Opinions? Cruise vs. All Inclusive

The one thing I know this group is good for is an opinion. So I
want/need all input. I have 20 cruises under my belt. Not the most but
a fair amount. I have no experience with All Inclusive. I am giving
serious thought to skipping a cruise this year and doing an All
Inclusive. I've done the research and know where I want to go.
Ok, Here is where everyones opinion comes in. So far I have priced
out nice All Inclusive for about $1700/pp. A nice cruise with a balcony
is around $1100/pp. Price is not the issue. By the end of the cruise
bar bill & tips added will all equal out. Is the All Inclusive any
better value or is it all equal? How about the service? Equal to a
cruise? I just love the being at sea idea and the great service.
Giving up those sea views is hard but on the other hand wouldn't mind
trying an all inclusive. Input and thoughts welcome here. I'm really
having a hard time with this decision.

RICK DAVIS wrote:
The one thing I know this group is good for is an opinion. So I
want/need all input. I have 20 cruises under my belt. Not the most but
a fair amount. I have no experience with All Inclusive. I am giving
serious thought to skipping a cruise this year and doing an All
Inclusive. I've done the research and know where I want to go.
Ok, Here is where everyones opinion comes in. So far I have priced
out nice All Inclusive for about $1700/pp. A nice cruise with a balcony
is around $1100/pp. Price is not the issue. By the end of the cruise
bar bill & tips added will all equal out. Is the All Inclusive any
better value or is it all equal? How about the service? Equal to a
cruise? I just love the being at sea idea and the great service.
Giving up those sea views is hard but on the other hand wouldn't mind
trying an all inclusive. Input and thoughts welcome here. I'm really
having a hard time with this decision.

Hi Rick,

We have been on 17 cruises and have 2 more booked!! We went to one all
inclusive and were not impressed at all. I am sure there are AIs and AIs
and we did not choose the one we went to, it was for a wedding.

The pluses are having the beach/pools all the time and also having the
alcohol included, although not top brands of booze.

Now for the negatives.lol

Rooms were made up once a day, whenever the maid got around to it. We
needed to shower around 2pm to go to the wedding and didn't have clean
towels yet. We did manage to find a maid to get clean towels, but on a
ship our room would of already been made up.

There were a few sitdown restaurants, but for a 7 day stay you could
only have two reservations. All the rest of our meals were buffet style.
The food wasn't bad, but it wasn't great and got very boring after
awhile. The food in the sit down restaurants was a little better then
the buffet, but not anything to rave about.

There was very little entertaiment in the evening, only one venue and it
was lousy quality.

We had a great time because we were with friends and their family, but I
would never do an AI again, unless we wind up with another wedding to
attend at one. Yet there are many people who think this makes a great
vacation, it just isn't for us.

sue

Comes down to: what do you want to do? Sounds like you should go on
the All Inclusive and see if you like it.

We love cruising and the ability to see man different ports during a
holiday. We also love the Transatlantic crossing for the enforced rest
during the sea days. We also love spending a number of days in a city
that we've come across during our cruises. E.g. we saw Barcelona on a
cruise and thought it was a lovely place. So a few years later we went
specifically to Barcelona and spent a week there. We liked a few ports
in Italy and spent 2 weeks there see Pompeii, Herculaneum etc. On our
short list is Sevilla, Dubrovnik and St. Thomas. There are times when
I just want sun, sea and pure R&R on my own. That's when I go to an AI
hotel resort. The food is normally so-so, the service is normally so-
so, the people are normally so-so.

"RICK DAVIS" wrote

Ok, Here is where everyones opinion comes in. So far I have priced
out nice All Inclusive for about $1700/pp. A nice cruise with a balcony
is around $1100/pp. Price is not the issue. By the end of the cruise
bar bill & tips added will all equal out. Is the All Inclusive any
better value or is it all equal? How about the service? Equal to a
cruise?

We recently did an all-inclusive 5 night vacation for the first time. While
we had a great time and I would do it again, I don't think it is as good a
"value" for me as a cruise.

The service was not as good as a cruise ship, but equal to that of a hotel.
Once a day maid service. Nothing wrong with that, but just different.

Food was nowhere near as good as on a cruise ship (overall), but that said,
there was always something good to eat. I don't drink very much if at all,
so the all-inclusive aspect of bar bills didn't save me any money. For some
people, this can be a significant savings as compared to cruise ship bar
bills.

Entertainment... this is where the all-inclusive really fell behind. There
is no comparison to cruise ship entertainment for variety and quality.

But.... I still liked the all-inclusive enough to want to do it again. We
spent our mornings at the beach and afternoons at the pool. At night we
listened to the house band. All we wanted on this vacation was a chance to
relax and do nothing... and we did a lot of it! We didn't go sight-seeing
or take tours... we just vegged out and had a great time.

Try it... you might like it.


--
George Leppla http://www.CruiseMaster.com

April 29, 2007 GGC2007 http://cruisemaster.com/pride.htm
October 14, 2007 MOAGC 3 - http://www.moagc-3.com
January 20, 2008 - Adventure - http://cruisemaster.com/adventure.htm

On Mar 9, 9:58 am, Sue and Kevin Mullen wrote:
The pluses are having the beach/pools all the time and also having the
alcohol included, although not top brands of booze.

Sue, I knew this would come up. I have been told by more than 1
person that
they will only use "well" brands but if you ask for specific brands
they will give it to
you. For example ask for a Rum & Coke and you'll get Ronrico Rum &
Coke. Ask
for Bacardi & Coke and you'll get Bacardi. If you don't specify you
get the "less expensive"
liquor. Is this the case at all resorts...I doubt it. I'm sure some
resorts don't have top shelf liquor.
I've also noticed that there is a great range in prices starting at
under $1000/pp. I would imagine those
are some of the ones that don't have top shelf.

Now for the negatives.lol

There was very little entertaiment in the evening, only one venue and it
was lousy quality.
LOL, I can say this about a number of cruises. I've walked out on
more than 1 show on a cruise because I thought it was so boring.
I guess thats where the Casino comes in handy. The resorts I'm
looking at
have two options for live entertainment each night. Plus a couple of
live bands and
numerous bars. Sometimes just a good movie on the tv is the best
entertainment.

Thanks for the feedback. It is the kind of information I'm looking
for. Thanks
again.

Rick wrote:
On Mar 9, 9:58 am, Sue and Kevin Mullen wrote:
There was very little entertaiment in the evening, only one venue and it
was lousy quality.

LOL, I can say this about a number of cruises. I've walked out on
more than 1 show on a cruise because I thought it was so boring.
I guess thats where the Casino comes in handy. The resorts I'm
looking at
have two options for live entertainment each night. Plus a couple of
live bands and
numerous bars.

The shows on the ships that I don't like, are much better then the
entertainment at the AI we went to.lol Also on a ship you have a choice
of shows/comics, lounges with music, casinos etc.

It sounds like the AIs you are looking at have more options then the AI
we went to.

sue

(RICK DAVIS) wrote:

The one thing I know this group is good for is an opinion. So I
want/need all input. I have 20 cruises under my belt. Not the most but
a fair amount. I have no experience with All Inclusive. I am giving
serious thought to skipping a cruise this year and doing an All
Inclusive. I've done the research and know where I want to go.
Ok, Here is where everyones opinion comes in. So far I have priced
out nice All Inclusive for about $1700/pp. A nice cruise with a balcony
is around $1100/pp. Price is not the issue. By the end of the cruise
bar bill & tips added will all equal out. Is the All Inclusive any
better value or is it all equal? How about the service? Equal to a
cruise? I just love the being at sea idea and the great service.
Giving up those sea views is hard but on the other hand wouldn't mind
trying an all inclusive. Input and thoughts welcome here. I'm really
having a hard time with this decision.

I will offer an opinion although I have NOT been on many cruises, and
have only done an AI type accommodation maybe once.

I think whether you like the AI type vacation depends a lot on what
resort you go to. Because they are not all the same. Some charge
extra for things that you could get for free on the ship. Some of
them have good food and some don't. Some have good service and some
don't.

If you like the sea views, why not just charter a sailboat in the
Virgin Islands? If you get one with a crew (not a bareboat charter
with a captain, but a crew that owns their own boat), they will do all
the work and cooking etc and you will have all the sea views you want.
Service and food is usually excellent and are all included in the
price.

The reason I have not done AI is that the things that it offers are
not things that are of interest to me. I don't like sunbathing on a
beach, I don't drink, and I like exploring new places and eating in
different restaurants and walking (or driving) around the town. I'm
not interested in shows or night life.

The reasons that I hesitated to do cruising is that I like to spend
more time in a place than a ship does, and I like to eat in different
restaurants. Mostly I cruise to explore new places (even if my time
is limited), and because of the cost - it's cheaper in a lot of cases
to cruise to a place than it is to fly there and stay on land and I
can see more different places without having to pack and unpack.

RICK DAVIS wrote:
The one thing I know this group is good for is an opinion. So I
want/need all input. I have 20 cruises under my belt. Not the most but
a fair amount. I have no experience with All Inclusive. I am giving
serious thought to skipping a cruise this year and doing an All
Inclusive. I've done the research and know where I want to go.
Ok, Here is where everyones opinion comes in. So far I have priced
out nice All Inclusive for about $1700/pp. A nice cruise with a balcony
is around $1100/pp. Price is not the issue. By the end of the cruise
bar bill & tips added will all equal out. Is the All Inclusive any
better value or is it all equal? How about the service? Equal to a
cruise? I just love the being at sea idea and the great service.
Giving up those sea views is hard but on the other hand wouldn't mind
trying an all inclusive. Input and thoughts welcome here. I'm really
having a hard time with this decision.


All inclusive resorts are just like cruise lines ... there good ones and
better ones.

While we have done 15 cruises, we have been to only three all inclusive
resorts and they each had their strong and weak points; hmmm ... a lot
like cruise lines!

At one, we had fantastic food available at their seven restaurants while
at the others they had enjoyable food but nothing spectacular (Carnival
quality).

At each resort, I told the bartenders that I wanted to try something
different every time I came by. They did their best to get me something
new several times a day. This was a lot of fun and I got to try some
different liquor that I wouldn't normally toss out $5 to try. On cruise
ships, I have only a drink or two because of the expense.

At one resort, the maids came three times a day to clean the room,
re-fill the mini bar (yeah ... that was free too) and do the turn down.
At the others we saw them once a day.

At all three, entertainment was good to excellent and varied every night
.... comparable to most cruise ships.

Each had an internet cafe, but it was usually full during the day and
you had to wait for the three or four computers. Early morning or late
at night was the best time to get in. But it was free in all resorts
.... not so on ships.

The activities were excellent at each place. Of course the pools
(several per location) and beaches were about the same. Plus, each had
free scuba diving, snorkeling, water skiing, sailing, water tow (a huge
inflatable "sausage" you ride on towed behind a fast boat), crafts, etc.
This is really where I think the AI shines in that some of these
things may be available on a cruise ship, but not for free.

The biggest drawback to the resort over the ship is that if you meet
some really nice people, you may only have a day or two with them
instead of the full week since people come and go every day. The next
drawback is that if you ant to go into town to do some sight seeing, you
only have the one destination to tour ... not several like cruising.

So ... I am a big fan of AI resorts. However, when we do our family get
together we always book a cruise since that is my wife's favorite.



--
Ray Contreras
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Webmonkey for:
http://www.ossystems.com
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http://www.rayzplace.com

On Mar 9, 9:26 am, (RICK DAVIS) wrote:
The one thing I know this group is good for is an opinion. So I
want/need all input.

Rick,

There have been some good comments in the thread so I'll try to
mention some not covered.

You said you love sea views -you won't be giving that up at all if you
think about it. You'll just be seeing it from a different perspective
along with the lull of the waves.

As for the entertainment -my couple of experiences with an all
inclusive - there were a lot of "fokeloric" and other types of local
talent. You don't get that much on a cruise any more. So to me even if
the "quality" isn't on par with a glitzy, razzle-dazzle production
show - the intimacy of the smaller venue combined with being immersed
in local culture made it much more enjoyable and interesting.

If you are enjoying your day... you don't have to rush back for
sailaway. I prefer sea days, but I do have favorite ports that I
*hate* having to leave behind. It's the one aspect of a Bermuda cruise
that I enjoy, you can linger on the beach for as long as you wish
without checking the time.

You can always spend a few hours at another resort, beach, hotel, bar,
restaurant or whatever for a change of pace. You can even take a ferry
or puddle jumper flight to neighboring islands as a day trip.

You don't have to pack nearly as much.

Hmmm...that actually sounds like a good idea. Maybe I'll look into it!
vbg

Warren

Warren, I've not been following this thread, but assume it's about an
all inclusive resort vacation. If correct, I want to second your
comments. While a cruise is still our preferred vacation, we've had 4-5
times when we've taken a special deal on Grand Bahamas at the Princess
or Country Club.

While living in Raleigh, the resorts would advertise in the Raleigh
newspaper of special deals. The pricing did not include meals and
drinks, but you could purchase it separately for a 3 or 4-day package.
It was recommended to us by a friend, and the first time we went, we
were hooked. You are absolutely correct in that it's a very relaxing
time and exploring a place in depth can really be fun. During our
visits, we've rented a dune buggy and taken numerous taxi or sightseeing
tours, including night "wine, beer and food" cruises around the islands.

Admittedly, the Princess/Country Club resorts are what most would
consider "average" at best, but like a cruise, you're seldom in the
room. The packages we took included evening entertainment, and it was
great. I used to take along some books and would sit all afternoon
sometimes under a huge Banyon tree, reading and sipping a drink. Talk
about relaxing. . .

In our case, the flight departed from Raleigh about 10:00p and we would
be at the hotel by 1:00a. The return flight was in the late afternoon,
so the last day was almost a full day as well. The plane was a
chartered Laker Air 737. It was clean as a whistle and we felt quite
secure.

We've also had friends go on some of the more expensive "land cruises,"
such as Sandals, and have never heard anything but favorable comments.

Nonny

Warren wrote:
On Mar 9, 9:26 am, (RICK DAVIS) wrote:
The one thing I know this group is good for is an opinion. So I
want/need all input.

Rick,

There have been some good comments in the thread so I'll try to
mention some not covered.

You said you love sea views -you won't be giving that up at all if you
think about it. You'll just be seeing it from a different perspective
along with the lull of the waves.

As for the entertainment -my couple of experiences with an all
inclusive - there were a lot of "fokeloric" and other types of local
talent. You don't get that much on a cruise any more. So to me even if
the "quality" isn't on par with a glitzy, razzle-dazzle production
show - the intimacy of the smaller venue combined with being immersed
in local culture made it much more enjoyable and interesting.

If you are enjoying your day... you don't have to rush back for
sailaway. I prefer sea days, but I do have favorite ports that I
*hate* having to leave behind. It's the one aspect of a Bermuda cruise
that I enjoy, you can linger on the beach for as long as you wish
without checking the time.

You can always spend a few hours at another resort, beach, hotel, bar,
restaurant or whatever for a change of pace. You can even take a ferry
or puddle jumper flight to neighboring islands as a day trip.

You don't have to pack nearly as much.

Hmmm...that actually sounds like a good idea. Maybe I'll look into it!
vbg

Warren


--
---Nonnymus---

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