Certainly not so for Calais, its easy and straight on to the Autoroutes, probably easier than the Tunnel from my experience.
I would however agree that it is a matter for personal preference, I for instance would not get my wife anywhere near the tunnel for the same reasons she would not go in a lift.
For my own part I like the chill out time of waiting to board, adds to the excitment of going abroad, and the wonderful relaxing cruise where you can actually see the English coast behind you and the French coast on the horizon. Rather than feeling like you are on the London Underground going from Tower Hill to Earls Court. Yuk!!!
But as always I do accept that others prefer it and that is what makes the world go round. But the point of my post was to answer the origional that was about cost not Preference, and as such that it was not that good a deal by comparison.