All Inclusive Land vs “All Inclusive” Celebrity

[Elusive_Cruiser]

We’ve 10 cruises under our belt. We are late 50/early 60. We’d never done an AI. As we had been gifted some generous travel vouchers with a TA and I could not part with control of our cruises, we decided to give the AI a try. We were at Secrets Royal Beach in Punta Cana. I did google, to find peoples comparative experiences, and since I could not find anything, thought I would share ours.

 

- Our 3rd floor ‘garden view’ was way above the garden (and trees). Our actual view was the building across from us. We ended up upgrading to an ocean view suite. VS. SHIP VERANDA – WE GET A GREAT WATER VIEW AND SOMETIMES A PORT VIEW.

 

The ocean view suite – there was LOTS of beach activity, which included megaphones. We were also on the flight path for the helicopter tours, which were very popular, as well as many airborne motorized dingy-thingys. VS SHIP - AGAIN, FACING THE WATER, NOT MUCH NOISE

 

- - Guest are not on the same schedule. We met a lovely couple poolside on our 1st full day. Alas, they were leaving early the next day. We enjoyed dinner with them, and having them educate us on what to expect for the next week. EVERYONE ON A CRUISE STARTS AND FINISHES AT THE SAME TIME.

 

- - The gathering areas were all at the swim up bars. Other than the main lobby bar, there were no casual sitting/bar areas. All the bars, which were outdoors, had concrete, non-movable seats. CELEBRITY S-SHIPS HAVE MANY MANY SITTING AREAS, WITH VERY COMFORTABLE CHAIRS – BY THE POOL, CAFÉ AL BACAO, AFT BARS….

 

- -The liquor choices were quite limited unless you wanted to pay extra. I’m a wine drinker. My choices were a ‘red’ or a ‘white’. There were no flavoured alcohols (such as Mango Absolute, my favorite!) and only a few beer choices. VS SHIP – WITH THE PREMIUM DRINK PACKAGE, SELECTIONS OF WINE AND HARD LIQUORS ARE EXTENSIVE.

 

- Food was average at best. There were a number of restaurant choices, none requiring any upcharges (French, Asian, Mexican). My favorite meal the entire week was the eggs benedict, which they did very well. Everything else… meh.

 

 

- Service was also average. In one of the restaurants, every time I ordered a drink that was not wine, it took forever to arrive. A couple of times we were done eating before it showed up. Staff were generally helpful, but there were MANY who did not speak English. Often the servers had very bad English as well.

 

 

- Signs are posted regarding chair hogs – anything left on chairs prior to 8am are removed. After that, anything goes. Needless to say, by 9am, there are very few available loungers, either at the beach or around the pool.

 

 

All in all, we would never trade our cruises for land vacations. If one is inclined to enjoy laying on the beach all day (which we are not) it would probably be fine. We’re more ‘people watching’ people, so the lack of public sitting areas was a disappointment. And while this is supposed to be an upper scale resort, I would compare it more to Carnival quality.

 

 

Happy to answer any questions!

[Iamthesea]

Thanks for this! ;) Doesn't sound like my cup of tea.

 

And you forgot to mention that you are stuck at the resort or surrounding area for the entire week.

Edited December 17, 2016 by Iamthesea

[warmwinds]

We've considered trying an AI but not sure what company would be a good fit for a 60's couple not interested in water sports, being surrounded by kids and not surrounded by hedonism types. Cruises, and Celebrity in particular, are a perfect fit for us, but I like the idea of plunking down for a week for a change and never getting seasick.

 

What was the demographic of your AI?

[Husky61]

We have had a different experience with the AI land vacations. All of have been very pleasant with pleasant guests, good food, good service, and beautiful beaches and pools.

 

Not everyone has the same experience as the OP. Ours have been very enjoyable.:):)

Edited December 17, 2016 by Husky61

[reedprincess]

We've considered trying an AI but not sure what company would be a good fit for a 60's couple not interested in water sports, being surrounded by kids and not surrounded by hedonism types. Cruises, and Celebrity in particular, are a perfect fit for us, but I like the idea of plunking down for a week for a change and never getting seasick.

 

What was the demographic of your AI?

 

If Celebrity is a perfect fit for you, take a look at Palace resorts in Mexico or Jamaica.

 

Sun Palace or Isla Mujeres Palace in particular. Adults only, top notch food and service (dare I say better than Celebrity?), top shelf liquors including flavored alcohols, plus full bar in your room with full bottles (Tequila, run, whiskey and vodka) plus beers, wines, soda and juices, 24/7 extensive room service - and no room service charge during late night hours, excellent service, etc.. Both are smaller properties, which allow for more personal and excellent service....

Both are near to loads of activites if you want - ruins, shopping, snorkeling or diving, sightseeing, etc or enjoy all the resort has to offer. Daily and nightly entertainment if you want or quiet pools and beach if you don't. Demographics range from newlyweds to 70s, generally well traveled folks who are looking for easy relaxation..... Worth checking out.

 

For ultimate luxury in AI - check LeBlanc. Same family of resorts, but true 5* luxury. Amazing property. Gourmet dining - even the comfort food is outstanding, excellent service, butlers for every floor, padded loungers with silver ice bucket service even just for water! But for your wine bottle also, all food is basically cooked to order, buffet has multiple cooking stations plus usual small batch buffet items, and so on...no megaphones to be found anywhere...

 

AIs can be a great value if your main goal is mostly relaxation - they're easy, everything's included, multiple dining choices, etc.. They're not cruises - and comparing them doesn't really do either justice. We do both, along with DIY vacations - it totally depends on what we're looking for in our trip.

 

Give it a go, if you don't enjoy it, at least you know from your own experiences rather than someone else's comparison. AI resorts come in all shapes and sizes and price and quality ranges, just like cruising...so research is key to find one that's a good fit for you...

 

Happy travels, wherever they may take you.

Edited December 17, 2016 by reedprincess

[sanger727]

I've tried an AI and agree with some of your experiences and disagree with others. For us, hands down the AI won in terms of the room. A cruise ship room can't compete with a hotel room in terms of space.

 

We found the food at the AI interesting (not in a good way). They had a variety of restaurants with different styles of food: Mexican, America, Italians, etc. however, we found that the chef didn't know how to cook those different styles. For example, we went to the American BBQ restaurant and ordered pork ribs. What I got was a bone in pork chop with a sauce that didn't taste anything like BBQ. For me the cruise won the food, even though there were no extra charges at the AI.

 

We also found the shows at the AI lacking. Some were just bad, others were dangerous (they had a fire show where they had balls filled w kerosene lit that they flipped around in chains... until a performer accidentally let go of one and it went sailing into the crowd. So ship won entertainment.

 

What we did enjoy about the AI was the ease and relaxed schedule. On the ship you come into port on scheduled days and we generally get up early and have things planned to do. But at the AI there's no set schedule, can sleep late and have a nap on the beach every day if you like. Overall, we would do both again, but prefer cruising.

 

 

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[Cruise Junky]

 

 

All in all, we would never trade our cruises for land vacations. If one is inclined to enjoy laying on the beach all day (which we are not) it would probably be fine. We’re more ‘people watching’ people, so the lack of public sitting areas was a disappointment. And while this is supposed to be an upper scale resort, I would compare it more to Carnival quality.

 

 

Happy to answer any questions!

 

 

Not all land vacations are AIs ;)

[hcat]

After hurricane Sandy we needed to fully relax. so we actually cancelled a short cruise (sometimes stressful with airlines, pre cruise hotel etc) and went to Sandals Royal Bahamian. AI.concierge class.

 

We had a great time...they picked us up at the airport..(small clean and efficient), handled our luggage, provided a very large ocean view balcony rm.., spa quality bathroom...Stocked our bar with top shelf of whatever we wanted..Concierge made all our dinner res at the all included dining venues...italian, asian, fancy french etc..

 

They had a beauitiful beach, 2 lovely pools..one for quiet enjoyment, one with a dj...also had an offshore island with its own pool and restaurant, walking paths and beaches..at night there was so much going on..reggae beach oarties, live entertainment, pubs etc... The gym was great & spa was excellent and much less expensive than on a ship..and was the only extra charge.

 

It hit the spot for us . The AI price was just a bit more than the cruise we cancelled but was a much more upscale and relaxing vacation..We hope to try another AI Sandaks and also land based trip to Aruba...in between cruises....we enjoy cruising but sometimes trying something new is a good experience

 

We are in our 60s and not out of range....the other guests were very international, well travelled and quite interesting..more like how it was when we first began cruising.

Edited December 17, 2016 by hcat

[cawags]

We have done AI's over 40 times. When we were working we wanted vacations. We wanted to get there, relax and do nothing. AI's where our choice. One thing all AI's are not created equal. We only do couples/adults only resorts and are not fans of large resorts.

 

AI's Just like cruise lines are not all the same. you need to know the product. Some are party hearty and others are more laid back.

 

We are new to cruising only started after we retired. Cruising to us is go go go. This is fine, a "road trip" and we only unpack once but we still do our 2 week AI every year. The AI is where we completely relax and unwind. The cruises are where we explore.

[Lastdance]

We appreciate you sharing your experience...we enjoy cruising and my DH loves his food, bed and gym to go with him. We love the S1 aft suites, as the size of room and bathroom are so much larger than the start rooms. Most of all, we enjoy spending time in the room and balcony watching the wake and just enjoying the sea. However, this time we are embarking on our first TA, ending up in one of our most favorite cities...Rome. It will be so nice to relax on the ship for 8 sea days, before the action starts...then several nights in Rome at our fav hotel.

We did an all inclusive many years ago and found it way too relaxing for us, so we always try to balance things as much as possible. Sometimes we are just too active for our own good. Yes, we are at that age where each of us needed surgery to assist with over doing...I am just so happy that all of us don't enjoy the exact same things in life.....Again, thank you for sharing and we agree! it is not time yet for too much relaxation of us...:eek:

Edited December 17, 2016 by Lastdance

[ORV]

I used to frequent a message board for a popular Couples only AI, most posters there had the same attitude towards cruising. Most of them took a Carnival or NCL cruise and knew the AI's were superior.

 

It's all perspective I guess. Personally I like them both, but I'll never go back to Punta Cana again. Rudest staff and locals of any area I've ever been to. Horrible food also.

[cawags]

I used to frequent a message board for a popular Couples only AI, most posters there had the same attitude towards cruising. Most of them took a Carnival or NCL cruise and knew the AI's were superior.

 

It's all perspective I guess. Personally I like them both, but I'll never go back to Punta Cana again. Rudest staff and locals of any area I've ever been to. Horrible food also.

 

LOL about Punta Cana. We were just in Puerta Plata DR in November. (Also did Punta Cana many years ago). We will never return to the Dominican Republic. Worst experience ever! We only went because friends bugged us to go. They love it. Sad part was we had gone to Sandals Ochi the week before. No comparison. As I said AI's are not all the same. In this case not even close!

[Hlitner]

Have to agree with Cawags, that not all AIs are the same just like each cruise line (and even ship) are different. We have been on more then 100 cruises (to 6 continents) and still manage to cruise over 70 days a year. We have also been to a few AI,s (Punta Cana, Jamaica and south of Cancun) and really enjoyed the experience. We still prefer cruises because its just something we do (for over forty years), but AIs are a really nice change of pace. Most AIs are about the beaches and pools so for those that prefer indoor activities they are probably not a great fit.

 

As to Punta Cana (reacting to some previous posts) we loved our time there spent in the Excellence AI Resort. Food was terrific, booze was generally top shelf, and some of the evening entertainment was OK. The only negative were the mosquitos. When somebody tells you that Punta Cana has lousy food they are talking about their specific AI. And there is a huge difference between the quality of AIs..so one should do their pre booking homework.

 

Hank

Edited December 17, 2016 by Hlitner

[smtcan]

We love cruising, but Caribbean cruises are not our favourites. We like to get away from the Canadian winter for a week or two, and last February decided to try an AI again. We hadn't done an AI since we retired and discovered cruising. We typically used to spend March Break in an adult resort, either Sandals or SuperClubs, which we enjoyed.

 

Those chains had become too expensive for our retirement income, so we decided on Bahia Principe Don Pablo Collection in Samana, Dominican Republic. We were very pleasantly surprised. It was a small resort with excellent food and exemplary service. We had a basic balcony room which was huge and had a spectacular view. There were several butlers, although they were not specific to your room. You could phone butler service for restaurant reservations or trip bookings and one night a butler ran a bubble bath with rose petals and candles.

 

We were not impressed with the entertainment, but it was pleasant to sit at an outdoor bar near the ocean in the evening.

 

A week at this resort cost less than a Celebrity ocean view cabin for a similar length of time and was considerably easier to access. We boarded a plane, then were driven to the resort, instead of flying to Florida, spending a night in a hotel (to guard against delays) then taking a taxi to the ship. We will definitely consider a comparable AI for our next winter trip.

 

Sheila

[GJClay]

Regarding the OP, I am confused as to why someone would visit another country and be upset that the locals do not speak the language of the visitor's home country (in this case English)? I seriously don't understand this philposophy and it actually makes me sad.

[Hlitner]

Regarding the OP, I am confused as to why someone would visit another country and be upset that the locals do not speak the language of the visitor's home country (in this case English)? I seriously don't understand this philposophy and it actually makes me sad.

 

What we do not understand is why anyone would go to Punta Cana who does not want a beach/pool vacation. That is what this area is all about. We did not say it in our earlier post (although we dropped the hint) but it sounds like the OP chose a vacation that simply did not choose their "wants" or "desires."

 

When folks ask us for travel advice, our first question is "what do you want out of a vacation." If they say they want to just veg out at a beach and not worry about where to eat or where to find a drink...we suggest AI's. If they do not want a beach vacation we would never suggest an AI.

 

Hank

[riclop]

Nothing beats a cruise.

[Elusive_Cruiser]

We've considered trying an AI but not sure what company would be a good fit for a 60's couple not interested in water sports, being surrounded by kids and not surrounded by hedonism types. Cruises, and Celebrity in particular, are a perfect fit for us, but I like the idea of plunking down for a week for a change and never getting seasick.

 

What was the demographic of your AI?

 

We were in an adult only AI, but the resort next door was the family resort. We had full access to their facility, but they did not have of ours. Many of our amenities were actually next door (Casino, many restaurants, bars). We actually paid extra to be in the 'preferred' section of our resort and we found that in this area, the age demographic was older. Our pool was much quieter than the main pool (that's where the party typically was in the afternoons!). The main pool area had the Carnival atmosphere - while our pool area was more Celebrity style.

[Elusive_Cruiser]

If Celebrity is a perfect fit for you, take a look at Palace resorts in Mexico or Jamaica.

 

Sun Palace or Isla Mujeres Palace in particular. Adults only, top notch food and service (dare I say better than Celebrity?), top shelf liquors including flavored alcohols, plus full bar in your room with full bottles (Tequila, run, whiskey and vodka) plus beers, wines, soda and juices, 24/7 extensive room service - and no room service charge during late night hours, excellent service, etc.. Both are smaller properties, which allow for more personal and excellent service....

Both are near to loads of activites if you want - ruins, shopping, snorkeling or diving, sightseeing, etc or enjoy all the resort has to offer. Daily and nightly entertainment if you want or quiet pools and beach if you don't. Demographics range from newlyweds to 70s, generally well traveled folks who are looking for easy relaxation..... Worth checking out.

 

For ultimate luxury in AI - check LeBlanc. Same family of resorts, but true 5* luxury. Amazing property. Gourmet dining - even the comfort food is outstanding, excellent service, butlers for every floor, padded loungers with silver ice bucket service even just for water! But for your wine bottle also, all food is basically cooked to order, buffet has multiple cooking stations plus usual small batch buffet items, and so on...no megaphones to be found anywhere...

 

AIs can be a great value if your main goal is mostly relaxation - they're easy, everything's included, multiple dining choices, etc.. They're not cruises - and comparing them doesn't really do either justice. We do both, along with DIY vacations - it totally depends on what we're looking for in our trip.

 

Give it a go, if you don't enjoy it, at least you know from your own experiences rather than someone else's comparison. AI resorts come in all shapes and sizes and price and quality ranges, just like cruising...so research is key to find one that's a good fit for you...

 

Happy travels, wherever they may take you.

 

Where were you when we were researching? :D

[Elusive_Cruiser]

Regarding the OP, I am confused as to why someone would visit another country and be upset that the locals do not speak the language of the visitor's home country (in this case English)? I seriously don't understand this philposophy and it actually makes me sad.

 

If we leave the resort, we expect to deal with the local language. But we were in a resort that caters to tourists who are primarily English speaking North Americans.

 

We took a dune buggy trip through the countryside and brought gift bags of school supplies/treats/toys for the kids. None of them spoke English and I knew that they would not. My cultural lesson was that the kids did not know what a 'high five' was. :eek:

 

But, granted, this is my own ignorance - I 'assumed' that being in a resort of this type would be similar to being on a cruise and if I asked for directions I would be led up the correct path. :)

[Elusive_Cruiser]

What we do not understand is why anyone would go to Punta Cana who does not want a beach/pool vacation. That is what this area is all about. We did not say it in our earlier post (although we dropped the hint) but it sounds like the OP chose a vacation that simply did not choose their "wants" or "desires."

 

When folks ask us for travel advice, our first question is "what do you want out of a vacation." If they say they want to just veg out at a beach and not worry about where to eat or where to find a drink...we suggest AI's. If they do not want a beach vacation we would never suggest an AI.

 

Hank

 

Those are very fair comments. And to be honest, we simply love cruising and did not expect the AI to be 'us'. I did say, however, that we were gifted travel vouchers and that is why we decided to try the AI experience. While we did love the extra space afforded by a land hotel, we'll trade that for a ship any day!

[reedprincess]

Where were you when we were researching? :D

Probably either cruising or at our AI of choice! Lol...

[florisdekort]

I don't understand these types of comparisons. For me, different types of vacations fit different needs.

 

If I want to totally relax, unwind and do absolutely nothing, an all-inclusive resort is just perfect, and there are plenty to be found that offer far superior service, food, premium brand alcohol, etc. than Celebrity. It reads like the opp picked a mediocre resort and now grossly generalizes by proclaiming that cruise ships are better than land vacations. Yeah right.

 

If I want to relax, be pampered, but also explore different cities in different countries combined with some beach or pool time, some entertainment, etc. I book a cruise. That can be on X, but if I want more luxury, there's better to be had as well (for a price of course).

 

If I truly want to get know a country, its culture and its people, I book a land trip. A week long city stay in Rome, a road through Norway, two weeks in US National Parks... all unique experiences that a cruise ship can never deliver - no matter how deluxe it is.

 

To claim that the one is better than the other is absurd in my opinion. They are all great ways of vacationing and fit different needs at different moments in time.

 

And PS. If you are going to complain about people's language skills, don't travel - period. That's just offensive.

 

 

 

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[actuarian]

Nothing beats a cruise.

 

That depends on your personal preferences. To me, the ultimate luxury (and priced accordingly) is staying in the main building of Disney's Grand Floridian Resort on their "Platinum Plan". That plan includes unlimited use of all Disney World recreational and dining facilities including their incredible Victoria and Albert's restaurant, although it is not really AI since alcoholic beverages and most gratuities are not included.

[Elusive_Cruiser]

I don't understand these types of comparisons. For me, different types of vacations fit different needs.

 

If I want to totally relax, unwind and do absolutely nothing, an all-inclusive resort is just perfect, and there are plenty to be found that offer far superior service, food, premium brand alcohol, etc. than Celebrity. It reads like the opp picked a mediocre resort and now grossly generalizes by proclaiming that cruise ships are better than land vacations. Yeah right.

 

If I want to relax, be pampered, but also explore different cities in different countries combined with some beach or pool time, some entertainment, etc. I book a cruise. That can be on X, but if I want more luxury, there's better to be had as well (for a price of course).

 

If I truly want to get know a country, its culture and its people, I book a land trip. A week long city stay in Rome, a road through Norway, two weeks in US National Parks... all unique experiences that a cruise ship can never deliver - no matter how deluxe it is.

 

To claim that the one is better than the other is absurd in my opinion. They are all great ways of vacationing and fit different needs at different moments in time.

 

And PS. If you are going to complain about people's language skills, don't travel - period. That's just offensive.

 

You completely missed the point of my post. I admit to being completely ignorant - I was sharing MY experience. I was comparing a Caribbean cruise to a Caribbean AI, and my expectation and experience.

 

No need to be rude.

 

Yeesch.... now I recall why I don't share.