I Can’t Figure This Out?
A good price for a domestic round trip airline ticket is about $200, for lets say something like a 2 hour flight. Last month we got a four night cruise for $210 each. The price was for everything including taxes (and port taxes), everything except tips. Not just domestic, we went to Mexico! These two tickets basically cost the same. So maybe someone can help me understand this:
Airline: This is a two hour trip (maybe three or so with delays).
Cruise: Four days and four nights.
Airline: Your seat is less than 2 feet wide.
Cruise: You get a whole state room, decks, dining rooms, theaters, dance floors, and such.
Airline: You can nap sitting up (maybe slightly reclined), hoping that you do not fall over on your seat partner or drool too much as you sleep.
Cruise: Go on deck and layout on a lounge chair on the deck, or go to your room and curl up on your bed with the towel art, after you eat the chocolate mints.
Airline: If you need the bathroom, you have to wait until the seatbelt light goes off, climb over people stand in line and go in something that is smaller than a port-a-potty.
Cruise: You get a whole bathroom to yourselves with a shower and fresh towels daily.
Airline: They give you 6 oz. of soda.
Cruise: They generally do not give the soda away, but they do give you free OJ at breakfast, milk, chocolate milk, Coco, water.
Airline: Give you a small bag of pretzels if you are lucky, but do not ask for two or you might bankrupt the airline.
Cruise: Four days of all the food you want, buffet or formal Dining Room (or one after the other). Just one evening in the dining room I could not decide between lobster and the prime rib, so, I had both. We did the same thing with decadent deserts. Salads, fruit, cold cuts, salmon. All the frozen yogurt you want. 24-hour pizza. Omelets, bacon, sausage, all kinds of breakfast foods. Sandwiches mad to order, burgers, fries, they even had Mongolian barbeque on our ship. Beats a darn bag of precious pretzels.
Airline: If you get bored you can look at your watch again, or the airline magazine, or a book if you brought one.
Cruise: It is hard to get bored. Have lessons, play mini golf, jog, see live shows, movies, sit in the hot tub, go swimming, watch the sea, go ashore, watch or participate in the “man’s hairy chest competition." Did I mention the hot tub? Did I mention eating again?
You might be able to think of other differences. My question is how does this work? I know we got a good deal on the cruise, but there is a big difference in what you get. I welcome your ideas.
Airline: This is a two hour trip (maybe three or so with delays).
Cruise: Four days and four nights.
Airline: Your seat is less than 2 feet wide.
Cruise: You get a whole state room, decks, dining rooms, theaters, dance floors, and such.
Airline: You can nap sitting up (maybe slightly reclined), hoping that you do not fall over on your seat partner or drool too much as you sleep.
Cruise: Go on deck and layout on a lounge chair on the deck, or go to your room and curl up on your bed with the towel art, after you eat the chocolate mints.
Airline: If you need the bathroom, you have to wait until the seatbelt light goes off, climb over people stand in line and go in something that is smaller than a port-a-potty.
Cruise: You get a whole bathroom to yourselves with a shower and fresh towels daily.
Airline: They give you 6 oz. of soda.
Cruise: They generally do not give the soda away, but they do give you free OJ at breakfast, milk, chocolate milk, Coco, water.
Airline: Give you a small bag of pretzels if you are lucky, but do not ask for two or you might bankrupt the airline.
Cruise: Four days of all the food you want, buffet or formal Dining Room (or one after the other). Just one evening in the dining room I could not decide between lobster and the prime rib, so, I had both. We did the same thing with decadent deserts. Salads, fruit, cold cuts, salmon. All the frozen yogurt you want. 24-hour pizza. Omelets, bacon, sausage, all kinds of breakfast foods. Sandwiches mad to order, burgers, fries, they even had Mongolian barbeque on our ship. Beats a darn bag of precious pretzels.
Airline: If you get bored you can look at your watch again, or the airline magazine, or a book if you brought one.
Cruise: It is hard to get bored. Have lessons, play mini golf, jog, see live shows, movies, sit in the hot tub, go swimming, watch the sea, go ashore, watch or participate in the “man’s hairy chest competition." Did I mention the hot tub? Did I mention eating again?
You might be able to think of other differences. My question is how does this work? I know we got a good deal on the cruise, but there is a big difference in what you get. I welcome your ideas.
posted by Papa at 4:30 PM
3 Comments:
I don't know. How many folks on the boat? Below minimum wages for crew? Lower safety costs (engines cut out = different results for boat & plane)? No need to run an airport at the same time? We gotta do a cruise.
I think that some of the obvious concerns would be about time. It is actually cheaper now for us to drive from Florida to Wyoming than it is to fly. Even on the severe discounts you can occasionally find on flights. The largest problem is having to get a car when you get there. But if you are looking at total trip cost, not time, driving is cheaper. For example, if we fly with 4 tickets (that is still one on the lap), at $250 per ticket (by some miracle), that is $1000. Then you still have to get a rental car (now a van since we do not all fit in a car anymore) for a week is about $200 more. Then gas for the rental for another $100 at least. It all adds up quickly to about $1300. That isn't including food which HAS to be bought at the airport.
Driving our van, however costs us about 20 MPG average for the 4500 mile round trip at $2 per gallon of gas is $450. I don't make enough money to justify 7 driving days verse 2 flying days. That is an $850 difference.
I just wish that a cruise went from our home to ports near our family. I don't mind the traveling. It is fun for me. I kind of mind the screaming kids though.
Mom, Dad, I don't know how you pulled off those long trips, but I really appreciate you not trying to leave us at a Little America or something.
I ditto Aaron's last comment.
I think the real issue at hand is whether you need to get there fast or you're just going.
Wouldn't it be nice if we could just criuse to Georgia...
Wait, brilliant idea- we need to talk to Amtrak about changing their business model!!
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