On the road, driving from Ohio to Florida, I experienced some of the strange pricing that travelers talk about in these difficult financial times.
Some prices have dropped; others are same as usual. For instance, I could have taken a cruise out of Miami for the average cost of my motel rooms on the way south.
Even with my AAA and AARP cards, Holiday Inn Express north Charleston, W.Va., charged me $85 to sleep and a breakfast that included scrambled eggs and bacon. Comfort Inn off I-95 in Georgia insisted on $89 for the night and a continental breakfast.
Both motels were clean and well maintained, but their rates seem on the high side, especially when you get to Florida and see the rates for a cruise. For instance, a three-night cruise on Carnival Imagination leaving Miami March 27 is selling for $249. That works out to $83 a night. Of course, you need to bring a partner, as all these cruise rates are charged out at two to a cabin. Still, the cabin rate at $498 for three nights includes all meals and entertainment.
I'll take a cruise anytime over sleeping in a roadside motel. Maybe business is good on the Interstates or the motels don't mind empty rooms. In the cruise business, prices keep coming down until the ships are full.
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