Cruises have ruined land vacations for me

[CanobieFan]

Prices aside, I still absolutely love doing my road trips. Every year I find myself taking a week or so and doing massive road trips. This past summer I drove from Orlando, Florida to Montreal, Canada and did some 4,000 miles over 18 days visiting Washington DC, Smoky Mountains National Park, Chesapeake Bay Tunnel, Boston Massachusetts, the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and Montreal. And the summer before I did a 3000 Mile Road Trip starting and ending in Salt Lake City by way of Albuquerque, Denver, Cheyenne, and Southern Idaho. I guess for me the cruise would be a relaxing vacation but I like my more non-stop go, go, go adventure vacations which has led me to visiting 46 of the 50 states. And via Mob-Rule I've even kept track of the counties I've visited along the way!

http://www.mob-rule.com/user-gifs/canobiefan.gif

[buggins0402]

You have made some excellent points. I have just cancelled my fall cruise and am booking a nice land vacation for the wife. I will try not to compare the two.

 

She never loved cruising, just tolerated it really. I will have to make some concessions.

 

Thanks

 

Happy Wife...Happy Life! Enjoy whatever trip you take!:)

[PoppyandNana]

We cruise at least once a year.

We also go on land vacations and I don't compare their costs because they are completely different types of trips! We don't stay in expensive hotels on land and whether we go to honeymoon and relax or to actually be tourists and see different things we enjoy them all!

There are some cities in the world that are so rich in things to see/do that going to them on a cruise means you really don't get to experience the city at all!

I would not go to Europe for example on a cruise.

I like much more in depth visits there!

Sooo each trip has different experiences/vibes and we love them all!!

 

We used to have a time share when we first started cruising. Within two years of our first cruise we sold the time share. Was a nice place but as with any land resort weather became an issue. Was located on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. Nice two bedroom unit, ok pool, nice beach. In January can get to the low seventies or high sixties; too cold for the pool or beach. No restaurant or bar on site, just a small general store. So on cool or rainy days we found ourselves watching sitcoms in the room. A cruise on the other hand has a ton of things to do on days where its not conducive to sitting outside.

 

But I digress. We have been to Europe five times on cruises and was fantastic. The Baltic cruise saw us in Russia, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, and a couple others I don't remember. We went all through the fjords in Norway up to the Arctic circle. On another trip we went all through Ireland, Scotland and England on a cruise. On another all down the Adriatic. We would never have seen all these places on a land tour. Yes, we would have seen more of any given place but like the Baltic cruise we would never have seen as many different places on one trip.

[navybankerteacher]

Remember: A happy wife equals a happy life.

 

...

 

 

Usually true, but there can be exceptions - it depends largely upon WHAT makes her happy.

[CanobieFan]

But I digress. We have been to Europe five times on cruises and was fantastic. The Baltic cruise saw us in Russia, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, and a couple others I don't remember.

 

The Baltic cruises Royal Caribbean offers that has the three-day stop in St. Petersburg, Russia is definitely on my to-do list! In the past I've done four European trips on my own but all land based. (A week in England, Wales, Sweden, Norway.... A week in Spain with a few days in Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands.... a week split between the Netherlands, Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Germany, and Switzerland.... and a week in Iceland, England, and Denmark) I would love to combine the Baltic cruise with a few days spent possibly in Poland.... Someday.

[Cruise Junky]

They are two completely different trips and cost alone should not dictate your preferences. For the record our one week on Crete with an ocean front room and private plunge pool is way less than a 7 day Greek island cruise.

 

Decisions should be made on the experience not just the cost.

[GUT2407]

You have made some excellent points. I have just cancelled my fall cruise and am booking a nice land vacation for the wife. I will try not to compare the two.

 

She never loved cruising, just tolerated it really. I will have to make some concessions.

 

Thanks

 

Compromise is part of any relationship.

 

Or should be.

[donaldsc]

If the only thing that counts for you is the money - you are probably correct. The problem is that money is not everything.

 

If you consider the value of the travel experience, I feel that in general land trips provide a better travel experience than a cruise. I do both and my wife prefers cruising while I prefer land trips although I do enjoy cruising also. We compromise so that we both get what we want.

 

Doing a cruise involves either single day visits to many cities or sea days which I do not like. Also, cruises almost never let you visit cities that are very far from a coast. A land trip lets me spend several days in a place so that I can get feel for the place and also lets me see cities or place that I could never see on a cruise.

 

It is true that almost every land trip that I have taken was more expensive than most of the cruises that I have taken. Some of them were significantly more expensive. That said, will I continue to take land trips where they work best - yes. Will I continue to cruise where they work best or where my wife wants to go - also yes.

 

DON

[slidergirl]

For me, two totally different vacation experiences with no comparison. I travel solo, so I get hit with the dreaded single supplement most of the time. Yes, I know most hotel rates are based on double-occupancy, but there are places out there that offer single rooms at single rates. Also, when I do my land vacations, I have a choice of plopping down in one location and either relaxing in that location or taking a day trip around. I also love to immerse myself in the local culture. When I only have 4-6 hours in a port, that does not lend itself to a quality cultural experience most of the time. A HUGE part of a local experience is the evening and it is rare to have that possibility on a cruise (yes, I know some overnight or leave at 10pm, but that is not the norm). Now, if I were content to do the Caribbean every cruise and just head to a beach, that's OK. But, I like to do more than that 90% of the time. But, all of my best life experiences on vacations have happened on land trips.

So, most of my vacations are land-based. I enjoy a cruise for what it is for me - a chance to just relax and maybe get off at a port and spend a few hours of light activity and maybe see one big "attraction" that is at that port.

[cruisemom42]

I enjoy both cruises and land vacations. If my primary goal is to sightsee, often traveling by land is a better bet -- but not always. Greek islands lend themselves to a cruise, as do the Baltics as mentioned above. (Although I'm sure you COULD find a tour that would do most of the Baltic countries, the costs there are extremely high...) I would probably never consider an all-inclusive -- just not my style.

 

BTW, no one has mentioned the solo cruiser -- for us, the cost of a cruise is not quite such a great deal, so I often find my land trips and cruises are not so different in total cost. :cool:

 

 

Edited to add: Looks like slidergirl and I were covering the solo traveler at the same time. No surprise, lol.

Edited December 20, 2016 by cruisemom42

[sail7seas]

While I love cruising, I also enjoy land vacations. We ddi many land vacations in Europe, Domesitic, Cafibbean and I love just about all of i t. We visited the major North American cities] (most of them) and the city hotels, sights, restaurants, experience is so outstanding, we liked mixing up our travel while we could. We nevver did all inclusives but stayed at a hgge numerr of gogeous rersorts in Phoenix, Caribbean, Spain etc I am over the top grateful we did not wait until my DH retired, we traveled throughout our marriage and good we did as D H did not live long enough to retire. We were smart enough to realize that is always something that can happen to any of us. Seeing I amnow a solo traveler, I am still deciding how much I want to do solo. I am not without health issues and that is a consideration. I am exremely grateful to have the c hoice to be able to do most anything in that vein that I might wish. Of course, health would always be an issue.

Edited December 20, 2016 by sail7seas

[slidergirl]

I enjoy both cruises and land vacations. If my primary goal is to sightsee, often traveling by land is a better bet -- but not always. Greek islands lend themselves to a cruise, as do the Baltics as mentioned above. (Although I'm sure you COULD find a tour that would do most of the Baltic countries, the costs there are extremely high...) I would probably never consider an all-inclusive -- just not my style.

 

BTW, no one has mentioned the solo cruiser -- for us, the cost of a cruise is not quite such a great deal, so I often find my land trips and cruises are not so different in total cost. :cool:

 

 

Edited to add: Looks like slidergirl and I were covering the solo traveler at the same time. No surprise, lol.

 

What can I say??? ;)

[buggins0402]

For me, two totally different vacation experiences with no comparison. I travel solo, so I get hit with the dreaded single supplement most of the time. Yes, I know most hotel rates are based on double-occupancy, but there are places out there that offer single rooms at single rates. Also, when I do my land vacations, I have a choice of plopping down in one location and either relaxing in that location or taking a day trip around. I also love to immerse myself in the local culture. When I only have 4-6 hours in a port, that does not lend itself to a quality cultural experience most of the time. A HUGE part of a local experience is the evening and it is rare to have that possibility on a cruise (yes, I know some overnight or leave at 10pm, but that is not the norm). Now, if I were content to do the Caribbean every cruise and just head to a beach, that's OK. But, I like to do more than that 90% of the time. But, all of my best life experiences on vacations have happened on land trips.

So, most of my vacations are land-based. I enjoy a cruise for what it is for me - a chance to just relax and maybe get off at a port and spend a few hours of light activity and maybe see one big "attraction" that is at that port.

 

I'm not a single traveler so I'm not in a position to comment on that, but I agree 100% with everything else you said!!

[sail7seas]

Usually true, b

 

B

 

ut there can be exceptions - it depends largely upon WHAT makes her happy.

 

 

Only aguess on my part but I suspect you knew what made her happy and were okay with that or you may not have married. Presumably we know our 'future spouses quite well when we marry them or we might have moved along. :)

Edited December 20, 2016 by sail7seas

[pullen0]

D. W. and I Did 19 day 6,900 mile cross country motorcycle trip From Boston Massachusetts. to West Yellowstone Montana and Back. :D

 

Food, Fuel and lodging cost me just over 2 G's.

 

.

 

The 3 of us did a 6000 mile, 19 day trip through 13 states, 8 National Parks, 3 State Parks and a multitude of other things such as a $900 helicopter ride in the Grand Canyon, a $750 Lamborghini Aventador drive in Vegas, $600 Cirque Du Soleil show in Vegas and the total price on that trip will be about the same or less than 4 nights in Puerto Rico and a 7 night cruise in a single interior cabin.

Edited December 20, 2016 by pullen0

[hel0013]

D. W. and I Did 19 day 6,900 mile cross country motorcycle trip From Boston Massachusetts. to West Yellowstone Montana and Back. :D

 

Food, Fuel and lodging cost me just over 2 G's.

 

.

 

 

I hope you rode over the Beartooth Pass? :)

 

No longer have a bike :( but I sure enjoyed those road trips! It was always about the journey! :cool:

[pullen0]

The only way cruising poses a "deal" to me is if the itinerary takes me to ports that I otherwise would never get to. This cruise takes me to Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Kitts, and St. Thomas. No way I'm going to pay airfare and spend a few days in each of these places on their own.

 

The base price of my cruise came to $3000. That's almost $430 a day. I can get really nice hotels, food and gas for a lot less than the tiny room and food on the cruise.

[srlafleur]

I love cruising and I like land vacations. That said, my idea of a vacation isn't staying in one place for very long. I'm not the type to hang out at a beach for a week, or even a couple of days. Hubby and I are probably among very few people who've cruised Hawaii without even bringing our swimsuits (we did bring motorcycle helmets, though! :rolleyes:)

Realistically, the only things I've disliked about road trips we've taken has been living out of a suitcase (vs unpacking for a week) and trying to figure out where to eat, especially when tired from the day's activities, then getting back to the hotel to chill and needing to go back out to find a place. Buzz kill.

 

I don't really compare the cost of one vs another. I'm quite capable of being frugal on a land vacation, though.

Edited December 20, 2016 by srlafleur

[Bizmark'sMom]

At best, a cruise gives you a brief taste of an area. If you're just looking for a Carribean beach, that's probably fine. If you really want to poke around and explore, you need to spend a few days.

 

I like both types of trips. I cruise when it makes sense, but usually as just part of a longer trip. Because my drive is to see new places, I end up flying into different countries to catch those cruises. Amsterdam demands at least 3 days to really see - the Rijksmuseum is worth a day all by itself! It would be a shame to get to Iceland and not spend most of a week seeing it!

 

Then again, I also own a travel trailer I can hitch up for long road trips to places that interest me.

 

I will say, based on the cruises that appeal to me, the land part of the vacation is usually cheaper. I rent apartments when I can, so I can cook simple meals and then go out and enjoy the evening.

 

The ship itself has never been a destination for me. I want to see new places, walk on different ground, experience different cultures. I can relax and catch up on sleep at home. We all travel differently.

[Cruise Junky]

At best' date=' a cruise gives you a brief taste of an area. If you're just looking for a Carribean beach, that's probably fine. If you really want to poke around and explore, you need to spend a few days.

 

I like both types of trips. I cruise when it makes sense, but usually as just part of a longer trip. Because my drive is to see new places, I end up flying into different countries to catch those cruises. Amsterdam demands at least 3 days to really see - the Rijksmuseum is worth a day all by itself! It would be a shame to get to Iceland and not spend most of a week seeing it!

 

Then again, I also own a travel trailer I can hitch up for long road trips to places that interest me.

 

I will say, based on the cruises that appeal to me, the land part of the vacation is usually cheaper. I rent apartments when I can, so I can cook simple meals and then go out and enjoy the evening.

 

The ship itself has never been a destination for me. I want to see new places, walk on different ground, experience different cultures. I can relax and catch up on sleep at home. We all travel differently.[/quote']

 

Very well said. I couldn't agree more. One of the things I love about foreign countries are their markets. So the ability to have my own kitchen is wonderful

[pullen0]

At best' date=' a cruise gives you a brief taste of an area. If you're just looking for a Carribean beach, that's probably fine. If you really want to poke around and explore, you need to spend a few days.

 

I like both types of trips. I cruise when it makes sense, but usually as just part of a longer trip. Because my drive is to see new places, I end up flying into different countries to catch those cruises. Amsterdam demands at least 3 days to really see - the Rijksmuseum is worth a day all by itself! It would be a shame to get to Iceland and not spend most of a week seeing it!

 

Then again, I also own a travel trailer I can hitch up for long road trips to places that interest me.

 

I will say, based on the cruises that appeal to me, the land part of the vacation is usually cheaper. I rent apartments when I can, so I can cook simple meals and then go out and enjoy the evening.

 

The ship itself has never been a destination for me. I want to see new places, walk on different ground, experience different cultures. I can relax and catch up on sleep at home. We all travel differently.[/quote']

 

When I travel, I'm on the go from morning to night. We went to NYC for this last Thanksgiving, we walked 38 miles in 3 days with about 15 hours of sleep in those 3 days. I don't travel to sit in a hotel room or ship cabin. Our standard for a room is that it's clean and not give us bed bugs because about all we do is sleep and shower in a room.

 

On this cruise, we are in port 9 or more hours every day except for the lone sea day. Now take time for shows and activities on the ship, why spend a fortune on a suite that we'll rarely be in?

[pullen0]

We've found our favorite land vacations are visits to cities. We had the best time in Chicago and New York and I keep looking around for other cities to visit (any ideas?).

 

 

 

We cruise a lot and I've started looking for other cruise experiences to keep it fresh. We aren't beach people, but that seems to be the crux of cruising. Fortunately, we have Alaska and New England/Canada cruises in the queue, but as I look around at the 2018/2019 itineraries, it's on Caribbean cruise after the next.

 

 

 

Maybe I should look at another California Coastal.

 

 

 

In any case, the city trips we took were quite expensive, no question, but the experience, food and sightseeing can't be compared to Nassau or Puerto Vallarta. I'll always cruise, but the city trips will continue to be among our favorites.

 

 

Boston is a beautiful city. Lots to do there.

 

 

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[navybankerteacher]

Anyone with available time should build in pre- or post-cruise time to explore area around ports of embarkation/debarkation. Perhaps Miami and Fort Lauderdale can get old, so it may not be important on Caribbean cruises -- but I am amazed by those who will fly into Rome, or Venic, or Athens on embarkation day --

[pullen0]

Anyone with available time should build in pre- or post-cruise time to explore area around ports of embarkation/debarkation. Perhaps Miami and Fort Lauderdale can get old, so it may not be important on Caribbean cruises -- but I am amazed by those who will fly into Rome, or Venic, or Athens on embarkation day --

 

 

One of the main reasons I chose a cruise out of Puerto Rico. Like adding another port. 3 nights before and 1 after. Only problem is flights were way more expensive.

 

 

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[cruisemom42]

We've found our favorite land vacations are visits to cities. We had the best time in Chicago and New York and I keep looking around for other cities to visit (any ideas?).

 

 

Agree that Boston is a wonderful destination city. If you like good food, New Orleans is another one. And Seattle. And San Francisco.