Cruise or all-inclusive??

[andrzej5914]

I understand that everybody has different needs. If I was living in Chicago (and I did for many years) and wanted to get away in mid Feb to see little sun, I too would be tempted with either a cruise or all-inclusive in some tropical location, but that said, we don't have a need for all inclusive at all and the only cruises I, and now we take are mostly for the sea days, NOT for the false impression that cruises allow the passengers to discover the many different cultures.

 

All-inclusive - We live in a great condo, in Sarasota, FL. We have a west facing balcony that overlooks the beautiful Sarasota Bay. We can watch sunsets every evening until we get sunset tired. We have at least 20 different restaurants within 2-3 blocks, ranging from high end steakhouse to low end pizza/hamburger joints (all locally owned - not chains). We have multiple choices of entertainment within the same distance. Our building has a wonderful pool that gets sun from about 11 am to sunset. We have our own personal chef (me ;) ) and our little own bar. The one thing that's missing is a beach within walking distance, but it's only about 5-10 minute drive away from some of the most beautiful Florida beaches. Finally, we hardly ever need to wear a heavy sweater or a jacket (this winter is an exception).

With all that, why would we spend our hard earned money on all-inclusive?

 

Cruises - I, and now we love cruises for sea days. Just want to get away from the world for few days. Hate port days. The shopping is way overpriced, gave up on that many years ago. (Hint - trust me - you can get much better deals at home, especially on high end items). I wish there were seven day cruises that just circled around the Gulf or Caribbean Sea. Probably won't happen, but it's a dream of mine.....

 

Our ideal vacation - land based, few countries, over 3-4 weeks, where we actually do experience different cultures. Perhaps a 3 day all-inclusive somewhere in the middle of the trip just so we can relax for few days.

 

 

But like I said, everybody has different needs.

[Gone_Again]

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!! :)

 

I did an all inclusive in the Riv. Maya last Feb. We stayed at the Barcelo, and took a day trip to Playa. It was beautiful there. We also took another day trip to Chichen Itza, which was AMAZING!

 

I've been to two other all inclusives in Cuba, one in Holguin, and one in Santa Clara. I have to say Cuba is probably my favorite vacation destination, with cruising coming in a close second. It's just so nice to relax on a beautiful beach, looking at warm turquoise water, with someone bringing you alcoholic beverages all day (without signing a slip). The people there are so warm & friendly. What a way to relax! I also like it because there is alot less "sell" at an AI. I find the cruise ship is always trying to get you to buy this, or has and extra fee for that. Plus in NS, you can get a week long all inclusive from here for approx $800-$1000 p/p, which includes flight, transfer, resort, food, drinks & all taxes. Sometimes you can get a better deal than that if you're not too picky.

 

I tend to alternate between cruising & all inclusives, as they are both great, but for different reasons.

[kyriecat]

I've only done AI's in places where I know there are many things that I would like to see/do. I don't like to be bored. One thing that I really like is the complete lack of schedule with an AI. When I'm on a ship, I know I will only be at that port for a few hours so I feel "obligated" to get up and do something. At an AI, if the weather is bad or I'm just feeling lazy, I know that whatever I had planned for the day can always wait until tomorrow. :D

[bluegirlum]

I did an all inclusive in the Riv. Maya last Feb. We stayed at the Barcelo, and took a day trip to Playa. It was beautiful there. We also took another day trip to Chichen Itza, which was AMAZING!

 

I've been to two other all inclusives in Cuba, one in Holguin, and one in Santa Clara. I have to say Cuba is probably my favorite vacation destination, with cruising coming in a close second. It's just so nice to relax on a beautiful beach, looking at warm turquoise water, with someone bringing you alcoholic beverages all day (without signing a slip). The people there are so warm & friendly. What a way to relax! I also like it because there is alot less "sell" at an AI. I find the cruise ship is always trying to get you to buy this, or has and extra fee for that. Plus in NS, you can get a week long all inclusive from here for approx $800-$1000 p/p, which includes flight, transfer, resort, food, drinks & all taxes. Sometimes you can get a better deal than that if you're not too picky.

 

I tend to alternate between cruising & all inclusives, as they are both great, but for different reasons.

 

Some of us don't have the option of going to Cuba, sadly. We flew over her on the way to the Cayman Islands last summer. Wow, was it beautiful.

[Spankyboy0710]

A lot of people on here said that cruises are less expensive than all-inclusive resorts. This is a very relative and subjective statement. For my needs, I find all-inclusives to be much less expensive. Plus, it all depends on the cruise line and ports vs. which resort you stay at and in what country (and to what degree you upgrade your room - but of course most rooms at a resort would be an upgrade from a ship, unless you stay in a suite on the ship, in which case money probably doesn't worry you anyway!).

 

I guess it all comes down to what you value in a vacation. In an all-inclusive, the entertainment is less that what you'd expect on a cruise (at least where I stayed), but they do have nightly shows and many other activities. If you're not a theatre critic, then this aspect wouldn't bother you. The inclusion of drinks is a definite plus, since the cruise lines charge and then overcharge.

 

For me, the only benefit of cruise lines over all-inclusives is the opportunity to see many different places. There are also what seems like infinite activities on board a cruise, and having things to choose from is nice.

 

All-inclusives have entertainment and activities, just maybe not to the same degree as cruises.

 

Someone commented on the food being better on a cruise. Again, a subjective statement. The food where we stayed was better than the FOS last week and we paid about $800 less for the entire vacation expense.

 

It is a younger crowd, which someone pointed out. And, the ability to stay were there aren't kids was nice for us, a young married couple.

 

We stayed close to Playa del Carmen, about 90 minutes south of Cancun. We absolutely loved the resort, and there were PLENTY of excursions to do around the area. The Dom. Rep. is definitely one of those places I think is like Jamaica, where you'll probably want to stay close to the resort. This is not the case in Mexico. We loved the resort, loved the service (which was better than FOS), loved the food, and loved exploring ruins, zip lines, shopping, etc. all around the Riviera Maya. I think Mexico is the best value. Most of the island all-inclusives are overpriced. You can get much of the same things in Mexico and not lose any quality at all. In some cases it's even better. Again, we paid $800 less all said and done. As with cruises, you need to search for the deals and specials, but there are always plenty.

 

Just weigh what's important to you. If you like TONS of activities and stopping at several ports, then cruising it is. If you like not having to worry about what your bar tab might look like, relaxing at a beautiful place with all the amenities of a cruise (not to mention more space!), and doing excursions and activities completely at your leisure without having to worry about the boat leaving you, then go to an all-inclusive.

[corkster]

We usually cruise for our big vacation but are trying the AI this summer. We have a suite in the Italian Village of Beaches, Turks & Caicos. I am looking forward to the daily scuba and 16 restuarants. I'm a little concerned about getting bored, but I'm sure we will LOVE it. If any of you have been there I'd love to hear from you. One of the things I LOVE about cruising is Cruise Critic - it is so easy to do your research!

[andrzej5914]

We usually cruise for our big vacation but are trying the AI this summer. We have a suite in the Italian Village of Beaches, Turks & Caicos. I am looking forward to the daily scuba and 16 restuarants. I'm a little concerned about getting bored, but I'm sure we will LOVE it. If any of you have been there I'd love to hear from you. One of the things I LOVE about cruising is Cruise Critic - it is so easy to do your research!

 

http://boards.independenttraveler.com/index.php

 

There you go....:D

[cruiseguy1016]

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.

 

That's a very general statement and not necessarily true. The AIs that I have been looking at are more than twice as much as the 7 day cruise I just booked. I'm sure that you can find some AIs that are cheaper than some cruises but AIs are not always cheaper than a cruise right now. I will admit that there is more included with the price of an AI but if you're not a heavy drinker, or golfer, or SCUBA diver etc., then you are paying a lot of money for things that you won't use. Once on the cruise ship, you only pay for the extras that you choose.

[PH8]

That's a very general statement and not necessarily true. The AIs that I have been looking at are more than twice as much as the 7 day cruise .

Thats what I have always found too.

[Debde]

We usually cruise for our big vacation but are trying the AI this summer. We have a suite in the Italian Village of Beaches, Turks & Caicos. I am looking forward to the daily scuba and 16 restuarants. I'm a little concerned about getting bored, but I'm sure we will LOVE it. If any of you have been there I'd love to hear from you. One of the things I LOVE about cruising is Cruise Critic - it is so easy to do your research!

 

exactly where I'm headed too.

I've done lots of research and I think it will be good.

Went to beaches in Jamaica so I'm familiar with the chain.

trip advisor has been a great help to me.

 

cruiseguy:

Correct. The statement was quite general-sorry.

Room catagory and other preferences can be a factor why a cruise could be cheaper.

[joejo]

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!

 

I second Playa Del Carmen - it is by far my favorite place! I never understand how people think they are going to get bored by going to an interesting town :confused: There are excursions galore for those that like those kinds of things...it is just a short ferry ride to Cozumel for a days adventure or some diving.

 

Keep in mind, you wouldn't randomly pick any cruise, cruiseline or destination and expect them to all be the same. There are many different kinds of AI's regarding level of service, amenities, location, and the country of choice will affect this widely. It is all about finding the right fit for your needs.

 

Btw, if you are a pet lover - the Peanut Pet Shelter in Playa Del Carmen allows for volunteers to come and help out with a weekly dog wash. My kids are really looking forward to participating in that :)

[Debde]

BTW:

For those of you who enjoy your land based and AI's too-I'd love to see this site more active:

http://www.familyvacationcritic.com/forums/

[pltag]

I did an all inclusive in the Riv. Maya last Feb. We stayed at the Barcelo, and took a day trip to Playa. It was beautiful there.

Too Funny...... we are staying at the Barcelo - Palace. Any good tips ?? :D

[gvlgolflady]

I have stayed at all incusives in Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Costa Rica and Bahamas. Loved all of them; but, did find that food choices were not as good as being on a ship. Also; all of the locations had plenty to do and a lot of places to visit. The prices for the trips were similiar to paying for an excursion on a cruise. I am not a big drinker so that really is not important to me. I love cruising as well; I would be happy doing either.;)

[allisons]

Cruise! Get to go to different places. Better food. Better entertainment. Better activities.

[PhinsAndGills]

I've been on 5 cruises and 1 AI.

 

Had I not absolutely LOVED everything about Jamaica, I would've had a hard time with an AI. I'm an extremely active girl and like to be on the go, experiencing as many things as possible. I was able to keep my week filled with snorkeling trips (included in the cost as long as we took the resort trips), hiking up the falls (cost very minimal and booked through the agent there at the resort), and shopping both at the resort and taking the free shuttle into town. All-inclusive isn't necessarily a great deal for me because I pay for side trips regardless, which is why I choose to cruise. I can get many different adventures into many different countries in one shot. That's important to me.

 

For my travel style - an AI would be more relaxing. However, for me, cruises offer more of the opportunities I enjoy. There is a group from my town of around 30 people who go to a different Caribbean AI every winter, lay on the beach, drink themselves silly, never leave the resort, and wouldn't DREAM of doing anything else. I would go completely stir-crazy in that setting, but I know this about myself and that's why I cruise.

 

That being said, I fell in love with Grenada on our last cruise and have priced an AI on the island. HOWEVER, although the AI was overall cheaper, the airfare to Grenada was astronomical. Maybe I didn't shop around as much as I could have, but a domestic flight saved us lots of money (even though I just found out that Continental is still going to charge us $60 for our bags... GRRRR!). That may be a consideration, too.

 

Whatever you decide go with an open mind and ENJOY!

[Gone_Again]

Too Funny...... we are staying at the Barcelo - Palace. Any good tips ?? :D

 

The only tip I can think of is if you plan to go swimming in the ocean, bring water shoes. It's very rocky (coral) along the waterline once you enter the water, making it hard to enter and get out of. Once you are in a ways, it's sandy, with alot of good snorkleing areas. Enjoy! :)

[bsbcgirl]

We did an all inclusive a few years ago at a gorgeous resort in the Mayan Rivieria, called the Iberostar Paraiso Lindo. The grounds, rooms, pools and beach were beautiful and immaculate. I would say that the price ended up being a little cheaper than a cruise. However, that being said, we are hesitant to do another one for these reasons:

(1) Food was barely mediocre and not abundant at all. Even at different dining venues, it was all the same. Reservations at these venues were difficult to book, unless you ate very early (5:00 pm) or very late (9:00 pm)

(2) Drinks were very watered down, the liquor used was not top-shelf, and the wine was not very good, either.

(3) There are limited activities during the day, unless you arranged to golf.

(4) The staff tried hard, but the service just wasn't top notch.

(5) There is absolutely nothing at night except a very amateurish show and just drinking at a bar. Most of the place was asleep by 10:00 pm

If you just want to lie in the sun and relax, are not concerned with the food, and like to go to bed early then you might really love this type of vacation. We were disappointed, but glad that we tried and will not go back.

[oldguysandgalls]

We found that all inclusive land resorts tend to be quite remote, far away from everywhere.

 

While a cruise is like being on a floating resort, visiting different ports of call, cities, shore excursions and of course, shopping and more shopping! Also and for whatever the reason, a 7 night ocean cruise seems to go by much slower then a 7 night stay on land. Plus, the food and the entertainment is usually far much better on a cruise ship.

[constable145]

Apples and oranges when you compare them with the normal exceptions of having to jump on a big bird to fly some places hot.

 

The pros of each to me are:

 

Cruising-

 

Fabulous food. A mediocre cruise ship will often blow away a 5 star AI when it comes to food.

 

Service- turn down service in your rooms, waiters that remember your names and preferences. In general I've found staff on a ship more eager to please than I have at an AI. That being said, I've made a habit of showing up at the swim up bar early in the week at an AI with a 20 and the bar tender is very eager to please.

 

Variety of stuff to do- You can see more countries. Do different things in those countries. AI's you can take a trip around THE island. On a cruise you can take a trip around MANY islands.

 

Better shows- better talent. Better production. RCI puts on shows that are fairly close to broadway calibre when it comes to talent and bang on when it comes to the production. I took a behind the scenes tour on FOS last year and it was the same gear there that many theatres and big tours use ( I'm a sound guy when not doing my day job). AI shows are quite often put on by the activities staff dressed up in a costume.

 

AI-

 

It's all inclusive. All the booze you can stomach and often more. No additional charges for a la carte restaurants.

 

Rooms bigger than a shoe box. Sure they have them on ships too, but you need to pay a pretty penny for them.

 

Less structure. If all you want to do is lounge in the pool and get drunk you can do that with out the pressures that lie on a ship to do something else. That being said, you can do it on a ship too.

 

They are different vacations. Where one lacks the other excels.

 

If I could change one thing about cruising it'd be give someone the option to spend an extra 400 bucks or whatever for a domestic brands drink package. I think that would make a big difference in the cruising industry but since RCI and other lines make a ton of money off of their bars since they over charge that will never happen.

[LBcruzman]

I like them all. We tend to cruise often but then we usually do at least one A.I. in Cancun/Playa/Riviera Maya per year. So many places down there that are just wonderful!

 

As far as the food? Well Royal (our cruise line of choice ) is not known for their food. Even Chops, while the many, many times we have paid extra and eaten at Chops, is not the same anymore. Portofino, ...so so, better than the MDR that's for sure. But we don't cruise for the food. We don't travel for the food.

 

Now Italy and France...Well you get the GREAT food whether you want it or not!! Never had mediocre food in either of those countries.

 

We have stayed at some pretty nice A.I.'s and the specialty restaurants have been pretty darn good in my opinion.

 

Probably my favorite type of travel is land based, New York City, California, Miami (it's beaches and restaurants), London, Paris, Rome and of course the countrysides along the way.

 

But when we travel with our kids (young adults) a lot and are limited in time cruises work nice for that. Just DH and me....well all of the above work nicely.

[LBcruzman]

If I could change one thing about cruising it'd be give someone the option to spend an extra 400 bucks or whatever for a domestic brands drink package. I think that would make a big difference in the cruising industry but since RCI and other lines make a ton of money off of their bars since they over charge that will never happen.

Yes, and I think some of the lines offer this, even RCL, but you need a group to get the rate and everyone in the group must pay the premium even if they don't drink. Someone in the know correct me if I am wrong.

 

Would go over big in cruising I would think, but that over indulging and then going "overboard" comes in to play. And maybe the cruise lines don't want the lawsuits.

[karinad]

OK, we're a big fan of Sandals, but.....have you ever been on a tropical island when it rains, etc. or looking forward to going and you're watching a hurricane heading straight for it? Been there, done that! Having said that, there's nothing so relaxing as laying on the beach doing nothing. It's not the same as doing one of the ships excursions to one of the beaches. It's much better, if that's what you're looking for.

 

It's a different experience, and if you're "beach" people, and the sun is shinning, you'll love it! We'd do it again, if it were cheaper, and not in hurricane or the rainy season.

[foureyedbuzzard]

Apples and oranges when you compare them with the normal exceptions of having to jump on a big bird to fly some places hot.

 

The pros of each to me are:

 

Cruising-

 

Fabulous food. A mediocre cruise ship will often blow away a 5 star AI when it comes to food.

I'd have to disagree here. I've found the food on Carnival, RCI, etc to be acceptable cafeteria quality. There have been a few good surprises here and there, but generally seafod and shellfish is overcooked and meat cuts tend to be only of "choice" quality.

 

Better shows- better talent. Better production. RCI puts on shows that are fairly close to broadway calibre when it comes to talent and bang on when it comes to the production. I took a behind the scenes tour on FOS last year and it was the same gear there that many theatres and big tours use ( I'm a sound guy when not doing my day job). AI shows are quite often put on by the activities staff dressed up in a costume.

Again, I must disagree. Broadway calibre? Um, not even close. More like community college caliber. The lead male performer on Navigator last week sounded like a Philippino karaoke star - on every song. Care to guess why? The comedian was okay, but his material was dated, cliche, and he didn't "own it" - definitely not a headliner on-shore, only a 20 minute middle act. Ricky Nelson's sons were on board for a show, and they were actually pretty good, but we only stayed for an hour so that we could go to see the best entertainment talent on board - the guy in the piano bar. He wasn't a great pianist or singer or comic, but he had great all around entertainment presence and he packed the Schooner bar every night. We thoroughly enjoyed the two evenings we spent there as did many others.

 

Sorry to disagree, but there's no way you can compare onboard entertainment to what's available in any major city. And comparing shipboard entertainment to Broadway is just absurd.

[Debde]

Sorry to disagree, but there's no way you can compare onboard entertainment to what's available in any major city. And comparing shipboard entertainment to Broadway is just absurd.

 

I agree and have noticed the decline in quality of shows. Comics are the same old same old and the 'magic' act on my last cruise was-well-I guess you could call it entertaining!:eek:

 

As to folks from the activities staff on AI's being in the shows-hello-can anyone say RCCL. The girl that lead our muster drill was a dancer..........

Nothing wrong with it all so lets be fare here when comparing!;)