Honeymoon Discussions

Anyone been to an AI? Or a cruise?

We're considering both of these options for our honeymoon, but I've never been to either so I'm curious...what is there to do there?  Do the cruise ship rooms feel small and cramped or are they like full size hotel rooms?  Are they very sound proof and private feeling, or did you feel like you were constantly surrounded by hundreds of people?  Did you have fun or were you ever bored?  I kind of have ADD when I travel, so I'm especially concerned about getting bored if all there is to do is sit by the pool.  But cruises and AI's seem affordable so it's tempting. 

Re: Anyone been to an AI? Or a cruise?

  • We've never done an AI but have cruised many times...

    what is there to do there? 
    There are a lot of activities on board... one time we even did Bingo and it was actually fun LOL. There are workshops and tours {we did a kitchen tour where they take you to the galley which was actually pretty interesting}, some of the boats we were on had mini golf and golf simulation, shopping, etc... there's also the spa, casino, relaxing.

    Do the cruise ship rooms feel small and cramped or are they like full size hotel rooms? 
    They are definitely smaller than a regular hotel rooms unless you upgrade to a large suite. Regent Cruise had one of the largest rooms we've ever seen and Carnvel actually had really nice sized rooms too. We did an oceanview room on our very first cruise {Royal Caribbean} and felt very cramped, so since then we always get at least a balcony room and up. It's nice to also have an outdoor space {we think so at least}. I don't know why but it just makes me feel better.

    Are they very sound proof and private feeling, or did you feel like you were constantly surrounded by hundreds of people? 
    We never had an issue with sound nor felt like we were surrounded by a lot of people.

    Did you have fun or were you ever bored? 
    We had a lot of fun on all our cruises, but I have to admit, there were times I was bored. But I still love to cruise. We just choose itineraties that don't have 5+ 'days at sea.' Anything under that we are fine. After 5 days at sea it's a little like, okay, what do I do today... this again.... Oddly, I can go to a resort and do the beach/pool day after day and don't get bored the same way....


  • lovelovelove cruising! the only reason we are doing an AI for the HM is bc FI refuses to take a cruise (we got engaged on his first cruise and he got sick, which was a coincidence but he's all weird about it now). i have a feeling i'll be way more at risk of being bored at an AI than i ever would be on a cruise. i don't know how to sit at the beach, the same beach, for 7 days. but i know how to be excited for a new stop every day or so and relax at the pool in between!

    the rooms on cruises are fairly small. which would typically bother me. but since i never spend my time there, except for my daily afternoon nap, to shower for dinner and to sleep at night....i never notice it. you can pay for bigger rooms.
  • I personally don't like cruises because I hate that I don't have control over how long I'll be in a place.  If I love a place, I'm stuck with only spending 8 hours there because I have to be back at port, and that really sucks because I'm limited to how much I can explore and enjoy the place.  I also don't find them relaxing at all, because [at least on the ones I've been on] the cruise directors are always GO GO GO and after a while it's just like, "omg SHUT UP."  I couldn't even enjoy the pool or the pool deck on the ones I've been on, because the pools were monopolized by a lot of screaming children, and the weather's never really sunny or warm enough to enjoy the pool deck as if you were sunning on a beach.  It got pretty windy and cold on all my cruises - March, June, and July, to the Caribbean, eastern Mexico, and Baja Mexico [on the pacific side]. 

    There are a lot of 'things' to do on a cruise ship, like little scavenger hunts and seminars/workshops and competitions and galley tours, but none of that is really my thing so I wound up being incredibly bored.  The only reason I go is because my fiance LOVES them [all the food!], so we compromise and do cruises for about 1/3 of our vacations.  They are affordable, so if you're the kind of person that's ok with the constant switching of locations and a lot of people around [other than in your room; the rooms are thankfully very private and feel like their own little worlds], it's a great option.  Beware, though, that if you're a big drinker, they totally rip you off in that respect - alcohol is not included, and their prices are completely jacked so you can end up with a $400 bar tab at the end of a 4-night cruise if you're not careful.  All other things aside, a regular AI definitely beats a cruise in that respect - because alcohol is included.  If you don't drink, though, it obviously doesn't matter!
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  • I've done both and have loved both! There are tons of things to do at both! Plus you're not completely confined to your resort if you stay at an AI. Just like a cruise, you can book excursions to go do fun activities. You can also take the bus or a cab into town to check out other restaurants, shopping, and nightclubs and stuff.

    To answer your cruise questions:

    what is there to do there?  There's TONS of stuff to do during the days at sea on cruises.. every time you turn around the Cruise Director is over the PA again announcing some kind of event or competition. They're always fun so I suggest checking them out. Also, I love dressing up and going to dinner and a show every night. The shows are great and are different every night. Remember depending on what itinerary you choose.. you can end up having more days at an island (in port) then days at sea. FI and I just got back from a 7 day Southern Caribbean cruise and we only had 2 days at sea that were spread apart which was great. We definitely didn't get bored of the ship. The days at sea are nice to relax by the pool and enjoy the activities on the ship.

    Do the cruise ship rooms feel small and cramped or are they like full size hotel rooms?  Yes, they are definitely smaller than hotel rooms. With that said, I would highly suggest booking a balcony room or a suite. I did an inside room on my first cruise which was fine, but this past one we went on we had a balcony room and it was bigger with a sitting area  inbetween the bathroom and bed and of course the balcony where we ate breakfast each morning. I loved having a private outdoor area for just FI and me to enjoy the breeze and the water. But remember on a cruise you don't spend much time in your room, but when you do (especially if you're honeymooners.. ) it's nice to have the balcony room.

    Are they very sound proof and private feeling, or did you feel like you were constantly surrounded by hundreds of people?  The rooms are pretty soundproof, I have never heard other guests in the rooms surrounding mine. However, once outside your room there are people EVERYWHERE! This is the reason FI and I decided against a cruise for our HM. The pools are always overcrowded.. the hallways.. the lunch buffets.. sometimes it's hard to find a place to sit and eat.

    Did you have fun or were you ever bored?  Definitely not ever bored! I've always had an amazing time on cruises and at AI's. It's all what you make of it and how you enjoy spending your vacation.

    I would suggest an AI for your HM since it'll be much more private, but if you tend to get bored easily maybe the cruise is a better choice since you'll be exploring different islands and won't be in the same place every day. Definitely try to book some excursions whether you're on a cruise or staying at an AI. If you forget to book them before hand you can always book them from your room on the ship or at the front desk of your hotel at an AI. Good luck and HTH! :0)
  • prior post: try a different cruise line, like princess, which has almost no children. if you're cruising on carnival, there are tons of children, same with royal caribbean. also, try considering free style cruising, which allows you to eat when you want. i believe norwegian is freestyle, but i'm not sure. also look in to celebrity cruise lines. basically, spend a bit more money and the ships become more relaxed with fewer children. they cater more to relaxing than to activities.
  • I have to disagree with jenny on a few points: i find the drink prices to be less on a cruise than i pay at home so for us it's a bargain.
    there are always adult areas on the ships and the generalization that carnival has tons of kids is completely wrong. on our last carnival cruise there were 7 kids. i found that princess did an awful job of keeping the tons of kids out of the adult only hot tubs and pools-while carnival and disney did an excellent job of this. we dont cruise during school holidays.
    we always get the late dinner seating and a balcony room. i love the balcony and i hear a lot of people argue that they wont be in the room enough to enjoy it or use it. so not true, it doesnt make you spend more time in the room-but the time you do spend is SO much better., i hate buffets so we have our breakfast room serviced every morning and eat on the balcony.

    we've also done AIs in a bunch of places. the area we visit determines if we do ai or not. if there's a lot around we don't do ai, if there's nothing, like most of the riviera maya-we do. 

    cruise vs. ai s a common debate on here. the only way to determine what YOIULL like more is to try them both since my travel style or preferences (and everyone elses) isn't yours. do the research on the ports or areas you want to visit and just pick one. save the other option for another trip,

     

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