cruising vs. land vacations

[sc77]

Just curious, what makes one choose a cruise over a land vacation? Is it the all inclusivness, varied ports, etc. What makes you cruise?

[Allis154]

On land vacations, we tend to be very busy, always going here or there. On cruises, we have nothing to do on those sea days, so it gives us a chance to relax. When looking at itineraries, we look for lots of sea days.

[RickT]

Here are the main reasons we cruise (in no particular order)

 

1) Great Value

2) Unpack/pack only once

3) No bad restaurant/food experiences

4) More relaxing than a land based vacation

5) Wake up in a new city without having to drive there

[Susan-M]

What makes you cruise?

 

We look for port intensive itineraries in areas that we haven't visited previously. And we prefer ports where we can explore on our own. (A Med cruise is ideal for this.)

 

The convenience of cruising is a plus, but we do more land vacations than cruising because we often want to see an area in more depth than a day in port allows.

[Druke I]

Land tours can be very tiring - having to get up early for the bus, and packing/unpacking frequently, a new hotel every night or so.

 

We find a cruise, even a port-intensive cruise, to be more relaxing than a land tour.

[madelinerose]

We do both.

[lolakat]

I love vacations in all shapes and sizes but one reason we sometimes choose to cruise is price. In the caribbean this Feb. a week long cruise cost less than half the price of a land based vacation at a similar hotel. To me the experience at an island resort is not so much different from what I do on a caribbean cruise. I will be cruising the Med next year for the first time. Price was a big factor in choosing to cruise Europe too. In the past I've done land based vacations abroad and they are always very busy. I wanted to have some "down time" between all the sight seeing which the sea days will provide. I think we will miss having more time to explore each port but, for us, I think it is worth the trade off at least to see what it is like.

[caviargal]

We do both.

 

We do both as well and enjoy both for different reasons.

 

For Europe, I prefer to fly and stay. I think you miss too much by ship without the experience of overnighting, local restaurants, etc.

 

In the Caribbean, I like both and make the decision based on a specific ship or resort itself as the deciding factor. There is not much difference in itineraries these days from line to line so its the ship itself that is important.

 

I cruise because I enjoy the sea itself and because I like dressing for dinner and some nightlife as well. It is the elegance and tradition still found on some lines and ships that draws me. But, it is all about the sea itself and the stars from your balcony when there is nothing else around.

[chachabell]

We look for port intensive itineraries in areas that we haven't visited previously. And we prefer ports where we can explore on our own. (A Med cruise is ideal for this.)

 

The convenience of cruising is a plus, but we do more land vacations than cruising because we often want to see an area in more depth than a day in port allows.

 

I've learned that it is a good idea if traveling abroad to add 2 or 3 days at the city of embarkation/disembarkation or both. Best of both worlds.

[hdawson]

I do both and enjoy experiencing new cultures. I don't do resorts at all. After two port calls on Celebrity to Progreso, Mexico, I'm now leaving for my third land vacation to Merida. It's very relaxed and many many options of activities to explorer. Sometimes, I prefer being a traveler over being a tourist.

[Leela]

I do both. I love to travel for cultural reasons, and so do a lot of that via air and staying in hotels. I like to set my own itinerary, stay with friends when I can, and be as independent as possible. Or, if I'm doing a tour, I like to do the kind that avoid large groups on motor coaches. Like, a couple of years ago I went solo with a group of 9 to China, and we travelled everywhere by 2nd class train. It was an awesome experience (I had been studying Mandarin for about a year, so it was great for me to try to practice speaking).

 

However, I also like to take a completely relaxing "veg out" vacation from time to time. Since I don't like the beach (I can't stand sand), the idea of sitting in a resort on some island just doesn't do it for me. Cruising, however, is perfect: meals are included, I can pack more because I'm not hauling my bags everywhere, and I'm not in the same location every day of my trip. Plus it's all on the ocean, which I find endlessly fascinating. Just sitting in a deck chair in a shady spot and watching the waves will keep me peacefully occupied for hours.

[sc77]

Thanks for all the great answers and opinions. I personally like to do both types of vacations also. Cruising is fun and relaxing but for Europe, SE Asia, etc. I find land is the only way to go. I will defenitely keep all my options open.:)