Cruising through Panama Canal
People often think cruises are an expensive, luxury way to travel. They certainly can be!! There are high-end cruise lines, certain destinations can be more pricey than others, and cabins with ocean views or balconies will cost more. But if you are a “bargain hunter” like I am and you don’t mind staying in a smaller inside cabin, there are deals out there.
For example, I’m currently on a 15 day cruise from Miami, Florida to Santiago, Chile. I’m sharing an inside cabin with a friend. The cost was $1900 Canadian dollars each for cabin, food, entertainment, taxes, port fees and gratuities. Extra expenses are alcoholic beverages, port excursions (reasonable priced ones can be found) and any other purchases.
For comparison purposes, let’s look at the cost of flying and staying somewhere for 15 days. Again I’ll be using Canadian dollars which are valued at much less than American dollar or Euro.
Flight Miami to Santiago $500
Accommodation and Food for
15 days @ a modest $60 per day $900
On the cruise, along with a nicer room and unlimited food, which is worth a lot more than the $60 budgeted for a hostel room and food, I will also visit 7 ports and spend one day going through the Panama Canal. It would cost a lot if I was to fly to each of these destinations but again for comparison purposes, let’s assume instead I did 8 ground tours at a cost of $50 each. That would add on another; $400
On the ship I’m also getting free entertainment, a show each night, educational lectures, use of a pool and hot tub, along with the opportunity to be involved in other free games and activities.
It’s hard to put a cost figure on all the extra benefits from taking a cruise. However, as you can see the cost of a cruise versus budget ground travel can be very comparable.
The point I’m trying to emphasize is that cruises are not necessarily more expensive than staying in budget accommodation. But you do need to look for deals, stay in inside cabins and travel with someone to share the cabin cost.
So don’t rule out cruises as a way to get to or from a destination, or as a budget alternative to trains, hostels and home stays. The cruise I’m on also has a solo meetup each evening. It’s a great way to meet other solo guests for dinner or other activities.
