tour, cruise, fly/stay and a variety of all of them. often within the one big holiday.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Cruising has not stopped us from doing land vacations.

 

Before I was able to convince my DH to take a cruise, we did quite a few 3 week land vacations -- only one in the states -- all others were in Europe, etc.

 

Since cruising we have also added quite a few land day trips before and after cruises just to see more than what you can on a 1 day stop from the ship.

[lynncarol]

On 11/29/2018 at 8:18 AM, K32682 said:

Cruising doesn't necessarily "stop" people from taking land vacations but it does provide a travel option for that segment of the population who wouldn't take a land vacation in the first place.  These are the timid people who find travel to foreign lands a daunting and even frightening prospect and would stay at home if they didn't have a great big boat and modern conveniences close at hand. Cruising is travel with training wheels. So are all-inclusive resorts. 

I think clarification is needed here.., My parents loved to travel and were not at all 'timid people'. Along with the occasional cruise, they traveled primarily independently on land until they reached an age where physically it was impossible to do so. After that, cruising allowed them to continue to enjoy traveling until their nineties.

Edited November 30, 2018 by lynncarol
clarification

[Cruise Junky]

Heavens no.  We do far more land vacations than Cruises.  No comparison for us.  Sure, some places are easier by cruise ship but the majority of our vacations are land trips.  Just two weeks ago cancelled an Azamara cruise in favour of a land trip. October we had a Villa in Crete for 11 days. 

[K32682]

40 minutes ago, lynncarol said:

I think clarification is needed here.., My parents loved to travel and were not at all 'timid people'. Along with the occasional cruise, they traveled primarily independently on land until they reached an age where physically it was impossible to do so. After that, cruising allowed them to continue to enjoy traveling until their nineties.

 

If cruising weren't an option then your parents would probably not travel just as those who are intimidated by visiting a foreign land on their own would also stay home if the didn't have the big boat along with them.  The frightened and frail who otherwise would or could not travel can still do so on a cruise while land-based travel would be emotionally or logistically challenging.

 

Perhaps I will cruise more when like your parents I reach the stage that I need the creature comforts of the big boat. Until then I will cruise selectively when it makes practical or logistical sense. 

Edited November 30, 2018 by K32682

[CanobieFan]

Not at all! There's so many things I wanna see, places I wanna visit, that aren't accessible by a cruise.

[ldubs]

54 minutes ago, CanobieFan said:

Not at all! There's so many things I wanna see, places I wanna visit, that aren't accessible by a cruise.

 

Haha, yep kind of hard to disembark from a cruise ship in Geneva.  

[MicCanberra]

Most countries have much more to offer and see than just their ports and surrounds. Realistically anything further than 3 hours away from the port is out of reach for the passengers on most cruises.

[Mike981]

2 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

Most countries have much more to offer and see than just their ports and surrounds. Realistically anything further than 3 hours away from the port is out of reach for the passengers on most cruises.

So true. Still on a cruise, but my daughter and I rented a trike in Cozumel and when we got to 'the other side' of the island what a treat. The sites and smells were fantastic. A whole different experience from our normal excursions.

[calliopecruiser]

Like my trips at a port stop in Honolulu.......I rented a car and drove around the coast to the North Shore and back, stopping wherever I felt like it along the way.   Another time, I did a similar trip, but on a (public transit) bus. 

[luvscruising2007]

We did many land vacations when we travelled with our kids.  And we did some before we started cruising.  But, cruising is perfect for us.  We have been to many places, only duplicating 3 or4 ports in our 10 cruises. After retiring, we haven't cruised or vacation more than 1 a year.  Some as long as 10 days, others just long weekend.

We find a cruise is the best vacation for us.

[Joebucks]

I love both. As long as I get to a nice beach, with entertainment options, and food/drink it is hard for me to not enjoy myself. I mean, who doesn't love vacation? Some of my best vacations have been half land and half cruising.

 

With that said, I currently give the edge to cruising. Maybe that's because I've done way more land vacations, and cruising is a bit newer and fresher to me. Take the Carribean islands. I enjoy them very much. However, I wouldn't enjoy staying in one spot for a week that doesn't have a ton to do. Nor would I enjoy paying as much or more for the flight as I did for the entire cruise. I love the variety that a cruise offers. I love the model where all-inclusive meets a la cart for a great price. I love all of the included stuff. It is pretty convenient. I took a cruise earlier this year that let me see 8 islands for under $500. Not to mention that my room, food, and entertainment were included. It was so cheap, I took another a few months ago. There really isn't another option that would have allowed me to do so much for such a low price. 

 

I've noticed that land vacations seem to be more of a bragging topic of superiority over cruises more often than the other way around. Perhaps it has something to do with the negative image cruising sometimes has. Maybe it has something to do with expensive/exotic destinations that some can't afford.

[John Bull]

3 hours ago, Joebucks said:

. Take the Carribean islands. I enjoy them very much. However, I wouldn't enjoy staying in one spot for a week that doesn't have a ton to do.

 

 

Yes, the Caribbean is probably the top example of a destination best explored by cruise ship.

All the islands I've visited have been good for a day but only a handful worth longer. First time we island-hopped by Liat local flights -  but packing just the once, taking your room with you and waking up on a different island each day sure beats a tour of the Caribbean's airports.

 

Similar is the Baltic. Terribly convoluted to drive round, expensive & tortuous by air, sooooo very civilised by cruise ship

 

JB