Cruising Still The Best Value?

[rucruizin]

Do you ever wonder if you could do better on a land vacation? We do.

And then we plan a vacation to some destination, crunch the numbers and always end up cruising.

 

Take this morning for example I'm looking through my newest Caribbean Travel and Life magazine and fall in love with some of the hotels and destinations. I decide to hop on Expedia and check out the prices for the places I've decided I want to spend my entire vacation. St Thomas/St John, Antiga, Barbados, Nevis/St Kitts, Turks and Caicos, any of these would be perfectly dreamy destinations. So I'm enthusiastic about a land vacation and have the DH all talked into it. (Not a hard thing to do since it is usually him saying, "I don't want to cruise anymore I want to go some place for a week or so and stay.")

 

Now I'm not comparing apples and apples here so no jumping on the bashing band wagon. Both have definate advantages and disadvantages I"m just sharing this for fun.

 

Some of the destinations were obviously out of the reasonable price range, they sounded great but at a cost of $5000 or more. We narrowed it down to two that had more reasonable prices and then rationalized that if this is really what we wanted to do it would be worth the extra. We picked St Thomas and the Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort. It has everything we were looking for and the property and grounds were beautiful. No food was included, we could add the all inclusive package for about $2500 more. We don't drink so figured that would be a big waste.

 

We were so excited and started trying to look at how much more we'd be spending. This is what we came up with...These are actual prices as well as estimates, some conservative, some slightly exaggerated. Our airfare to Florida was free since we gave up our seats on a flight last year. The cost of the trip to St Thomas includes airfare from florida to St Thomas.

 

Sun Princess 10 Day Caribbean Cruise

Princess Cays, St Thomas, St Maarten, Barbados, Antigua, Nevis/St K

BC Balcony March 29, 2005 $2665 Actual cost

 

Shore excursions/Cabs $ 750 Est.

 

Tipping $ 300 Est.

 

Misc. $ 500 est.

 

Total $4215

 

 

10 day St Thomas at Wyndham

Garden View Superior Room/king $3986

 

Food/Drinks

based on how we eat on the ship ($1500 exaggerated)

 

What we'd probably spend, we

definately wouldn't eat fancy

dinners every night and woud likely skip desserts $750

 

Excurions/Cabs/rentals $750

 

Tipping $200 Est.

 

Misc. $300

 

 

Total $5536

 

A difference of $1321

 

Guess what we decided...what we always decide...we'll stick with the cruise. In addition to the savings we'll have an oceanveiw with a balcony. We won't spend an hour everytime we want to eat somewhere with the normal.."where do you want to eat?, I don't know what do you feel like?" conversation/argument that we always seem to get into. We'll visit six beautiful islands and we'll love every minute. And if we decide that it's about vacation and not about saving money I have that extra $1300 to spend on other things like spa treatments, art, splurges.

 

Happy cruising everyone,looking forward to our trip and feeling good about our original descision.

[ahracer]

Everytime I take a land vacation are realise how much of a value a cruise really is :)

 

Scott

[Justmetalkin]

Thanks for posting this. We have been having this discussion for a while. I don't know much about it, but have been considering perhaps a cruise to Bermuda. The ship will be the tranportation, hotel, and most meals. We can spend several days on the island. Thinking it might be the best of both? Any ideas?

[ahracer]

IMO a cruise to Bermuda is the way to go. Hotel and food are high in Bermuda and most ships spend multiple days in Bermuda so it is like your own hotel while there.

 

Scott

[cruise182]

If they could only figure a way to attach a beach to the ship....then you would have the best!!

[tlmlb]

They are very competitive. Just think of it this way, bigger pool, bigger and better room with a beach attached. They don't have the cost of fuel so they can be more competitive. Big plus is that you can get a better look at a place you are visiting.

[crisp1]

My sister, who has never worked, and has travelled all over Europe commented after looking at our pics from our last cruise " How do you tell them apart", " don't they all look the same?" LOL! We take 2 weeks at the 'Joisey' shore every summer and just relax, and 7 days of cruising/exploring every winter. They end up costing about the same

[mek]

One of the biggest attractions for cruising is exactly what you mentioned - avoiding the "where do you want to go for dinner?" conversation. Nice to know we're not the only couple who argues about this! Also, I don't like staying in the same place for a whole week, especially if it is a beach type vacation - you can't beat the changing view on a cruise!

[Coolmama_1]

Well put post. I am always amazed at what we spend at a land based vacation. I too like not having to make the dinner decision. Cruising is a great value.

[enymarsh]

We've been seriously considering AI as the "extras" keep multiplying on cruises, but keep coming to the conclusion that cruising is still the better value for what we want. We don't drink either so that always makes the AI not a great deal for us, and although I love going from place to place, I'd be okay staying in just one place for the whole time... lots to explore. I just wish that I could get family to join us... we're the only ones in both of our families that likes cruising.

 

We're going to San Francisco for a short (4 day) visit with my brother and his wife and it is going to cost more than our balcony cabin on the star (for 7 days) once we include the food. Then when we add any entertainment or day trips, it will end up being close to DOUBLE!! I know they're totally different experiences but it really irks me to spend so much for so short a time!

[terrierjohn]

Probably not the ideal thread for my post but.....

Just checking that my June Alaska cruise is not being heavily discounted and notice that a few UK TA's show northbound prices up to 46% higher than equiv. Southbound. I wonder if this maybe because UK cruisers prefer to do a Rockies pre cruise tour? Is there any difference in the US.

[starsjohn]

To see really dramatic savings by cruising, let us look at the Tathiti, French Polynesian itenerary.

 

A balcony stateroom on the TP for B2B for 20 days is 8000. including air from LAX for two people. This is just the air, cruise, which includes your food and entertainment.

 

A over-the-water hotel cabin runs from 800. to 1200. per night on the average. This is nearly 20,000.!!! and we have just started.

 

Food, without a meal plan is (two people), 40. for breakfast, 60. (hamburger and fries) for lunch, and dinner nearly 100.00 for a simple dinner. That comes to 200. per day or 4000. for the twenty days.

 

We will just forget all the rest of the tours, tipping, etc. as I feel I have made my point.

 

While some will argue that the balcony stateroom is not as big and nice as the over-the-water hotel cabin, I will counter saying that everyday on the ship presents a different unblocked view of the everchanging sea. In addition, the attention and service of the ship's room stewards, far and away exceeds hotel service.

 

Oops! did it again, and talked myself into booking another B2B on the TP for the third year.

 

John

[gizmo]

 

We won't spend an hour everytime we want to eat somewhere with the normal.."where do you want to eat?, I don't know what do you feel like?" conversation/argument that we always seem to get into.

LOL at this comment. :D I have gone through this same routine. This is one of our main reasons for cruising. :)

[ghgeckos]

We have found a happy balance by buying a timeshare (from a four star hotel chain). Which allows us to travel to many places around the world as well as within the USA and still cruise once a year. The two experiences are different and wonderful in thier own ways. If your DH would like to travel by land you might look into renting a timeshare people offer them up all the time.

[garycarla]

We have done some higher end all inclusive in Jamaica and it offers many of the advantages of cruising, then some. No tipping. No charge for drinks. 3-4 places to eat, included. Room service.

 

We doubt we will do anymore conventional resorts where you are always having to make decisions about food, drink and tipping. Do you know how much more relaxing a vacation is without those issues? Which is why I would pay way more for an all inclusive cruise.

[Druke I]

Have never stayed at an "all inclusive" resort, so can't comment on that.

 

Have taken a couple/three land tours, and while enjoyable, found them tiring, having to get up early for the bus, and in evening, the decision on where to eat in a strange town in a strange country leaves a lot to be desired.

 

For us, cruising works out best, and we think a good value.

[christinelee]

Thanks for all of the time and figuring on this thread....Cruising with Princess is our vacation choice every year.

 

THANKS

:D

[Charlene]

We have always found that cruising is the best value for your money!!! When you start to add up all of the other expense's of doing just a land vacation to somewhere, they can be alot more money!!! Food, lodging, entertainment, and you get all of this on a ship included in the price for alot less...Plus all of the different parts of the world you get to see, or different islands and you don't even have to pack and move to a another place to do all of this. Unpack just once, and off you go to explorer the different parts of the world.

 

So I will stay with cruising!!!!!

[rucruizin]

Oh good,

 

I was wondering how everyone would take this. I really just got so excited about a land vacation on Saturday and then got re-excited about our cruise after figuring all that stuff out.

 

I love my DH to death but that "where do ya wanna eat" converstion has started many disagreements over the years and many times we have just ended up at McDonalds or some other loathsome place. And there is the whole...thank goodness I don't have to spend a single day in a car with him behind the wheel. That could definately start a fight. HeHe.

 

I would love to do an AI but it just isn't cost effective for "Us."

 

It's funny because we have actually booked several land vacations and after discussing things and thinking about them for a month or so, we always end up on a ship.

 

I just crack myself up.

[AmyinGA]

I have been doing the same comparison. We've been wanting to go to Vegas for a while now. But each time I try to plan a trip I start to add up the numbers I can take a cruise for 3 days more than a trip to Vegas. And yes I know that you can stay and eat for cheap there but if I go there are 4 shows that we want to see and those tickets alone can pay for one person on a 7 day cruise. Luckily my DH agrees that the cruise vacation makes more sense/cents and we keep cruising.

[ahracer]

I have been doing the same comparison. We've been wanting to go to Vegas for a while now. But each time I try to plan a trip I start to add up the numbers I can take a cruise for 3 days more than a trip to Vegas. And yes I know that you can stay and eat for cheap there but if I go there are 4 shows that we want to see and those tickets alone can pay for one person on a 7 day cruise. Luckily my DH agrees that the cruise vacation makes more sense/cents and we keep cruising.

 

 

LOL, that is exactly how my cruise last spring happened. We wanted to do 3/4nights in Vegas. When we added it all up we said hey, we could do a week on the Grand for about the same. So that is what we did.

 

Scott

[sultan_sfo]

What I miss in cruising is being able to see the places after nightfall. I would be willing to pay more for cruises that stay overnite at some ports. /Sultan

[garycarla]

regarding the comment about a land TOUR - I think you have to drug me to get me involved in a land tour. That is way too much work and my patience with slow people would wear thin and NOT be a vacation. The all inclusives we go to is where we stay. We do not leave the resort. Eat, drink, me merry, relax. Only decision is what to drink.

[rucruizin]

AmyinGa,

 

I know what you mean. We live relatively close with regards to flying, hop on Southwest and it's a little over and hour away. We just went to Vegas in Sept and found what we thought was a really good deal. We stayed at the MGM for 4 nights and with airfare we paid right around $900. We don't gamble but we did have to eat. Didn't rent a car, just walked out butts off and used cabs. We spent a lot of time in the spa/gym, didn't see any shows, and ate at In-N-Out for 2 of our meals, skipped breakfast usually. When all was said and done we had spent right around $1500. I'm not paying that much per person for a 10 day cruise.

 

We also spend a lot of time in Colorado and talk about expensive. You can't get a decent hotel for under $130 a night...that's why we stay with the sister in law.