Is cruising really a great value travel option?

[brillohead]

18 hours ago, Mike981 said:

*side note, it's been a few years since we have done an all-inclusive*

My wife and I have done several all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica and I can tell you that many people who complain about cruise food, would be appalled at what they serve in Jamaica. Most people are just trying to catch some sun and a buzz. And then the entertainment was um...pretty bad. Every once in a while they might have a decent act, but it was rare.

My experience in the Dominican Republic was the same.  Exact same food every single day, buffet-style, and often you were left wondering if the pans of beans or rice that were out at lunch and dinner were the exact same pan that had been out at breakfast!  

 

 

Edited June 20, 2019 by brillohead

[K32682]

12 hours ago, iancal said:

Our impression is that the cruise lines, when it comes to excursions, absolutely take advantage of people's fear of a foreign language or a foreign country.  We have seen some ridiculously priced mediocre excursion offerings that we shake our heads at.  The excursion desks seem to trade in fear, uncertainty, and doubt when it comes to certain foreign countries.

 

The entire industry trades on fear to some degree whether it's personal security, unsafe accommodations or questionable food and water.  Cruises have greater appeal to those who are uncertain or timid about travel because they always have the security of the big boat nearby with North American standard food and accommodation.

 

 

[SRF]

On 6/16/2019 at 10:41 PM, calliopecruiser said:

It's also very location and time dependant......a 5 star, highly rated hotel in downtown Boston for one night next May is over $1000 a night, but a 5 star hotel for the same night in Lisbon is about $300 a night, and a 5 star hotel on Copacabana beach in Rio for the same night is about $500.   But the rates drop by half for a February night in Boston, and by a third for the same February night in Lisbon.   It's both kind of fascinating and frustrating.

 

Heck, look at Vegas.  I have seen the same room (I was IN it), that was $45 per night for Sun - Thurs.  $189 for Friday night, and $259 for Saturday night, then back to $45 for Sunday night.

 

A week later, that same room was over $100 per night during the week and over $500 for Saturday night.

[iancal]

We do at least one AI every year. Usually in Mexico.  Always five or six star with multiple restaurants.  About the same price as a cruise but much better food, better choice, etc and air is included.

 

We also do the occasional last minute AI in Cuba.  Food is not nearly as good.  Price is usually hard to beat.

[clo]

2 hours ago, K32682 said:

 

The entire industry trades on fear to some degree whether it's personal security, unsafe accommodations or questionable food and water.  Cruises have greater appeal to those who are uncertain or timid about travel because they always have the security of the big boat nearby with North American standard food and accommodation.

 

 

When we did some cruises some years ago we saw SO many people who would go back to the ship for lunch.  I never knew if it was being unsure about what to eat or $$$.

[clo]

58 minutes ago, iancal said:

We do at least one AI every year. Usually in Mexico.  Always five or six star with multiple restaurants.  About the same price as a cruise but much better food, better choice, etc and air is included.

 

We also do the occasional last minute AI in Cuba.  Food is not nearly as good.  Price is usually hard to beat.

Do you then pretty much hang out at the resort?  Or do you go out, mingle with the locals, eat the local food specialties, etc.?

[iancal]

Stay at the resort.   We also do it on our own.  Last time we booked a hotel in Playa and then booked a second week in a Puerto Moreles condo.  We ate at different places every day.  The seafood was amazing. This year the plan will be to go with our daughter to an AI at Christmastime for a week.  Instead of flying home we will then spend a month traveling independently-mostly on the southern Pacific coast area.

 

In Cuba we were at a resort in Veradero for a week..  We  left the resort one morning, took a bus into Havana, stayed overnight in a B&B, and arranged for a local guide.  Bussed back to the resort the next afternoon.

Edited June 20, 2019 by iancal

[ducklite]

49 minutes ago, clo said:

When we did some cruises some years ago we saw SO many people who would go back to the ship for lunch.  I never knew if it was being unsure about what to eat or $$$.

Most likely a combination of both.  I think you'll see that a lot more on mass market ships where you have people who are both on a budget and typically not experienced travelers.  Some people just don't even stop to think that there are other options.  

[K32682]

2 hours ago, clo said:

When we did some cruises some years ago we saw SO many people who would go back to the ship for lunch.  I never knew if it was being unsure about what to eat or $$$.

The first time I encountered people like this was in the Marquesas. We were wandering around an island with another couple and spotted a delightful looking little spot for lunch.  They reacted with horror at the suggestion declaring, "We NEVER eat food onshore."  They scurried back to the boat and we enjoyed a great lunch.  I would put them into the same category as the tourists who only eat at McDonalds or some other fast food chain when overseas.  

[clo]

8 minutes ago, K32682 said:

The first time I encountered people like this was in the Marquesas. We were wandering around an island with another couple and spotted a delightful looking little spot for lunch.  They reacted with horror at the suggestion declaring, "We NEVER eat food onshore."  They scurried back to the boat and we enjoyed a great lunch.  I would put them into the same category as the tourists who only eat at McDonalds or some other fast food chain when overseas.  

How funny that they just came right out and admitted it!  You were likely way too nice to innocently say "oh, why?"  

We've spent a lot of time in Rio over the years and we did eat at KFC perhaps twice.  Food came on 'real' plates/flatware, rice and beans instead of fries and ?.  But we only did that cause we were trying to eat quickly and get on to some business.  We remodeled an old apt and there was always something that needed doing.  On escorted tours when we've stopped for lunch we try to go in the opposite direction as the others and go down any side street that look promising.  Came across this photo yesterday.  Adriatic sea bass.

[SRF]

4 hours ago, K32682 said:

as the tourists who only eat at McDonalds or some other fast food chain when overseas.  

 

Hey, MickyD outside the US is not your normal MickyD.

 

Heck, even in Hawaii you can get ramen noodles for lunch/dinner, and rice with breakfast.

 

😄

[ontheweb]

1 minute ago, SRF said:

 

Hey, MickyD outside the US is not your norm

 

 

DW is not allowed caffeine. She ordered decaf at a McDonalds in Paris (thinking all McDonalds worldwide would be the same), and was told no decaf, only "normal".

[clo]

31 minutes ago, SRF said:

 

Hey, MickyD outside the US is not your normal MickyD.

 

Heck, even in Hawaii you can get ramen noodles for lunch/dinner, and rice with breakfast.

 

😄

But, come on.  It's still McDs.

[Mary229]

Yes, some people travel to eat and some travel to drink but it is not a measure of someone’s worldliness.  If you like Micky’s by all means enjoy it and enjoy the cultural variations worldwide.  

[brillohead]

Back in the early 90s, I was in England with my parents, my now-ex-spouse, my brother, and his now-ex-spouse.  

They all wanted to eat at McDonald's, Burger King, and Pizza Hut!!!!

We went along with the fast food lunches for expediency's sake (we were all sightseeing together all day), but the night they were all going to Pizza Hut for dinner, we ditched them and went to a hole-in-the-wall Italian place in Soho and had an AMAZING dinner.  I still remember the garlic sauce oozing out of the chicken as I cut into it.... bliss!

Granted, England isn't exactly known for its cuisine, but Pizza Hut for dinner?  Gimme a break! 

[Nic6318]

6 hours ago, ducklite said:

Most likely a combination of both.  I think you'll see that a lot more on mass market ships where you have people who are both on a budget and typically not experienced travelers.  Some people just don't even stop to think that there are other options.  

 

 

Hi

 

Possibly, but it brings us back to the thought of whether cruising is a "great value travel option". The reality is that part of the cruise package is the meals. So many will feel that they have already paid for it on the ship, and why should the pay additionally somewhere else. 

 

What you as well as the OP and obviously many others are doing is taking the cruise and spending liberally on anything else that interests you, whether nicer accommodations, different food, other entertainment, drinks, whatever. That's great, but it changes what could be a $500 trip to one that can cost many thousands of dollars. The bottom line is that you cannot travel to other countries, with included reasonable dining options, entertainment, and accommodations for as little as you can on a cruise. 

 

Of course you can spend much more and get something different, perhaps better. If that was the OP's intent in asking, it would be pointless. 

[iancal]

We have travelled to Europe for the past few years for much less than we would spend on a Med cruise. Not that we spent less, we simply travelled for s much longer time.

 

Granted, without the entertainment but in some cases that is a benefit.

[clo]

Just now, iancal said:

We have travelled to Europe for the past few years for much less than we would spend on a Med cruise. Not that we spent less, we simply travelled for s much longer time.

 

Granted, without the entertainment but in some cases that is a benefit.

I'm with you.  The entertainment on a ship means nothing to us.  As to the rest, you betcha. But we don't need to stay in the fancy hotels, actually prefer our own apt.  As I've mentioned, go to the local market, meet the people, etc.

[calliopecruiser]

26 minutes ago, Nic6318 said:

hat's great, but it changes what could be a $500 trip to one that can cost many thousands of dollars. The bottom line is that you cannot travel to other countries, with included reasonable dining options, entertainment, and accommodations for as little as you can on a cruise. 

That's about the cost, not the value.  

[Nic6318]

29 minutes ago, calliopecruiser said:

That's about the cost, not the value.  

 

Yes...but there is no value if you can't afford it, and the meaning of "value" as you are trying to suggest is irrelevant because it would be purely subjective. Of course you can have a great time if you have a blank check, nobody's disputing that. What I tried to say was that the OP's question would be meaningless if money were no object. It's not about how much you can spend to have a good time, it's about how little you can spend to have a good time. It would only make sense if you ask what kind of vacation can you get that would compare to a $500 cruise...7 days, 2-3 countries, accommodations, entertainment, and all meals and snacks. 

[calliopecruiser]

2 hours ago, Nic6318 said:

and the meaning of "value" as you are trying to suggest is irrelevant because it would be purely subjective.

Yes, it's subjective, but it's hardly irrelevant.  I think it's actually more relevant than cost.  Even at a low price, I won't buy a discretionary item, like a vacation, that is (to me) a poor value -  I'd rather save for that discretionary item when it's a better value, even if it means waiting.   Other people might feel differently, of course.

 

 

 

[ldubs]

11 hours ago, clo said:

When we did some cruises some years ago we saw SO many people who would go back to the ship for lunch.  I never knew if it was being unsure about what to eat or $$$.

 

I could understand the $$$ if returning to the ship was convenient.  Go back, have a big selection, and save a few $$.  It would make sense to a lot of folks to do that.   I suppose access to familiar food & language barriers are also factors.   But whatever the reason, if folks prefer that then that is what they should do.  

[clo]

10 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

I could understand the $$$ if returning to the ship was convenient.  Go back, have a big selection, and save a few $$.  It would make sense to a lot of folks to do that.   I suppose access to familiar food & language barriers are also factors.   But whatever the reason, if folks prefer that then that is what they should do.  

Oh, I totally agree.  I commented somewhere here about a person on a tour with us in SE Asia.  He would eat nothing but 'Murican food.  And he missed an extraordinary 'event' in Thailand because of this.  It actually took me a couple of years to figure/accept that people travel for different reasons.

[Mary229]

6 hours ago, clo said:

Oh, I totally agree.  I commented somewhere here about a person on a tour with us in SE Asia.  He would eat nothing but 'Murican food.  And he missed an extraordinary 'event' in Thailand because of this.  It actually took me a couple of years to figure/accept that people travel for different reasons.

An extraordinary event?  Are you saying he missed the opportunity to eat.  Some people don’t define pleasure and recreation by gastronomic events 

[calliopecruiser]

1 hour ago, Mary229 said:

Some people don’t define pleasure and recreation by gastronomic events 

I took it to mean he was missing an opportunity to learn and experience more, not that he was missing an opportunity for fun.