All inclusive versus cruising on Carnival

[beans79]

DH and I honeymooned in Cozumel at an AI this past August. We had fun durring the day around the island, but the resort itself we were bored at night. We made the best of it, but we have way more fun on a Cruise.

[kl25th]

We went on three cruises and on the fourth year our friends ask us to join them to an all inclusive in Cancun and adults Sun Palace resort.....it was great, we had alot of fun, they gave us 1500 in resort credits....with that we had two couples massages that week, manicures, pedicures, snorkle excursion, romantic dinner on the beach, and a few on other things....all food was great and we could go to the other two Palace resorts on the strip and eat and go to the pool at those too...so it was a very good value for us...I want to say $2,700.00 for the week. We only $500.00 cash with us and came home with over $300.00....with that said, we have went on two cruises since then....there is something about cruising that is very relaxing to my husband and I and getting to see new places. Plus not sure if we can find a deal like that all inclusive again, kinda spoils you when you do something to notch 1st, like getting a balcony suite your first cruise, an ocean view or inside room would not work for us....LOL

[Snostar]

My boys and I have done both. Having teenage boys it had to be one or the other (due to the amount of food they intake). Personally, I feel more catered to on a cruise and I really enjoy different stops and adventures. I also feel safer that they are taken care of, which help me relax. At the AI I felt a bit trapped because my kids really wanted to stay at the resort and hang out with other kids. Their reasons for preferring a cruise....1. Food was more available with more options and 2. at the AI kids would come and go at different times, so just as they were getting to know someone, they would leave. On the cruise you are all together for the duration.

[Fla Senior]

Cruising allows you to experience many destinations and then maybe find one that you would enjoy. We discovered Aruba on a cruise and have had two nice 7 and 10-day Aruba land vacations. But I still prefer cruising, there is just more bang for the buck.

[redcruiser15]

Have been on 1 Cruise. Had a blast

 

We are going on the Magic on January 13th, then for our Honeymoon in March we are doing an AI in Cozumel. I feel that i will like the AI, but the Cruise more.

 

So at least i will have a taste of both within 60 days of each other.

[funfamilyfun]

We've done both-we prefer cruising in general, but all-inclusives are less expensive for us (for the most part-and it's only two of us!) My favorite part about AI's is that there is no surprise bill at the end of the week. Now that cruise lines are doing drink packages, we will most likely stick with cruising from now on. However, we have only been to all inclusives in Mexico and all have been in the Riveria Maya area-we really would like to try an island somewhere down the road, but that tends to be more expensive. I personally like the energy and options of cruising over AI's. We are not lay in the sun types, but we don't need non stop action either. A cruise lets us do what we want when we want, where as the AI's are a little boring unless you are near a good city (like Playa del Carmen-I love it there)

 

 

We enjoy both, but we like the Playa All Inclusives too. We like that everything is included, including drinks and tips. If you find a nice all inclusive, (Sandos or Iberostar) many times there are deals for kids. They both had nightly entertainment, but not as much as on a cruise. There are special things about both.

[ayz75]

I'm going to be the opposite here.

 

I prefer AI over cruises. I've done 3 cruises (1 coming up) and about 5 AIs.

 

Having said that, I do drink (not now cuz I'm pregnant) and I tend to go to AIs with my friends (either just with girlfriends, or a group of couples). I personally like AIs because I enjoy beach more than the swimming pool (esp on the last couple of days of the cruise, you can see the suntan lotion oil floating on the pools...) and unless the islands/ports are very unique, I find the excrusions to be very similar to the ones you can do on land.

 

And shockingly I get bored on the cruise (I know I'm of the minority here) all the "activities" either have long lines or they last 10 minutes. Having said that, people will say that it's the same at an AI - true, but if I'm going to wander around, I prefer walking around the beach/resort than walking about ship.

 

So it comes down to if you enjoy the activities offered on the cruise or not - I've done the zipline on Oasis, I go to all the big shows, the movies, etc. I'm not into the bingos or classes they offer (went to a few and found it was too much advertising). Having said that, food is hands down better on a ship, but I don't cruise/go to AIs for food (I'll go somewhere else if I want really gourmet food). However I do find cruises better for some people like for my parents and in laws (they're not particularly into the whole beach thing, they're not going to sit there all day and read/sunbath) which is why I'm ok doing cruises once in a while depending on who I'm traveling with.

Edited December 17, 2012 by ayz75

[willow028]

We're still split 50/50 on which we prefer - I've always traveled extensively - my husband not so much. In the almost two years we've been married we did one cruise and one AI and what swayed us to make our next vacation a cruise was the Cheers package. :)

 

As an experienced cruiser, I warned him about what our bar tab might be after 7 days - the sticker shock still hit him! With the AI, no sticker shock (well other than me going slightly bonkers in the gift store on our last day). As it's just us, our AI was an adults only/18+ resort and it was quite lively in the afternoons and evenings (and into the wee hours) - so a different vibe perhaps than where others have stayed. We're 44/41 and found the guest mixture to be very much in our age range.

 

That was quite wordy to tell you I have no opinion! We'll see how that changes after this next cruise now that we can nicely predict our bar tab in advance and skip the last morning coronary!

Edited December 17, 2012 by willow028
Figured adding our ages might be a good thing :)

[jtdlmc]

I've done both and enjoyed both. I will be on my second cruise in April compared to about 5 or 6 AIs. I always find the AIs the least expensive - I wait and booked 2-3 weeks in advance and last year paid $700 per person (I believe that is the most I have paid) for a 5* resort in Cuba - that included airfare and the resort. The only thing we spent money on were a couple of excursions. I will probably always do both, with cruises less often as it costs me at least double just for the cruise and airfare - and then we have to add in alcohol and hotel rooms pre and sometimes post cruise.

 

Like others, I find an AI much more relaxing and laid back. I like cruising because I like to go to 4 different islands in one trip, but it seems like it is run, run, run. I guess you could relax on a ship to if you so desired, but I could not sit on the ship knowing that there's an island out there to discover :D

 

BTW, I have only seen obnoxious drunks once at an AI and that was actually my first one many years ago! It's so easy to get up and move down the beach or over to the other side of the show area if there are people being idiots.

[cruisetobeaches]

Looked at both and have compared cruising vs AI. Looked at different AI packages pretty serious this past year. There are some pretty cheap AI packages, but who wants a one star vacation:confused:. Read reviews!

 

Cost wise, cruising is cheaper for us. We do drink, but not a lot. I also like the the variety of destinations a cruise offers vs an AI.

[rocker57]

Me, I am the opposite, I prefer a land based vacation. True it is nice to seat out on the balconey and listen to the ocean, but I prefer to sit in the sand, and play in the waters. I prefer that my room is bigger, that I don't have to worry about getting a shower curtain up my unmentionables when taking a shower. The last resort we stayed at had 8 different sit down restaurants you had a choice to eat at for dinner. I don't drink much, but I liked being able to get a pop or juice without paying extra for. I also enjoyed our cruise, and we will be on another one in March which again I will enjoy, as it gets us away from the snow and yucchy weather. It is all in your preference, but whatever you do, enjoy it!

[matj2000]

All inclusives are much better but only if you stay in the nicer ones.

We have done the Sandals, Couples and they were great, but we also did a lower priced AI in Cancun and it was not.

There is a huge difference between the 1 & 5 Star resort, so doing a broad comparison is not really valid.

The ships work out better for us because we have little kids.

If it was just me & wife I would prefer the AI..

Edited December 18, 2012 by matj2000

[Chris41]

I have done both and enjoy both. If you want a quick look at a place then a cruise is the way to go however if you really want to explore somewhere then AI is better. You can see a lot more and really get to know the local people and culture by being somewhere for the week.

 

We go to Sandals when we do the AI so we get the following

 

private pool

Butler

8-10 sit down places to eat

AI drinks

Large room - more like an apartment

Entertainment

Many pools and hot tubs

 

Carnival offers

 

The ocean

Small rooms with a balcony

8-10 dollar drink prices - this has changed with the Cheers program

Better selection of wine than the AI

Very attentive staff

Small pools and lukewarm tubs

Not always hot food

A quick overlook period to visit an island

 

Both are a really good time in my opinion and we usually book what peaks our interest at the time. We did 3 cruises the year before so this year we did 2 AI and will cruise for New Years

[sjcruiser]

I've done both AI and cruises, although I havent been to an AI since I started cruising. I prefer cruising more. I'm a social, and moderate drinker, which seems to be the only advantage IMO. I agree with the poster who stated most of the AI's are buffets, and are setup at specific times, followed by snack, or fruit offerings. Cruise ships have several meal or snack item offerings, including room service to get a full, or almost complete meal, even when the buffets or dining rooms are closed. I also prefer waking up in two-four different ports or countries to explore, which is one of the primary reasons I cruise.

[kcdancerkc]

We're still split 50/50 on which we prefer - I've always traveled extensively - my husband not so much. In the almost two years we've been married we did one cruise and one AI and what swayed us to make our next vacation a cruise was the Cheers package. :)

 

As an experienced cruiser, I warned him about what our bar tab might be after 7 days - the sticker shock still hit him! With the AI, no sticker shock (well other than me going slightly bonkers in the gift store on our last day). As it's just us, our AI was an adults only/18+ resort and it was quite lively in the afternoons and evenings (and into the wee hours) - so a different vibe perhaps than where others have stayed. We're 44/41 and found the guest mixture to be very much in our age range.

 

That was quite wordy to tell you I have no opinion! We'll see how that changes after this next cruise now that we can nicely predict our bar tab in advance and skip the last morning coronary!

 

 

Which AI did you find lively people our ages? with actual nitelife? :)

Edited December 18, 2012 by kcdancerkc

[Jimmy Geegitz]

We have done 2 AI's in Punta Cana. Punta Cana is beautiful.

Advantages AI

1.Beach 2. Pool 3.Drinks included 4.Can wander off resort and check out local culture and no time constraints to get back to ship. You have your own schedule. 5. Nicer rooms 6.Less crowded

 

Advantages Cruise

1.Being out in the middle of the Ocean. We love balcony cabins not as small and love our balcony.

2. Food is 10x better. also more food options thruout the day.

3.Shows are 10x better. The shows at both the AI's we went to the shows were absolutely terrible.

4 Better casino 5.Feel alot safer on a ship. 6.More activities

7. More lounges and Nicer lounges Sports bar If you are into sports you can catch most prominent games.

All in all I would have to give cruising the advantage because I can also spend some time on a nice beach. The room difference I will call a tie.Also noww cruise lines are offering unlimited drinks programs.

[mavvie]

Personally I enjoy both cruising and A/I resorts. Both have their pros/cons. Since 2010 we (wife and I) have started alternating each year. I would love to enjoy both each year but it is not in the budget at this point in our lives.

 

We have done A/I resorts in Cuba, Mexico and Dominican Republic multiple times for each country. Like cruise ships they differ in quality and price by star rating and country. I will break it down as follows:

 

Food: 100% hands down better on the cruise ships. Even the a la carte restaurants pale in comparison. The food is sourced by country of origin at A/I and is not always what the North AMerican pallete is accustomed to. That being said, some of the best BBQ'd chicken I've ever had was in Cuba.

 

Entertainment: While some A/I resorts put on flashy shows nightly the varied entertainment options on a cruise ship cater to a wider audience. Most A/I resorts do offer golf courses )if that's your thing) and a casino as well.

 

Value: This to me is a source of great contention. Being in Canada, sometimes the A/I end up being cheaper for us because air travel is included and we don't have to book extra nights of hotel stay. If you like to drink, the bar tab on a cruise ship can quickly add up and negate any savings vs. an A/I. I will not deny that if you want a simple inside state room then the ship will always be cheaper.

 

Variables: This is where the individual comes in to play. What do you want out of a holiday? A cruise ship is great for getting a brief taste of different locales. If you really want to experience the local culture then an A/I is the only way to go.

If you are a beach bum, then again IMO the A/I wins. Cuba and the Dominican have beaches that compete with anything I have seen, and you get a whole week to enjoy them.

Service is about the same on both types of holiday. No matter where I go, service seems excellent. I don't expect a lot out of people though.

High levels of luxury are available on both ships and A/I, it just depends on what you are willing to pay for.

 

I could go on forever. Obviously I enjoy both types of vacation. I recommend everyone try both a few times at differrent locations. All resorts, like ships were not created equal. I don't think a negative experience one time should be construed as indicative for all.

[serene56]

For us-- we prefer the AI but my choice of AI is Aruba. (we own a vacation club at the occidental.

 

Price wise its about the same per week.

our resort will cost 2300 for the entire week. (not counting airfare)

 

neither of us drink

and we prepay our tips on a cruise..

 

so counting the entire cruise fare/tips, taxi, port excursions etc. etc

 

its a break even point for me.

 

PS__ my time share in aruba is for rent next year for 2300 for two people if someone really wants to do a comparison.

Edited December 18, 2012 by serene56

[swedish weave]

I used to combine AI's with fishing trips, and it worked very well for me. Get up early and fish until about 1pm, then hit the shower, pool, and margaritas. Occasionally I would skip a day of fishing to take a tour or wander along the beach. That lost it's appeal when the airlines became very restrictive on baggage weights and made it too expensive to bring the fish home.

 

Recently, we have stayed with cruising and make an occasional fishing trip.

 

I find the cruises to be much more economical.

 

The food was comparable at both, and I don't get bored at either.

[sjn911]

I think an elegant Timeshare..or AI is wonderful too and i have benefited from my folks when they could not use a red week....they own a Christmas week in area where we ranched in MT..we have never stayed there LOL...but they and one sister bought one and it saved us for their 50th in Kona and has paid for itself....uesd by all for different things..also school trips..lengthening them sometimes..for a week of free time...my sis takes kids on high school business class competition expeditions...

 

I stayed in Whistler, BC once on a use it or loose it week they gave me across from the Fairmont with Fairmont priveledges for a week in June that was pure heaven and very elegant, there is tons to do there even off season..music all the time at Fairmont..great free movie screening room and tons of fancy hotubs and saunas and an amazing room, livingroom, firepace, bathroom fancy fancy fancy...they are a nice way to mix it up...just be wise how you buy and how you use with fees and trading use.

Have also enjoyed the Oregon coast on one twice...thanks be to my folks...

 

Personally have not tried an AI but love reading about the fancy ones on travel sites ..fun thread.

Edited December 18, 2012 by sjn911

[MsMot]

We've done both and IMO cruising wins hands down. I enjoy visiting numerous ports during the course of my vacation vs being in one location, unless it's Cabo San Lucas and that is my timeshare.:D:D I have yet to find an AI that offers around the clock food, in fact in Jamaica we missed dinner because we fell asleep after a tour. We had to go off the resort to find "fast food" because everything was shut down. That really didn't sit well with me in Jamaica of all places. And the food on an AI is mostly in their buffets and are a hit or miss. AI resorts do offer specialty restaurants, but it has been my experience that they are subpar at best. You can not beat the meal and service provided at Carnival's steak house or the Chef's Table. Lastly, and this in my opinion, AI resorts do not offer the kind of entertainment options you get on a cruise.

[TBoling]

I love both but with kids your age a cruise wins Hands down.

[SNJCruisers]

I have been lucky enough to have been on 21 cruises and have stayed at an AI 12 different times. It all depends on what your priorities are as to which type of vacation will provide you with more value. If you do not drink alcohol, then unless you're the type of person that needs to lay on the beach or relax by a large meandering pool all day long, then a cruise will be a better choice for you.

With regards to the food comparison, many people have posted that the food is better on a cruise, but I do beg to differ. It all depends on the type of AI and the quality of the food on the cruise line that you choose. I sailed on Celebrity once about 20 years ago and the food was outstanding. I have sailed on Carnival 16 times and the food in the Steakhouse is great and provides good value, but the MDR food is just OK. The food at AI's can vary even more so than the food between different cruise lines. Many AI's are geared towards buffet only and only offer a la carte a few times during your stay, while other AI's offer gourmet inclusive offerings that blow away anything that Carnival, RCI or NCL have to offer.

 

There is more of a difference between a lower end and a higher end mass market AI than the differences between the mass market cruise lines. This is why you need to do massive research on Tripadvisor before you decide on which AI to go to. There are reviews and forums on TA that are specific to land based resorts, just like CC is the go to area for those seeking information about cruising.

 

The one major plus to cruising is the entertainment factor. Many AI's are practically dead at night, with maybe one show to see and if you're really lucky, they'll have a club with music. This is the area that the multiple entertainment choices on a cruise line shines the brightest.

[StillPooh]

The one major plus to cruising is the entertainment factor. Many AI's are practically dead at night, with maybe one show to see and if you're really lucky, they'll have a club with music. This is the area that the multiple entertainment choices on a cruise line shines the brightest.

Depends on your idea of "entertainment". When we go to AIs it's for the scuba diving, and we're in bed long before midnight and up by 7 every morning. We always ask for a room far from the disco. ;)

 

We've been pretty pleased with the AIs we've stayed at, with the exception of Club Med Turks & Caicos. But I probably shouldn't even include that as 'all-inclusive', because alcohol was not.

[kl25th]

In my experience the night life is much better on a cruise ship.....AI seem to be done by 10:30 and at that point most were in bed.....I guess it is what you prefer.....we like to be up pretty late on vacation!