Differences between resort vacations & cruising

[Highlander1]

It's apples to oranges, horses of a different color.

 

Like trying to compare the US Navy to the US Marines, in the Navy they teach you to wash your hands after you pee, in the Marines they teach you not to pee on your hands.

 

My experience, AI's are far more costly than cruising, about 3X the cost. The only thing I sometimes miss on cruising is leaving port every night, there are a few places I'd like to experience the night life. Other than that, cruising gets a thumbs up.

[iancal]

Our AI's typically cost less than a cruise for us when we factor in all costs -including air and pre cruise hotel etc.

 

We prefer the food on the ship and we do like to cruise. But, AI's give us the ability to pick a good last minute vacation on a nice, warm, sandy beach.. All we have to do is grab a cab to the airport.

[Bridge Maven]

Given the choice of a beach resort vs a cruise I would pick a cruise because upscale resorts are a lot more expensive than mass market cruises, such as Celebrity, and geared toward beach lovers. My skin is too fair to spend that much time in the sun so beach resorts are not the best vacation for me.

 

On the other hand, I love staying at upscale hotels and dining at world class restaurants in interesting parts of the world.

[lori450]

I had posted this in a different thread (about cleanliness on the summit), but I think it got a little buried in the commentary. I'm really curious about this and I'd love to hear about why people rate the experiences differently, or why you might let issues slide on one, versus the other.

 

There seems to be a totally different mindset when reviewing resort & hotel vacations, versus cruising. I find avid cruisers tend to give a lot of allowances to things they would not let fly if they were in an equivalently rated hotel.

 

I don't think anyone here stated that the state of the ship (whether it was dirty or just showing wear) ruined the vacation. But people are making observations on items, and generally are told to be grateful they are vacationing. That doesn't happen when rating a hotel.

 

If you were to visit a hotel and you paid what would be a similar rate (taking into mind that there is not entertainment and food provided) most people would raise objections at rust on balconies and stairways, stained carpeting, threadbare sofas or bedding, towels that were unraveling at the ends...there would be major complaints.

 

I think the distinctions are different because of a few things...hotel management is generally in one place. It's easy to alert them to a problem. Cruise management has a lot of different tiers, and more recently it appears that you need to speak with the 'right' person to get things accomplished, or the cabin steward is too busy or afraid of retribution to really give the attention deserved to anything brought to his attention.

 

I'm not saying that I personally have experienced these things (maybe one or two items) or that I believe it would 'ruin' my vacation. But I do think if you're paying, say, $300 to $400 a night at a hotel, and you were to observe some of the things cruisers have said they observed, you would be much quicker to raise a hue and cry over how unacceptable it is, vs. a cruise, people seem to let things slide.

 

Or even, on the opposite side...say you pay $200 for a hotel room a night and $150 a day for food. Even though the end totals on the two vacations might be identical, why is it that all of us (including myself) are willing to sometimes accept mediocre, cold, food as part of the cruisefare. However, at a restaurant, we might mention that our eggs were overcooked, a sauce congealed, etc.

 

Does anyone have any ideas as to why this happens? It's interesting.

 

Do you think it has anything to do with how we perceive the staff...as in how long they work and the wages they receive?

 

This is a fascinating question and appreciate you bringing it up. I haven't given it a lot of thought yet, but my initial response is to think that we don't cruise for the quality of food, etc. When I think of cruising, I think of sea air, relaxing, not having to run from place to place, and getting away from it all. I think the effort required to go to and from a hotel or restaurant sort of embues it with the sense that we have made an extra effort to go there. Whereas, on a cruise ship, it's like moving fromt he bedroom to the kitchen or dining room. Less effort = less expectation??? The more I think about it, the more I realize that I cruise so that I do not have to "take care of things". I don;t have to make the bed, do the laundry, cook, or even entertain myself (even though I do). I think it's about the service and the sensation of luxuriating in the care of someone else. Where else do you have someone so attentive to your needs while asking nothing in return? (except the money and I could go into a whole psychological analysis of why money is the exception). I wanted to give an unbiased answer and so, have not read any of the answers prior to my post. I'd like to go back now and read them as well.

Thanks for such an enjoyably thought-provoking thread!

[2SeaWithMe]

This is a fascinating question and appreciate you bringing it up. I haven't given it a lot of thought yet, but my initial response is to think that we don't cruise for the quality of food, etc. When I think of cruising, I think of sea air, relaxing, not having to run from place to place, and getting away from it all. I think the effort required to go to and from a hotel or restaurant sort of embues it with the sense that we have made an extra effort to go there. Whereas, on a cruise ship, it's like moving fromt he bedroom to the kitchen or dining room. Less effort = less expectation??? The more I think about it, the more I realize that I cruise so that I do not have to "take care of things". I don;t have to make the bed, do the laundry, cook, or even entertain myself (even though I do). I think it's about the service and the sensation of luxuriating in the care of someone else. Where else do you have someone so attentive to your needs while asking nothing in return? (except the money and I could go into a whole psychological analysis of why money is the exception). I wanted to give an unbiased answer and so, have not read any of the answers prior to my post. I'd like to go back now and read them as well.

Thanks for such an enjoyably thought-provoking thread!

 

Thanks! I do agree with cruising as a completely 'effortless' vacation. It's even better when you don't have to fly to your port. (two days! LOL)

[lori450]

I think the OP is raising an interesting question. I suppose the best comparison would be all-inclusive resort vacations versus cruises -- if you compare those, are people willing to tolerate more shortcomings on a cruise?

 

We have never stayed at an AI resort. So when we stay at a hotel, we're paying for the hotel as a place to relax, sleep and bathe after a busy day of sightseeing. If the carpet is worn, the mattress stained or there's broken tile or mildew in the hotel bathroom, that's very objectionable. I would feel that I was not getting what I was paying for. Many times I have investigated a hotel on TripAdvisor and been turned off by gross pictures of poor maintenance. Personally, I have had good room experiences on cruises and the worst I have noticed has been slight indications of wear or minor stains (the kind that it looks like cleaning did not remove) of carpet or bedspreads.

 

On a land trip, if I am buying each meal separately, then I am inevitably going to rate each individual purchase as having been worth it or not. By comparison, if I have an occasional disappointing meal on a cruise, I may be willing to overlook it because overall I had a good experience.

 

That's an interesting concept. What I hear you saying is that when you rate each restaurant, hotel, etc. individually, you tend to expect more from that specific service. On the other hand, the cruise includes all of that so you are more likely to minimize the impact of a bad meal based on the cruise as a whole. It makes perfect sense. If I went to a restaurant and enjoyed the meal, but the rest rooms were old and worn out, I might overlook the bathroom situation if the meal and service were good. Same theory.

[Hlitner]

I always feel SO BAD sending back food on a cruise. I've only done it a handful of times...if the dish is inedible or wrong. That's not like me at all, generally. So I'm guilty! LOL

 

The one big thing I never complain about is eggs...very rarely are those cooked correctly. I just think it's near impossible for the amount they have to do. But I'm sure if I was at a hotel paying $14 for eggs benedict I'd probably send them back.

 

Actually, I usually get perfectly cooked eggs on Celebrity and Holland America. How? I go to the breakfast buffet and have them make the eggs to order. They are made right in front of my eyes, if I want them a certain way I can explain it to the cook, and I usually get exactly what I want. This is one reason why we seldom have breakfast in the MDR where you get whatever comes out of the galley...several minutes after it is cooked.

 

Hank

[Sloop-JohnB]

Hi 2SeaWithMe,

 

Interesting discussion.

 

Ok here is a NEW Cruisers perspective…

 

On land Mr Sloop and I typically budget $ 300 to $ 350 per day as a couple for our Road Trips… that would cover Accommodations (somewhere between just under $ 100 and up to aprox $ 200 per night), Food, Entertainment and other Expenses (such as Gas & Parking).

 

Of course this range is an average… somedays we may only see ourselves spending $ 250 while other days $ 400 or so. In general I’d say $ 2100 to $ 2500 for a 7 Day Vacation.

 

With our upcoming cruise (our first) we are booked into a CClass Cabin on the Solstice to the Eastern Caribbean… and just “the base” part of our cruise will cost us a little more than $ 2100 (for the record a regular Veranda Cabin midship also went for about the same pricing)… so aprox $ 300 per night

 

BUT on top of this we will also add on quite a bit for extras while onboard… Shore Excursions, Specialty Dining, Alcohol etc.

 

So although the experience may be somewhat like an All-Inclusive… the overall experience on the cruise will be far more expensive (and we haven’t even taken into account the other extras… like airfare, and a hotel night before and after the cruise)

 

Then you throw in the fun-money… souvenirs, maybe some gambling in the casino, a visit to the spa etc… and my cruise holiday is probably going to come up costing 2x the going rate for an All-Inclusive Holiday

 

Mind you… the Quality of the experience cruising should be noticeably different as well… as Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Jamaica these days aren’t offering up the finest experiences… Star Ratings in these countries being “off the mark” from what one would find elsewhere in North America (and hence why they are so cheap overall)

 

If I wanted that “type” of a all-inclusive primarily "beach focussed" vacation I would book it… however it really doesn’t appeal to us because (a) the destinations in Question are CHEAP for a reason… they have issues… and (b) I am long past the age of “making do”… when I go on vacation I want an experience that at least comes close to the one I see in the brochure or the property’s website, and © our beach loving 9 to 5 days are over... we just can't do it all day everyday any more... we need more stimulation and love to go wandering around a Destination vs sitting still in one place for 7 straight days

 

So if I was truly looking to compare apples-to-apples… a cruise to an AI… then I’d be looking at a 4-Star All-Inclusive Resort in the better islands in the Caribbean then YES I would be looking at closer to that $ 600 per day estimate (as a couple) that I am figuring this holiday will cost us (all in from the moment I take a cab to the airport... to the minute I arrive back on my doorstep)

 

As for complaints… I think that depends on the individual and their own travelling style. Mr Sloop and I may notice things that aren’t necessarily up to snuff in regards to our rooms... but we are pretty laid back and rarely report them or complain. Unless they directly impact our stay (ie the air conditioning or Tv isn’t working, etc)

 

On the other hand, when it comes to food we are far more likely to speak up. I think this is because we see eating out as an important part of our Holiday Enjoyment… a combo of a necessity (eating) and time well spent (entertainment)… so we naturally will expect more from a Restaurant than we typically do a Hotel.

 

All that said, I do think that some folks are just complainers by nature… witness some of the postings here on Cruise Critic and her fellow website TripAdvisor… there are just some people who cannot be satisfied. Period. I think that websites such as these mean that they get a lot more prominence than they deserve… as now they all seem to have an “audience” to play to (and others of their ilk to share in their rants)… most Hotels will tell you they see a lot more on-line complaints than they ever hear in person… which is sad, because I think that the negatives can sometimes skew a property (be it a Hotel or a Cruise Ship)

 

Lol, I think this is part of the current fate for the Summit…

 

I’ve been a member for months here and the barrage of negatives lately for this poor ship has been way out of the norm… if I was a newcomer now, I’d think she was a dirty bug infested crappy food, badly managed anomaly in the Celebrity Fleet… and couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to sail on her… and bewildered how so many say they have affection for her at all (that crazy off-kilter skew between the Negatives & Positives that I mentioned above)

 

BTW… Having read all the aforementioned negative topics… I must say that I couldn’t find a lot to substantiate such claims… most posts were a whole lot of speculation more than any thing else (“What would Celebrity do if ___” )

 

The Summit is coming to the end of her run before being Solsticized and those who are cruising now could be “grumbling” that in some way they are missing out on the better Summit to come… knowing that the face-lift is about to happen, they are most certainly on the look out for her shortcomings (can we say normal wear & tear… or the age factor… missing out on some of the shiny new features that the Solstice Class Ships offer up)

 

BUT then this is the important part of this statement and puts their rants into perspective…

 

If they really wanted that experience… a Solsticized Summit… they could have booked it and paid more for it no doubt.

 

So overall… Sour Grapes if you ask me.

 

Cheers!

[Project_gal]

Interesting question because I have made such comparisons but it usually revolves around the quality of furnishing/fitting and the quality of service. For example, I have compared what we paid in a PH on Azamara Quest and our post-cruise stay in a habour view Tower suite in the Peninsula in Hong Kong. The daily rates [the Pen included an allowance towards food] were very similar but the whole package at the Pen was incredible value compared to Azamara. The suite was much larger, furnishing and fitting absolutlely wonderful [Quest's suites are bland and far from luxurious] and service incredible. OK, Quest moves and has some great scenery but it is hard to beat a view of HK harbour. The Pen wins hands down.

 

When it comes to Celebrity, it would be hard to find a hotel room package [i.e. including compariable food, service, etc] which comes near to matching what we are paying for our RS on our next cruise. Celebrity wins hands down.

 

OK, these comparisons are for suites but when we look at the prices quoted for cruises in the press and on the TV in the UK [for insides, outsides and balconies], it would be hard to put together an equivalent land-based holiday for a similar price. Cruising, generally, is tremendous value.

 

As for the maintenance issue mentioned by the OP - we have not really experienced many problems. However, when there is an issue onboard, we usually find that two maintenance guys in pristine white overalls appear within minutes often accompanied by a housekeeping officer. The only time a problem took a long time to fix we were given future cruise credit in compensation. Ever tried to get a light bulb replaced in the average land-based hotel? [The HK Pen excepted - we telephoned reception to apologise for accidentally breaking a very expensive looking bowl in our suite. Within minutes, a maid arrived to clear up and apologised to us!]

 

In fact, I increasingly find that basic maintenance is being avoided in UK hotels. I stayed at a budget chain hotel in London a short while ago and it had reached rock bottom. In my first room, the television remote control was broken but I had to change the batteries myself to discover this. The shelving was missing from the bathroom and half the light bulbs did not work. Before I could do anything to try to rectify these issues, the flush on the toilet stopped working and they accepted that I had to move rooms [at 4:00 am!]. My second room was so much better - I only had to cope with a shower which temperature control was broken and I had the choice of a cold or almost unbearably hot dribble of water. OK this was a budget chain and I paid a discounted price but I was paying a higher daily rate [which included NO food] than I could have paid for some of the cruises we see advertised. And believe me, the view from an inside stateroom would have been better!

 

Sue

[David Brent]

 

If I wanted that “type” of a all-inclusive primarily "beach focussed" vacation I would book it… however it really doesn’t appeal to us because (a) the destinations in Question are CHEAP for a reason… they have issues… and (b) I am long past the age of “making do”… when I go on vacation I want an experience that at least comes close to the one I see in the brochure or the property’s website, and © our beach loving 9 to 5 days are over... we just can't do it all day everyday any more... we need more stimulation and love to go wandering around a Destination vs sitting still in one place for 7 straight days

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

I agree completely. There is less commitment on a cruise vs. AI resort. If the port doesn't appeal to you, then there is another port that will be visited next. But at an AI resort, you are stuck there. I know there are excursions at the AI resorts to keep you busy and it is relaxing, but I'd just get bored fast. This is just my opinion because I have friends that went on AI for trips and most loved it. I just like knowing there is a different place to visit next.

[USVI-4-me]

On land, we can always check out and go somewhere else.

 

On a cruise, we realize we're captive. We try to make the most of it.

We don't want to reflect our negative impressions on other vacationing passengers. They are capable of judging for themselves.

 

When we board a ship, we become a part of the ship community, so we make the most of it. We do our best to turn the lemons to lemonade.

 

However, we continually think long and hard about taking another chance at cruising.

 

Lately, the negatives are mounting. There are too many good land vacations and not enough new new ports for us to explore. Our cruise experience must be worth the time, money and effort.

 

We always enjoy our land vacations.

 

We think cruising is becoming more work and less reward.

More money spent with positive experiences is better for us than less money spent with low grade food and less entertainment options.

[Bridge Maven]

It is interesting to see the different opinions about cruises. Cruising today is a lot different than when we first started to cruise. One of the advantages of cruising historically was that they were very relaxing because there were so many stimulating things to do on sea days, you could have an upscale dining experience every night just by showing up to your assigned seat in the dining room, you could see a lot of interesting places without the hassles of flying, and you didn't have additional costs on the ship itself. Today most of the ports in the Caribbean are very different than they were before cruising became so popular, finding things to do on a sea day is a challenge, and eating well involves making reservations and spending extra money. I still like to cruise but these changes are making them no more relaxing than our land based vacations.

[Project_gal]

I still like to cruise but these changes are making them no more relaxing than our land based vacations.

 

Have to disagree! On a ship, moving around to the restaurant or entertainment of your choice involves little more than a decision about whether to take the lift [elevator] or stairs! It is rarely that easy on land. As I get older, that is the first thing I think of when we consider a land-based holiday [vacation] again. I just do not want the hassel!

 

We have just planned a weekend trip for my mother's birthday next year. It took longer to choose the hotel to book in the small town we wish to visit for a festival than we spend deciding on which cruise to take next because we had to consider location, availability of car parking, etc in addition to hotel facilities.

 

Sue

[Bridge Maven]

It is interesting to see the different opinions about cruises. Cruising today is a lot different than when we first started to cruise. One of the advantages of cruising historically was that they were very relaxing because there were so many stimulating things to do on sea days, you could have an upscale dining experience every night just by showing up to your assigned seat in the dining room, you could see a lot of interesting places without the hassles of flying, and you didn't have additional costs on the ship itself. Today most of the ports in the Caribbean are very different than they were before cruising became so popular, finding things to do on a sea day is a challenge, and eating well involves making reservations and spending extra money. I still like to cruise but these changes are making them no more relaxing than our land based vacations.

 

Regarding my previous post quoted above, I think that whenever a product that was originally designed for a relatively small portion of the population becomes widely used it changes significantly, and usually not for the better. This is true for airlines, most cruise lines, Caribbean vacations, and world travel in general. I feel fortunate that I had an opportunity to enjoy all of these things when they were a lot more special than they are now.

[Bridge Maven]

Another consideration is whether or not a person is traveling by themselves, with a spouse, with their family, or with friends. Cruises are probably better for people traveling by themselves because they don't have to be concerned about eating alone, etc.

[Bobed1927]

The most obvious difference is also that with a cruise you will be in a different place every day. Obvious but true...

 

WRONG!! It's all the same island. Each night they go around the island about 20 degrees and tell you that you're on a different island.

[Maryscooking]

I think cruising is a much better value than just the "$300-400/day for accommodations and food" that is being presented here.

 

Consider that transportation to several different islands is included. This is huge. What all-inclusive or hotel is going to transport you to multiple islands for day trips (six different ones on my next Celebrity trip) for the cost of the hotel room? Can we even quantify that cost? Let's call it $100 per couple per day. I think that is not anywhere near accurate, but what the heck.

 

Say the cabin is worth about $100....but I don't know? Is it easy to find a waterfront room with balcony and twice a day housekeeping service for that rate on land? And what do you expect from that kind of price range? A Holiday Inn probably.

 

Meals are a full breakfast buffet (those easily run up to $20/person at hotels), and available multi-course lunches and dinners. For an appetizer, soup/salad course, entree, and dessert for two people at any mid-priced restaurant, it's easily $35/person. Even a simple served lunch would be about $10/person. Add in included room service or trip to the cafe for that mid-day or late night snack? I bet you'd pay at least $125-$150/couple per day to eat at a hotel the way most do on a cruise.

 

Then add in the entertainment. A show each night, and usually several choices for live music. If you paid $40/couple per day for show tickets, that's still cheaper than what you'd find in big cities, even for medicore shows.

 

So we have $100/day for multiple island transportation + $100 for the cabin + $125 for food + $40 for entertainment = $365/day.

 

Our upcoming seven day Southern Caribbean in a concierge class is $2300, including tips and taxes, rounding out at $328/day (same for aqua suite). We could have booked a regular balcony for about $1600 - only $228/day (we booked CC stricly for cabin location).

 

Bottom line - I think cruising is an excellent value for inside cabins up to aqua suite/concierge class, and therefore evaluate the food, accomadations and service accordingly.

[lori450]

WRONG!! It's all the same island. Each night they go around the island about 20 degrees and tell you that you're on a different island.

 

:eek::D Thanks for the great laugh!

[mykebob]

I find this information useful in knowing the differences between resort vacations and cruising. Both of them have their own importance and it depends on people that, which kind of vacations they like to go for. Many people like cruising because they like to travel at different places.

[mgex]

If you like to drink AI's are a better deal If you want to relax cruise are better