Camping, Cruising, or Hotelling - Which vacation would you choose?

How do you holiday?  When it comes down to it, it's really all about the people.

People love to go on holiday.  Different places, sights, experiences, and all that goes with it.  The two great barriers to trips are money and time.  Many of us travel to see relatives or friends.  I applaud that, as it often addresses issues with money, and time with loved ones is never poorly spent.  But if free room and board is not available, what do you do?

Young people often go camping.  Of the three, it is far less expensive.  The destinations are usually close to home, within a few hours by car anyway, and the number of people you can have at one site usually isn't a factor.  I used to be able to sleep anywhere, with or without any kind of mattress, and the great outdoors was stimulation enough.  It was really all about the friends and family with you anyway; where wasn't as important.

Of course camping isn't limited to just tents, and the world of RVs ranges from used tent trailers to million-dollar Class As.  I will do a blog on the differences here, but it is not in the scope of this one to discuss them.  Suffice it to say that there are a lot of hidden costs associated with owning an RV.

Travelling abroad rarely involves camping (unless you rent an RV).  It becomes about the destination, and the number of people you have with you is an important factor in the cost.  Vacation accommodations involving Airbnbs, timeshares, hotels, or hostels for the more frugally minded are all possible with varying degrees of cost.  Time of year is another important factor, as low season versus high season makes a huge difference.  There is also the need to plan, as last-minute trips often won't pan out or result in a myriad of problems.  Then there is getting there.  Airfare, car rental, and taxi fares will add significantly to the price.

Cruising is a great way to sample what the world has to offer.  It's not for everyone, as some are severely affected by the motion of the ship.  There is the initial outlay of cash for the cruise itself, then there are the extras like excursions, drink packages, type of cabin, fine dining, and getting to and from the departure and arrival ports.  It's not uncommon for a two-week cruise to set you back $4000 - $6000 per person.  Yes, per person, because you can't buy a drink package for one; everyone in the cabin must buy the same package.  Our upcoming cruise cost $10,000, with $2000 worth of excursions, $1000 airfare, $1000 for the drink package, and another $1000 for various extras.  That's $15,000 Canadian, which works out to about $5000/week for the two of us.

When my kids were young, we had a tent trailer.  As they got older, we upgraded to a travel trailer.  We eventually got a timeshare (I will talk about those another time) and had some exciting adventures.  After my kids left home, we have done several cruises; our most exciting was our 38 day cruise to New Zealand.  We spent two weeks in a timeshare there and rented a minivan camper for another two weeks.  In all, that was $30,000, and that was 8 years ago.  It costs more now.

Holidays should be about friends, family, adventure, and relaxation.  It really doesn't matter where you go, how you get there, or what you do when there.  What matters is that there are good memories, improved relationships, and a better state of mind than before you left.  Yes, it will cost money, but how much is really up to you.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com