All Inclusive Land vs “All Inclusive” Celebrity

[kevinyork]

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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I have to agree with your post. It's like comparing apples with oranges, two very different things.

 

 

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[Hlitner]

Had to smile at "florisdekort's" post. When we want to simply veg-out, do nothing, and completely relax we will often book a Celebrity cruise (generally in the Caribbean) and simply not get off the ship. Two years ago, when we did our annual 14 day Caribbean cruise we only got off the ship in 1 of the 9 ports. For us it was a matter of walking up one deck and plopping down into a deck lounger...day after day. There is no "rule" that says cruisers must run themselves ragged at every port. If you stay aboard in a port you will generally find a group of very well-traveled cruisers who have learned how wonderful a ship can be....when most passengers are ashore.

 

Hank

[GJClay]

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.

 

I'm sorry if I contributed to that with my comment about expecting English to be spoken at the resort.

 

I am debating whether I would want to do a beach resort again myself. I have only cruised for winter vacation since I stopped drinking alcohol as well as sun bathing (due to skin cancer at the relatively young age of 48). I find so much to do on a cruise that does not involve those activities and am unsure if I could keep busy for a week at a resort?

[bEwAbG]

Well, I appreciated your post, OP. It mirrors my one experience with an AI that was also in Punta Cana. The real takeaway is that if the food is not good, you're stuck with it for the week since most of those resorts are self-contained. Travel "off the reservation" is highly discouraged -- or was at the time (6 years ago). The guards armed with machine guns that were around the perimeter also added a certain elegance.

 

I wouldn't mind trying another AI at some point but that experience really turned me off to it in general. We did do tons of research, and the resort we picked was the highest-rated on Tripadvisor. Turns out we agreed with the handful of negative reviews and none of the positive ones. All of the service was on the surface. I didn't have much of a language barrier issue because my Spanish is okay, but the employees were not empowered to do anything to fix problems or address needs. It was like dealing with Comcast -- being told the right thing but no actual delivery on the promises. The restaurants were never all open at one time and reservations were supposedly full every time one was open, despite the half-empty dining rooms clearly visible through the big windows. We were also in the adults-only portion of the resort, and the food at the mid-tier sister property next door was so much better but still not that great.

 

So, I appreciate the posts that give specific resort names with either positive or negative views because I trust the opinions of posters on here more than I do the ones on Tripadvisor, especially since we all know the Celebrity product.

[iancal]

We do both. We do not really compare them since, to us, they are completely different experiences. We like both.

 

One advantage of an AI to us is that they include air. Earlier this month we purchased and AI and left a week later. It included air so it was very easy to buy.

 

We had a very good time, the resort met our expectations (which were not really that high). If we can get the same type of pre Christmas offer next year we will definately take advantage of it. We ate a great deal of seafood and it was significantly better than anything we have had on a cruise ship-both the product and the preparation.

 

We did a destination wedding at a high end AI last Jan. We enjoyed the experience as much as any 7 day Caribbean cruise that we have been on.

Edited December 19, 2016 by iancal

[davekathy]

...Travel "off the reservation" is highly discouraged -- or was at the time (6 years ago). The guards armed with machine guns that were around the perimeter also added a certain elegance...

 

Armed guards! Just out of curiosity where the hell did your stay?

[bEwAbG]

Armed guards! Just out of curiosity where the hell did your stay?

 

Iberostar Grand Hotel Bavaro. Chose them because of the (still) excellent reviews and a recommendation from a friend who had used the same company in Mexico. The property is beautiful, but it was a very underwhelming experience in person. Couldn't wait to fly out, but had to wait in an open-air holding pen while the airplane cleaning crew had their full-body pat-downs before we could board. This was about 6 years ago so maybe it's better now, but I somehow doubt it.

Edited December 19, 2016 by bEwAbG

[davekathy]

Iberostar Grand Hotel Bavaro. Chose them because of the (still) excellent reviews and a recommendation from a friend who had used the same company in Mexico. The property is beautiful, but it was a very underwhelming experience in person. Couldn't wait to fly out, but had to wait in an open-air holding pen while the airplane cleaning crew had their full-body pat-downs before we could board. This was about 6 years ago so maybe it's better now, but I somehow doubt it.

 

No doubt! However your trip experience would make for a very good conversation with others while enjoying a couple of drinks.

[boscobeans]

Nothing beats a cruise.

 

I agree and have done both..

 

bosco

[iancal]

We were in Puerto Vallarta. The only things dangerous or threatening were the time share hawkers and the travel club con artists.

 

Walked all over, took the bus. Met with an expat who has a winter home there to discuss potential purchase of real estate. Very safe according to him.

 

We plan to go back again....we will wait for the right last minute deal and away we go.

[cawags]

Armed guards! Just out of curiosity where the hell did your stay?

 

LOL. Sounds like Jamaica in the early 1980's. Not that way anymore but a bit intimidating back then.

 

Carol

[smtcan]

Nothing beats a cruise.

 

I would agree in most cases, but as I stated earlier Caribbean cruises have lost their appeal for us. I can see no point (although I appreciate that other opinions vary) in taking a cruise and staying on the ship. A comfortable hotel room with a choice of pools or beach, beautiful surroundings and good food beats a Caribbean cruise for me.

 

Nothing beats a cruise to interesting places, especially when combined with a land tour of our own design, but for a stress free relaxing holiday I think we will be doing more winter visits to AI resorts.

 

Sheila

[davekathy]

LOL. Sounds like Jamaica in the early 1980's. Not that way anymore but a bit intimidating back then.

 

Carol

 

First place that came to my mind was Port of Spain Trinidad.

[PoppyandNana]

I would agree in most cases, but as I stated earlier Caribbean cruises have lost their appeal for us. I can see no point (although I appreciate that other opinions vary) in taking a cruise and staying on the ship. A comfortable hotel room with a choice of pools or beach, beautiful surroundings and good food beats a Caribbean cruise for me.

 

Nothing beats a cruise to interesting places, especially when combined with a land tour of our own design, but for a stress free relaxing holiday I think we will be doing more winter visits to AI resorts.

 

Sheila

 

We used to struggle with the same issue. However, we finally decided that on balance a cruise is a better fit. Weather is a big issue. A rainy day at a shore resort is far more detracting than on a cruise. Ashore other than watching Days of Our Lives on TV in the room, the only other distraction is sitting in the lobby bar. Neither are appealing to us.

 

On the other hand there are a ton of things to do on board whether you're in port or at sea. At sea rainy days can be most relaxing because there is no pressure to be doing something.

[carolslc]

OP - our experiences have been the same as yours. We've stayed in two AI land resorts. One was a Secrets. They are quite a bit more expensive than a cruise and we did not enjoy it nearly as much as a cruise, for the same reasons you stated. Yes we could go even more high end for the resort but we were already paying twice the cost of a cruise at least. We love our cruises. We do land resorts occasionally when there is a ton in the area we want to see. Otherwise, nothing beats a cruise in our opinion for relaxation and a great ocean view from our balcony.

 

 

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[Elusive_Cruiser]

Thanks to all for your comments/experiences/comparisons. This really is a personal choice with each option offering different benefits. At the end of the day, the only real benefit for us was the larger room, but we don't actually mind the smaller cabin on the ship.

 

And now we know.... we'll stick to cruising, but hopefully some insight has been given to those looking for different options and options.

 

:)

[Elusive_Cruiser]

Thanks to all for your comments/experiences/comparisons. This really is a personal choice with each option offering different benefits. At the end of the day, the only real benefit for us was the larger room, but we don't actually mind the smaller cabin on the ship.

 

And now we know.... we'll stick to cruising, but hopefully some insight has been given to those looking for different options and options.

 

:)

 

ummm...er.... make that options and opinions :D

[BrendaJ]

Two reasons I prefer cruises to all-inclusive resorts - air-conditioned dining and entertainment, and no bugs. It is such a pleasure to sit outside in the evening and not have to worry about mosquitos, or flies or ants. And as much as I like to get away from the winter cold, I can only handle so much heat and humidity. Even at the high end resorts we have visited, air conditioning was limited to the room and perhaps a few shops and a la carte restaurants.

 

 

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