Cruise a good value??? I think not.

[valtandc]

WOW. STARTING THIS POST....I didn't realize it would get this much attention.

 

thanks for your input. this is first time i read throught the hundred of anything threads. some great points.

 

AFTER READING ALL.....I think the best points were that I wasn't comparing Apples to Apples. You are right!!!!!

 

Enjoy all your vacations.....They are subjective pleasurable delights.

 

I hate the New England Patriots.

[factotumdeb]

our family as feels as if cruising is a great value. we tested our theory a few years ago when my DH brother and wife asked us if we wanted to spend 10 days with them and another BIL and SIL in their time share in hawaii. who can say no to hawaii. we couldn't. we had done two previous cruises to hawaii and thought this would be great. our cruises were 11 days each. in the land vacation, just putting in our share of the time share tranfer to hawaii fee, food, and car rental was more for 10 days than our 11 day cruise. we only snorkeled, which was free and ate out once at dinner and once for lunch- other wise we had pasta and dogs- very inexpensive meals in the condo or sandwiches at the beach. we included airfare in the mix, to try to make it fair. we loved our land trip, but it was no bargain. plus we had to cook and clean everyday. i vote cruising :)

[T. Advisor King]

Wow, I hope you are not at my table for dinner, this makes no sense to me.

 

Then I would have thought that you'd be hoping that I would be at your dinner table -- so I could explain it to you! :)

[workingmom55]

The cruise part of the vacation is truly a value. It is up to you whether you make it not a value. If you drink from morning until night...yeah the bar bill will add up. If you go on the most expensive excusions, yeah it can get expensive. The way to go is to purchase these before you go. What I did was get some drink cards. 8 drinks each $46 (tip is included). I also booked my excusions at different times. So it didn't hit me so hard.

 

I do agree that airfare was a killer!! I paid almost as much for my tickets from boston to miami...than I did for the cruise itself. Gone are the $99 deals (at least for now) for airfare.

 

Only 29 days to go...1st time cruising since 85...I am going to enjoy this.:):):)

[cruzin4our10th]

We recently returned for a cruise and have another booked for this July (not the norm for us to have two in a year but it works) anyway while in St. Thomas we went to Secret Harbour and loved the beach and area. So when I came home we check into renting a one bedroom vila for our family of four for a week $2600 for oceanview but not beach front next july versus a cruise at $3600 next July . . . .I don't think we can eat in the islands for a week on $1000 anddefinatley no food 24/7 besides that we have no entertainment or activites to the kids. I also checked into several multi bedroom condos for other families to join us again prices weren't so great that we said "yes this is cheaper" and I have to cook clean up and make beds. Maybe renting a beach house in Florida would be a lot cheaper, but then I wouldn't get the same Island vacation and we wouldn't be comparing apples to apples!

[sherman1949]

You're right about the price if you have a motel/hotel, transfers, air fare, etc. We're fortunate to live in North Carolina and drive to Jacksonville where my in-laws live. We spend the night and then cruise out of Port Canaveral, Jacksonville or Tampa. That saves a lot of money. Maybe you just need to adopt a family near a port (ha). Sherman1949

 

 

 

 

 

I love to cruise and cant' wait until June when I get to do so with extended family. But......I read here and there that cruising presents a good value......I don't think its a rip off but good value I don't believe.

 

A good value to me is renting a big home on the outer banks with a few families and enjoying the week.......or a drive to vacation if you live in northeast like to to lake george or cape cod or upstate NY.........or an all inclusive in riviera maya (if you like to drink you save tons on booze).........or staying at auntie's home near the beach. lol.

 

If a family of 4 has to fly to miami, take a 7 night cruise, and stay at least 1 night in a hotel in miami and take shuttles too and from airport.....look what that costs.....a ton.

 

anyway....just wondering why many of you think its a good value....remind me again so i keep my enthusiasm high for my trip.....

[Carnivaluver]

I love to cruise and cant' wait until June when I get to do so with extended family. But......I read here and there that cruising presents a good value......I don't think its a rip off but good value I don't believe.

 

A good value to me is renting a big home on the outer banks with a few families and enjoying the week.......or a drive to vacation if you live in northeast like to to lake george or cape cod or upstate NY.........or an all inclusive in riviera maya (if you like to drink you save tons on booze).........or staying at auntie's home near the beach. lol.

 

If a family of 4 has to fly to miami, take a 7 night cruise, and stay at least 1 night in a hotel in miami and take shuttles too and from airport.....look what that costs.....a ton.

 

anyway....just wondering why many of you think its a good value....remind me again so i keep my enthusiasm high for my trip.....

 

I travel a lot and cruising is my least favorite way to travel. My wife likes it but I think it is simply about consuming food and destinations. We did a 12 day Mediterraean

[crusin4funtimes]

My kids chose a cruise over Disney World when they were 7 and 10:D.

 

 

Lol mine too except they are 9 and 11! They are so excited for our cruise in August and so am I:D

[Room Service!]

I travel a lot and cruising is my least favorite way to travel. My wife likes it but I think it is simply about consuming food and destinations. We did a 12 day Mediterraean

 

So why "Carnivaluver"?

[Carnivaluver]

I love to cruise and cant' wait until June when I get to do so with extended family. But......I read here and there that cruising presents a good value......I don't think its a rip off but good value I don't believe.

 

A good value to me is renting a big home on the outer banks with a few families and enjoying the week.......or a drive to vacation if you live in northeast like to to lake george or cape cod or upstate NY.........or an all inclusive in riviera maya (if you like to drink you save tons on booze).........or staying at auntie's home near the beach. lol.

 

If a family of 4 has to fly to miami, take a 7 night cruise, and stay at least 1 night in a hotel in miami and take shuttles too and from airport.....look what that costs.....a ton.

 

anyway....just wondering why many of you think its a good value....remind me again so i keep my enthusiasm high for my trip.....

 

I travel a lot and cruising is my least favorite way to travel. My wife likes it but I think it is simply about consuming food and consuming destinations. We did a 12 day Mediterranean cruise last year on Carnival and it was just about getting to a port, running around and getting back on the ship. We live in Hawaii so we see this behavior all the time when the cruise ship comes in a people run around and really see very little of the islands.

 

Most travel articles I read say that getting on the ship is cheap but once on the ship it is no longer the great value people say or think it is.

 

Also there are the all the hassles associated with cruising that you read about on these boards of chair hogs, people cutting in line, over crowded, soda cards, rum smuggling non-enforced dress codes, smokers, overpriced internet access and crowded excursions.

 

I travel so much that we get are airline travel free, stay in hotels free, get get free meals, free rental cars and usually stay in a city overseas at least a week to get a feel or the place and what is really happening there.

 

I find cruising to be about mediocre food, pretty much the same experience on most ships and kind of a Walmart way to travel no matter how much you pay for the cruise. Also, IMHO having to listen how many cruises people have been on as a conversation makes my teeth go numb.

 

I think people could buy a timeshare and get more bang for their buck then on a cruise. :)

[trptplayer22]

The 2 of us live 15 minutes from the port, no flying, no hotel. We live approx., 3 1/2 hours from Deep Creek Lake in Md. The costs of the rental cottage, boat, food would very likely cost 2 1/2 times what the cruise costs for a week, and then the added cost of other forms of entertainment we might want to indulge in. Cruising IS most definitely a GREAT value for us.

 

You must live near me. So you said it all. You can also add OC in that same costs. Then if it rains all day in Deep Creek you can look at each other or pay to go out. Same with OC.

 

We figure the 1600 we paid for our cruise is a great value. We go to the other 2 places I just get to move my house and cook and clean. A pontoon boat is at least 650 a week in Deep Creek, Rental cabin cheap 900.

[FLSteve11]

I travel a lot and cruising is my least favorite way to travel. My wife likes it but I think it is simply about consuming food and consuming destinations. We did a 12 day Mediterranean cruise last year on Carnival and it was just about getting to a port, running around and getting back on the ship. We live in Hawaii so we see this behavior all the time when the cruise ship comes in a people run around and really see very little of the islands.

 

Most travel articles I read say that getting on the ship is cheap but once on the ship it is no longer the great value people say or think it is.

 

Also there are the all the hassles associated with cruising that you read about on these boards of chair hogs, people cutting in line, over crowded, soda cards, rum smuggling non-enforced dress codes, smokers, overpriced internet access and crowded excursions.

 

I travel so much that we get are airline travel free, stay in hotels free, get get free meals, free rental cars and usually stay in a city overseas at least a week to get a feel or the place and what is really happening there.

 

I find cruising to be about mediocre food, pretty much the same experience on most ships and kind of a Walmart way to travel no matter how much you pay for the cruise. Also, IMHO having to listen how many cruises people have been on as a conversation makes my teeth go numb.

 

I think people could buy a timeshare and get more bang for their buck then on a cruise. :)

 

Well yeah, if I got free air fare, hotels, rental car and meals at places, I would think that is a better bargain as well. *grin* I don't think most people get that kind of bargain though.

[Julienatul]

We live in Fl and drive to the port so for us its a huge value we couldnt pay for gas, hotel and food for what we can pay for a cruise for our family and it includes entertainment, babysitting etc etc

[jtdlmc]

No, I don't think a cruise is a great bargain when you have to add in airfare, motels (3 nights for us), meals en route (at the motels), booze/drinks on the cruise and all the other expenses associated when compared to an all-inclusive resort or a week long stay in a cottage, hotel or campground near home. My family of four can go to an AI for much less than I paid for everything associated with our cruise in February. Excursions from the resorts are an iota of the price of an excursion purchased from the cruise line or even private companies.

 

I must say though, that I like the food and dining options better on a cruise and the fact that we visited three different countries in one week.

[richstowe]

I travel a lot and cruising is my least favorite way to travel. My wife likes it but I think it is simply about consuming food and consuming destinations.

I think people could buy a timeshare and get more bang for their buck then on a cruise. :)

 

I saw some truth in many of your points until Whoa I read the above.

 

OMG that is not the way to go.

 

Used to be a joke in Stowe - How do you make a 100k condo 500k ?

 

Timeshare!

Never !

Never !

Never !

Never !

[LHP]

Cruising to me has always been priceless....

 

because we have a son with Autism who is so comfortable on a Carnival ship that he gets to be a "normal" kid for a week.

 

Secondly, it saved my sanity. Traveling with a family of four (whose food taste could not be more different)...there are no arguments about where to eat.....finding a restaurant in a strange city and not having to worry IF it is a good part of town!

[cowgirlamy]

It can be a good value if you want to see several different places within a week. Personally, I stay away from cruises that have too many "at sea" days. Last summer, I took a cruise from San Juan ( at the time airfare cost me $280 from Houston) and the cruise stopped in port every day. I got to see Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Tortola, Dominica, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and St. Maarten all in one week! Well worth the cost if you ask me.

 

Plus the cruising experience is so much fun for me. There is nothing like the atmosphere of a cruise, meeting new people, partying at night, catching shows...the best!

[flintg]

Well, i booked my first cruise last month and i too wonder at times about the costs....

But, for about the same price instead of us flying to a AI in Mexico and spending a week there i get to be transported from Miami to 4 different vacation destinations in one week. A cruise is almost AI except for the booze. I have been to many resorts and i get too antsy and a week in one spot gets boring too me... So for me i think a cruise will be perfect...

 

While I agree cruising is a good value, it can not compare with an

AI. The cabins are clothe closets compared to the rooms in a resort and

there is NO comparison to the MDR or buffet to the restaurants of an AI which do not cook for 3,000 people and have time to concentrate on their menus! Factor in the premium booze included in the AI price and cruising

comes up short except for the different ports of call.

[Room Service!]

trptplayer22,

Hi! We actually live in Glen Burnie.

Our cruise last October was on Celebrity, 9 days. The total cost, cruise tickets, port charges, s & s charges including tips and a booze package totaled under $2400.00.

I never cooked, unless you consider baking in the sun cooking. I never cleaned, unless you consider showering once, twice a day cleaning. I never did laundry, unless you consider rinsing a bathing suit doing laundry. I/We think we got a great deal.

I could attempt to break it down, paying for the hotel/cottage, paying a cook or going to a restaurant for 9 days, paying to have laundry done say, 3 times during this time, having someone clean, maybe twice during this time, but I don't have to...I KNOW I got a GREAT deal, and you did too. Hope you have a GREAT time! :)

[ryanpatricksmom]

You must live near me. So you said it all. You can also add OC in that same costs. Then if it rains all day in Deep Creek you can look at each other or pay to go out. Same with OC.

 

We figure the 1600 we paid for our cruise is a great value. We go to the other 2 places I just get to move my house and cook and clean. A pontoon boat is at least 650 a week in Deep Creek, Rental cabin cheap 900.

 

 

If my husband and I take a week off and spend it at our house in Deep Creek, we could easily spend in excess of what we would on a cruise...and it's our house, our boat. Granted, because it's my house I have a fully stocked kitchen, I usually cook, but if we ate out 3 meals a day, took the boat out a couple of times, went to the movies or some other activity once or twice, it could easily exceed the price of a week long cruise from Baltimore.

[Carnivaluver]

Well yeah, if I got free air fare, hotels, rental car and meals at places, I would think that is a better bargain as well. *grin* I don't think most people get that kind of bargain though.

 

People who know how to travel get a tremendous amount of freebies....it is pretty easy.....however not quite as sexy as paying for 10+ cruises on Carnival and getting FREE laundry....:D

[seashell36]

Cruising to me has always been priceless..... Traveling with a family of four (whose food taste could not be more different)...there are no arguments about where to eat.....finding a restaurant in a strange city and not having to worry IF it is a good part of town!

 

This has been one of my reasons for cruising. I have a teen who's a vegetarian and a smaller child who is rather picky. When we go on a land based vacation (even to an AI) it is a problem making everyone happy with restaurant choices. On a cruise the wait staff will try to make everyone happy.

 

Being a work from home parent I really appreciate being catered to and waited on. At a "staycation" at home, or on a land based vacation, someone has to clean up and make the beds, cook the food, shop, drive to different activities. On a cruise I don't have to worry about that, I love cruising and wish I'd found it earlier.

[FLSteve11]

People who know how to travel get a tremendous amount of freebies....it is pretty easy.....however not quite as sexy as paying for 10+ cruises on Carnival and getting FREE laundry....:D

 

Hey don't forget those priority tender tickets too! *grin*

 

I get some deals on those, and have made some free stays and a few free flights. But I've also had some great deals on cruises also. Much the same, you need to shop around a bit, don't get set on your dates or line, and look for specials. Particularly if you live near a port, (I live in south florida, so I am in prime location) you can do many vacations without airfare and have them be different each time. (Some TA's are adding airfare as a comp for some overseas cruises now as well)

[swimmom32]

We live in South Florida and really dont care for Hotels....We have done the AI and after a while it gets boring in our opinion...We love Cruising and will cruise every chance we get...We also do not need Air Fare so that of course is a big savings and we only do inside cabins...

[T. Advisor King]

We recently returned for ... while in St. Thomas we went to Secret Harbour and loved the beach and area. So when I came home we check into renting a one bedroom vila for our family of four for a week $2600 for oceanview but not beach front next july versus a cruise at $3600 next July . . . .I don't think we can eat in the islands for a week on $1000 anddefinatley no food 24/7 besides that we have no entertainment or activites to the kids. .... Maybe renting a beach house in Florida would be a lot cheaper, but then I wouldn't get the same Island vacation and we wouldn't be comparing apples to apples!

 

This is the part of the debate that I always struggle with. Comparing a cruise vacation to a regular vacation never can be "apples to apples". There are pros and cons of both and I think few people would disagree. So I don't find it persuasive to say, "you can't compare a land vacation to a cruise vacation unless you give me all the things on the land vacation that I would have had on the cruise vacation." There are many elements to a land vacation that you don't get on a cruise vacation, so it works both ways. It is the extent to which the advantages and disadvantages offset, how you value the difference, and the total price you pay that determines whether one is a better value to you than the other.

 

I travel a lot and cruising is my least favorite way to travel. My wife likes it but I think it is simply about consuming food and consuming destinations. We did a 12 day Mediterranean cruise last year on Carnival and it was just about getting to a port, running around and getting back on the ship. We live in Hawaii so we see this behavior all the time when the cruise ship comes in a people run around and really see very little of the islands.

 

...

 

I find cruising to be about mediocre food, pretty much the same experience on most ships ... :)

 

I have a lot of sympathy for many of C-luver's comments (but not for one). I enjoy cruises (apparently more than C-luver), but I agree that the nature of most cruises gives you only a small taste of the destinations (albeit generally more different destinations). But the problem I have and the one area where cruises fall down is that typically the taste you get is a contrived or manufactured taste designed by the local tourist industry specifically to be consumed by cruise ship passengers. If you were to travel to those destinations on your own and stay for a while, I agree that you still wouldn't likely be getting a genuine view of the destination. But by being there for a longer period and having more of an opportunity to do more things, you are more likely to get a better taste of what that island, country or city is really like. So some people will always love cruises more because they don't have to cook and clean. Conversely, I will often prefer land vacations because I get to spend more time in one place, learn what it is like, find some hidden gems, etc.

 

I do have to say that I've had no complaints about the food on Carnival. There are things I'd rather do with my scarce vacation time than have a two hour, sit-down 4(ish?) star dinner every night. But if you want it, it is there and there's not much to complain about.