Land Vs. Sea Vacations - Which to Choose?
June 11, 2009
The open ocean, or the open road, those are your choices of vacations, now how do you decide? There are upsides as well as downsides to both of these options. Your job is to weigh the pros and cons of both of these choices and then decide, but what if you have never been on a cruise? Can you really make an informed decision as to which of these is the appropriate choice for you next vacation?
Here are some of the pros and cons in no specific order to the sea vs. land vacation’s controversy, hopefully it will help you become more educated on what to expect. Of course you need to remember that here we will just be discussing general tour information, to help you become more informed you may still need to do a bit of research, but I hope that this will help.
Mexico is a wonderful vacation be it by land or sea, so that is where our comparison begins
Many cruise lines offer cruises to Mexico. Some Mexico cruise ports include Catalina Island, Ensenada, and Cabo San Lucas. Of course there are many more ports of interest in Mexico, but we will stop with this.
We have decided to cruise to Cabo San Lucas and the first part of our journey is to fly to California from wherever you live and catch a cruise to your ultimate cruise destination. Basically your cruise ship is you floating hotel on the ocean. It takes you from port to port with scheduled trips on the way and shore excursions as you go, many of these excursions are not included in the price of the ticket, so be aware that extra money will be necessary if you are interested in one of the scheduled activities on shore.
If you are cruising around Cabo San Lucas, the itineraries include many regular onshore activities that you may already be interested in. Scuba diving off the island, off road excursions, museums, or other activities may be offered to you as options on the island part of your vacation. The joy of a cruise ship is there is a cruise director creating an itinerary for you with a list of things you can do on your stop off.
If you enjoy having options given to you then a cruise may be for you. Your food on the ship, amenities, pool, games, and even casinos are already at your fingertips on your cruise ship.
The upsides to a cruise are:
- Your hotel and restaurants are travelling with you
- All of your travel is taken care of in advance when you are going from port to port
- You have a cruise director that has an itinerary with a list of things to do at the ports
Downsides to a cruise are:
- Some of what you do at port are already planned for you with a time schedule you have to follow
- You are on a ship with a group of people in relatively small quarters you may not enjoy
- You still have to get to the ship before the cruise actually begins.
So, if you enjoy being in a group of people, are very social, and enjoy having a preplanned trip, then a cruise may be for you.
Now let’s travel to Mexico on a land vacation
You still need to travel via flight or driving to Mexico, if you are not cruising the decision is up to you, plan stops along the way. Once you get to Mexico, in this case Cabo San Lucas, you choose your accommodations, fancy or modest, there are many choices. Eat at a resturant with local cuisine or pick a five star restaurant of international cuisine. Choose a car to hit the open road, drive the island, see the sights, with no time restrictions.
On your own, your trip is entirely in your hands; of course the downside to this is you are in charge of discovering what Cabo San Lucas has to offer you. If you enjoy this kind of opportunity and desire choices and freedom of decision making, than a land journey is probably what you should choose.
The biggest problem with this kind of travel is you will probably pay more in the end for your vacation.
The upsides to a land vacation are:
- Freedom to choose where and when you travel
- Variety, it is the spice of life
- The open road and no set itinerary
Downsides to a land vacation are:
- In comparison to a standard cruise, you will pay more in the long run
- It is your job to find out if something is worth trying or not
So, in conclusion land vs. sea is entirely up to you, the traveler. If the benefits of a cruise outweigh the downsides, choose a cruise, but if the benefits of the open road and freedom outweigh the downsides to having to be your own vacation planner, choose a land vacation.
Whatever you choose, land or sea, if you investigate carefully, and choose what is best for you, I am sure that you will have the perfect vacation, one that suits you and will make you happy. I hope this has helped, have a great vacation wherever you choose.
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Land Vs. Sea Vacations - Which to Choose?…
The open ocean, or the open road, those are your choices of vacations, now how do you decide? There are upsides as well as downsides to both of these options. Your job is to weigh the pros and cons of both of these choices and then decide, but what if …