Originally Posted by
tgull
I have been on literally 25 cruises in my life, maybe more. They are without a doubt the most convenient way to travel and relax. Value is tough to determine since you always get nickel and dimed on these things, your tab just adds up especially if you are a drinker and like the on-board steakhouse.
The best part of a cruise is you don't have to worry about renting a car, where to eat, entertainment, etc.. It's all right there.
The cruise industry will figure out Covid-19. They are not going out of business, when Carnival gets to $7 or $8 I am going to buy 10,000 shares. They will be back to $50 a share in 2023. This paranoia is not going to last forever. It did not last but a year on 9-11-2001 and this will pass when the virus runs its course.
This is mostly correct, but as I noted in my OP, you can quickly nickel-and-dime yourself into bad value if you're not careful.
For example, the shore excursions... you should always either rent a car at the port or take a private tour, as those are far better value AND typically cheaper than the ship group tours. It's a little more effort but worth it.
The best thing about cruising in my opinion is the ability to make a lot of short visits to places which are either difficult or impossible to get to otherwise, such as islands, glaciers, etc, and you don't have to pack, unpack, or fly anywhere (except to the cruise itself).