Back to Cruising - All-Inclusive Not For Me!

[elaineb]

Hi All -

We attended my son's wedding last month at an all-inclusive resort in Playa Del Carmen. The wedding was originally supposed to be on a cruise, but circumstances which I don't want to get into made us change plans on a dime and we booked the AI in Mexico instead. I am glad we did this because I wondered what I was missing. I can report that the answer is nothing! Give me a cruise any day! We had some rainy days leading up to the wedding and believe me, there was absolutely nothing to do. Nothing but the wedding plans to keep us occupied. When the weather turned nice (on the wedding day, thank God) we did do some water sports & spent some time at the pool. But I am not a drink and eat all day kind of gal. I like to go to trivia contests and dance lessons, Bingo, etc. At night the resort was dead - just a 3 pc. band in the lobby and very few people on folding chairs listening to them. I longingly though of the great nights at the piano bar on our last cruise.....So....I spent the day pricing cruises today and it looks as though we're in for a family cruise this summer with my brothers. YAY! Carnival we're coming back next summer - be ready for us!

[GottaLuvCruising]

I've always wondered if I'd like an AI and think I'd feel the same as you!

[KPfromCT]

Over the years, DH and I have done Sandals more times than I care to count, and while a vacation is a vacation, I will take a cruise over Sandals ANY day. Don't get me wrong....Sandals offers a great product, but you are stuck on that resort for 7 nights (depending on the island) Some islands are safer than others......I MUCH prefer the freestyle lifestyle that cruising offers, and seeing 3-4 different islands in that time period. Food is no different. Yes, we have to pay for drinks on a cruise, but I have to say they are better;) To each their own, but if given the choice, I would take the cruise. :D:D

[bonniemari]

I've never been crazy about the AI's in Cancun. Then we did one to Punta Cana, DR last year and it was 10x more fun with more things to do than the ones in Cancun. Still a cruiser at heart, but planning another trip to the DR for May. Probably will never do another one to Cancun unless it's for our annual girls trip and the person whose turn it is to pick picks Cancun.

[rob6465]

Hi All -

We attended my son's wedding last month at an all-inclusive resort in Playa Del Carmen. The wedding was originally supposed to be on a cruise, but circumstances which I don't want to get into made us change plans on a dime and we booked the AI in Mexico instead. I am glad we did this because I wondered what I was missing. I can report that the answer is nothing! Give me a cruise any day! We had some rainy days leading up to the wedding and believe me, there was absolutely nothing to do. Nothing but the wedding plans to keep us occupied. When the weather turned nice (on the wedding day, thank God) we did do some water sports & spent some time at the pool. But I am not a drink and eat all day kind of gal. I like to go to trivia contests and dance lessons, Bingo, etc. At night the resort was dead - just a 3 pc. band in the lobby and very few people on folding chairs listening to them. I longingly though of the great nights at the piano bar on our last cruise.....So....I spent the day pricing cruises today and it looks as though we're in for a family cruise this summer with my brothers. YAY! Carnival we're coming back next summer - be ready for us!

 

yep

[elaineb]

I especially missed, and not necessarily in this order:

1. The evenings on the deck with the warm breeze and seeing the other ships circling out in the distance.....

2. Dinner - the experience of having the same waiter all week and bonding...

3. Reading my book on Promenade deck and listening to the wake (no, haven't had a balcony yet but treating ourselves, this time!)

4. Exploring different islands

5. Highlighting my Capers in yellow with all the things I want to do

 

I could go on and on...And yes, the drinks are better on Carnival!

[gapearl]

I totally agree! I did an AI for the first time to Punta Cana back in June. I was only there for a couple of days, and that was long enough. If you want to do nothing but lay on your bum all day every day for a week, you'd love an AI, but that's not my style. The beach was beautiful, but the drinks were weak and bad, there really weren't any activities, and most guests were from Europe and spoke no English, so I had no one to talk to either. The nightlife was poor but I hopped on the party bus and had a good time at a local club. I was actually pretty bored and definitely missed being on a ship. All inclusives definitely aren't for me.

[heatherbean]

I've never been crazy about the AI's in Cancun. Then we did one to Punta Cana, DR last year and it was 10x more fun with more things to do than the ones in Cancun. Still a cruiser at heart, but planning another trip to the DR for May. Probably will never do another one to Cancun unless it's for our annual girls trip and the person whose turn it is to pick picks Cancun.

 

I agree, I went to Cancun a few years ago, and really didn't care for it all. Now Punta Cana, on the other hand I love. I've been there, I believe the last trip made 19 times. With that being said after our 1st cruise this past April, I told DH, that I will no longer go to Punta Cana, for 7 day trips. I find it perfect for a four day trip (long weekend). As mentioned if the weather is bad, you don't really have many options. Activities are limited and really it's all about laying by the pool and beach, eating and drinking (for those who do). The sun and I are not the best of friends and after baking for a few days I'm ready to go. Cruising gives you so many more options, if I have my way we'll do it at least once a year...I already have 2014 & 2015 taken care of. :p

[RCH1234]

The only time I do an AI is for a wedding that I feel obligated to attend. I've been to Montego Bay, Cancun and Punta Cana. I get bored easily on AI's and always end up wishing I was on a cruise after a couple of days. I don't get to the point where I'm wishing I was home but I definitely don't enjoy them half as much as a cruise.

[forwardcabin]

After cruising to Coz so many times, we had to fly there for our niece's wedding at an AI on the north end of the island. And, of course, we couldn't use Carnival for transportation to and from this 4-day event. We sat on the beach watching the ships we longed for go past...even stood on the shore waiving desparately, "wait for us..." Except for the 30-minute wedding on the beach, the AI was quite boring. Nothing and nobody moved when the sun went down--well, except for mosquitos and sand crabs. No more AIs--just cruises...even if they stop at Coz again and again.

 

Here's hoping you're not stuck in an AI--especially where the cruise ships stop.

[kona_wahine]

Ive always wanted to try an AI, but I don't like to drink that much. I've been to Mexico a couple times, pacific side, just not that into it. I do like cruising but I'd pick Hawaii over it. I've worked enough to be able to usually do a cruise and a Hawaii vacation each year. I have to get my yearly Hawaii fix or get the cold oregon blues. Lol.

[lisajm]

My DH and I did AI a couple of years ago in Cancun. We had a nice time, but I much prefer a cruise because of the ports and the food. The food was plentiful and had good presentation, but no matter where we ate at the resort the food was bland and institutional. I know some people say that about a cruise, but other than the buffet I have not found that to be true.

[JustCruiseMe]

We sat on the beach watching the ships we longed for go past...even stood on the shore waiving desparately, "wait for us..."

 

This will be funny to tell forever!

[Colorado Kat]

This surprises me. We had a friend who went on and on about his AIs, and how they were so much better than the vacations we took.

 

I never looked into AIs, but I never thought about the drawbacks either.

 

I do love cruising, and I love visiting all the different ports of call.

[Sailor_Sally]

I have been to several AI's . Club Med had the most activities and the best food .We had fun at all of them especially Jack Tar village in Puerto Vallarta .They had bingo around the pool and pool activities & contests and at night they had some great activities . I really enjoyed them when I worked and wanted total relaxation .My favorite of all time was Club Med Eleuthra!

[moesyk4]

We did an AI for our honeymoon...it was beautiful and it was nice to relax and um, have lots of time to spend together lol. But even with that, by the 4th day, we were completely bored. We too, can only spend so much time on the beach drinking. The drinks were good, and like I said, it was beautiful...gorgeous big room with a great view, etc. but it just got boring. The shows were terrible...the food was amazing (they had 5 specialty restaurants) but I had to get up every morning at 6:30 am to wait in a line for about 45 minutes to sign up for each restaurant. Not fun.

We hadn't planned on doing any excursions as the trip itself was pricey, but by the 4th day we needed to get out. We did snorkeling, but it was a looong drive through some sketchy areas to get there. DH got sick from the beach BBQ they offered.

We both agreed it was a one time thing for us, 8 years later and we stick to cruises!

[riclop]

Hi All -

We attended my son's wedding last month at an all-inclusive resort in Playa Del Carmen. The wedding was originally supposed to be on a cruise, but circumstances which I don't want to get into made us change plans on a dime and we booked the AI in Mexico instead. I am glad we did this because I wondered what I was missing. I can report that the answer is nothing! Give me a cruise any day! We had some rainy days leading up to the wedding and believe me, there was absolutely nothing to do. Nothing but the wedding plans to keep us occupied. When the weather turned nice (on the wedding day, thank God) we did do some water sports & spent some time at the pool. But I am not a drink and eat all day kind of gal. I like to go to trivia contests and dance lessons, Bingo, etc. At night the resort was dead - just a 3 pc. band in the lobby and very few people on folding chairs listening to them. I longingly though of the great nights at the piano bar on our last cruise.....So....I spent the day pricing cruises today and it looks as though we're in for a family cruise this summer with my brothers. YAY! Carnival we're coming back next summer - be ready for us!

We feel the same way. A cruise anyday.

[elaineb]

The funny thing is we have people tell us they wouldn't cruise because they don't want to be stuck on a boat in the ocean. But that's exactly how I felt on the land - stuck!

Happy sailing to you all and may 2014 bring a year of happiness, health and CRUISES!

[Midwestgal]

AI or just resort get- aways are great depending on where you go, seems like you guys picked the wrong places like Mexico & Jamacia ....you need to do places like ST Lucia & ST Marteen. I do love my cruises but I have a great time on land vacations too.

[Lerin]

AIs are just like cruises in that there are many different types.

Sounds like the one you went to was dull as some can be. Many are just sit at the beach and drink all day types of places. We've found a lot of the AIs in Mexico and Caribbean are like this.

 

There are many, many others that are 100% different.

We've done Club Med as well as a family resort on a lake and another in the Poconos that all kept us much more occupied than any cruise. There are also dude ranch AIs, desert oasis', and some that are open in winter for skiing.

 

We love both, but agree that many AIs don't hold a candle to cruising.

[kenrod]

We did our first AI last February. Just a couple of months after a cruise, we wanted a cheap vacation, so we went to Cuba. We have sailed around that country a few times but have never set foot on it.

 

There were some pros and cons between the AI and our cruises. The pros are the all-you-can-drink drinks. I normally don't drink much, but at Brizas Santa Lucia, I did. On the days when I didn't hang out at the beach or the pool, we took excursions, such as renting scooters, taking a trolley into the town nearby, and renting some Chinese Jeeps to go and visit some caves. One day we even chartered a fishing boat to do some deep sea fishing. These excursions were an extra cost, but we didn't have to worry about missing the ship if we were late getting back.

 

We also went sightseeing in the nearest city of Camaguey, which was pretty cool. Other than a few murals and signs showing pictures of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, the only time I felt like I was in a communist country was at Revolution Square in Camaguey. It was a square with lots of flag poles where the people would gather to listen to the leader say his thing up on the podium. Of course when we were there, there was nothing like that going on and we were allowed to wander around the square and the podium to take pictures or pretend that you are the leader and address your comrades. :D

 

Here is a link of a picture from Wikipedia of that square... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Plazaca.jpg

 

Not once did I feel unsafe outside of the resort. As a matter of fact, the Cubans were very accommodating to Canadians. You see little Canadian flags flying to entice you to visit their shop or restaurant. There was a military base several miles from Santa Lucia. Occasionally, a truck load of soldiers would be in the back waving to us as we were walking along the road.

 

Each night there was a show in the outdoor theatre. It wasn't like the production shows on a cruise ship, but they were fun with some high energy and some audience participation. The staff at the resort were all upbeat and encouraged you to dance by the poolside. Easy to do when you add alcohol and Latin music.

 

Just like the crew on cruise ships, the resort staff smiles and gives you a friendly Buenos Dias. Our housekeeper kept our room neat and tidy, just like a cruise ship. Every night we had a towel animal on our bed. The resort grounds were always kept clean by the landscapers, just like a crew member keeping a ship spotless.

 

The only negative that I found was that the food wasn't so good. The chefs make the food in the way they think we would like it, such as pizza and chicken dishes, but I would have preferred authentic Cuban cuisine. Their idea of a steak is a flat piece of shoe leather instead of a thick juicy cut. But I had already heard from others who went to Cuba before us not to go there for the food. It makes sense, as it is a communist country and they do have to ration food for the residents. The resort did have several specialty restaurants where the food was a little better than the buffet. The specialty restaurants were included for three dinners on our week long vacation.

 

The best food we had was actually off the resort, where we did have authentic Cuban food that was home made.

 

With all that said, I would probably do another all inclusive sometime down the road. I also enjoy fly/drive land vacations as well. But my real preference is cruising. So now I am really looking forward to our cruise this coming February.

Edited December 27, 2013 by kenrod

[elcuchio24]

We do both and enjoy both, switching it up makes us enjoy both options more I think. Just like choosing the right cruise, you need to choose the right AI that suits you. We do sandels and a few others and always have a blast. But if you're going to do a bottom of the barrel affair, don't be suprised if you don't have a great time.

[NeedBlueWater]

I do enjoy cruising to see different islands but I also enjoy land vacations but not AI. We go to Negril, Jamaica every year and stay in the cliffs area at a small boutique resort. We go out during the day and to different restaurants for dinner every day and always feel safe. I love the Jamaican people and the food is delicious. There are a few hustlers but not nearly as bad as they are around a port when a ship is docked.

We also discovered Roatan on our first cruise and returned the following year for 2 weeks staying in a smaller hotel.

Next up will be a 2 week land vacay (not AI) in St Lucia.

I like to learn about the culture and try the food etc so you can do a non AI land vacation and it is more exciting than some/most Al's can be.

I did one ai in Mx and did not enjoy muself at all. Felt trapped behind the gates.

All IMHO of course :)

[Blk_Amish]

AI or just resort get- aways are great depending on where you go, seems like you guys picked the wrong places like Mexico & Jamacia ....you need to do places like ST Lucia & ST Marteen. I do love my cruises but I have a great time on land vacations too.

 

You don't say:eek:?

 

I love land vacations to cruising and all inclusive (Jamaica and Mexico) add to the experience. The purpose of my trip is never to stay at the resort all day but to go out and explore then return. Staying in Playa Del Carmen we took trip to the ruins Chichen Itza, Coba and Tulum. We went under water snorkeling and take the time see the areas. We stopped in towns and tried authentic foods and talk to people who at first seem so different but yet so alike. For me, all inclusive gives me the chance to experience the ports while cruising gives me the chance to see it and possible make a stupid rash judgement on a country by visiting a port. If I had a resort day, all day at the resort, it was used to recover or prepare for my next adventure. Cost wide can be all over the place. We intended to go to Couples Resort (higher end) for our upcoming anniversary, with every thing might have close to $6000 but decided on a Princess cruise for a fraction of the coast. Yes, I will be getting what I pay for because I am passing on some great things and my preferred vacation style. I have paid under $200 per day in Mexico for a swim out suite where kids under 13 were free.

 

I haven't read much about all inclusive s outside of Mexico, Jamaica, Cuba (sadly can't go) and DR. Which did you stay at on the islands you mentioned?

Edited December 27, 2013 by Blk_Amish

[Blk_Amish]

I do enjoy cruising to see different islands but I also enjoy land vacations but not AI. We go to Negril, Jamaica every year and stay in the cliffs area at a small boutique resort. We go out during the day and to different restaurants for dinner every day and always feel safe. I love the Jamaican people and the food is delicious. There are a few hustlers but not nearly as bad as they are around a port when a ship is docked.

We also discovered Roatan on our first cruise and returned the following year for 2 weeks staying in a smaller hotel.

Next up will be a 2 week land vacay (not AI) in St Lucia.

I like to learn about the culture and try the food etc so you can do a non AI land vacation and it is more exciting than some/most Al's can be.

I did one ai in Mx and did not enjoy muself at all. Felt trapped behind the gates.

All IMHO of course :)

 

The view from the cliffs, you can hear the voice from the heavens. Let's keep the cliffs a secret, such a different world and some place cruisers and beach bums may not appreciate:D

Without the kids I am looking more into boutique hotels on different islands and even backing away from the mega ships. The view from the ruins in Tulum is very similar to the cliffs, with a similar vibe. I prefer the resorts in Mexico because of the well designed and numerous pools.

 

As travelers we keep changing which always lead to a greater appreciation for the things we like, home and away. After a month in Europe I haven't complained about food cost in the US but was sad to leave the wine behind.

 

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Edited December 27, 2013 by Blk_Amish