cruise or all-inclusive....

[cjuswin]

ok, my mom wants to do an all inclusive but we are torn between that and another cruise. We just did Miracle in March, and now must plan our next March trip.....

 

Question: Is it worth doing all inclusive

Do you save that much b/c not paying for alchol?

Kid friendly all inclusive or just TOO many kids?

 

Thanks all.!!!

[lillabella]

ok, my mom wants to do an all inclusive but we are torn between that and another cruise. We just did Miracle in March, and now must plan our next March trip.....

 

Question: Is it worth doing all inclusive

Do you save that much b/c not paying for alchol?

Kid friendly all inclusive or just TOO many kids?

 

Thanks all.!!!

 

I'm going to write my response under the assumption that you have never gone to an all-inclusive resort. Having done both, cruised and stayed at all-inclusive resorts I would have to say they both have pros and cons.

 

"Is it worth doing all inclusive?" In my opinion the base pricing is pretty comparable. One of the biggest pros I see of doing a cruise, over an all-inclusive, is the fact that you get to visit more than one location. With either choice you still have to pay for any outside excursions.

 

"Do you save that much b/c not paying for alchol?" Depending on how much you drink, you could save an incredible amount of money at an all-inclusive over a cruise. Even if you don't drink alcohol, the non-alcoholic drinks are also included at most AI resorts - not necessarily the case on cruises. Be aware, not every AI resort includes alcoholic drinks -

 

"Kid friendly all inclusive or just TOO many kids?" Just as with cruises, the resort you choose will determine the amount of children generally included. Most AI resorts have kids clubs or areas devoted to families. It is also possible to choose an AI resort that is adult only.

 

I may get "flamed" by this comment but we have definitely found the more expensive the AI resort is the less rowdy the crowd. In our experience, the lower priced AI resorts have a lot of highschool and college students as "guests" because they get unlimited drinks and good time at a price they can afford - and there is nothing wrong with that, just an observation.

 

If you found a location that you really enjoyed while cruising, I say give an AI resort a try. Most popular cruise destinations have AI resorts available at all price points.

 

Good luck and have fun!

 

We have stayed at AI's in the following locations - San Juan, Paradise Island, St. Thomas, Cabo San Lucas, and a couple places in Germany.

[elmorejj]

Let me preface this by saying we have taken 23 cruises and stayed in many, many AI resorts. Years ago I would probably have chosen cruising over land based resorts. Not so now. We take 4 AI vacations a year....each one for 2 weeks, and usually 2 cruises a year.....10 days or over. The bottom line for our cruising on a per diem rate comes out way more than our AI resorts. We always choose an adult only resort so have no worries about kids over running the place. Our food selection is always excellent at the AI and of course the drinks more than make up for any higher cost.

Actually, the AI are less per day than the cruises, and then have the added benefit of drinks included. Several resorts we have stayed at in Mexico, eg. Cancun, Playa del Carmen, the Mayan Riviera and Puerto Vallarta have all of the excursions included also. I think it`s just a matter of preference, we have visited 27 Carib. Islands, many Islands in the Med. and many, many South and Central American countries ,so now an AI vacation is mostly for R&R.......jean:cool:

[caribbean dreams]

 

I may get "flamed" by this comment but we have definitely found the more expensive the AI resort is the less rowdy the crowd. In our experience, the lower priced AI resorts have a lot of highschool and college students as "guests" because they get unlimited drinks and good time at a price they can afford - and there is nothing wrong with that, just an observation.

 

NO flamming here, i think you are correct, i would rather pay a higher price for more relaxation and less partying.

[ebrener]

I think it all depends on what cruise and what AI. You can have a great experience at either one, and also a not so good one. Also, amke sure you compare apples to apples. Someone may be comparing a cruise they took in October vs an AI during Spring Breack (or vice versa). These are totally different crouds and experiences.

 

For me, the most important subject is that on the AI, you'll be limited to one destination. This can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on what you're looking for. You still get R&R time, as in the cruise, and you can also explore the destination much deeper than on a cruise (you don't have to do everything in 1 day).

 

As for the other things, assuming you go to a similar quality AI (4 star or above), you will most likely get high quality food, relatively decent entertainment and night life (don't expect production shows, though), a relaxed atmosphere, etc. As was said, there are adults only AIs, so that takes care of any students/children, etc. Even if the AI is not adult only, some cater more to families, other more to couples, without being exclusive. A good TA can help you sort out the different options...

 

Hope this helps,

 

 

Enrique

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