Enjoy cruising but looking at All Inclusive Resorts

[Lovetwocruz2009]

Hi,

 

Husband and I have been cruising faithfully for the past 12 years. On our last cruise on the Liberty, we thought about trying something new next year. We enjoyed our cruise in July but it seemed like something was missing. Maybe cruising is too familiar now? I know I sound kinda crazy.

 

Anyway, can anyone recommend a great AI resort in the Caribeean. We enjoy the beach, snorkeling and fine dining. We like a party atmosphere but not too crazy. We are in our early 40s. We don't have any children.

 

Thanks in advance for your time.

[wiskt]

Hi,

 

Husband and I have been cruising faithfully for the past 12 years. On our last cruise on the Liberty, we thought about trying something new next year. We enjoyed our cruise in July but it seemed like something was missing. Maybe cruising is too familiar now? I know I sound kinda crazy.

 

Anyway, can anyone recommend a great AI resort in the Caribeean. We enjoy the beach, snorkeling and fine dining. We like a party atmosphere but not too crazy. We are in our early 40s. We don't have any children.

 

Thanks in advance for your time.

 

 

I think they are great if you drink a lot and dont want to get that "OH OMG!" bar tab at the end of the cruise LOL

 

I think it may be against CC policy to list names of specific resorts, but

There are some great ones in Mexico. (Xcaret, Costa Maya, Cancun area. Also look into Dominica and Jamaica.)

 

One drawback is hoping for good weather. You can move a ship, but you can't move a resort no matter how All Inclusive it is. :)

[Gloria Mundi]

I'd recommend a site like TripAdvisor.com. If you throw out the ridiculously good and bad reviews, and read the details of the ones in the middle, you'll get a very good idea which ones you might like. I have over 100 reviews on there myself, but none on All-Inclusives.

[Ken076]

Look at the AI's on the Mexican Riviera Maya (East Coast) from Cancun down to Playa del Carmen. Cancun is very dense with these and a lot "busier". We did Secrets Maroma Beach for a week and were very impressed; I think 4 gourmet Restaurants, a "Buffet" restaurant and some poolside restaurants, small theatre with entertainment and a "disco". Very good food, premium liquors, excellent service and VERY nice rooms. ken

[natdalton]

Check into the Palace Resorts. They have them all over Mexico and DR. I stayed at Aventura Spa Palace last year and it was great. Grounds of the resort are beautiful. Food was pretty bad, but it didn't ruin the trip.. and i don't think any all Inclusive (or cruise) is going to be any better. All the resorts have 5-10+ restaurants, many are fine dining. What i like most about Palace is they are currently running a special- they give you $1500 resort credit, which can be used for the spa and excursions. There's no strings attached.. its just a promotion, literally $1500 resort credit. When we were there my husband and I got a couples facial, couples massage, i got a pedicure, we took home 2 boxes of tequila and had a special steak and lobster candlelight dinner on the beach -ALL FOR FREE b/c of the promo!

 

I checked into Cozumel Palace last night and for Sept-Oct 2013 the price for 2 adults, 7 days was $1959.

Look them up on Trip Advisor and also a great Palace resource is a fb page called Greg's Friends Who Love Palace Resorts.

 

I would be interested in hearing other people make AI suggestions.

[mikel24m]

Hi,

 

Husband and I have been cruising faithfully for the past 12 years. On our last cruise on the Liberty, we thought about trying something new next year. We enjoyed our cruise in July but it seemed like something was missing. Maybe cruising is too familiar now? I know I sound kinda crazy.

 

Anyway, can anyone recommend a great AI resort in the Caribeean. We enjoy the beach, snorkeling and fine dining. We like a party atmosphere but not too crazy. We are in our early 40s. We don't have any children.

 

Thanks in advance for your time.

 

If I were you I would google travel and zoo and join the mailing list. We get some great deals emailed once a week

[adamt]

The wife and I went to an All Inclusive in Ocho Rios Jamaica. It was amazing, but around 4xthe cost of a cruise (including our alcohol bill).

 

We've talked about going to another, but for the price, you just can't beat a cruise vacation.

 

I will echo above, to take a look at trip advisor. I would look at the overall rating, and then sort by the negative reviews first. I learned a lot about the resort in these "negative" reviews that we were able to better prepare ourselves.

 

The 2hr bus ride, the lack of extra shampoo, and bug spray for night time excursions were NOT mentioned in the beautiful brochure, but we were able to prepare for these "negatives" beforehand by just doing a bit of research.

 

Either way, ENJOY!

[ferretface]

We loved Excellence Playa Mujeres. Buy the time you buy drinks and do excursions, a cruise is usually MORE expensive than an AI. We felt the food & drinks at EPM were great.

[sra12574]

I like cruising but I prefer All Inclusives . A lot of the choice comes down to travel expenses and what kind of deal I can get for each . Sometimes its been cheaper for me to go on a cruise , sometimes it has been cheaper to go to an all inclusive. I can drive to many cruise ports but to go to an All Inclusive I have to fly . Like the others have suggested the Mayan riviera , Jamaica and Dominican Republic are good choices for all inclusives. Read a lot oif trip reports and get to know some inns and outs . Even though resorts are all inclusive some have dining restrictions and alcohol brand limitations.

I like resorts with unlimited alacarts many resorts will restrict you from anywhere from 2 to 4 per week . Some resorts only have one alacart restuarant but often resorts will have theme nights . My sisters family had a bad experience at one resort due to the repetition of the buffets .I have found a few that I really like .

Cruises give you a sampling of an area but all inclusives allow you to do a little more . Some excursions are hard to fit in a port schedule .If your there for several days and having a great time you dont have to watch your clock while your having a good time. Its great being able to do things more on your ownn schedule . If you wake up on a ship and the port doesnt open up till 10 and you have several hours to kill too bad , at an all inclusive you can walk to the lobby get a taxi and explore . Or take a walk around the properties some have some interesting wildlife .

 

Both cruises and all inclusives can be enjoyable experiences . Read up wherever you are going to and take some tips and pitfallls that other travelers have in mind and it should help you have a great trip ,

[cruzzza]

I felt just like you after my last cruise. In fact, my review was titled something like "Why I might not cruise on my next vacation" :eek:!!! Since then, we went to a condo on the beach and we left there thinking we had fun, but we like cruising more!! We loved being on the beach, but there were a lot of little things like cooking and cleaning and taking a TON of stuff to supply the condo for a week.

 

I have ALWAYS wanted to do an AI. I researched it in depth on several occasions. I have always found it to be more expensive than a cruise. True, the cruise has extra expenses, but I've heard the AI does too unless you literally don't leave the premises. They have excursions just like the ships. Now, with 2 young kids, I just don't know if I trust taking them to an AI out of the country (foodborne illnesses, diseases from mosquitos, etc.). I am not scared for us adults, but I am for them. FYI, we have taken them to Mexico on cruises and we did eat the food, but it did make me anxious! I am just more comfortable having them on the ship with me and confined to Camp Carnival, which I feel is safe. I don't trust the resort kids clubs as much from what I've read. I've also heard bad things about the chartered airlines, which are of course the cheapest. Maybe I'm being paranoid.

 

In doing my research, the Aventura Palace was high on my list, but not a real beach there FYI. There are tons of resorts on the Mayan Riviera that would probably make you happy. I have a friend who loves the Dominican Republic as well.

[cruzzza]

Check into the Palace Resorts. They have them all over Mexico and DR. I stayed at Aventura Spa Palace last year and it was great. Grounds of the resort are beautiful. Food was pretty bad, but it didn't ruin the trip.. and i don't think any all Inclusive (or cruise) is going to be any better. All the resorts have 5-10+ restaurants, many are fine dining. What i like most about Palace is they are currently running a special- they give you $1500 resort credit, which can be used for the spa and excursions. There's no strings attached.. its just a promotion, literally $1500 resort credit. When we were there my husband and I got a couples facial, couples massage, i got a pedicure, we took home 2 boxes of tequila and had a special steak and lobster candlelight dinner on the beach -ALL FOR FREE b/c of the promo!

 

I checked into Cozumel Palace last night and for Sept-Oct 2013 the price for 2 adults, 7 days was $1959.

Look them up on Trip Advisor and also a great Palace resource is a fb page called Greg's Friends Who Love Palace Resorts.

 

I would be interested in hearing other people make AI suggestions.

WOW! That sounds like an amazingly awesome deal. I wonder how much you paid for your vacation, though.

[pe4all]

Before we went "back" to cruising, we had visited around 18 AI's all over, from Cancun to Aruba to Antigua to Jamaica to DR, etc. We had kids, so were looking for more family friendly places. If you have no kids, I would suggest a more adult-friendly AI, such Sandals, or maybe one of the Breezes which have 16+ only. Once we started cruising, we found it hard to go back to an AI - found them "boring!!" We love waking up in a different place every day or so. As others have said, check travel sites for reviews, and do your research before you go. (btw - if you think entertainment is bad on CCL - wait till you see the nightly shows at an AI!)

[Amy Giard]

Have done AI vacations and loved them.

 

But has been pointed out, they can be

pricey.

 

Living in driving distance to so many cruise ports,

it is hard for us to justify the cost of ANY other

vacation - the airfare alone usually settles it.

 

Howevere, if money were not issue we would do

another AI in a second..just for a change.

 

Without saying the names, our 2 favorite places are

on beaches where you wear sandals :)

[Melismass]

Hi,

 

Husband and I have been cruising faithfully for the past 12 years. On our last cruise on the Liberty, we thought about trying something new next year. We enjoyed our cruise in July but it seemed like something was missing. Maybe cruising is too familiar now? I know I sound kinda crazy.

 

Anyway, can anyone recommend a great AI resort in the Caribeean. We enjoy the beach, snorkeling and fine dining. We like a party atmosphere but not too crazy. We are in our early 40s. We don't have any children.

 

Thanks in advance for your time.

 

Yes! Me too! I really love cruising but I would like to give the AI a try too. I think you are right about cruising becoming too familiar. Sadly, the newness has worn off for me too. It can get boring at times.That is why I like cruises with as many port days as possible. Sea days are very boring for me. I doubt if I will stop cruising, but maybe a change of pace would be nice. (I hope my family doesnt see this post. They would be so disappointed in me!)

[Hog twisted]

SECRETS anywhere

[chill6x6]

I had Excellence Riviera Cancun booked for November....was afraid I'd get board AND I honestly do enjoy going on a cruise! SO......I booked the Ruby Princess Eastern Caribbean instead!!!

 

Maybe another time.....

[chill6x6]

BTW...from my own research....ANY of the Secrets, Excellence, Royal, or Iberostar resorts are top notch!

[bonniemari]

We are also faithful cruisers (2-3 times a year). It had been a while since we had done an AI, but we went to the Dominican Republic in May and really enjoyed ourselves. We do have another cruise booked at the end of this month but our next trip after that will be a return trip to the DR. We have decided to mix it up and do a couple of cruises and a couple of AI's every year.

 

I shopped around and checked rates for a couple of months before I finally booked the trip. We stayed at the Bavaro Princess and did the upgrade to a Priviledged Suite for 6 nights. When I "crunched the numbers" including airfare, it was a little less than a 7 day cruise. Just no huge bill (actually it was $0.00) at the end of the trip-which was really nice.

 

Even tho they said tips were included, I still took a bunch of $1's and always tipped when I got a drink. The bartenders and wait staff got to know us and our drinks seemed to be a liitle stronger than the first one's we got:).

[summercruisin']

We stayed at the Tamarijn in Aruba and really enjoyed it. Would definitely go back, and if it weren't for having exactly 9 Carnival cruises under my belt, I'd probably go back this year (but feel an urgency in getting that 10th cruise in instead :rolleyes:). We booked through a website that offers CHEAP trips to the CARIBBEAN that include air and AI with discounts (I capitalized those two words on purpose in case you want to find the webpage :D).

[jenng1976]

We stayed at the NOW Jade in Mexico for my sister's wedding in March and really enjoyed it. Rooms and food were both very good. Located in Puerto Morelos, between Cancun and Playa del Carmen.

 

That said, we both still prefer cruising and have two more planned!

 

But, it can be good to try new things sometime!

 

Jenn

 

BTW - from Toronto it was roughly $1500/person AI including flight.

[larkz]

I was looking at the well-known resort just north of the West End shops in Roatan. I offered it as an option to my daughter, as well as simply hanging out on San Pedro island in Belize, but she picked our upcoming cruise on Victory out of San Juan as her first choice.

 

Being out on the ocean is my favorite thing about cruising -- ports are of secondary importance as long as I can find some kind of physical activity or natural area to explore -- so I don't think I'll grow bored of it. I also like not having to drive all over the place, trying to find this or that scenic spot like I do on a land vacation. But I can see how other people who are more interested things such in dining or entertainment might find cruising repetitive after a while.

[babyblue78]

We did Secrets Maroma Beach for a week and were very impressed; I think 4 gourmet Restaurants, a "Buffet" restaurant and some poolside restaurants, small theatre with entertainment and a "disco". Very good food, premium liquors, excellent service and VERY nice rooms. ken

 

Good to hear, we are staying there in November. Very excited! :cool:

[pokergirl34]

We went to Sun Palace in July. It's in Cancun and adults only. Food was comparable to a cruise but drinks were smaller (but included so it was fine). With the Palace Resorts resort credit promotion we were able to take 3 tours plus golfed, had a couples' massage, manicures and pedicures. We could never have afforded all of that on a cruise for the price we paid.

 

If you book through a member (find one on facebook or tripadvisor - we are not members) and you want to go in the next few months, Adventura Spa Palace has a buy one get one free. You would still get the $1,500 resort credits so it would be an amazing deal. Plus there are some other perks included when you book through a member (and no you don't have to sit through a sales pitch).

From what the member we know told us, it would be around $1,100 total for 2 for 7 nights for Adventura Spa Palace if you can get in on the promotion. Airfare isn't included, but all your drinks, food and $1500 in tours is!

 

Hope you enjoy your vacation what ever you decide on!

[Jay B]

Since you're from California, the flights to the Caribbean would probably be very expensive and time consuming. We're from Colorado and have the same situation. We've been to many AIs in Mexico and the Caribbean and found that the Mayan Riviera area south of Cancun offers more for the money than anywhere, and offer nonstop flights at a much cheaper price. We think some of the less expensive resorts such as Iberostar and Grand Palladium are fantastic and we actually enjoy them more than a cruise. And for us, they are much cheaper than a cruise. Last year we went to one and paid about $900 each for 7 nights including round trip air fare from Denver. Plus, you get a large room and balcony (unlike on a cruise unless you upgrade), evening shows that rival those on a ship, food about as good as on a ship, and much more to do than on a ship. Plus drinks are free. On a ship, I get rather bored on sea days and look forward to a port stop so I can go to the beach - but at an AI, you have endless beach days. Cruises are probably a much better deal for someone who can drive to the port, doesn't drink, and can tolerate an inside (or a cheaper category) room.

 

And concerning unlimited booze, we've been to AIs probably 20 times and have never seen anyone drunk. On a cruise ship where you pay dearly for a drink, we have seen drunks most every time.

[amybear912]

We tried an AI a few years ago and really enjoyed it.. Very similar atmosphere to a cruise (activities and socially) but without the sense of hurrying around to see ports... We really enjoyed Playa del Carmen and it was extremely affordable... As drinkers, it was more cost effective than a cruise...

 

The risk is weather... If its crappy, you're stuck...

 

I also used trip advisor to research resorts but found great deals and service via cheap caribbean (all one word) dot com...