TRAVEL: Can cruising be a bargain?

With gas prices soaring, air fares going up almost weekly (US Airways now charges extra for some window or aisle seats) and the economy in general tanking at an alarming rate, planning an affordable family vacation can be a discouraging financial challenge.

Could a cruise be the answer?

Conventional wisdom says that everything's included with a cruise, so the bottom-line dollar amount will be less than staying at a resort where meals and entertainment are purchased separately. Let's take a look.

Carnival cruise to Mexico

Carnival Cruise Lines offers a July four-day cruise aboard the Carnival Paradise, leaving from Long Beach, Calif. It calls at Catalina Island and Ensenada.

The Carnival Paradise was built in 1999, so it is considered an older ship. It carries 2,628 passengers, so it is large, but not a mega-ship. It has a fitness center, jogging track, two swimming pools, six hot tubs, 12 bars and lounges, and three restaurants, plus a pizzeria, deck breakfasts, lunches and continental room service breakfast every morning until 10 a.m. Pretty much the same stuff as a large resort.

The casino and spa provide adult entertainment, with Carnival's Children's World and Fun Club keeping youngsters busy.

Unlike many ships, Carnival's kids programs will take toddlers as young as 2, even if they aren't toilet trained. Carnival allows a family of four to occupy a single cabin.

The cruise leaves Long Beach at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, and returns at 8 a.m. Friday, so it would be feasible to use weekends to tack on additional vacation days at either end. Long Beach offers good options, including the acclaimed Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific, miles of great beach, a wide range of hostelries and excellent restaurants.

First, let's see what the cruise itself will cost.

Transportation

Round trip from Ahwatukee Foothills to Long Beach is 702 miles. Assuming 22 miles per gallon and gas at $3.25 a gallon, total cost for gas would be $103.70.

If you fly, airfare on US Airways, Phoenix to Long Beach and return, for two adults and two kids under 12, arriving on Sunday and leaving on Saturday is $907, including taxes and fees as of this writing. By flying on off-days like Tuesday and Wednesday, you possibly could snag lower fares.

On board

As listed on the Carnival Web site, for an inside cabin on a lower deck you'll pay $419 per adult, $329 per child for a total cruise fare of $1,496, which includes port charges but not miscellaneous taxes. Carnival is one of the cruise lines (not all do) that's meeting the challenge of higher fuel prices by charging a fuel supplement of $7 per day per guest. For a family of four on a four-day cruise, it comes to $112.

Your cruise fare will automatically have a tipping charge of $10 per person per day automatically added to your shipboard account, which comes to $160. If you feel service was inadequate, you may ask that this be adjusted. An automatic 15 percent is added to bar tabs.

All meals are included. Punch, lemonade, orange juice, apple juice and iced tea are included, but soft drinks (sodas) and alcoholic beverages are additional. Beer or pina coladas by the pool, a couple of martinis at cocktail time, wine with dinner and sodas for the kids could add another $200, depending on individual habits.

Shore excursions

The Carnival Web site lists details of shore excursions, but prices them only by dollar signs. One $ means the excursion is under $50, two $$ means $50-$99.

For example, on Catalina Island, the 3/4-hour glass bottom boat tour is listed with one $, or under $50. A quick trip to www.catalinatours.net tells you that you can purchase this trip on line independently for $17.95 for adults, $9.95 for kids 3-11.

In Ensenada, a four-hour trip to the famed La Bufadora (the blowhole) also has one $. In our experience, the price is about $21 for adults, $13 for kids, which includes the bus ride and time to browse the flea market set up at the blowhole.

By asking Carnival what they charge for the shore excursions that interest you, then checking them out for yourself, you might save a few dollars. Just be sure that if you book independently, you have the timing right so that you get back to the ship before it sails. It will not wait for you, unless you've booked your shore excursion through the cruise lines.

Things that quickly can bump up the price of a cruise are a cabin in a higher category, perhaps with a balcony, and spa or salon services. In the unlikely event that one of you gets seasick or sustains a bump or bruise and you visit the doctor (there is a doctor and nurse on all ships) you'll be billed at the doctor's rate for an office visit. If you forget toothpaste and purchase some on board, it will be pricier than at your local Safeway.

If your family of four drives to Long Beach and takes the cruise, the total cost with tip will break down roughly as follows:

It comes out to just about $139 per day per person. Is this a bargain? From our point of view, it's a steal. It's a true vacation because mom is not cooking, dad is not setting up a camp site or driving from place to place, the kids have non-stop entertainment and supervision, and food is unlimited and generally excellent.

A good place to compare cruise prices and what individual lines offer is www.vacationstogo.com. This site sometimes has fares lower than those offered by the line itself. To get opinions from cruisers who have sailed on the Carnival Paradise, go to www.cruisecritic.com.

Judy Wade and Bill Baker report on travel for national and international publications. They pack and unpack in Ahwatukee Foothills.