[PUP] Costs of living and cruising worldwide, cost of food, cost of cruising

[Peter Pisciotta]

A couple tips/observations:

1. Some "platinum" credit cards (I carry an AMEX
Platinum) carry med-evac insurance from anywhere in
the world. A friend's father recently had a major
stroke while vacationing in Peru. Emergency med-evac
costs topped $30K which would have been covered (at
least partially). Platinum credit card are not cheap
so you have to weigh the benefits (my AMEX costs
$400/year). Other platinum benefits include free
airline lounge access and free companion tickets on
full-fare international biz-class travel (an expense
account perk as these tickets are typically more
expensive thant two similar tickets purchased at 
normal discount. Why pay more? to beat corporate
expense account policies...).

2. Car-rental insurance. Many cards provide basic CDW,
but get into even a minor fender bender in a rental
car and you'll have issues for months. Rental
companies will hit you for loss of use, and your car
insurance will only cover for deductible and serve as
secondary insurance. Some platinum cards offer an
option that provides full coverage comparable to
checking all the boxes on a rental contract. AMEX
charges $20 for the entire rental compared to about
$25/day from the rental companies (there is a time
limit - a couple weeks). For those who no longer have
a car and regular insurance, it may be helpful

3. Costs of eating out. The most consistently
inexpensive (and edible) food I've ever encountered is
San Francisco (I lived in the city for 12 years),
where a good lunch can be had for well under
$5/person, dinner for well under $10/person (no
drinks). But you have to know where to go and overlook
dreary decor. I've had cheap meals throughout Central
America (almost every country from Panama to Mexico),
but the meals have never been as cheap as legend had
me believe. I never did find $5 lobster, $7 steaks, or
tacos 3-for-a-dollar (close, but not quite). Even
20-years ago traveling in Baja (and the northern
mainland MX) and flashing headlights out to the
fishing boats, I couldn't find the elusive $3/lb
(then) shrimp. The mercados are cheap, but the
mercados in many US cities are cheap too, though I
suspect caucasions are as reluctant to shop in Central
American mercados as they are US mercados. Thus the
appeal of Sam's Club in Acapulco and Cabo San Lucas.

Peter
Willard 36
San Francisco