Last cruise I went on put me in hospital for a week. I’ll stay at home and watch “cruise from hell” vids on youtube. Still don’t understand why tables aren’t bolted down; they are good for chasing passengers.
At home I know with certainty that the water is safe and that the commode works.
The RV industry was booming before Covid-19 and press reports indicate RV sales are very strong in the middle of the pandemic. Consider you can travel throughout the US and Canada hassle free. You are carrying your living environment with you and you have control of who enters or leaves your RV. It is your bed so if there are bedbugs they are yours. You control how clean the toilet and shower are. You can prepare your meals in your own kitchen, in which you are in control of the sanitation as well as the quality of food, or you can eat out — your choice. Most RV travelers are middle and upper middle class retirees and the majority have conservative political beliefs and values. Campgrounds range from free primitive sites in national forests or BLM lands to luxury resorts costing over $100 per night to park. Of course it is your choice where you want to park for the night. If you don’t like the location you are in, you can move on in the morning.
There are more wonderful places to visit in the US and Canada than are possible to see in a lifetime. My wife and I bought an RV as we approached retirement nine years ago and our bucket list keeps growing, not shrinking. We’ve discovered most of the beautiful natural wonders are not in the top 10 national parks. There are incredible vistas from solitary campsites on creeks in public lands. There are wonderful small towns with music festivals, artisan shows, and farmer’s markets with fresh organic produce and meats. A raft trip down a rolling river, a kayak outing on a mirror lake. The desert in bloom, the hillsides awash with fall color, a printing beach with sand as white as snow, and a snowfall on a 12,000 foot mountain during the first week of July are just a few of the adventures we’ve experienced. Not to mention meals in small towns restaurants the locals frequent, and the many historical sites permitting one to be immersed in the history of this great country.
There are multiple choices for homes on the road ranging from tents, to trailers, to vans, to massive million dollar motorhomes. I’ve been amazed at the number of seniors traveling and living their dreams on a social security income and very modest savings. Unlike the dollars spent traveling abroad, or cruising on a foreign ship, most of the money RV travelers spend cycles directly back into the US economy.
After nine extraordinary years of wandering the country 100-150 days per year, the bucket list is longer than when we began the journey. My wife and I have been on several cruises and will never go again. We’ve traveled to Europe, Asia, and South America but have no desire to go back. The mountains, prairies, deserts, towns and seashores of our own country are calling, and we will continue to respond to the call.
My wife and I have cruised over a dozen times with no problem. Like anything else there is always a chance some thing will go wrong. We love cruising and it is by far the best vacation for the money to us. I do however know it is not for everyone ....to each his own!!!