Cruise or all Inclusive??

rpalombo28 · March 2013

I've been on three Royal Carribbean cruise and LOVE them. My fiance has never been on one and doesn't know enough about them to get excited for one. Other people mention all inclusive resorts that I am considering too, except with all there is to do on a cruiseship, I worry that an allinclusive resort may get boring since we aren't too adventurous. For anyone who's been on a cruise and all inclusive resort vacation, which do you suggest??

hoffse · March 2013

I'm probably not your target audience for this post, but FI and I have both been on cruises (loved them), and we're going to our first AI for our honeymoon in early May. Even though we haven't been to an AI before, we HAVE been to the beach 100 times. In some respects I like the cruise more because I love to lay out, but I don't love laying on sand... in other respects if there is a lounger on the sand, I prefer the beach because I find it more relaxing, and there is usually more space than you get on a cruise ship.

AIs have a lot to do. Ours include snorkling, scuba diving (2 tanks a day if you are certified, 1 tank a day if you are not), waterskiing, etc. Plus you have the evening parties, the games, the sports areas for tennis, racquetball, etc. And you can take excursions out. We are going rum tasting one day, climbing a waterfall/taking a river cruise another, and going horseback riding on another. Most AIs are like this, and what they include varies a little. They all include food and alcoholic drinks, though, and many include tips. As you know, drinks and tips are not included in your cruise fare.

That said, for me a lot of it depends on how nice a cabin you'd want on your cruise and where you plan to go. Honestly if you like to be out on deck among people, then an inside cabin or oceanview on a cruise makes sense. Same holds true if you are taking a cruise that hits a lot of ports - you won't spend enough time in your room to make the extra $1,000 worth it for a balcony or suite. If that's the case the cruise is probably more cost-effective than an AI. If you plan to spend a lot of time in your room, then I think an AI makes more sense. You can get a much nicer room at an AI than you can on most cruises (even paying for a suite), and of course your drinks and tips are added into the price. I think both options are great - FI and I honestly made our decision based largely on price.

dalm0m · March 2013

What was your bar bill like on your cruise? If it wasn't high, you may lose money at a AI. The food on many cruise ships is a little better than most AIs & there is lots more entertainment, especially at night. I found most AIs to be too sleepy / boring for my tastes but on a HM if all you want to do is veg & spend some alone time with your new spouse that could be perfect. AIs are also far more casual than cruises. Finally if with the wedding you can't fly to your port of embarkation the day before you sail, an AI could be better b/c the resort will still be there no matter what time you arrive. There's a possibility you could miss the ship.

SuMmErKuTiE · March 2013

We honestly love both, but in my opinion they are 2 different types of vacations. We go to AI's when we need to relax and just want to be beach bums and order as many drinks as we want without worrying about our bar bill at the end of our trip. We love having everything included up front where as on a cruise, we get a bill at the end for the tips and drinks and anything else we charged to the room (pictures, excursions, etc..)

But when we're looking for a more adventurous vacation or want to see a bunch of locations at once, we go on a cruise.

I honestly can't say which one we enjoy more because we really love both, but we pick one or the other depending on what type of trip we want to take. So think about which type of HM you guys are looking for. After the excitement and stress of a wedding, it'll probably be nicer to just go to an AI and relax and not worry about additional costs, ship schedules, etc.. when you're on a cruise you have to follow their schedule as to when they dock in port, when you need to get back on the ship, meals, etc..

UnderTheEiffel · March 2013

I have been to both cruises and all inclusives. For me crusies are a means to get to a lot of different places in a short amount of time, and to go to bed early. Iv only been on carnival, and after a few, its a whole lot of the same.

We went to an all inclusive in mexico, and loved it. we had our option of 5 or 6 restaurants, live cultural shows and dancing, craft shows, and of course the beach, with all non motorized water sports included. Plus we could do excursions to places like the Chichen Itza, or Tulum during the day.

I do love cruises and will be going on more in the future... but for a honeymoon, I definitely say all inclusive. I think its more romantic.

dazyabbey · March 2013

My husband and I have been to an AI but have not been on a cruise. We are hopefully going to go on a cruise next year.

I did disagree with dalm0m though about AI's being sleepy. Because our AI was anything but. There were clubs we could go to at neighboring resorts (in the same family) and also two shows nightly. On top of that there were constantly activities going on. From beach volley ball to Sexy Bingo (seriously!) and a huge array of other things to do. They had scuba diving classes, learn how to use a catamaran, and many many more. I think in reality the nice thing about All Inclusives is that you aren't all holed up on a boat with a million other people. You can be as active as you want or as relaxed as you want. I also liked the idea of the resort being much smaller then a cruise ship because as much fun as going on vacation is I get really sick of the crowds of people and so being on a resort it is nice that you can get away to your own corner of the beach or something and there is practically no one there. And you can walk down the beach and find thing or explore the local culture and activities.

OwningAHome1981 · March 2013

Given the track record of cruise ships lately, I'd go for the all-inclusive.. but personally I'm not a fan of either one. Be careful- AI's often come with hidden costs.

Hummingbird125 · March 2013

I've done both within the past 18 months, and I'd totally go with the cruise. Our room at the AI (Jamaica) was, of course, a LOT bigger, but that was the only upside of the AI for me. Our cruise cabin was teeny (an inside, no-window cabin), but it was functional and the bed was AMAZING. Seriously the most comfortable mattress I've ever slept on.

The food on the cruise was was also much better than the food at the AI. The only thng I didn't love was the drinks. They were overpriced and not very strong. Of course, drinks were "free" at the AI, but also watered down, so it probably works out the same. I found there was much better entertainment on the cruise, and I loved stopping at different ports.

ETA: We went on a Norwegian Cruise, and the AI we stayed at was Grand Palladium Jamaica

alithebride · March 2013

i disagree wit the poster above me. ive never had a 'hidden cost' iwth an AI and wish people would learn to give examples and not just blanket statments like that. the cruise ship statement was also meh.......

anyway-they are 2 totally different types of vacations. have you considered doing both? do an AI for part and then get on a ship? If your FI isn't feelign the cruise then, imo, you need to move on from that idea and find something that suits you both.

i dont find the entertainment at either AIs or cruise ships to be good frankly. i dont go to either for the nightlife. that's just my opinion and it might be great for others-i'm just not a fan.

Weezy56 · March 2013

Both are fun, but I would rather go with an AI. I have never had any hidden costs. The paperwork will tell you anything that is "extra" (typically it's motorized sports, special excursions, etc). H and I are drinkers, so AI is a better bang for our buck than a cruise is.

MrsGandthebeag · March 2013

I'd vote for the AI, but I'm not a cruise fan. DH and I did a mediteranean cruise for our hm and it was great to see a bunch of places in a short amount of time. But, the days at sea were so boring to me. You had to fight to get a chair by the pool and the entertainment was certainly not geared towards our age group (early 30s). I also didn't think the food was anything spectacular and I didn't like paying up the wazoo for a drink. AI's can be very exciting if you make it that way. You can do a bunch of free water sports, the entertainment is better and you can do excursions off the resort. Or, you can sit on your A$$ and relax. It's up to you.

[Deleted User] · March 2013

In Response to Re:Cruise or all Inclusive??:[QUOTE]I'd vote for the AI, but I'm not a cruise fan. nbsp;DH and I did a mediteranean cruise for our hm and it was great to see a bunch of places in a short amount of time. nbsp;But, the days at sea were so boring to me. nbsp;You had to fight to get a chair by the pool and the entertainment was certainly not geared towards our age group early 30s. nbsp;I also didn't think the food was anything spectacular and I didn't like paying up the wazoo for a drink. nbsp;AI's can be very exciting if you make it that way. nbsp;You can do a bunch of free water sports, the entertainment is better and you can do excursions off the resort. nbsp;Or, you can sit on your A and relax. nbsp;It's up to you. nbsp; Posted by MrsGandthebeag[/QUOTE]

Agree. We did a cruise in 2007 and in 2008 did an AI for our HM. There was no comparison for us, AI was so much better,cheaper and more fun.

We felt trapped on the cruise ship, hated being way over charged for drinks,having to constantly worry about going over budget and counting every penny to make sure we didn't.

When at the AI's we've been to we've been able to go off and explore the island or just relax on the beach on a 7 day trip we do three different types of excursions, we don't have to worry about paying for and being over charged for drinks and all total, the AI's we have been to have cost us no more than 500 more than what our cruise cost us for the same duration and that's with more excursions and round trip airfare.

dazyabbey · March 2013

OwningAHome1981- Not sure what AI you went to. But I have never heard of an AI with 'hidden costs'. Your post is very misleading.

Both have their positives and negatives. It depends on what the OP wants.

hoffse · March 2013

Yeah Owningahome's post about hidden costs isn't correct - if she went to an AI with hidden costs, then she didn't read the (very short, 1 page) contract that comes with the invoice. Seriously, most of what you want is included, and the things that aren't - excursions, spa treatments, and motorized watersports at some resorts - are obvious and stated clearly upfront.

I also vehemently disagree with the cruise ship comment. It's so absurd to completely nix an entire form a vacation just because of 2 incidents (one of which was incredibly minor) with a single cruise line. There are dozens of cruises that depart around the world every day. It's like saying you'll never fly because planes crash once in awhile. Yes, those cruise-goers on the Triumph had a crappy vacation. But nobody got hurt, they all got reimbursed, and they got a free cruise on top of it. If you don't want to cruise Carnival, don't cruise Carnival - but don't disregard every other cruise line out there that does a great job.

Sorry that just set me off.

OP, whichever you choose will be great. FI and I tend to be really active vacationers - we like to go go go and explore. We are probably doing a big trip to Europe (likely to a country that nobody we know has been to like Hungary) for our one-year. But I'm just over 2 weeks out from our wedding, and the light at the end of the tunnel is our AI in Jamaica. I seriously can't think of what I want to do more right now than collapse on the beach with a cocktail, and have somebody say "no worries" to me so many times I finally start to believe it. We planned our excursions for the end of our trip, because we don't think we're going to have the energy to move for the first couple of days. Our wedding is large, multicultural, and out of town for us, so it's provided a lot of stress. Not everybody's is like that. But my point is even if you feel like you want to be active now (at 8 months out I was all gung ho about Spain for our honeymoon), your feelings might dramatically change when your wedding date is very very close. I would pick something that doesn't require much activity from you upfront. Instead, choose something that lets you plan additional activity as you get closer to your wedding date and can take a reading of how exhausted you are. We may never go to an AI again, but for us it's going to be perfect for this one trip.

alithebride · March 2013

hoffse that last paragraph is outstanding advice (not kidding-really). and i hope your first frosty drink on the beach is better than you could ever imagine

dalm0m · March 2013

I agree with the person who said, that the OP will have fun no matter what.

Based on the comments about specifics, I will clarrify why I found the AIs I have gone to "sleepy." Yes, there were lots of actvities to do during the day but at night after dinner, there was usually on 1 quiet bar open & 1 disco. At the resorts where we were, going to a different partner resort was not an option. It was the property we selected or nothing. there was usually an ouside / quiet bar with no music entertainment or an indoor disco but there were no people in the disco. A big empty freezing cold room, was not my idea of fun. I can't even say it was the time of year because we went in December (which we expected to be quiet), Janaury, February & March. Maybe I just pick bad resorts.

The reosrts themselves were in the Bahamas, Jamaica & Mexico. It was also a long time ago (10-20 years) perhaps things have changed.

In contrast, there were also a variety of dining options, casinos, shows, games, comedians, & bars open well inot the night with lots of people & energy on our cruises. (RCL, NCL & Princess). We also prefer to dress up & cruises offered that more so than an AI.

hoffse · March 2013

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_cruise-or-all-inclusive?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:11Discussion:499adaa3-6108-49bc-bbb3-9768e9f886e7Post:afcff783-e292-4b87-b4c2-b0446431d301">Re: Cruise or all Inclusive??</a>:
[QUOTE]QUOTE: "I also vehemently disagree with the cruise ship comment. It's so absurd to completely nix an entire form a vacation just because of 2 incidents (one of which was incredibly minor) with a single cruise line. There are dozens of cruises that depart around the world every day. It's like saying you'll never fly because planes crash once in awhile. Yes, those cruise-goers on the Triumph had a crappy vacation. But nobody got hurt, they all got reimbursed, and they got a free cruise on top of it. If you don't want to cruise Carnival, don't cruise Carnival - but don't disregard every other cruise line out there that does a great job." Hey, Hoffse! Let 'em dis Carnival all they want! If more people believe the crap the media is putting out on the cruiseships, then the prices will continue to go down, and I get to cruise more! Whee! My next criuse is 16 days on a premium line. The cheapest cabin is $549 pp! That is 16 days I won't have to plan meals, make the bed, dust, shop for groceries, do the dishes, vacuum the rug, clean the bathroom, do laundry! Sigh!
Posted by CMGr[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>Lol totally valid point, CMGr :) To that extent (and that extent only), I rescind my previous comment :)

</div>

itzMS · March 2013

DH & I love cruises, but we're pretty biased towards Norwegian Cruises. We love that we can eat whenever we want, and they always have deals where you get onboard credit for booking your cruise.
We always buy the unlimited soda option and bring our own liquor in rum runners. (yeah, we're bad like that

)

rpalombo28 · March 2013

Thank you all so much for your input. Now we are definitely leaning towards an AI. Any opinions on Sandals??

hoffse · March 2013

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_cruise-or-all-inclusive?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:11Discussion:499adaa3-6108-49bc-bbb3-9768e9f886e7Post:1572bbfd-bf9c-4ae0-b9f2-87df7b093515">Re:Cruise or all Inclusive??</a>:
[QUOTE]Thank you all so much for your input. Now we are definitely leaning towards an AI. Any opinions on Sandals??
Posted by rpalombo28[/QUOTE]

<div>We are going to Sandals, but for 3 reasons only:</div><div>
</div><div>1) I got a hell of a deal on Black Friday. It was actually cheaper than Couples for a few hours, so we snagged it. Check out Couples if you haven't already, because they have a great reputation and the prices are very good. We went back and forth between Sandals and Couples. We almost booked Couples San Souci and then I got distracted with Thanksgiving - I'm glad we waited because the deal from Sandals was incredible, and it allowed us to go with our first choice without paying an exorbitant rate.</div><div>
</div><div>2) We want to try scuba. Neither of us has ever done it, but it's $80/person for the introductory lesson, and then you can dive once a day after that for free. If you are fully certified (open water), you can take two dives a day for free. My friends who dive tell me it costs about $75-$100 per person per dive when you just pay for it out of pocket, so this can make Sandals a good value. For couples who enjoy recreational diving, that's effectively $300-$400/day in activities that Sandals just gives you, as long as you take advantage of it. Keep in mind that if you aren't willing to try it, you are subsidizing the dives for everybody else who does it. Couples may include diving as well - I can't remember. It's not a particularly standard activity though.</div><div>
</div><div>3) We are going to Sandals Whitehouse because of the beach and really for no other reason. It's 2 miles long, and it's secluded. I did not want beach vendors, and I wanted space. One of FI's groomsmen has a family beach house in N. Florida that is on a private beach. We go there a lot, have never seen more than a dozen people at one time, and have therefore been entirely spoiled. We wanted the ease and luxury of a resort, but we also wanted a nice beach because that is what we are used to. Couples San Souci has good reviews on their beach, but Sandals Whitehouse has spectacular reviews. Again, when the price dropped this made the choice easy for us.</div><div>
</div><div>In general, I wouldn't recommend Sandals unless you can get a good price or are interested in their additional acitivies, etc. It's fine to splurge on your honeymoon, but they do tend to be more expensive than many other places out there. That said, they are overall supposed to be very nice. You just might be paying more than you would otherwise have to.</div>

maenicaw · March 2013

all of yall comments have been truely helpful to me cause i was wondering about the same subject... thanks

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