Would you buy a car without tires and plan to drive it that way?  Sounds pretty silly doesn't it?  The body could be great, the engine could run fine, but until you spend a lot of extra money on tires you are not going to be able to fully enjoy and use the new car.

As impractical as this scenario is, it is exactly the type of thing many people do every day as they search for and buy their leisure vacation and cruise travel arrangements.  They look for the best price by comparing many sources, find something that has a name like what they are looking for, and  buy; thinking they have a good deal. They don't realize until it is too late that what they have really bought is a "car without tires".

Consider cruising.  Just like owning a fine automobile, it is one of the greatest things you can do.  However, the price you normally see advertised is "without tires".  To the seemingly good deal must be added roundtrip airfares, luggage handling, airport/ship/airport transfers, government fees and taxes, optional shore excursions, sightseeing, some meals, and other miscellaneous charges that can easily double the price that originally caught your eye.

The same thing is true with land tours and packages. 

There are two ways to avoid this type of trap:  (1) compare item by item to make sure you know exactly what you are getting  and that you have a complete and total cost figure to consider; and (2) deal with a travel professional that stresses personal service and who will be "right there" for you before, during, and after your travels to "personally" address and answer any concerns and questions that may arise.  It's great to have someone on your side -- in our travel organization we call this type of personal service Small Town Caring -- Worldwide!