Cruise or all-inclusive??

[darla723]

We've been on 8 cruises-6 w/RCI--LOVE CRUISING!! With the prices of all that's involved--flying, hotel day before, tips, bar bill, etc--we've thought of doing an all inclusive to possibly Punta Cana.

 

Those of you that have done both, what do you feel are the pros and cons of all-inclusives vs. cruising that we may not have thought of. We are open minded as to the differences there may be, but would love views from someone that HAS done both.

 

Thanks in advance--off to work. Hope to read all about it when I get home!!!

 

Doreen

[PattyG12]

As much as I love a cocktail in the evenings, we've found that we don't drink enough to warrant the price of an All Inclusive again. The other down side is that I get bored easily. I think if you like to lay on the beach it might be fine. Cruising to me lets me be a bum but still lets me get out and see lots of places during just one vacation.

 

That said, I have a dear friend that was in Punta Cana last year and had an absolute BALL. She prefers the all inclusive to cruising. Oh well, to each his own.

[cruiseguy1016]

We have done both. Right now we prefer cruising because it allows us to see more places. When you stay at an all inclusive, you are committed to one area. A cruise allows you to visit several countries in the same time period. You mentioned cost. Through my research I find cruising to be less expensive than an all inclusive. You still have to fly to your destination. You might rent a car to get around. Those costs have to be figured into your vacation cost.

 

As I said, right now cruising is the they way we prefer to vacation. Cruising allows us to visit many different places and maybe find some place we really like. If we find some place we really like, we might go back and stay at an all inclusive. If you have been to Punta Cana and know you would like to spend a week there, go for it. If, on the other hand, you have never been there, you may want to reconsider before you commit money to some place you might get tired of after only a couple days.

[marci22]

I went to an all inclusive in Jamaica and it was very nice but a bit low-key and seemed like drinking was a major activity. We did travel out of the resort a couple times but I didn't feel comfortable.

[southend1112]

we did an all inclusive in turkey a few years ago, it was quite expensive and most of us didn't like the food, the area was deserted, staff were rude, and nothing happened!

on the cruise theres a place of food for everyone, the staff are nice, see a new thing everyday.

so i think that we are going to stay with cruising at the moment.

[sandian]

Punta Cana is beautiful, but if you travel out of the resort area it is very shabby and dirty. There is not so much entertainment and unless you drink a lot you will not see the benifit of the cost.

 

Also you will be in one country only, we like to see different cultures and the only way this works is by Cruising

[luv2cruzstl]

We have done both plus we are timeshare owners and I must say there is something about getting up every morning in a new place! Land based vacations(after a couple days)you know what to expect...on cruises everyday is different.

[matj2000]

All-Inclusives are great. They are very similar as a cruise except everything is spread out and you have more room. Most do the same type of activities and they food is similar. Just do your research and go to the right place that fits your style. Also I believe the average age is much younger than cruises..

[Gone_Again]

I LOVE all inclusives, but I also LOVE cruising. They are both great in their own way. I find all inclusives better if you are wanting a relaxing vacation. Cruising is good if you want to see alot of places and have a bit of adventure. The bonus about all inclusives is that your drinks are inlcuded, but I find cruising has much better food. All inclusives do have day tours that you can take.

 

It's all in what you feel like doing, and what's importatnt to you. If you've never tried all inclusives, why not give it a try?

[airboss]

My ideal vacation doesn't have me sitting in 1 area for a week.

I like to travel and see multiple vacations.

Therefore cruises are better for me than all-inclusive.

[bluegirlum]

If we want to truly see a bunch of different places and really experience the culture, we go on a long land-based vacation. Spending a few hours in a port does not, to me, really give you a sense for a place. We cruise to relax and be treated well, which is basically what an all-inclusive does, but in one place.

 

If you like the ability to go off the property and see things, have you thought about somewhere like Playa Del Carmen in Mexico? I haven't been there, but many friends/family have recommended it, and there is actually a great town and things to do outside of the resorts in case you get the itch to "do something." As another poster said, Punta Cana doesn't seem to have much except really nice resorts. To me, a week of sitting at the beach with fruity drinks sounds amazing. You can find resorts with a variety of restaurants, and for us, our biggest cost on cruises are drinks (pop and alcohol), so that would be a big consideration...Again, if I want a cultural vacation, I'll plan that kind of trip.

 

It all depends on what you want. Whatever you do, have a great time!

[yarlenna]

I just love Regent for being both all-inclusive and a cruise. Yes, it is expensive, but you get what you pay for. Now, Regent is NOT good for families who want a children's program. Some times they have one, but most of the time they don't. Also, the entertainment is not up to the par of main line cruises.

[fubarsbabe]

If you're big drinkers and happy to stay put in one place for a week then all inc can be fantastic, I cruise so that i can check out several places then go back to the best ones for a longer visit. if we do all inc we prefer areas where we're not stuck in a compound and its safe to go out in the surrounding areas. have a great time whichever you choose, OR how about cruise and stay ?

[olemissreb]

We stayed at Ciboney in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. It was very nice. It's an all-suite all inclusive. There were 4 suites in our building. You could go to any of 5 different restaurants or you could have someone come to your suite and cook dinner for you and serve it by your private pool. Yes each building had its own pool. There were some buildings that had only 1 suite and it's own pool - think honeymoon - very private. DH had someone come cook us dinner and serve it by the pool. There was a "wandering minstrel" that came by and sang to us. It was a very romantic way to spend my birthday! The only problem was the beach was across a busy street downhill from our accommodations. Nice getting to the beach, but a pain walking back up the hill from the beach!:) The food was good, the drinks plentiful - top shelf liquor not well drinks. If it weren't for the NBA playoffs, things would have been really boring as there was nothing else to do on the resort. We did take an excursion to a Blue Mountain Coffee Plantation and toured Bob Marley's home in Kingston (ok we didn't go on the Marley tour, but it was an option). At the time it was a great way to leave our work troubles and just relax. Today I don't know that I would say the same thing.

 

We do love to cruise. It does give us a taste of different places and we are pampered. The food is good and the drinks are plentiful - of course you have to pay for them. Plus a couple of sea days to just kick back and relax. I think this is more my style these days. Price wise for us the difference is negligible.

[green eyed lady]

We love cruising - have sailed with NCL :rolleyes:, RCCL :D and Carnival :eek: Last summer the kids wanted to try a land vacation so we went to Majestic Colonial resort in Punta Cana. It was an absolutely beautiful resort but we wished we were on a cruise! We missed all the activities the cruise offers as well as food being available at any time. The quality of the food wasn't as good as cruise food either. The one thing my kids DID really like was the free booze :rolleyes: This summer we're going on Oasis - need I say more? ;)

[Tamerella]

I actually like both cruising and staying at a land resort. They are different in what they offer so I do both. In fact, I just booked a trip to Punta Cana...but am only going for a few days...a quick May getaway. It has the #1 ranked golf course there and my honey loves to golf. Punta Cana is absolutely gorgeous!

 

It seems when we are on a crusie, we are running around at each port trying to see everything. Don't get me wrong...I LOVE being on a different island each day....I just think it will be nice to take a "different" type of vacation for a few days...a more "lounge around the beach and/or golf vacation".

 

So...I'd say go to Punta Cana for a few days for one vacation and plan another vacation on a cruise! Have the best of both worlds!! :D

[Debde]

LOVE AI's.

Remember-you are on a cruise message board with many folks that think RCCL is the be all and end all of vacationing. Sorry guys-hang me if you want!!:p

 

AI's right now are way cheaper then a cruise. You pick the right one-have activities galore-can really spend time with the culture and people and have a no brainer-relaxing fun vacation.

 

I LOVE cruising too but will not make it my one and only vacation venue.

 

I travel with the family-older teen and a young adult now to be exact and have always found an AI that keeps them busy-my husband busy as he loves an active vaction too and me-who could sit with a drink in her hand by a large pool or beach anyday.

 

Research is the key. You will find dining options galore with food just as good as a cruise. Don't let anybody tell you any different!:) Shows which are not as flambouyant as a cruise but over the years I have noticed cruise shows are kind of the same old thing after you have been on a few. Activities are plentiful all at no charge and excursions are available too.

 

I am planning one right now and it seems to me-same type room catagory I would choose on a cruise and my vacation will be about $2000 cheaper then my last cruise.

Will I cruise again-absolutly. I don't mind spending extra for cruising.

 

Been to Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Mexico and now off to Turks and Caicos. I will say-in Punta Cana-if exploring on your own is a must-I'm not really sure on that.:confused:

 

I am returning to a resort chain I did a few years back. The loyalty program they have already gives me $250 dollars off my stay. That is only with one previous stay!:D

 

Beautiful beaches or pool time daily and a real large pool and you are not jammed in like sardines at the pool. I never think of cruising and pool time in one vacation. I use a cruise for other activities to do. AI's are an absolute pool time vacation!!:)

 

I could go on but you have to do the investigating and you will probably come to the same conclusion I have. Both are great and an AI at this time is probably a bit cheaper.

[PH8]

We have this debate in our home several times a year......we would love to try something different,but when we price AIs out,cruises wind up to be the better value for us........

 

I just need to get out of my comfort zone(cruising) and try something new..

[debshomespun]

Cruises take you to so many places in a short time. We have done 2 AI, and we don't care for them. The food didn't compare to cruise food, (we stayed at 5 golden apples both times, once in Riviera Maya and once in Puerto Vallarta), entertainment was practically non-existant, and the focus was more on drinking and sunbathing than anything else. We prefer to see and do many things on our vacation, and like a drink now and then, but didn't care for the atmosphere at the AI. Maybe just the places we stayed.

[masechase]

we did the sandals vacation in nassau bahamas for our honeymoon. it was amazing. the people were very nice and the food was great! portions were huge and they put alot of alcohol in the drinks. you could get as much as you want any time you wanted. drinks in your room too!! they had shows at night and pool side activies during the day, like a cruise. That being said, even though it was amazing and i woudl do it again, I like crusing better, for being able to see different places and its cheaper (than sandals at least)

 

the other thing about alot of all inclusive vacations are alot are adult only. this was great for us. We dont have kids yet, and though we love kids its also nice to get away from them too! :)

 

all in all cruises and all inclusives are great. just depends on what you want to do. how much you plan to drink and what you want to see!

 

have a great vacation!

[sutuz]

If we want to truly see a bunch of different places and really experience the culture, we go on a long land-based vacation. Spending a few hours in a port does not, to me, really give you a sense for a place. We cruise to relax and be treated well, which is basically what an all-inclusive does, but in one place.

 

If you like the ability to go off the property and see things, have you thought about somewhere like Playa Del Carmen in Mexico? I haven't been there, but many friends/family have recommended it, and there is actually a great town and things to do outside of the resorts in case you get the itch to "do something." As another poster said, Punta Cana doesn't seem to have much except really nice resorts. To me, a week of sitting at the beach with fruity drinks sounds amazing. You can find resorts with a variety of restaurants, and for us, our biggest cost on cruises are drinks (pop and alcohol), so that would be a big consideration...Again, if I want a cultural vacation, I'll plan that kind of trip.

 

It all depends on what you want. Whatever you do, have a great time!

 

Quoting this post because we just got back from an all inclusive near Playa del Carmen - Secrets Maroma - and we LOVED it. The food was outstanding, the rooms are gorgeous, the staff is as wonderful as any cruise we've been on, and like a cruise you can be as lazy or as busy as you choose. We did have to take a 20 minute cab ride to Playa del Carmen, as the resort itself is pretty removed - definitely you can't walk from there. Town was very fun and active. I would recommend that anyplace you're interested in trying, you go to www.tripadvisor.com and read the reviews. Now, all that being said I wouldn't say I like it MORE than cruising. We have a cruise planned on the Oasis for February 2011 and are definitely looking forward to that. We are considering alternating each year between a cruise and an all-inclusive - definitely glad we tried it. Have fun researching and more fun doing whatever you decide to try!

[rdharbis1]

My wife and I have been cruising for the past 5 years and love it. But, we have been discussing the choice of an all-inclusive for next year. We love St. Maarten so much, we were considering a 5 day there. We think that we could designate activities for each day, shopping, diving, beach, exploring, St. John trip, etc.; so we would not have any boredom. Cost-wise, I don't know, haven't done that yet. We have always done the Eastern itinerary and it is getting a little mondane but this year we are on the Western. I agree with many who have said that a little of both is probably a good thing. Choosing between the two would be a very god problem to have! I choose both!:D

[RetireeWannabee]

AI is much more expensive for us, with less of what we want. I would feel stuck at teh resort, and many AIs are in places where the resort IS the attraction. We prefer to get out and explore the culture, arts, etc. Cruise will always rank above AI for us.

 

We do land trips via timeshare, never AI. The savings from having a kitchen to deal with our own meals allows us to rent cars, do other excursions and sight-seeing that we would not be able to afford on top of AI cost.

 

Yeah, I know that plenty of people feel that preparing your own meal is not vacation, but it's not a big deal to me and is not only cheaper, but more convenient and takes less time than restaurant meals.

[Bobal]

Both have their advantages and both are great as far as we're concerned.:D

 

We've done several cruises over the past few years as they've provided a great range of activities and plenty of food for our 2 teen boys. However, having considered a cruise for Easter next week, we've decided on an all- inclusive partly because one of the boys is now 18 and considered too old to be in the teen club with his brother and too young to drink (which he can in the UK). We've opted for an AI in Riviera Maya (where he can do both) and are really looking forward to it. Also looking forward to trying some food other than RCL's tired menu.

 

Having said that, we have another 2 Med cruises later this year so are not deserting cruising by any means.

 

To those who say you don't get to see a place properly when cruising, I agree. However, you do get a nice taste of what it might be like to visit somewhere and I can say that some of my cruises have introduced me to places I would love to visit for longer - and places I wouldn't want to set foot it again.

[pltag]

As much as I love a cocktail in the evenings, we've found that we don't drink enough to warrant the price of an All Inclusive again. ...... I think if you like to lay on the beach it might be fine.

We definitely love to COCKTAIL :D , and have found that our favorite cruise activity is laying in the chair doing "nothing" ! We've done umpteen cruises , but are getting ready to do our first AI the first week of May at Riv. Maya. We've already planned some golf and perhaps a private sail plus some trips into Playa... so , although I was and still am a little concerned about being in ONE place for the week...... I think we are going to have a great time!! :)