Is cruising affordable and a good vacation value?

Let us begin at the end. Yes, cruising is the best vacation value for a number of reasons that are listed below. And now for the front end – cruising is affordable if a vacation is affordable to any person. After all, it is a fact that almost nowhere else you are entitled to a stateroom from the beginning of the cruise till it ends at your port of entry plus all your stately meals, routine on-board activities including contemporary movies in plush theater halls and transportation from port to port. In short, you feel like a state dignitary for the price of one ticket to board the ship. What is more, it lets you know beforehand what your vacation will end up costing you. This is never possible in any other mode of vacation available under the sun.

Let us now come to the question of affordability that partly depends on the type of cruise selected. A shorter cruise will obviously prove more cost-effective as compared to a longer one stretching up to a month or so. In fact, affordability itself is such a stretchable expression that means so many things to different individuals. While thousand dollars a night may seem affordable to a tycoon, it may sound exorbitant to many. They may prefer affordable cruising instead. There are many cruise discount plans too foe their benefit. You need to check out the discounted cruise liner packages – and there are quite a few of them too. Though they are termed as ‘discounted’, but the experience in these ships are also highly enjoyable for most tourists.

Those in search of a vacation value may look for these deals. The following cost analysis may throw some light on the point of is cruising affordable and a good vacation value.

Items	Typical cruise vacation	Typical land-based vacation
Cruise Fare	$	Vacation Fare: $
Room	included	$
Transportation	included	$
Ground Transfers	included	$
Daily Breakfast	included	$
Daily Lunch	included	$
Dinners	included	$
Midnight Buffet	included	$
Sports activities	included	$
Entertainment	included	$
Onboard Parties	included	$
Onboard Disco	included	$
	Total	$

It needs to be mentioned here that there are standard cruise vacation packages where there are many inclusions and exclusions. While the standards are included (such as pre-decided menu and tickets to some shows), the extras are not (such as your preference for alcohol). You need to of course pay extra for them in your cruise vacation because most cruise vacation deals will not have them included.

Checking and comparing the overall cruise fare with the total cost of land-based vacation may at once convince anyone that a standard cruise vacation costs much less than a standard land-based vacation taken on the same level as a cruise.

Besides, cruise ships are unique floating resorts complete with their sauna and gym, dance and disco along with various entertainment facilities for people of all ages. But what sets them apart from any other land-based resort is their ability to move from one port of call to another every other day to savor the culture and tradition of a multitude of people and races. This may have an outstanding vacation value that none can offer or provide with.

Cruising offers a great vacation value by providing three basic things necessary in terms of (a) Relaxation, and (b) Adventure. As far as relaxation is concerned, the cruise crew is specially trained to pamper the gusts literally towards spoiling them forever. Choice food and beverages keep on coming 24 hours for the guests irrespective of their age and sex, turning them into gastronomes right from the beginning. As for adventure, every port of call beckons a trip inland to see and savor the unknown. Of course, the ship’s security system provides all the necessary safety measures associated with such tours.

Most cruise lines strive to turn their cruise ships into floating dreamlands, complete with all the luxuries available under the sun and the guest is provided with so many options and choices that one is apt to become overwhelmed with so many worthwhile offerings. Compared to a car trip with motels or a trip to a land-based resort, a cruise ship is several resorts grouped together with all the amenities and services reserved at one place. This may surely be called as an example of good vacation value.

Despite all the additional charges that are collected from a guest for drinks, shore excursions, photographs, wireless internet usage, etc, a cruise ship vacation is by far the best value for the guest’s hard earned greenbacks which he or she happily spends for the fun enjoyed during the cruise. None perhaps has left a cruise ship with a grudging mind so far.