There’s something strange about value for money and the way we all look at it differently. For some it’s getting the job done for the lowest price, getting what we want with the minimum of fuss and payout. For others, no price is too steep when wanting to be absolutely satisfied with every aspect of what is desired. Then there’s every shade in between.
It’s because of those differences that, for some people, the idea of going on all inclusive holidays is abhorrent. Paying a higher price for something that you might not get ‘full use’ of is not going to cut it. However, if your concept of value for money swings in the other direction, then it’s a very different matter altogether.
When the first payment is made, everything essentially becomes free (again, depending on your viewpoint!) Regardless, if you’re taking a cruise where money is literally no object, holiday habits can’t help but change accordingly.
Your Wallet is Nowhere to be Seen
There’s something profoundly comforting about not needing to carry a wallet, purse or any type of money pouch. It’s not the security, as you are unlikely to get robbed on a cruise ship full of other passengers with nowhere to go but the open sea until you pull into port. It’s more to do with the feeling that everything on board is available to suit your passing fancy without having to shell out for it. Like minor royalty, petty cash isn’t necessary.
The Cocktails Rack Up Astonishingly
Ever looked at a cocktail list in a bar and thought: “I love the name, but not the price”? Well, without the price tag attached, everything looks even tastier. You can simply pick and choose what sounds like it will be a treat for the tongue as well as the eyes.
Best of all, if after that first sip you decide it’s not for you, then there’s no need to bewail the dent in your pocket, because there won’t be one.
The Towels are Folded
Now technically this isn’t something you usually ask for, all-inclusive or not, but it is a hallmark of the ‘everything thrown in’ style of service. The novelty factor of coming back to your room to be greeted by a towel given artistic expression doesn’t wear off quickly.
You Visit Places Without Worrying About the Cost
Don’t forget your wallet/purse when you walk off the ship, because you’ll be back in the real world where the inconvenience of having to carry cash rules once more.
But having come from an environment where everything is ‘free’ it’s only natural to psychologically allocate the money you would have spent on food, drink and entertainment to the proper exploration of the places where you pull into port.
Meal Timings Lose Some of their Relevance
When a passing phase of being peckish can be indulged without fuss then traditional meal times are likely to take on something of an elastic quality. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus any other mealtime you care to make up, move to suit you, rather than the other way around.
The opportunity is there to take on the culture of a Hobbit, with many more meal times occurring throughout the day.
You Rarely Look Through a Porthole
Spectacular though the view may be, you’re not likely to see it much through your cabin porthole. That’s because you can’t work on those free meals and cocktails in the show-like atmosphere down in your cabin.
The cabin is likely to be relegated to becoming just a comfortable place to rest your weary but contented head before the next day of pampered cash-free alternate reality.
You Sit Back and Enjoy the Show Without Worrying Whether it’s Worth it
We’ve all done it; sat down in a cinema or theatre and thought half-way through the show that it hasn’t quite lived up to expectations and therefore, the cost of the ticket. Sometimes we’ve even gone one further and thought: “I’d happily by watching TV over this trash!”
This worry is pleasantly removed as you are your own master of what entertainment to see or avoid. When the admission price is zero then so is the anxiety for it to be ‘good value’. You can concentrate purely on the entertainment without worrying about the bottom line.
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