cost-estimation A ballpark that gives the family enough information to decide go/no-go without pretending to be a quote. Always frame as "planning estimate, re-verify at booking." The bucket structure Always render as a Markdown table with bucket | per-person | family total columns. Don't skip buckets — visibility is the point. Why ranges, not point estimates A point estimate ("$8,500") feels precise but is wrong. Always render as a range ( ) so the family understands the swing. Communicate which buckets drive the swing — usually flights and lodging-tier. 2026 family-of-4 anchors (re-verify a…