All inclusive versus cruising on Carnival

[ib4cruzn]

My cruise isn't until April so bear with the crazy posts from me :) The only non Disney vacation I've done is an all inclusive and that was before kids. We loved them! We priced it out with the kids and well the cruise was definitely cheaper. Plus my kids are dying to go on a cruise! So we booked it for our ten year anniversary. Now I'm curious. Has anyone done both cruising and all inclusive? Which one do you like better? Pros and cons of both?

 

Although we love cruisng we've found that he AIs don't give us any disappointing surprises. Everything included is very well spelled out and we don't feel ripped-off.

 

Yes it's more expensive but at least we feel like we've gotten our money's worth.

 

There's also very little riff-raff. I know that sounds elitist but it's MY vacation. Where have we heard that before? ;-p

 

YMMV

[ib4cruzn]

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.

 

Better food? Really? That's not been our experience.

 

Here's a sample menu from Le Papillon @ Sandal's Royal Plantation (rated #5 in Jamaica by Trip Advisor):

 

 

Appetizer

Ragout of Burgundy Snails with Warm Fennel Panna Cotta and Parsley Puree Pan Seared Maine Day Boat Scallops with Hazelnut Polenta and Preserved Lemon Pan Roasted Green and White Asparagus with Browned Butter Hollandaise, Toasted Almond and Orange * Slow Poached Lobster with Lemongrass, Sweet Basil and Tamarind Gel...add $10 Truffled Hamachi Tartar with Avocado, Lemon and Pea Shoot Emulsion Linguine and Prawns with Cognac Truffle Cream

 

Soup and Salad

Sugar Snap Pea Soup with Roasted Button Shiitake Mushrooms * Salsify Soup with Duck Royale and Truffle Sungold Cherry Tomato Salad with Fromage Blanc, Red Shiso and Black Olive Caramel *Pear Salad with Toasted Pecans, Feta Cheese, Baby Lettuce and Chambord Vinaigrette * Shaved Hamakua Heart of Palm Salad with Ruby Grapefruit, Avocado and Macadamia Nuts...add $3 * Baby Lettuce with Sherry Vinaigrette and Danish Blue Cheese *

 

Main Course

Pan Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Maitake Mushrooms, Potato Gratin and Bone Marrow Noisettes of Red Deer with Huckelberries, Oyster Mushrooms a Parsnip Tart Braised Duck Breast with Pomegranate, Walnut and Black Forbidden Rice Mrrin Glazed Salmon with Corn Anglaise, Rhubarb and Risotto CroquettesSturgeon "Wellington"with Chanterelles, Red Wine Miso and Potato Mille-Feuille Roasted Berkshire Pork Tenderloin with Smoked Maple and Hibiscus-Onion MarmaladeLoin of Lamb with Caramelized Yogurt, and BarberriesPan Roasted Vegetables with Soft Polenta and Fried Herbs*

Prix Fixe: Three Courses...70, Four Courses...80

 

Tasting Menu

Hokkaido Scallops with Seaweed Puree, Puffed Rice and Pickled Miyoga

Pan Roasted Sea Bream with Caramelized Fennel and Black Lime

Heirloom Radishes with Guanciale, Tangerine and RyeBreast of Squab with Braised Sunflower Seeds, Porcini Mushrooms and Confit Tortellini

36 Hour Missouri Wagyu Tri Tip with Fermented Black Garlic and Vincotto Jus

Seahive with Walnut Financier and Preserved Green Walnuts

Peach Curd with Vanilla-Cocoa Butter Torte, Greek Yogurt Sorbet and Lemon Balm

[SNJCruisers]

There's also very little riff-raff. I know that sounds elitist but it's MY vacation. Where have we heard that before? ;-p

YMMV

 

Better food? Really? That's not been our experience.

 

Here's a sample menu from Le Papillon @ Sandal's Royal Plantation

I have to agree with you, but at the same time it all depends upon of course where you are staying. Obviously, there is not going to be any riff-raff as you say if you're staying at Sandal's Royal Plantation. Including the Royal Bahamian property, they are Sandal's top 2 properties. And as usual, you get what you pay for and for the amount of money that they charge to stay there, you had better be getting your monies worth.

 

In general, it seems to me that the best bang for your buck or value when it comes to AI's are the ones in the Riviera Maya area of Mexico or in Punta Cana that are rated 5 stars. These are just 1 notch below the 5+ to 6 star places like the two top echelon Sandals properties or places like Le Blanc Spa in Cancun.

 

Value and bang for the buck is why I only like to cruise or visit an AI when I vacation and it's also the reason why I have chosen to travel on Carnival 16 times over the past 22 years.

[thistimeplease]

We would definitely choose a AI over a cruise. As much as we enjoyed the cruise sea days were very boring unless you wanted to sit by a overcrowded pool or play bingo. There is nothing better than relaxing with your feet in the sand watching the ocean. The AIs I've been to had several excellent restaurants as well as a buffet and plenty of side trips to enjoy, as well as a lot of water and land activities. Being on a ship, to us, was comparable to driving in a car. It's worth it on the way because you can enjoy the excursions but the drive home is long and tedious.

[WendyVF]

We've done both and have had really great times. In our experience the AI's are more expensive mostly due to airfare. We stayed at an upscale AI last year in the Dominican Republic and had a great time during the day at the beach and pools but there was little to do in the evenings. We are really spoiled by all the lounges, shows, etc. on the cruise ships. I was also not a fan of the food but understood that we were in DR and not the US and the food was not geared to please only US visitors. The biggest difference I have found is that not everyone is starting and ending their vacation at the same time. We'd make friends to only find out they were leaving in a day or two. All this being said, I'd go back in a second!

[matj2000]

There's also very little riff-raff. I know that sounds elitist but it's MY vacation. Where have we heard that before? ;-p

 

YMMV

 

I agree with that very much. Thats one of the reasons why I like All-Inclusives, everyone is fairly equal.

A ship has multiple classes of cabins with huge price gaps between them.

5 people crammed into an inside cabin, makes an affordable vacation for people who don't usually go.

This allows the "riff raff" to be in the cabin across from you, or the next table over in the dining room.

 

I think most the people here that dislike the Inclusives have never been to a good one. Like I said before there is a big difference between a 1 star & 6 star..

 

Edited December 19, 2012 by matj2000

[LandlockedCruiser01]

I have nothing against AI's, but last time I went to one, my experience was very deflating and underwhelming. The hotel grounds were beautiful, and the water temperature was balmy and warm. But the activities were limited to a 30-minute performance skit in the theater each night, and nothing at all during the day. The place had an "abandoned" feel to it, if you will, in a sense of "here's your room, here's the food, here's the beach; now have at it". This was at a 4-star hotel.

 

My recent cruise was the complete opposite: there were endless activities from sunrise to late at night, and outgoing passengers who actually talked to new people. (By comparison, the guests at the AI were very cliquish.) I didn't even care that the weather was rainy and windy the first two days (out of four). I'm sure my point of view is skewed, but I decided that cruises were more fitting for me than AI's, and that's what I plan to stick with.

Edited December 19, 2012 by LandlockedCruiser01
misspelled word

[ray98]

I would take the cruise, one of the top reasons is I am effortlessly delivered to 3 or 4 wonderful destinations throughout the trip. On an all inclusive I sometimes feel trapped on the resort.

[djwood24]

I agree about people not doing their homework about AI`s that are not rated well

Palace resorts...Real resorts are affordable and they have great food....24 hours

The Roayl Cancun had the most amazing food and service!

If you are bored hanging on the beach or by the pool ...and won`t get some local culture then I would suggest not to go to an AI.

 

We do both as each has their own "flavor"

[lylone]

We did an AI at a Real Resort in Cancun Mexico. The food was horrible and the service was bad. We will never do another Real Resort again. The alcohol may have been plenty, but it was cheap stuff. There was nothing to do at night as everything seemed to be shutdown at night.

We ate out 4 nights during our 6 night trip.

We are trying our first cruise in April and are hoping for better food, better service and more opportunities to see more places in one trip. :D

Edited December 19, 2012 by lylone

[evandbob]

My cruise isn't until April so bear with the crazy posts from me :) The only non Disney vacation I've done is an all inclusive and that was before kids. We loved them! We priced it out with the kids and well the cruise was definitely cheaper. Plus my kids are dying to go on a cruise! So we booked it for our ten year anniversary. Now I'm curious. Has anyone done both cruising and all inclusive? Which one do you like better? Pros and cons of both?

 

 

If you want to compare a CCL cruise to two or three star AI's then you can make comparable choices. Having been to 4 and 5 star AI's in Bora Bora, Moorea, Riviera Maya, Maui, Kauai, Barbados, Punta Cana, Cabo San Lucas, St Lucia, and Grenada to name a few, I can say they all surpassed my best experience on a CCL cruise. I have also been to a few 2 and 3 star AI's that had a similar level of service, food and amenities to CCL.

I choose to do both each year. I also like regular hotels where I can find food at local venues. When I was working, I used to get 6 weeks vacation, so two AI's, 2 or 3 cruises, and 1 or 2 non AI hotels were my norm each year. Now that I'm retired, I might expand my horizons.

I believe that CCL was just voted Best Budget Cruiseline.

[SNJCruisers]

On an all inclusive I sometimes feel trapped on the resort.

When you stay at an AI, you can come and go at your leisure 24/7, whereas while cruising on a sea day...you are trapped with nowhere to go.

[SNJCruisers]

Having been to 4 and 5 star AI's in Bora Bora, Moorea, Riviera Maya, Maui, Kauai, Barbados, Punta Cana, Cabo San Lucas, St Lucia, and Grenada to name a few.

Could you please enlighten me as to the names of the AI's that you stayed at in Maui and Kauai? I did not know that any existed in the states.

[cruzinlisa]

My cruise isn't until April so bear with the crazy posts from me :) The only non Disney vacation I've done is an all inclusive and that was before kids. We loved them! We priced it out with the kids and well the cruise was definitely cheaper. Plus my kids are dying to go on a cruise! So we booked it for our ten year anniversary. Now I'm curious. Has anyone done both cruising and all inclusive? Which one do you like better? Pros and cons of both?

 

I have done both and I like both. But they are different types of vacations for me. When it was DH and I only, I loved the All inclusive. Being able to lay by the pool all day long with a frozen drink and do absolutely nothing was very appealing (although I probably would want to do an excursion or go into town). But now that I have DD, cruise is better for us. DD will be two on our cruise and very few AIs have kids clubs for children that age. But Carnival does. Plus, with her there, I could not lay by the pool all day and drink, because I have to be a responsible adult (or pretend to be :rolleyes:). Finally, I feel safe enough with her in port, but I am not keen about taking a week long trip with her to Mexico. I worry about illness. Plus, the taxi ride from the airport to the resort (which is long), tends to be on the scary side for me and I don't want my kiddo there.

 

Now, if I were traveling without my DD :eek:, I might go for an AI, assuming comparable pricing, since drinks are included. But then again I like cruises because I like the option of doing things (not that much of a sit around all day person) and with cruises you have ports to explore.

[halos]

When I take a non cruise vacation, I am wishing I were on a ship...then again, I'm an addict.

There are different 'levels' of AIs, so if you choose one, just remember that you get what you pay for.

[kim826]

My opinion is cruising for this reason - on my last cruise, we were cruising with stops at Haiti, Jamaica and Cozumel. While at Haiti, the Captain decided to skip Jamaica as Hurricane Sandy was developing. We had smooth sailing (up until the last night coming back into Fort Lauderdale). If we had done an all inclusive on Jamaica, we would have been in a hurricane.

[9876]

Could you please enlighten me as to the names of the AI's that you stayed at in Maui and Kauai? I did not know that any existed in the states.

 

Bora Bora, Moorea too. I would love to go there and an AI would be fantastic!

[muah3iluvzu06]

We cruise & do AI's. We LOVE both so I can't choose, but one of my favorite things about cruising is going to new ports to find new places to book an AI at. Both have its pros/cons, I'm a huge fan of the DREAMS/SECRETS resorts all inclusive brand! :)

[SNJCruisers]

We cruise & do AI's. We LOVE both so I can't choose, but one of my favorite things about cruising is going to new ports to find new places to book an AI at. Both have its pros/cons, I'm a huge fan of the DREAMS/SECRETS resorts all inclusive brand! :)

Stayed at Secrets Silversands on an unbelievable deal a few years back with the H1N1 scare in Mexico. Discounted rates and then stay one night get a second night free, combined with a great airfare deal on UsAir, it ended up being a fantastic 6 nights, still kicking myself for not making it 8.

[sra12574]

I've done both and enjoy both . Depending where you live the costs of travelling could be different . Sometimes cruises are cheaper and sometimes All Inclusives are cheaper for me . I like that cruises give me a chance to sample a few places but I hate having to watch my time when I go to port and being tied to schedules . The food is generally better on cruises but I have stayed at some all inclusives that I felt were better and far less limited in selections of food . Whenever you make a choice cruise or all inclusive read as much on the choice you make before you go so you know all your options .

[ray98]

When you stay at an AI, you can come and go at your leisure 24/7, whereas while cruising on a sea day...you are trapped with nowhere to go.

 

....but I enjoy that welcome relaxation between ports.

[Sharra]

I'm a good person to answer this question.

I've done 1 cruise & 1 all inclusive.

 

There are advantages and disadvantages to both.

 

Booze

Cruising - The drinks are better because they have to entice people to pay for them.

 

Variety

Cruising - you get to see alot more locations

 

Entertainment -

this is a tough one, i found the entertainment in an all inclusive and on the cruise to be very similar.

 

Peace & quiet -

All inclusive - I found this much easier to find on a resort than a cruise

 

Food -

Cruising - Not due to variety but due to the fact that they cater to the american appetite and expectations of food and are not limited by local oils etc for their cooking. I found the all inclusives tried to cater to american foods and fell short due to the limitations of local availibility. they would have been far better sticking with their native foods, this may vary from resort to resort, we were in a 5 star highly rated one in playa del carmen though so...

Variety wise there was alot of availibility for whatever you wanted plenty of choices on both.

 

Rooms -

All inclusive - the rooms on land are much bigger more spacious and generally better appointed for both comfort and luxury.

 

Service -

Cruise hands down. They really try to cater to you on the cruises, where as with the all inclusive i found it to be a great deal less so.

 

 

I think thats the general categories.

[SNJCruisers]

I'm a good person to answer this question.

I've done 1 cruise & 1 all inclusive. So your vast experience qualifies you as an expert?

 

There are advantages and disadvantages to both.

 

Booze

Cruising - The drinks are better because they have to entice people to pay for them. :confused::confused::confused::confused:

 

Variety

Cruising - you get to see alot more locations True

 

Entertainment -

this is a tough one, i found the entertainment in an all inclusive and on the cruise to be very similar. No, this is an easy one....entertainment is practically non existent in all inclusives, and I have been to 12 of them.

Read the bold print and emoticons for my responses.

[tanyaewa]

I had no idea there were all inclusives on Maui and Kauai.

[ib4cruzn]

Cruises vs AIs: both depend upon what you paid for them.

 

When comparing be sure to compare "total cost" instead of just cruise fare.

 

The one thing you will never get on a cruise is the true "local flavor" of the destination you visit. Many times when you are in port on a cruise you might as well have just stayed in Miami. Therefore the term SSDI".