Should I Stay or Should I Cruise? Comparing the Value of Staycations and Cruises To Nowhere

Many hotels now offer no-contact staycation packages for those weary of being stuck at home, while Dream Cruises has been offering 2- and 3-night "cruises to nowhere" on its lone operating ship, the World Dream. To help Singaporeans understand the costs and benefits of each option, we gathered staycation rates from four major hotels to compare their relative value against a cruise.

Key Findings:

• The average cost per night for the most basic hotel staycation was S$396, but prices varied significantly by hotel, room size, and package level. Dream Cruises offered an average of S$488 per night on its cruises to nowhere.

• Seasonality affected cruise tickets more than hotel rates. The average cost of a cruise to nowhere increased by 20% between May and the summer month of June, while hotel staycation rates remained about the same.

• Whether you sail or staycation, going on weekdays may be wise. The hotel rates we found were 9% cheaper on midweek check-ins than on weekends, and Dream Cruises also charged 18% less on midweek departures.

• The decision between a hotel staycation and a cruise with no stops comes down to two factors: the greater variety of activities onboard a cruise ship versus the roomier, more comfortable environment of a hotel room.

Cruises to Nowhere Cost Less Than Top Tier Staycations But More Than the Cheapest

According to rate data from the four hotels we looked into, the average cost of a basic staycation package was S$396 per night. This was significantly lower than the average cost of a ticket with Dream Cruises for a round-trip cruise around Batam, which was S$488 per night over two to three nights. However, the comparison depended heavily on which hotel and room sizes we chose.

In our data, both the Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel and Marina Bay Sands Hotel staycations cost more at the higher room tiers than a ticket with Dream Cruises. This was likely due to the fact that the packages include a generally higher quality of accommodations plus a number of unique perks, such as access to the Marina Bay Sands' well-known rooftop Infinity Pool or the Marriott's menu of curated dinner experiences.

We were also surprised by the affordability of hotel staycation packages from the Fullerton Hotel, one of Singapore's landmark establishments. Guests staying one night there receive a second consecutive night for free, making the Fullerton's staycation offer the best hotel deal at each of the room tiers we compared.

Cruise Ticket Prices Rise in Summer While Staycations Hold Steady, But Both Cost Less on Weekdays

Thanks to the coronavirus, seasonality isn't affecting the cost of travel quite the same as in previous years. However, our analysis did find that cruise ticket prices rose by nearly 20% to an average of S$555 per night in June, from S$463 in May. Meanwhile, the hotel staycation packages we examined actually fell slightly on average for June.

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