Having never cruised before, I can only tell you what I think I'm not going to like:
I'm afraid of getting sick (or having any member of my family get sick);
I've investigated the cost and although many people say it's a cheap vacation, I'm not seeing it. Maybe I'm just looking too far out, since we won't be traveling until July. Perhaps the cost has something to do with the time of the year.
Since there are 4 of us (including 2 teenage sons and a DH that are all 6 feet tall), I don't see how we are going to be comfortable in one cabin. They're all so small. Yes, we could book a bigger cabin, but that substantially drives the cost up.
I'm not completely opposed to it, but just can't seem to make it affordable enough to alleviate my fears.
Help!
I can tell with your comments throughout your posts that you want everything tip top but you expect to pay peanuts. It just doesn't work that way, anywhere on vacation. I'm not trying to be mean, but you need to be realistic in your expectations or skip doing a vacation this year and have more money for a super trip next year.
If you are open minded then my best suggestions would be Las Vegas, National Parks, Mexico, or cruising.
There are tours of Red Rock Canyon and other state parks and the Hoover Dam with Vegas. You might be able to swing a helicopter ride to the Grand Canyon. There are a lot of freebie attractions in Vegas like the Bellagio fountain and garden inside this casino. There's a pirate show at Treasure Island to see for free. There's a Lion's den in MGM-Grand. There are half price tickets for shows if you are willing to buy them on the day of performance. Your top shows won't have discounts, but you may be able to swing a few of them, as well. Your teenage boys would love the roller coaster rides at the New York, New York casino or the Safara casino. If you go to Downtown Vegas there's a light show that's kinda of neat to see. The buffets are reasonably priced and for growing boys they will do fine in them. I consider most of the buffets in Vegas to be better than the Disney ones. We love the buffet at the Wynn Casino. Airfare may be rough (look for sales or off peak times), but you have so many resorts there you can find a bargain on that level. Also, there are plenty of choices for all levels of cost. We almost never gamble when we go there. I'd rather introduce my boys this way to Vegas then on their own or with others that are in their peer group.
You have to do more driving, but it's so scenic to do National Parks. It's more of a working vacation doing driving, hiking, etc. You have to put more effort into this type of vacation.
With Mexico there are alot of all inclusive resorts. The surrounding areas have enough of sightseeing to keep you happy for a week. Snokeling can be a lot of fun there, too.
For cruising, you have to be willing to do an inside cabin to make it more affordable. The rooms that fit four will probably have bunk beds with two beds on an upper level. I have seen cruises lately that offer third and fourth passengers for free in the same cabin. If you get two, inside rooms I think it's still afforable. If you go from the ports of Boston or New York you may be able to drive there. Many of these cruises go into Canada. Shore excursions are where the higher costs can come into play; so, you will have to be careful on this count. The Bahamas are reasonable and Mexican cruises are affordable. We only use our cabin for sleeping and washing up; otherwise, we are on the go; so, we don't care about the cabin. There are websites that offer good deals, if you are flexible with your dates. The same cruise in prime time can cost double compared to a less popular time. If you can plan it pretty close to the time, you can get cut throat deals that way, too. The 90 day mark is another good time to be looking for dates. The cruise lines get nervous at that point that the ship won't fill up. I will agree washing up may be a challenge with 4 people to one cabin. My best suggestion there would be for two to take a shower in the evening and two to do it in the morning. Norwegian Cruise lines is less of a formal atmosphere and usually cheaper than comparable trips from other cruise lines. You don't have a specific time for dinner which I think would be appealing for the boys.
To get a cheaper vacation you may have to be willing to do more of the planning, etc.
