Hi Bob,

From your post it seems as if you are advocating one specific standard
for all cruisers. Perhaps I'm reading in more than you intended, if so
I apologize, but it seems to me that there is no one "true" solution to
how much luxury or hardship one should endure while cruising.

Instead, I would suggest that the would be cruiser treat it as an
economics issue similar to "How much luxury can you afford while on
vacation?" To better illustrate this I'd use two extreme examples, then
work towards the middle.

If you are the Prince of Monaco, then anything short of 5 star hotel
service on a mega yacht is roughing it - but only because he can afford
it - this would mean having unlimited water, ice, fresh food,
communication, entertainment, etc.

If you are dirt poor, than anything that requires power (all of the
above) are beyond one's means and would be sacrificed in order to allow
for the basic costs of cruising. There are many famous boaters who've
written books about sailing with only limited water on a small boat
without a motor or VHS. Joshua Slocum sailed around the world this way,
but I doubt most others would have enjoyed the trip.

In them middle are the rest of us. I'd suggest that one's standards
should reflect what one feels is appropriate for their life style and
economic situation. Perhaps the original poster would be happy without
fresh milk, but perhaps they wouldn't.

It seems unreasonable to me to say "Don't go cruising unless you are
willing to sacrifice". Instead, I'd suggest that one take only those
amenities one can afford.

In understanding exactly how much refrigeration (or any other amenity)
does cost, including maintenance and repair, especially if one is unable
to do this themselves, one can then judge whether an item is
appropriate. That means having a very real budget a priori and placing
all of one's requirements in the perspective of what can be included in it.

Not a definitive answer to the original question, but certainly an
algorithm that can be applied to any cruiser's "luxury" issue.

Cheers,

Robb


Bob wrote:
All a person needs do is cruise, pick up handy ways of living from
people not raised in a Wal-Mart. But if everyone did that our economy
would crash. How much of our GNP is from consumer purchasing????