Is cruising value for money?

[gambit57]

The Disney breakdown is one of the Rosen Inn hotels on I-drive. (My fave hotels as they were perfectly located when I went 20 years ago!) The price was coming in at 3500 pounds/$4700. (I dont appear to have a pound sign on my laptop!) That was travelling out of season in January and one seat up from cattle class. It is a pretty basic room so in that context its comparable to a cabin on a ship.

 

Celebrity appears to be the right line for us, the entertainment looks good, the fact we can visit so many places is a massive thing but in the end, the convenience is arguably the best selling point.

 

I see. It's a little harder to compare hotel rooms. Land hotels vs cruise cabins don't line up neatly. Cabins are smaller, but come with a room steward who tends to do a lot more and you interact with more then regular housekeeping. Especially at budget motels. Plus, how much size do you need when you're out of the room so much?

 

Again, Disney is a special case. Not only is there the size/service difference, Disney makes it REALLY disadvantageous to stay off site. You almost have to use FastPass to get on the popular rides unless you want to waste a ton of time. Maybe you can get away with it on the ones that have Single Rider lines and split up? Not all rides have that though. Staying onsite gives you a huge advantage in booking FastPasses.

 

There used to be free parking, but they took that away. Not sure if regular park parking is more than the onsite hotel parking fee.

 

But yeah, it comes down to the convenience. It's like an all-in-one resort that moves. No, you won't get as immersive as an experience as if you just stayed in one city, but you can see a lot more places without wasting time stuck on a plane or bus. It's like taking a tour without all the wasted time, giving you more time to explore a spot. Hard to put a monetary value on that.

[pacruise804]

We enjoy cruising and find value in it for our vacation dollars. Early in our marriage we didn't vacation much at all, just stayed with friends or visited family. Eventually we did more camping and enjoyed it, but there is a lot of work involved. Once we had more disposable income we tried cruising and really enjoy it.

 

We love the ocean - which is hard to enjoy by any other method. We both appreciate that once we are on the ship vacation has started - no driving, tent to set up, fire to build, food to cook, or cleaning to be done. We do share our vacation with a few thousand of our closest strangers though, and our timing is limited to 7 days or less at this point so not many choices for ports.

 

Cruising can be done very frugally or over the top depending on the line and what add-ons you get. Since we sail in large part for the ocean we opt for a balcony, but watch for deals and don't get a lot of other extras. Camping can also be frugal or a big investment too, depending on your style.

 

I hope you enjoy your cruise and find it worth the time and money spent:)

[SRF]

I just did a 2 week Disney/Universal Florida trip in December.

 

Tickets along were over $2500 for 2 people. Hotel was another $2000. Rental car was $800.

 

Parking at the parks is $20 per day. Hotel had free shuttles (included in the resort fee), but were not convenient for Disney, we did use them for Universal.

 

Meals in the parks, figure if you do one counter meal and one sit down meal, you are looking at $150 - $200 per day for 2 people, not including snacks, but including 1 drink per person with dinner.

[GUT2407]

While I can’t comment on your cruise, we think it’s great value, I’ll give you an example.

 

Last year Mrs Gut’s birthday.

 

Two night cruise, balcony, Celebrity Solstice, just over $aus800 for both of us.

 

Alternative

 

Hotel in Sydney $350 a night $700

Breakfast $25 a day each $100

dinner (on the cheap) $50 a night each $200

Lunch at mcDonalds $10 a day each (absolute minimum) $40

 

If I include$ the type of dinner I had on the ship (three course) probably about $500, the lunch maybe $100

 

So that’s over $1000 without any entertainment etc.

 

So I’d say it’s great value.

[GUT2407]

Oh and if we’d stayed in a hotel we’d have had to pay about $3 a can for Diet Coke, instead I paid around $10 a day for unlimited.

[Hlitner]

The OP's post got me thinking (which is dangerous). I have been frequently cruising since the mid 70s and have also done many independent land trips around the world. DW and I do not even think about cruises in terms of "value" but rather in terms of what we enjoy :). We both love to be on a ship and the longer the cruise the better. We also love our extended European driving trips. So for us, most forms of travel are good value because we enjoy it! Would we rate a 40 day cruise a better value then a 40 day driving trip through France and Italy? To be honest we would love both trips and think they were both good value.

 

Hank

[sanger727]

In our experience, cruising can offer a good value, but you do need to price shop. Celebrity has higher fares than some other lines. And choosing concierge class is a premium rate, how much could you save by choosing a verandah cabin? IMO concierge class rarely offers a value worth a premium over a regular balcony. The price you are paying is a bit higher than we would normally pay for a cruise.

 

Ideally, I try to keep a cruise price to $150 usd pp pd (so $300 pd since I sail no more than two per cabin). I figure staying at a decent ocean front hotel would cost $200 a night, so the extra $100 to cover food and entertainment for two plus transportation to multiple locations easily covers the value of the price. So, for me, we would price shop until we found an itinerary we liked more in the 3,000-3,500 pound range (which brings it very comparably with the Disney vacation mentioned).

 

 

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[donaldsc]

Your question is not answerable as it depends upon what value each option is to you. Only you can define that number. If I was to put a value on your choices you have given us ranking them from 1 to 10, I would give anything Disney a value of zero as I hate everything Disney while I would the value of a cruise as a different number depending upon the cruise.

 

My point is not to denigrate Disney as they obviously must be giving a value to some people or they would be out of business. My point is that you can not ask us to place a value on anything for you because we are not you.

 

You have to make that value judgement for yourself just as the rest of us do when we decide what to spend our discretionary income on.

 

DON

[sparks1093]

While I can’t comment on your cruise, we think it’s great value, I’ll give you an example.

 

Last year Mrs Gut’s birthday.

 

Two night cruise, balcony, Celebrity Solstice, just over $aus800 for both of us.

 

Alternative

 

Hotel in Sydney $350 a night $700

Breakfast $25 a day each $100

dinner (on the cheap) $50 a night each $200

Lunch at mcDonalds $10 a day each (absolute minimum) $40

 

If I include$ the type of dinner I had on the ship (three course) probably about $500, the lunch maybe $100

 

So that’s over $1000 without any entertainment etc.

 

So I’d say it’s great value.

 

DW and I were booked on a 2 night cruise to nowhere out of NYC (it eventually got cancelled, which is a different story) and I broke it down the same way to determine how good of a value it was versus staying two nights in Manhattan.

[Joebucks]

In most cases, the admission to a Disney park alone is more money, per person, per day, than a cruise. Then add in hotel, (shoddy) food, drinks, etc and you have a much more expensive vacation. Now, they are two different experiences. When the topic is value though, cruise wins over Disney, hands-down.

[Nebr.cruiser]

We consider cruising a very good value, but we do look for bargains and sales so that our cost is a lot less than yours. That would not be a good value, for us. But, everyone has their own standards, needs and wants, so that is very hard to judge.

[SRF]

In most cases, the admission to a Disney park alone is more money, per person, per day, than a cruise. Then add in hotel, (shoddy) food, drinks, etc and you have a much more expensive vacation. Now, they are two different experiences. When the topic is value though, cruise wins over Disney, hands-down.

 

Disney has its place.

 

I will cruise every year, and if I had the time and funds, more than once per year.

 

I would not go to Disney every year, although many do so.

[gambit57]

Italy was full board and Disney would only require perhaps some drinks at theme parks, parking etc. I think I mentioned that in the OP and that there would be at least 2500 pounds for those extras at Disney. So are you saying its only value if you eat at the inclusive dining options?

 

Not necessarily. It depends on your eating habits. We don't have any particular dietary restrictions. However, I can eat a lot or a little. With it's high prices, I find I don't need everything the inclusive dining option provides. Or, it may have more restrictions than I like. A common example is a soda. We can share soda and our kids don't necessarily like the kids drink options. One is included for each meal, so if we take them out, it can decrease the cost significantly. There are other things we can share or remove entirely that make enough of a difference that the inclusive dining meal isn't cost effective anymore.

 

That's another reason why it's so hard to compare and how "value" is so subjective. I can't compare it to cruising because with cruises, the food is on the more gourmet or high end. So, even though I can eat a lot less, I view it as part of the experience to try stuff I normally wouldn't pay a la carte for. Disney food, for the most part, just falls into the "it's ok, but totally not worth the price" category and is really just there to provide fuel so I can survive the day.

 

Food adds to the value of cruising. It subtracts from it for Disney (I like the snacks at Disney though; I find that part of the fun/experience).

[SRF]

My basic thing is, if I want to do it, and enjoy it, and can afford it, FINE.

 

If I don't want to do it, I don't. If I don't enjoy it, I don't do it. And if I can't afford it, I don't do it.

 

I do not worry about "value." As if I want, enjoy, and can afford it, it is valuable to ME.

 

We did two weeks in Orlando over Xmas/New Years. It was expensive. But we enjoyed it. We just did a week driving around Sicily, great fun, cheaper than Orlando, but we still value the experience.

[KamiKake]

It is hard to answer such a broad question with a single stroke. My pp per day cost varies widely with different cruises both by style and destination. Some places are much more attractive as land based trips, but even there costs vary depending on level of hotel, types of meals, etc. My next cruise in June is to the Norwegian fjords. It is incrementally more expensive than my last Caribbean cruise but it is a spot more amenable to cruising than driving for what I want to see. If the cruise you have booked goes to places you want to see then it has value. Only you can decide how much compared to other vacations.

 

Would you let us know how that cruise goes? I saw this (or one similar) on the Nat Geo channel not too long ago and it suddenly topped my bucket list! lol It would be significantly more expensive for us, but I think the experience would be priceless!

[KamiKake]

DH and I have cruised twice and have a 3rd planned. All completely different experiences. The first time was on HAL, just the 2 of us for 7 days. (This is the cruise everything now has to live up to! lol) This passed Christmas, we took my 2 boys and DH's father for 12 days on RCL. Our next cruise is a charter with friends. The biggest "value" for us was in visiting new places, trying new things and having complete down time. We ate when we wanted, slept as long as we wanted, and met some incredible people. Having DH all to myself and being waited on hand and foot for the duration was priceless! I honestly think the value is in what you want out of your experience.

[Pierlesscruisers]

So back to the original question, are we getting value for money when compared to other holidays?

 

The only people who can truly answer your question are you and your wife. Some things to consider, however, are:

 

1. You only have to unpack and pack one time.

2. You only 1 check-in and one check-out regardless of how long the vacation is.

3. Virtually all costs are taken care of right at the start (e.g. no paying for meals every day)

4. You don't have to do any driving, cooking, etc.

5. You have various entertainment venues every night that you can walk to.

6. Many other things that you will probably think of on your own.

 

You may find that you enjoy the heck out of cruising and want to continue doing it as much as you can but you may also find that it's "okay but not for us" and you may find that it's not at all what you expected. In any event, take it as an experience that you were willing to try and go on from there!

 

In any event, I hope you find it to be a worthwhile expenditure and worth repeating!

 

Tom

[shadow8800]

We have done Celebrity 2 times and would sail with them again. Our first was in Concierge class cabin and the 2nd we tried Aqua class. We found concierge class to be not really worth the extra bucks over a regular verandah. As for aqua class we did think the designated restaurant Blu was just ok on our particular sailing (I know some folks love Blu) but unless we felt the perks made up for the difference in price we would probably just choose a regular verandah. JMHO. Happy Planning

 

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[Blondilu]

Most of the cruises I've taken are closer to home, leaving either out of San Francisco, Los Angeles or Seattle. SF is an hour away, Los Angeles 6-8 hours. Seattle was a 12 hour drive and I have driven it twice. I don't believe I could have done a similar trip for less, so yes I found them to be a good value.

 

The 2 cruise I've done further away (New England and the British Isles) were pretty expensive when you add in air fare and the pre-cruise hotel stays. Could I have gone to the UK for less? Sure, but I couldn't have visited 9 separate ports. Well, I guess I could have if I added a week or two extra. But, that would have added hotel and meal costs. Not to mention the planes, trains and automobiles required to get from one place to the other. And we would have been exhausted. Same in New England.

 

In the end, to me, one huge factor in determining "value" is what I get for my money, regardless of the cost. I mean, if I never go anywhere ever again I can say I've been to England, Ireland and Scotland. It was all so amazing. And worth every penny spent.

[Jasalth]

I think the biggest difference between the two is something that has been only slightly mentioned.

 

You booked Concierge class on the cruise, which has greatly increased the cost.

 

Now when you compare that to your Disney stay, you need to think of it in terms of hotel accommodations. While no hotels near Disney are "cheap" I would compare the cruise room you have to one of the high-mid Disney rooms. Those $300-400 a night ones. If you would be comfortable in a lower end hotel, then you probably don't need that class of cruise room.

 

While people mentioned food not being as good as it once was, I won't disagree on that point, but this is your first time cruising so you don't have the ability to compare it! I have found the food at least adequate on every line, you won't ever starve. In truth, the extra pay restaurants and the NCL Haven restaurant, yeah.. I won't ever spend the money on extras like that again because it wasn't much different and in truth, worse than I could have gotten on land IMO.

 

I have never really been able to find as much value in a land vacation as a cruise. When we go on a land trip, we try to find value, but we are on vacation so that kind of goes out the window with me and DH and a $150 dinner isn't unusual for us for 2 people. Food alone can easily add up to another $1000 on a week long trip for 2 people it seems.

 

DH and I also tend to be pretty easy to entertain, give us playing cards, other card games or books or just a place to take a hike and we are happy people. But, we can also easily spend another $2-300 a day on adventure and one chance things.

 

Our last land trip was actually to Niagara Falls where my husband had never been for a concert I wanted to go see in Buffalo. We had fun, but in all honesty for the cost including the concert we could have gone on a 7 day cruise and we went for 3 days with how much things add up.

 

This is just about the money wise "value" though. I can happily say me and DH have a philosophy of money is needed to pay bills and has no value over that to us, and experiences are what we really value.

[navybankerteacher]

For North Americans who enjoy a week or so having someone else do the cooking and cleaning up, cruising is a great value --- much the same way that buying clothes made in Southeast Asia gives more product in your closet than focusing on "made in America labels".

 

When a large part of the "product" you buy represents the efforts of people nowhere near as well paid as you , you will feel the benefit of income disparity.

 

If you travel in the US, you do not experience that great disparity.

[Freshycat]

This is such an interesting question! I have pondered this myself because my family will be going on a Baltics cruise next year that will eat up 9 days of the 3 weeks we planned to spend in Europe. A cruise was probably not my first choice, but it was the compromise I reached with my extended family because we had all agreed to meet up in Europe for a week or so and a cruise was the consensus choice as being the most accommodating of everybody's different travel styles.

 

I answer the question in two ways:

 

1) Subjective value. How does the cost of cruising compare to how much I would otherwise spend in the same amount of time in Europe? What was my opportunity cost?

 

2) Objective value. How does the cost of cruising compare to how much I would have had to pay to get a similar vacation on land rather than a ship?

 

First, the cost of the cruise. We got a family balcony, the cheapest cabin I thought my family (2 adults + 2 young teens) could be comfortable in without feeling deprived, and I expect to buy 1 excursion to St. Petersburg but DIY it everywhere else with public transport. Our onboard extras will be moderate as we have fairly simple tastes. However, I will buy things I think my family will use and enjoy and also give the kids some spending money and of course you have to factor in gratuities. My all-in estimated cost is $12,000 for 9 days, which works out to estimated average daily cost of $1,333 per day.

 

For subjective value, I asked myself what I would be doing with the 9 days if not cruising. The answer is easy. At present we will spend slightly less than 2 weeks in Reykjavik, Paris and Copenhagen. If I had 9 more days I would probably skip Copenhagen and split the time between any 2 of London, Berlin or Amsterdam. However, when we do city travel, we travel fairly cheaply: airbnb in the centre of town, 2/3 meals cooked or eaten at home, walk or public transport, DIY sightsee rather than tours and spend our entertainment dollars on a judicious mix of expensive and free activities. Our main goal, other than some of the must-sees (e.g., Louvre, Eiffel Tower) is for the family to get comfortable in a new city and try to get into the rhythm of living there. So the cost of such a fairly simple vacation would be much less. My estimated average daily cost in any of London, Berlin or Stockholm, with airfare or train fare for 1 additional destination is $700 a day.

 

Nevertheless, this is not an apples to apples comparison as the inputs vary greatly. On a cruise, I get way more service, way more entertainment, way more restaurant food and way more countries and stops in. An objective comparison would take all of that into account.

 

So in assessing objective value, I compare the cruise cost to the cost of a land-based vacation with a similar level of service, entertainment, restaurant dining, unlimited booze, etc. And here is my calculation:

 

1. Summer rates for a standard room in a low-end 5-star hotel in central Berlin/London or Stockholm, i.e., 24-hour service, onsite spa/fitness/pool, dining and other options onsite, housekeeping, turndown service. $700 a night.

 

2. Restaurant dining for 4 people on the low to medium end, 3 meals a day and snacks, plus alcohol for 2 adults based on average drinker. $400 a day.

 

3. Combination of one-way ferry / airfare / train / transfers to each of the ports of call (Warnemunde, Stockholm, Talinn, St. Petersburg) in the same timeframe. About $500 per destination or total $2000. Average daily cost for 9 days: $225 a day.

 

4. Entertainment (shows, escape room, ropes course, museums we would have visited from the cruise etc.) and 1 tour in St. Petersburg for 4 people based on 1-2 paid activities per day (we like to take it easy). $250 a day.

 

Total estimated average daily cost for similar land-based vacation: $1,575 a day.

 

Subjectively, I would say cruising is bad value compared to what I would have chosen simply because I would make much cheaper choices left to my own devices, but objectively it is pretty good value compared to what it would have cost me to get the same approximate level of vacation on land.

 

Obviously, each type of vacation has intangibles that are not valued. E.g., what price do you put on the pleaure of seeing the ocean everywhere you turn? Or getting to know people from all over the world? Or letting your kids roam free knowing they are relatively safe onboard the ship? How do you value the enjoyment of buying your food fresh in the open market and chatting up locals? How does an ocean sunset compare to the Eiffel Tower lit at night?

 

Like everyone else said, there are costs and benefits, and it's both good and bad value, depending on what you're looking for.

 

Perhaps after I've cruised for the first time, I will fall in love with the cruise life and decide that I DO enjoy that kind of service-intensive vacation and decide that it's GREAT value. :)

[Toofarfromthesea]

If you have a good idea of what a cruise entails, and are willing to pay the asked for price, then it is good value FOR YOU. And really, that is all that matters.

[pacruise804]

What a fabulous way of putting it:D I often think people don't include opportunity cost in the equation, or the intangibles you mention that are hard to put a price on. It's a big part of why even though the numbers may not make sense at first glance, a cruise can be a great value (or even a lousy value, depending on the individual).

 

I hope you enjoy your cruise (even if it's not your first choice;))!

 

This is such an interesting question! I have pondered this myself because my family will be going on a Baltics cruise next year that will eat up 9 days of the 3 weeks we planned to spend in Europe. A cruise was probably not my first choice, but it was the compromise I reached with my extended family because we had all agreed to meet up in Europe for a week or so and a cruise was the consensus choice as being the most accommodating of everybody's different travel styles.

 

I answer the question in two ways:

 

1) Subjective value. How does the cost of cruising compare to how much I would otherwise spend in the same amount of time in Europe? What was my opportunity cost?

 

2) Objective value. How does the cost of cruising compare to how much I would have had to pay to get a similar vacation on land rather than a ship?

 

First, the cost of the cruise. We got a family balcony, the cheapest cabin I thought my family (2 adults + 2 young teens) could be comfortable in without feeling deprived, and I expect to buy 1 excursion to St. Petersburg but DIY it everywhere else with public transport. Our onboard extras will be moderate as we have fairly simple tastes. However, I will buy things I think my family will use and enjoy and also give the kids some spending money and of course you have to factor in gratuities. My all-in estimated cost is $12,000 for 9 days, which works out to estimated average daily cost of $1,333 per day.

 

For subjective value, I asked myself what I would be doing with the 9 days if not cruising. The answer is easy. At present we will spend slightly less than 2 weeks in Reykjavik, Paris and Copenhagen. If I had 9 more days I would probably skip Copenhagen and split the time between any 2 of London, Berlin or Amsterdam. However, when we do city travel, we travel fairly cheaply: airbnb in the centre of town, 2/3 meals cooked or eaten at home, walk or public transport, DIY sightsee rather than tours and spend our entertainment dollars on a judicious mix of expensive and free activities. Our main goal, other than some of the must-sees (e.g., Louvre, Eiffel Tower) is for the family to get comfortable in a new city and try to get into the rhythm of living there. So the cost of such a fairly simple vacation would be much less. My estimated average daily cost in any of London, Berlin or Stockholm, with airfare or train fare for 1 additional destination is $700 a day.

 

Nevertheless, this is not an apples to apples comparison as the inputs vary greatly. On a cruise, I get way more service, way more entertainment, way more restaurant food and way more countries and stops in. An objective comparison would take all of that into account.

 

So in assessing objective value, I compare the cruise cost to the cost of a land-based vacation with a similar level of service, entertainment, restaurant dining, unlimited booze, etc. And here is my calculation:

 

1. Summer rates for a standard room in a low-end 5-star hotel in central Berlin/London or Stockholm, i.e., 24-hour service, onsite spa/fitness/pool, dining and other options onsite, housekeeping, turndown service. $700 a night.

 

2. Restaurant dining for 4 people on the low to medium end, 3 meals a day and snacks, plus alcohol for 2 adults based on average drinker. $400 a day.

 

3. Combination of one-way ferry / airfare / train / transfers to each of the ports of call (Warnemunde, Stockholm, Talinn, St. Petersburg) in the same timeframe. About $500 per destination or total $2000. Average daily cost for 9 days: $225 a day.

 

4. Entertainment (shows, escape room, ropes course, museums we would have visited from the cruise etc.) and 1 tour in St. Petersburg for 4 people based on 1-2 paid activities per day (we like to take it easy). $250 a day.

 

Total estimated average daily cost for similar land-based vacation: $1,575 a day.

 

Subjectively, I would say cruising is bad value compared to what I would have chosen simply because I would make much cheaper choices left to my own devices, but objectively it is pretty good value compared to what it would have cost me to get the same approximate level of vacation on land.

 

Obviously, each type of vacation has intangibles that are not valued. E.g., what price do you put on the pleaure of seeing the ocean everywhere you turn? Or getting to know people from all over the world? Or letting your kids roam free knowing they are relatively safe onboard the ship? How do you value the enjoyment of buying your food fresh in the open market and chatting up locals? How does an ocean sunset compare to the Eiffel Tower lit at night?

 

Like everyone else said, there are costs and benefits, and it's both good and bad value, depending on what you're looking for.

 

Perhaps after I've cruised for the first time, I will fall in love with the cruise life and decide that I DO enjoy that kind of service-intensive vacation and decide that it's GREAT value. :)

 

I've never seen an escape room on a cruise:confused:. That seems like a fun idea and a good possible use of non-revenue generating space (not sure how much space they take), plus an indoor activity if weather is bad. I think we would sign up for one on a sea day if it was a reasonable price.

[Freshycat]

What a fabulous way of putting it:D I often think people don't include opportunity cost in the equation, or the intangibles you mention that are hard to put a price on. It's a big part of why even though the numbers may not make sense at first glance, a cruise can be a great value (or even a lousy value, depending on the individual).

 

I hope you enjoy your cruise (even if it's not your first choice;))!

 

 

 

I've never seen an escape room on a cruise:confused:. That seems like a fun idea and a good possible use of non-revenue generating space (not sure how much space they take), plus an indoor activity if weather is bad. I think we would sign up for one on a sea day if it was a reasonable price.

 

 

We're on the NCL Getaway, it has an escape room. For 4,200 people, though, I think it should have more than one. I plan to book immediately.

 

Escape rooms take hardly any space at all. The ones I have been to are usually 2-4 connecting rooms (you have to break out of one room to move to the next), but the rooms themselves are small, no larger than a bedroom and sometimes it is just a small hallway or compartment (claustrophobia being a common feature of the game). Actually, a cruise-themed escape room would be funny. You start with an inside cabin and each time you break out, it's into a cabin in a higher category.