Question

In Total Recall (1990), Dr. McLane talks to Quaid about a memory of Mars and suggests he'd like the Saturn cruise instead. Was he just trying to get Quaid to purchase the more expensive "memory" when he did this?

Answer 1

According to the official novelisation, yes, McClane wanted to upsell Quaid to a more expensive package.

McClane sat behind his big pseudo-walnut desk. “Now you wanted a memory of. . .?”

“Mars,” Quaid said, realizing that the line between doubt and commitment had somehow already been crossed.

But the man’s reaction surprised him. “Right, Mars,” McClane said unenthusiastically.

“There’s something wrong with that?”

McClane frowned. “Enhhhh, honestly, Doug, if outer space is your thing, I think you’d be much happier with one of our Saturn cruises. Everybody raves about ‘em and it’s nearly the same price.”

Oh. So this was a bait-and-switch operation, to jack him up to a higher price range.

“I’m not interested in Saturn,” Quaid said firmly. “I’m interested in Mars.”

McClane put the best face on it, his ploy having fallen flat. “Okay, okay, Mars it is.

_{Total Recall (1990) - official novelisation by Piers Anthony}

In the audio commentary for the film, the director, Paul Verhoeven, doesn't strictly confirm the upselling angle, but he does mention that McClane was intended to resemble a car salesman, which is consistent with the idea that he would try to upsell Quaid.

PAUL VERHOEVEN: He's like a car salesman. He tries to talk you into taking whatever is close to your heart. [...] I remember when I talked to the casting director, Mike Fenton, I said to him, you know, for this actor, Ray Baker, I said just find me somebody that could be very well working in a car sales company.

_{Total Recall (1990) - audio commentary by Paul Verhoeven and Arnold Schwarzenegger}

Answer 2

According to "Tales from Development Hell: Hollywood Film-making the Hard Way" (2003) by David Hughes, the original script development featured Hauser foiling a hijacking on a Cruise to Saturn:

In the revised script, this was eventually transformed into a suggestion to go to Saturn instead.

A theme throughout the film is that we're never really sure if the events surrounding Quaid are in his dream, or whether they are actually happening. Early in the film, Lori tries to dissuade Quaid from going to Mars:

LORI: Sweetheart, we've been through this a million times. You'd hate it on Mars. It's dry; it's ugly; it's boring! I mean, really, a revolution could break out there any minute.

She then goes on to suggest Saturn as an alternative:

LORI: What about Saturn? Don't you wanna see Saturn? Everybody says it's gorgeous.

Here, the only reason she mentions Saturn is to dissuade him from going to Mars. In the original script, the Saturn Cruise played a much larger role because it suggested to Quaid/Hauser that his memories might not be real. however, in the theatrical version, we can't really be sure about what's really happening, and what's merely a memory implant. As a result, we're not told whether the Saturn Cruise is a marketing upsell, or whether it's merely a distraction. From the viewer's perspective, there could be just as much action on the Saturn Cruise as there is on Mars, but Quaid is attitudinally predisposed to Mars, and Mars alone.