Pros and Cons of Cruises vs All Inclusive Resorts

Table Of Content

• Travel Guide to Bali: Essential Tips for the Tropical Paradise
• Transportation to an all-inclusive resort
• Best Adults-Only All-Inclusive Cruises
• Norwegian Aqua Cruise Ship Reaches Major Construction Milestone
• Lock In Our Most Inclusive Offer of the Year.
• Advantages and Challenges of All-Inclusive Resorts
• Making the Right Choice

Service is another all-important aspect of any resort or cruise vacation. If your idea of the ultimate holiday is an island in the sun —napping or reading with an umbrella drink in hand — then you will easily find your bliss at an all-inclusive resort. If you like to explore new places and experience new things, the dynamic appeal of a cruise ship that travels from port to port will better satisfy that wanderlust.

Travel Guide to Bali: Essential Tips for the Tropical Paradise

In today’s travel landscape, it’s also essential to consider your travel choices’ environmental and social impacts. Cruises have been criticized for their environmental footprint, though many cruise lines are taking steps towards sustainability. All-inclusive resorts, while more stationary, can also have significant impacts on local communities and ecosystems. As a responsible traveler, weighing these factors and choosing operators prioritizing sustainability and positive community engagement can make a difference. In conclusion, all-inclusive resorts offer a convenient, worry-free vacation with many activities and amenities for those who prefer a relaxed, self-contained holiday. However, they may also have limitations regarding cultural immersion, potential overcrowding, and a lack of authentic experiences.

Transportation to an all-inclusive resort

Join us as we embark on this journey to unravel the intricacies of choosing between a cruise and an all-inclusive resort, ensuring your next vacation is enjoyable and profoundly fulfilling. If you’re still confused about which vacay to choose, check out these handy tips for first-time cruisers. From Ketchikan's misty emerald forests to Juneau's vibrant waterfront and Sitka's majestic fjords, few places can compete with the breathtaking backdrops found in the Last Frontier. Like the massive, centuries-old glaciers that line the horizon in most any direction. The stunning Taiga forest, which takes up roughly seventeen percent of the Earth’s land.

Best Adults-Only All-Inclusive Cruises

After 13 Royal Caribbean cruises, I booked a Virgin Voyages cruise: here's what I loved and hated - Royal Caribbean Blog

After 13 Royal Caribbean cruises, I booked a Virgin Voyages cruise: here's what I loved and hated.

Posted: Thu, 12 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

The appeal of all-inclusive resorts lies in their predictability and ease, providing a hassle-free vacation experience where everything is taken care of. On the pricing front, most all-inclusive resorts are slightly more inclusive than cruises — namely, alcoholic beverages are typically included in the rate. So whether you’re interested in having wine with dinner or a few drinks at the nightclub, an all-inclusive resort might trump a cruise.

Once you've determined your personalized vacation needs, all that's left to do is to find the cruise or all-inclusive resort that offers what you are looking for and do the math to get the true total cost of your vacation. They both offer great experiences, but it really comes down to identifying what you want out of your vacation and finding a cruise or all-inclusive resort that offers it. "If you are going on a seven-day cruise, for example, adding a drink package and excursions at each port can add hundreds of dollars to your budget," Lovell said. "If you are comparing one cruise line to another, and one claims to be $799 for a week and another is $599 but doesn't include Wi-Fi or a drink package, the $799 may actually be a better deal." To truly compare these two similar-yet-different vacation options, TPG turned to John Lovell, president of Travel Leaders Group.

Cruise vs All-Inclusive Resort: Comparing Value for Your Next Vacation

At press time, the fare inclusions for the first two guests per room extended to free airfare, Wi-Fi, a beverage package and excursion and specialty dining credits. (Third and fourth guests sail free and therefore don't receive the additional inclusions.) Sometimes the deal includes fewer freebies or offers fewer inclusions with the cheaper cabins. Depends on how you look at it and what cruise line you’re planning to sail with. While every cruise line differs, cruises provide food, some beverages, and entertainment. Other things like specialty dining, alcoholic drinks, the spa, and other extracurricular activities may require you to pay extra.

Lock In Our Most Inclusive Offer of the Year.

When it comes to cruising, many of the amenities found at a resort can be found on board as well. For travelers who enjoy a different activity every day, a cruise makes the perfect vacation choice. On Carnival Cruises, free onboard attractions include pools, water slides, adult-only retreats, kids’ camps, lip sync and game show competitions, murder mysteries, sports areas and more. If you’re on a budget and looking for a quick trip where you can catch a glimpse of some of the places you’ve always wanted to see in the timespan of a week or two, go for a cruise. Keep in mind that cruise ships in general have limited space and this certainly affects the size of the suites, the number of activities and the variation in restaurants. If you love to spend your days on the beach and enjoy water sports, all-inclusive resorts are often the better option.

Upgrade to the All-Included fare, and you'll pay more but get more inclusions. (Prices vary by ship, itinerary and sail date.) These fares cover a Classic Drinks Package and Celebrity's Basic Wi-Fi plan. The fares used to cover crew gratuities, but that perk has been phased out. They come with upscale amenities, such as king-size beds rather than queens, and bathrooms with spacious glass-enclosed showers, heated bathroom floors and anti-fog mirrors. If you book the biggest onboard suites, you are privy to even more freebies, such as valet laundry, unlimited premium Wi-Fi (for faster speed than the included plan) and dinner for two in the fabulous La Dame restaurant.

Making the Right Choice

Even if it’s a cheap all-inclusive, it should include all meals, drinks, daytime activities, water sports, and beach and pool access. Many cruise ships leave from and return to ports located inside the United States, which might make airfare much less expensive. Depending on your options for available cities, you might even be able to drive to your departure port, making a cruise a very accessible for a lot of guests. When it comes to activities, you can find plenty with both vacation options.

The costs can sneak up on you while you’re on a cruise, especially if you’re travelling in a group. On most cruises, even once you’ve paid for your vacation, you’ll often still need to pay for things like alcoholic drinks, tips, WiFi and activities, which can add up. Many people get caught in the trap of having to exceed their budget because the attractive upfront costs tend to be way less than the price, they actually end up paying. If you love to spend time in the water on your vacation, all-inclusive resorts tend to offer a wide variety of water sports.

There are pros and cons to each, and it can be tough to choose which is better, a cruise or an all inclusive resort. An all-inclusive resort may be a better fit for you because it’s on land, a destination you may want to explore further. Or you can choose to stay at the resort your entire vacation and relax because they have everything you need right there.

On some cruise lines dining is fixed and there will be early and late seating. When it comes to your meals at an all-inclusive resort you’re likely to only have one or two restaurant choices. The daily schedule on a cruise can be busy, although guests don’t have to take part in any activities that they don’t want to. Cruise ships often have many pools, often offering an inside and outside pool to cater to different weather.

Many people love them for the fact that they’re able to visit more than one country in a short space of time. The drawback is that not much time is spent in any of these destinations, as would be the case with an all-inclusive resort vacation, which allows you time to get better acquainted with a specific place. Cruises are often pegged as all-inclusive vacations, but exactly what is included varies by cruise line and cabin type.

You must enter the exact number of children and adults to get an accurate price — and yes, we learned this the hard way. The upfront price you pay when you book a stay at an all-inclusive resort is, for the most part, all-inclusive. While there certainly are amenities and experiences you can add to enhance your stay, the price you see when you click "Book Now" is the price you get. Royal Caribbean is a big-ship line that caters to couples and families.

Generally, the base cruise fare will be cheaper when comparing similar vacations. The amount of extra purchases you make for tours, drinks, spa treatments and other extras will really determine whether a cruise or resort is the better deal for you. It's hard to compare apples to apples to find out whether a cruise or all-inclusive resort is cheaper.

Perhaps drinks being the biggest differentiator between a cruise and all-inclusive resort. You must purchase a beverage package on most cruises to save on daily alcohol consumption. Otherwise, you are spending for each cocktail or cold beer a la carte. Another benefit is the wide range of amenities and activities available within the resort. There’s usually something for everyone, from water sports and fitness classes to live entertainment and kids’ clubs.