So many times I am asked: Which is a better value, Cruising or an All Inclusive? Truthfully, it is different for everyone. Some people prefer one over the other for whatever reason but the value in both options is definitely there.

With cruising, most activities are involved along with food (there are always options to upgrade for an additional fee). The biggest costs associated with cruising come from shore excursions and bar bills. Since there are so many options for things to do in ports this can fluctuate greatly in price. Some things are worth the price tag, others are not. (Again, personal preference) The other cost with cruising is the bar bill. Most people enjoy going on vacation and having a drink or two. If you are the type of person who wants to order 10-20 drinks per day of all different kinds, cruising would definitely not be the best value for your vacation dollar. But if you like the idea of seeing a different port everyday and can keep your bar tab in check, cruising is an excellent value.

All Inclusive vacations offer unlimited drinks and food along with most non-motorized activities. Most of the time it is a bit higher in price per day to go to an all inclusive than to go on a cruise once you factor in airfare but not always. Also with an all inclusive, as with any land vacation, you arrive at one destination and stay there for the duration of your trip. This is not always a bad thing, just depends on what you are looking for in a vacation.

Basically, there is no easy answer. Every situation is different and pricing is always fluctuating. Once you choose between the two, find a price you are c

There are so many options to paying for that vacation that you are planning to book. You can pay for it on your credit card and then pay it off over time. (This tends to be the majority vote for how to pay for a trip) There is the option of saving until you have enough to pay it in full. There are also payment plans. Any one of theses are completely effective ways to budget for your cruise. It's all a matter of what your personal budget allows for and knowing how to work with it. I personally, am a big fan of a combination of payments. I budget initially to come up with a bigger deposit, then make monthly payments from then until I have to make the final payment. After final payment, I make monthly payments to my vacation fund for spending money and use my credit card if I need it. After my trip :-( I continue making the monthly payments until my card is paid off. Then repeat!!!

Everyone is different. Find what works for you and go for it!!

With the merging of Airtran and Southwest airlines (2 competing discount airlines), my thoughts have turned to debating what this means to a consumer.

In the past, I have always compared these two airlines first since they are the lowest cost options that are a reasonable distance from where we live. With them becoming one, odds are the fares will not be nearly as low going forward since there is no other competition that does the same type of pricing model. Many airlines generally have a base price range and then may drop fares to boost sales. Southwest and Airtran function very similar with a low price available when fares are first released but only a limited number of seats and then they have higher fares as those fill up. Since they won't have competition that works their pricing structure the same way, I would be willing to bet the pricing will start at a higher tier.

There has already been numerous cities eliminated or no longer offered as a non-stop flight following the merge. Southwest offers bags fly free...for now. Will that remain the same?? Only time will tell.

There are many benefits to staying on property if you are going to Disney World. There are extended hours that the park is open to you, transportation (door to door) between your resort and the parks, charging abilities to your room key, resort deliveries of purchases made on property, Magical Express option where you check bags at your home airport and never need to be bothered with them until you arrive at the resort, etc. It really is a great option if you are going to spend the majority of your time on Disney property. If you have alot of non-Disney plans, it may be a better option to stay off site and choose other amenities in place of all the Disney ones.

There are some amazing off-site properties in the Orlando area that offer so many different choices.  If you want to save a little, staying off site may be the answer. While odds are you will have to have a car and probably pay for parking, sometimes the savings can still be worth it. I have rented a three bedroom house with private pool less than 5 minutes from Disney for less than the cost of the Disney value resorts.

Every trip is different, there is not right or wrong answer. Some situations I would say definitely a better value to stay on property and others not.

My opinion:  It all depends.

There are times when driving is necessary. For the most part, if I can fly for close to the same price it's a done deal. With gas prices teasing at $4 a gallon in my area it is still pretty expensive to drive. We were pricing renting a van and the cost of gas to drive from Cincinnati to Tampa and it was between $900-1000! So for a family of 5, $200 per person to fly and it comes out to be the same amount. If you have 1 or 2 people going it is an even better equation. Yes, you still have to factor in the cost of getting to the airport, parking (maybe), car rental or transportation at your destination but there's so much less stress andyou won't arrive at your destination exhausted from a nightmare of a drive. 

Yes flights could be delayed or cancelled. But what do you do if you are traveling down the highway and there's an accident ahead of you that shuts the highway down (not even addressing getting into an accident yourself) and you sit in your car on the highway for hours? I would much rather be stuck in an airport than in a car.

Weigh the pros and cons and make the best choice for your situatuion. Flying is (at least for now....) more affordable than it seems.

(Sorry this is a few days late)
In honor of all who lost their lives on Titanic 100 years ago, we take a minute to think of all improvements in safety requirements since then. The most important is the requirement for there to be enough life boats for ever soul on board, regardless of appearances on the deck or usable space being occupied.

Following the Concordia accident, there have been so many steps taken to ensure the crew is better trained and the Muster drill is performed sooner.

Cruising is still the safest mode of travel but these stories can be very sombering.