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Better vacation choice: All-inclusive or roam free? |
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However, as enjoyable as that was, now into our 80s we're pretty much limited to cruises. Whether all-exclusive cruises are always a better overall scheduled vacation experience, it's a matter of personal taste, convenience, age, health and other factors. We can only speak about here and now for our current situation as advanced senior citizens.
When taking a cruise, you pay one price, lug your luggage up the gangway, go to your cabin and that's the extent of your travel efforts. After that, everything is just steps away. Additionally, while frugal hikers and hostel bunkers can get along on less than $100 a day per person, most land vacations involving restaurants, hotels and all the other expenses could cost $300 a day and up.
If you can be thorough in researching prices and destinations of cruises, either through the internet or with your friendly neighborhood travel agency, you can get some great bargains during these uncertain economic times. My son and I recently took a four-night round-trip cruise out of Los Angeles to Acapulco, Mexico.
By surfing internet sites, the best price we found was $650 for a balcony suite. Remember: this includes everything ... fresh bed every night, all meals, snacks, midnight buffets, dancing, entertainment, sports, games and a jillion other amenities. It cost us a total of $150 daily. You just can't beat the price and convenience of an all-inclusive cruise, especially if you're too old and/or too lazy to bounce around wherever you please with your trusty carry-on and knapsack. |
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