Royal Caribbean versus Sandals

[George C]

I am not sure where you live but in Florida just about everyone has a pool and the beaches are not far away, so laying around for me feels like what we do at home. Like you, when I travel is to see different places. However I understand that someone from Illinois or Idaho would not have the same opportunities as someone from Florida, so the prospect of laying by the pool or the beach is an attractive vacation.

 

I've been on both and I find AI boring. Their quality of food and entertainment much lower than a cruise and never feel as pampered as a cruise. I still go on land trips but not all inclusives, more to get to know the area and wonder around.

 

I doubt the A/I you went to was Sandals if you think food is better on a cruise

[A&L_Ont]

I think they've had the same sale for at least 20 years! On our honeymoon, we paid for a helicopter to take us to and from the resort (small airport next door) from the farther airport. It was awesome!

 

That has crossed our minds. :)

[goneclear]

I doubt the A/I you went to was Sandals if you think food is better on a cruise

 

I was thinking the same thing.

Also Personally we find the pampering at Sandals far more superior than the cruises we have been on and we usually cruise in a GS.

[kawagama]

We did a Sandals in Varadero, Cuba many years ago. The grounds were gorgeous, the beach was lovely, and the resort was very clean. It was Cuba, so the food in the buffet restaurants was a la Cuba. But, they had enough specialty dining restaurants, that we ate at a different one each night for a week and that food (and wine) was amazing. After dinner it was possible to enjoy the cigar room (not my idea of fun, but....), and outside on the patio there was nightly entertainment and dancing. No kids, no drunk teenagers, just adult couples. It really was lovely and very relaxing. There was also a shuttle bus into Varadero every day and we went twice to enjoy a change of scenery and browsing in the market. It really was nice to know that you didn't need to pay extra for anything once you got there. We've only been on one cruise (going on a second in the fall), but I really don't enjoy all the extra costs involved and headaches about packages just to get a nice coffee. I feel that should all be included in the cost. Happy choosing!

[Tedw]

Thanks for posting this and all those who have responded. It is something I have wondered about but have no experience with AI vacations.

[BermudaBound2014]

I've been to 8 sandals properties and 30 plus cruises. Here are my thoughts:

 

1) neither is "better" than the other. You can't go wrong here.

 

2) I tend to alternate in spurts. 2016 was all cruises. 2017 is mixture. Some years I only do land vacations.

 

3) sandals butlers are amazing. I haven't had a butler on rcl, but I have on

MSc and hands down Sandals butlers blew the MSC service out of the water.

 

4) If you golf, the included golf at sandals makes for a nice perk as do water sports.

 

5) Of course, your room will be bigger at a sandals. The whole resort will be less crowded and can you say adults only!

 

6) Cruising tends to be a much more active vacation for me. Beach vacations are totally chill.

 

7) I'm no help. I love each. For sandals I'd use the words "chill, romantic, regenerate". On a ship I'd use "explore, entertain, fun"

 

Don't just limit yourself to sandals. There are severs adult only beach resorts that are easier on the pocketbook (couples, secrets, etc...)

 

 

 

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[Hamitchell]

We loved NOW Larimar Punta Cana. Chef gave me a Cuban cigar, waiters gave us free DR coffee. More time to connect and relax.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Hey friends,

 

First off please don't bite my head off, I know that this is a cruise forum but I have to ask, can anyone give a comparison of a Royal Caribbean cruise to a vacation at a Sandals resort?

 

My husband and I did the Mediterranean holy land tour and it was awesome. We got to visit 4 different countries and a lot of historic sites and we never had to pack up and waste time traveling from one place to the other. Now we're doing Alaska for the second time and we're not even planning to get off the ship there are not any excursions we're interested in doing.

 

Since our travel plans are moving more towards laying around and relaxing and less about traveling to see different sites I'm wondering if we might be better off going to an all-inclusive resort like Sandals versus going on a cruise?

 

I was looking at Sandals website and their prices seem to be better than Royal Caribbean when you include all the add-ons that Royal Caribbean now has you purchase such as unlimited beverages including alcoholic beverages, 24 hour room service, free WiFi, their advertising $64 travel protection per-person and they give up to $1000 flight credit which is a great incentive for my husband and I since we have to fly from Seattle. Plus they're offering one night free for every seven nights on most of the rooms. Not to mention they can be booked at anytime for any length of time.

 

I'm just wondering if this is one of those situations where the grass looks greener on the other side and/or it's too good to be true. I'm just wondering since all we know is Royal Caribbean cruises has anyone been to Sandals and can you share your experience and can you compare it to Royal Caribbean cruise?

 

Thank you.

 

I'll let you know in June. We are going to Sandals Southcoast at the end of May. My son is getting married there. It certainly isn't cheap compared to cruises I take.:eek:

 

Bill

[JamesEM]

I am not sure where you live but in Florida just about everyone has a pool and the beaches are not far away, so laying around for me feels like what we do at home. Like you, when I travel is to see different places. However I understand that someone from Illinois or Idaho would not have the same opportunities as someone from Florida, so the prospect of laying by the pool or the beach is an attractive vacation.

 

I've been on both and I find AI boring. Their quality of food and entertainment much lower than a cruise and never feel as pampered as a cruise. I still go on land trips but not all inclusives, more to get to know the area and wonder around.

 

I live in Myrtle Beach, understand completely about pools and the beach.

[fabby50]

After research and staying at AIs and going on quite a few cruises, I have come to believe the old saw "you get what you pay for". You can go to an inexpensive AI or book a relatively low cost room at Sandals, Beaches, etc. or book an inside cabin on a lower deck OR you can go all out, get the top floor (or top deck) room with the butler OR something in between. I just recommend you know what you're paying for so you're not disappointed or surprised by anything. Do your research, read reviews, etc. I will also comment that when we went to Sandals Antiqua, because they weren't fully booked, we got quite the upgrade, at no cost to us. I've read they do this frequently when space is available and you can always ask when you check in.

[George C]

Not all rooms at Sandals have butlers or concierge , another thing on the Sandals Whitehouse which we love is you may need to walk almost a mile to get to dinner , its a huge resort , have not had a room/suite with butler yet, but may need to try that on next trip

[fabby50]

When I researched our upcoming Sandals LaSource Grenada trip, there were two rooms that really appealed to me. From the description and pictures, they looked pretty much the same (same amenities, pictures looked like they were about the same size, etc.), however, for a two week stay, one room was coming in about $500 cheaper per day than the other. After some more digging and reading room recommendations on tripadvisor, I finally figured out that the cheaper room was a hill side room, that some people described as "quite the hike" and others as "a small hike" while the more expensive room was in a flat area, closer to the restaurants, pools, beach, etc. My husband and I are both in good shape (daily exercisers) with no mobility issues, and I figured with all the delicious food we'll be eating, a hike (regardless of intensity) might not be such a bad idea. I booked the hill side, at a $7K difference in price. I can sweat a lot for $7,000 :) I also just realized that that $7K is paying for a 2018 Christmas week cruise in a suite on NCL!

[S.S.Oceanlover]

After research and staying at AIs and going on quite a few cruises, I have come to believe the old saw "you get what you pay for". You can go to an inexpensive AI or book a relatively low cost room at Sandals, Beaches, etc. or book an inside cabin on a lower deck OR you can go all out, get the top floor (or top deck) room with the butler OR something in between. I just recommend you know what you're paying for so you're not disappointed or surprised by anything. Do your research, read reviews, etc. I will also comment that when we went to Sandals Antiqua, because they weren't fully booked, we got quite the upgrade, at no cost to us. I've read they do this frequently when space is available and you can always ask when you check in.

 

I found nothing relatively cheap about the cheapest rooms at Sandals. $3500 for the week is the cheapest room. Add the $1200 for the airfare and we are close to $5K before we leave the house.

 

That's 2 cruises for us as we usually book inside cabins.:eek:

 

Sandals is much like RCI when it comes to sales though. They have had numerous sales since we booked a year ago and the price has never been one penny cheaper with any of the sales.

 

Bill

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Not all rooms at Sandals have butlers or concierge , another thing on the Sandals Whitehouse which we love is you may need to walk almost a mile to get to dinner , its a huge resort , have not had a room/suite with butler yet, but may need to try that on next trip

 

George,

 

Do they have golf carts or anything to take you to the restaurants? We are going to Whitehouse,now South Coast and I'm really looking forward to it.

 

The room we booked is either in the French or Dutch villages. Probably since we booked the cheap rooms we are farthest away. lol

 

Bill

[mjkacmom]

I found nothing relatively cheap about the cheapest rooms at Sandals. $3500 for the week is the cheapest room. Add the $1200 for the airfare and we are close to $5K before we leave the house.

 

That's 2 cruises for us as we usually book inside cabins.:eek:

 

Sandals is much like RCI when it comes to sales though. They have had numerous sales since we booked a year ago and the price has never been one penny cheaper with any of the sales.

 

Bill

Our one week honeymoon and Sandals was $5000 total, 20 years ago, basic garden view room. I think our first cruise, balcony, no airfare, was under $2000.

[fabby50]

Bill - that's why I separated out "inexpensive AI" versus "relatively inexpensive" Sandals is not an inexpensive AI or timeshare AI. I guess what I'm trying to say (with probably too many words) is "buyer beware" - know what you're paying for.

 

The only Sandals I've seen golf carts at for occasional customer use is Sandals LaToc. If you have a butler room and your butler see's you out walking, or if you talk to them in advance, they'll cart you up the hill. I'll know whether they do the same thing in Grenada in December (already counting the days).

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Bill - that's why I separated out "inexpensive AI" versus "relatively inexpensive" Sandals is not an inexpensive AI or timeshare AI. I guess what I'm trying to say (with probably too many words) is "buyer beware" - know what you're paying for.

 

The only Sandals I've seen golf carts at for occasional customer use is Sandals LaToc. If you have a butler room and your butler see's you out walking, or if you talk to them in advance, they'll cart you up the hill. I'll know whether they do the same thing in Grenada in December (already counting the days).

 

Thanks for the further explanation. Since we are in the cheap seats I guess we will be doing a lot of walking. lol

 

Better pack some extra alleve for my arthritic knees.(y)

 

Bill

[George C]

George,

 

Do they have golf carts or anything to take you to the restaurants? We are going to Whitehouse,now South Coast and I'm really looking forward to it.

 

The room we booked is either in the French or Dutch villages. Probably since we booked the cheap rooms we are farthest away. lol

 

Bill

 

The Dutch is the one closest to the restaurants and main pool and entertainment, French is the longest walk, in the middle is the Itilian . not sure about the golf carts, it is a really nice place with good selection of restaurants . My big complaint was there house wine is not good same as wine in RCCL diamond/suite lounge but you can bring all the wine with you and no corkage charge

[WendyVF]

We enjoy both AI's and cruises, it just depends on what kind of vacation we're up for. We enjoy the cruise nightlife experience but prefer the laid back atmosphere during the day of sleeping in and laying on the beach.

 

I second what the others have said about you get what you pay for and research the resort thoroughly prior to booking. We were at the Sandals Grand Bahamian a few years ago and had an absolute blast because we knew what room type to book from reading reviews. The extra $$ made a huge difference in the experience.

[juliea344]

Ok this thread is dangerous. I already have two cruises booked and now I'm looking at Sandals! 😂

 

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