Just read where the mass market (or as they like to say, Contemporary) cruise line is testing add on charges for steaks and lobster in the main dining rooms. The only reason this is news is because cruise lines have generally promoted themselves as "almost" all inclusive. Virtually every sales meeting I have attended with the cruise lines I was given a chart that showed why a cruise was a better buy than a land vacation. These list always stated that the cruise was a better buy because the price of the cruise included food, transportation, entertainment and lodging.

To be sure alcohol, soft drinks, shore excursions, specialty restaurants cabanas were all charged for but the basic cruise (food, transportation, lodging and entertainment) were all included in the cruise fare. In fact one of the jokes in the industry was that passengers when they get home have sticker shock because the restaurants actually had prices in the menus.

Being the suspicious soul that I am I have a notion that maybe, just maybe the cruise line "bean counters" have seen how the airline industry has benefited from their new "fee" structure and now think it is a good idea for the cruise industry. The day may not be far off before they start charging you for your coffee on the Lido deck, your chairs on the balcony, the robe in your closet, life jacket in your room, etc.

What I really see is that Carnival may be trying to redefine what constitutes a basic cruise. If and when cruises becomes a la carte I will be recommending resort vacations instead of cruises.

Right now -- Today -- cruising at all levels is the best buy for your vacation dollar but when it takes on the business model of the airlines I'll be recommending taking an uncomfortable flight to an exotic destination where the resort industry will give you the one thing a cruise cannot and that's an in depth visit to a destination.

Sure hope I am wrong . . . . What do you think?

Tell Me it Is So!

Southwest Airlines pending government approval has purchased AirTran. If and when this deal goes through it will eventually led to new options for flights to the Caribbean. AirTran presently has routes to Aruba; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Montego Bay, Jamaica; (yea), San Juan, P.R.; Cozumel and Cancun, MX; and Nassau, Bahamas. Presumably Southwest will continue those routes as a part of it's commitment to "near" international service. It is also expected that flights to these destinations will add Houston Hobby and Dallas Love Fields to its airports from which these destinations can now be reached either directly or through connecting flights from Atlanta, Orlando and Baltimore.

But not only is it good news because of route access, it is good news because it is an established fact of the industry that when Southwest goes head-to-head with legacy airlines such as American, Continental and Delta airfare go down across the board.

Oh yea, another great thing about the merger is that Southwest has already committed to keeping its "Bags Fly Free" policy and is extending it to all the routes obtained in the AirTran system. They will also be converting all former AirTran flights to "open seating." Existing Boing 717's in the AirTran fleet will be converted to facilitate the open seating concept.

From where I see things this may be one of the happier announcements from any airline. You can be sure that given a choice this cowboy will be flying Southwest Airlines! Way to go Southwest!