Imagine traveling on a cruise ship and not having to worry about how many drinks you enjoy.

I read this article from Budget Travel today, and it piqued my interest because the last time we went out a cruise, we couldn’t decide if we should try to sneak on some booze or just pay for the drinks on the ship. We made our final decision when we realized that drinks on the ship were at least $5-$8 each, times two for the both of us, which amounted to about $70 a day in drinks or over $350 for our 5-day cruise. I based this estimate on us having five $7 drinks per day per person, which is not a lot on a cruise. Can you guess which option we went with?

Now, though, it appears as though cruise lines are offering more of an all-inclusive option. Royal Caribbean is the first out of the gate to offer such an alcohol-included package that costs about $310 per person for a week-long cruise. That’s about $45 in drinks a day, assuming the average price of a drink is $7. Not terrible, but still — $620 per couple is a lot of money to spend on alcohol! Maybe it’s just sticker shock; we would have spent over $500 for the both of us in drinks if our cruise had been 7 days, and it wouldn’t have even been unlimited.

I’m sure this type of all-inclusive alcohol program will sell very well, because when most people are on vacation, they do not want to worry about how much they’re paying for things or about keeping track of drinks per day to stay within their budget. Cruises are huge, floating hotels, and anything the cruise ship can do to make the vacation easier for passengers is usually welcome. What would really be cool is if cruise ships allowed people to pay for these packages over many months, so that you’re not hit with one huge bill as you leave the ship. “Thanks for coming, here’s your $600 bill!” Yikes.

Perhaps it is time to retire the sneakiness. Perhaps.

Photo: kansasphoto

The Queen Mary in Long Beach

This week’s historic hotel is unique because, well – it floats. The Queen Mary is a huge, beautiful ship, a classic ocean liner from days past. She sailed the Atlantic Ocean from 1936-1967 and was built by the Cunard line. The Queen Mary was initially built to compete with the new breed of super liners which were on the oceans in the 1920s and 1930s, and those who traveled with her – at least, those who traveled on First Class – traveled in true style. There was an indoor swimming pool, a library, a nursery and a beautiful First Class dining room that featured a map of the Transatlantic Crossing complete with little motorized Queen Marys on it; passengers could track where the ship was on her journey. First-class accommodations were spacious and comfortable, but third-class cabins were tiny and cramped.

During World War II, The Queen Mary was painted in camouflage and served as a soldier transporter, and she was one of the fastest ships on the ocean – U-boats could barely catch ships of her speed. She had at least one close call off the coast of South America, but she thankfully escaped. The Queen Mary was also almost capsized by a gigantic rogue wave while at sea, but she came out of that as well. After the war, The Queen Mary was again ready for passenger service in 1947, and she carried some of the most famous people in the world on her decks. The ship was retired in 1967, and she now permanently sits in a Long Beach harbor as a hotel, museum and tourist attraction.

I’ve stayed on this ship before with my family, as a child, and it was a very fun time. Walking onto the ship, I was convinced that she was going to set sail overnight while we were asleep, and that we would wake up someplace entirely new. The rooms are on the smallish side, but I’ve actually stayed in smaller hotel rooms on land before! To those who enjoy a good haunting: the ship is rumored to be quite haunted, and The Queen Mary was the only time in my life my sister and I believe we actually saw a ghost. To this day, we can’t explain what happened…it was a fun, if not slightly scary, memory.

The Queen Mary is open year-round. Book early, especially if you plan a summer visit, because the 314 rooms tend to fill up very quickly. I highly recommend the guided tours which are offered. If you’re looking for true luxury, reserve one of the Royalty Suites for $350-$700/night;  the Deluxe Staterooms run $180-$240, and there are several cheaper options as well. Definitely a unique and enjoyable experience!

Photo Credits: Gail548