Land Based All Inclusive Resort VS Cruise post Covid 19

[bouhunter]

12 minutes ago, sanger727 said:

I imagine they could. I think that is a risk of any vacation right now though. I don’t think a cruise would be preferable due to not knowing what they would do with you if you caught COVID onboard.

 

when we do all inclusives or Caribbean cruises the primary goal is to relax. We do enjoy doing some activities, but keep in mind that with all inclusives there are also excursions to get away from the resort and see the island.

Or not knowing what they'll do with everyone else onboard if ANYONE tests positive for covid onboard......

[cementhands]

20 hours ago, wagontrail said:

My wife and I have been looking forward to our upcoming December cruise on Celebrity Infinity.  Sailed last November, December and January.  Loved cruising the past twenty years and it was so easy living thirty minutes from the port of Tampa.   Hate to say it but I think I will have more fun at our all inclusive time share in Cancun upcoming at the end of September.

 

Pros of a land based resort:  Lots of open spaces, can eat outside, drink outside, go on excursions without debarking, embarking, beach is wide open, can stay away from people if we want to, wearing masks is optional.

 

Pros of cruising:  Being away from land, great sunsets, open water, visiting several different ports, casino, shows.

 

Cons of land based resort:  stuck in one place, might be boring to some people.

 

Cons of cruising: so close to people in confined area, wearing mask will possibly be mandatory, possibly denied boarding if running a fever, will the ship be stuck at sea if a coronarvirus  outbreak occurs.

 

How many for cruising and how many for land based all inclusive during these troubling times?

 

 

 

The thing about land based all inclusive resorts is many people come and go while you’re there. I remember at the RIU Cancun meeting people playing volleyball that were just leaving. New group came in. So you’re exposure to potential covid19 is maybe higher than a cruise ship.  Many buffet food options at land based. Plus the swim up bar area is to be avoided, those people never get out!

 

[Miaminice]

Land based vacations will most likely be the alternative for us for the next future.
In fact we just returned from a weekend in Venice. It was magical to see the city so empty compared to the usual craziness.

 

However, all inclusive resorts would be very low on our list!
We are not fond of the clientele and everything that would keep cruises from sailing would be, IMHO, just as bad or even worse in those resorts.

And they don´t have the high standards of hygiene as a cruise ship.

 

So when we talk about land based vacations, we would rather look for small boutique hotels / guest houses etc.
Places where we can look for restaurants etc. which provide outside seating with sufficient distances etc. etc., places without crowded pools, bars, party people... in a nutshell: lower risk!

 

Edited July 8, 2020 by Miaminice

[TeeRick]

Anybody thinking of land-based AI's within your own country?  In case it is difficult to fly or if borders are closed to travel?  If only driving is possible?  Anybody have any ideas if in the US?  

[FlorenceItaly]

1 hour ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Definitely on my list of weekend getaways.  Wasn't so sure if now was the best time.  How are things?

Now is not the IDEAL time.  Most of the restaurants are open, but, no live music, festivals or theatre.  So, probably about the same as you are experiencing in Atlanta.  One of our favorite annual festivals is www.fallforgreenville.net  in October has not been cancelled YET.  When you come to town, shoot me an email at lv2trvl@att.net and we can meet you for cocktails, if you like.

We retired here about 7 years ago and we love it here.  There is always something happening!  

[pumpkin 11]

Cruising offers such a great value as well as endless things to do not mention it is just lovely being on the sea. It is also nice to go to different ports instead of being confined to one place, although that isn't a major deterrent. However I'd probably want to spend less than a week an AI whereas a cruise I'd be happy for a much longer time. 

 

Are there any in the USA? I can't think of any major ones, probably in Florida perhaps. As for which is safer, they're all safer. As for being stuck on a cruise ship if someone has corona and being able to dock, well that is just an insane mandate. We have so many more "cases" now than we did in march haha

[pumpkin 11]

4 hours ago, FlorenceItaly said:

Consider Greenville, SC for a short getaway.  We have a fabulous downtown!!

I think I'd get bored in Greenville, but always wanted to go to the BMW factory.

[sanger727]

51 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Anybody thinking of land-based AI's within your own country?  In case it is difficult to fly or if borders are closed to travel?  If only driving is possible?  Anybody have any ideas if in the US?  

 

I've never seen the type of AIs in the US that you see on caribbean islands. Closest I've seen are hotels that offer inclusive packages but these tend to be very expensive. 

[Fouremco]

8 minutes ago, sanger727 said:

 

I've never seen the type of AIs in the US that you see on caribbean islands. Closest I've seen are hotels that offer inclusive packages but these tend to be very expensive. 

There are some lovely resorts in Canada, but I've yet to see one here either that offers Caribbean-style AI packages.

[4774Papa]

We are not interested in all inclusive Caribbean vacations.  We like to see the World and take in places that have great history, art, culture and/or scenic places.

Cruises are a part of our travels, but not the main focus.  We do land trips, mostly planned by us, like renting a car and driving around Great Britain, or taking the trains in Italy.

Until the COVID-19 vaccine or herd immunity is established, we are not keen on cruising or for that matter foreign travel.

[hcat]

4 hours ago, Miaminice said:

Land based vacations will most likely be the alternative for us for the next future.
In fact we just returned from a weekend in Venice. It was magical to see the city so empty compared to the usual craziness.

 

However, all inclusive resorts would be very low on our list!
We are not fond of the clientele and everything that would keep cruises from sailing would be, IMHO, just as bad or even worse in those resorts.

And they don´t have the high standards of hygiene as a cruise ship.

 

So when we talk about land based vacations, we would rather look for small boutique hotels / guest houses etc.
Places where we can look for restaurants etc. which provide outside seating with sufficient distances etc. etc., places without crowded pools, bars, party people... in a nutshell: lower risk!

 

We were very pleased with Sandals. Nassau Bahamas...short flight from ny or fl.   It is,not just for honeymooners, no crazy  party people  running wild.

 

Great food choices..casual to elegant. indoor and outdoor.

 

Excellent service and oversized  balc rooms.. in rm bar refilled daily, spa like bathroom...  Varied evening and daytime  activities and music, off shore island with pool and spa  & restaurant..other excursions available. 

 

Quiet and lively pools, water sports,  a great gym ( included)  and  spa.( fair prices)...Gambling and golf (extra $ ) are nearby if you want them.   No nickel and diming!

 

We were happy with the international.mix of guests..and had a relaxing stay .  Hope to try the  orher Bahamas Sandals resort with golf as soon as things clear.. 

 

You might like it??

Edited July 8, 2020 by hcat

[NCteacherlovescruising]

We pushed our 2021 cruise back a year and have no plans to leave the country before then unless things improve. We are taking little trips within a few hours from home. Next week we are spending a few nights in Dahlonega Georgia, going to a couple wineries where social distancing is easy and staying in a cabin with beautiful Mountain View’s. Very low key. I’m sure we’ll do more of this until we can cruise again. May go to a N.C. or S.C. Beach too.  We live in the Charlotte area so we are close to beaches and mountains. 

[PTC DAWG]

46 minutes ago, hcat said:

We were very pleased with Sandals. Nassau Bahamas...short flight from ny or fl.   It is,not just for honeymooners, no crazy  party people  running wild.

 

Great food choices..casual to elegant. indoor and outdoor.

 

Excellent service and oversized  balc rooms.. in rm bar refilled daily, spa like bathroom...  Varied evening and daytime  activities and music, off shore island with pool and spa  & restaurant..other excursions available. 

 

Quiet and lively pools, water sports,  a great gym ( included)  and  spa.( fair prices)...Gambling and golf (extra $ ) are nearby if you want them.   No nickel and diming!

 

We were happy with the international.mix of guests..and had a relaxing stay .  Hope to try the  orher Bahamas Sandals resort with golf as soon as things clear.. 

 

You might like it??

Emerald Bay is showing now open...which Sandals in Nassau are you referring to, I believe there are two...the other is showing opening Nov 1 of this year.

[paulh84]

We're staying put at our lake house for the time being. We pulled it from the rental market before the summer season started so we had a place to get away to. All inclusives don't compare to a cruise in my opinion. We've done mid priced to high end AI's (if that's a thing) and we think they are all essentially the same. They all have the same rotation of cheesy restaurants, the accommodations themselves are mediocre and the clientele at the adults only properties are not our cup of tea. We can do a regular resort that falls on the more pricy side and do food on our own and still spend less than we would at an AI.  

 

I do follow a few fan pages for a couple of AI's that we've stayed at in the past. The guests seem to be taking zero precautions, so that does not leave me very eager to go back either. 

[hcat]

13 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

Emerald Bay is showing now open...which Sandals in Nassau are you referring to, I believe there are two...the other is showing opening Nov 1 of this year.

Emerald Bay is the one with on site golf. Looks amazing!

We were on mainland Nassau. Royal Bahamian.

We were in Concierge Class. ( i think now that would be a suite class??) .limo pick up at airport wekcome champagne and lounge area, luggage placed in our room....easy peasy.

Edited July 8, 2020 by hcat

[Spif Barwunkel]

Enjoy alternating between cruising and land-based vacations. Have traveled for 65 years, including cruising the last 35. Do not enjoy all-inclusive destinations. Prefer having the opportunity to experience local restaurants where we are staying, for all meals. When out and about, no worry about getting back to the hotel in order to make our all-inclusive rate worthwhile.

 

The non-inclusive vibe, ambience and experience works for us. 

[PTC DAWG]

3 minutes ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

Enjoy alternating between cruising and land-based vacations. Have traveled for 65 years, including cruising the last 35. Do not enjoy all-inclusive destinations. Prefer having the opportunity to experience local restaurants where we are staying, for all meals. When out and about, no worry about getting back to the hotel in order to make our all-inclusive rate worthwhile.

 

The non-inclusive vibe, ambience and experience works for us. 

I’m pretty much the same about local restaurants, etc...

[mauimary]

For us at this time and most likely for 2021 vacations are just going to be different. We have two cruises that have been moved to summer of 2021 but we most likely will not be seeing them happening.  What we have done for this summer is book places that are within driving distance from the Northwest USA.  We just returned from staying at a beautiful Lake Lodge in Whitefish MT.  We were able to drive easily to Glacier National Park from Whitefish.  We will be driving to Park City Utah in August.  We are seeing places and having experiences we normally would not be doing. 
 

We are not fans of All Inclusive resorts but love cruising.  We recognize the fact that some things are just too high of a risk right now and in order to vacation we just have to accept the fact that it is going to be different until it is safer.  It does give us a chance to be saving a lot of $$ right now. That is unless we decide to remodel a bathroom!!! 😎. What is frustrating for me right now is I love to plan and I can’t really do that right now.  So much work and planning went into this years Europe cruise and vacation that it was exhausting just to take it all apart!  
 

Stay safe and travel smart!!!

[cangelmd]

11 hours ago, TeeRick said:

Anybody thinking of land-based AI's within your own country?  In case it is difficult to fly or if borders are closed to travel?  If only driving is possible?  Anybody have any ideas if in the US?  

Funny you should mention this.

We have a 40 anniversary cruise booked for May 2021, and that should be a special trip. We have to be beyond many of the EU restrictions for that trip to be worth it.

So I googled AIs in the US. There is one highly rated standard Club Med in Port St. Lucie, but most of the rest tend to emphasize wellness and spa services, or be “dude ranch like”. Several sounded intriguing, but they didn’t fit my somewhat prejudiced view of what an AI is like. And of course there are still a few of the grand old resort hotels that offer American Plan - like the hotel on Mackinac Island and the ones in Virginia and West Virginia - The Homestead and the Greenbriar. And there’s BlackBerry Farm....

Not sure about the Club Med, but most of the others weren’t completely all-inclusive, alcohol was often extra and sometimes certain spa services and excursions.

But that is no different than a cruise.

 I’m following this thread with interest, because a luxurious stateside AI may be it for us for the May trip.

 

Oh, and The Williamsburg Inn, our last anniversary before we became parents was there - lovely, romantic, great service.

[cangelmd]

Those US destinations I listed are all quite pricy though.

 

Question for the Canadians, if they ever let us back into Canada, what is the status of the grand railroad hotels, or the train service for that matter?

[grandgeezer]

I don’t know how anybody can honestly answer this question until the actually take a cruise when they resume. The mask and social distancing will be a factor. Another factor is all the other changes dictated by the changes made to combat the virus. Lastly, the changes made to recover the tons of money they lost during the shutdown and the billions of dollars in loans they took out just to survive. They also said not all ships will sail and the ones that do will be at a reduced capacity, maybe for some time. The money will have to come from somewhere.

[Miaminice]

14 hours ago, hcat said:

We were very pleased with Sandals. Nassau Bahamas...short flight from ny or fl.   It is,not just for honeymooners, no crazy  party people  running wild.

 

Great food choices..casual to elegant. indoor and outdoor.

 

Excellent service and oversized  balc rooms.. in rm bar refilled daily, spa like bathroom...  Varied evening and daytime  activities and music, off shore island with pool and spa  & restaurant..other excursions available. 

 

Quiet and lively pools, water sports,  a great gym ( included)  and  spa.( fair prices)...Gambling and golf (extra $ ) are nearby if you want them.   No nickel and diming!

 

We were happy with the international.mix of guests..and had a relaxing stay .  Hope to try the  orher Bahamas Sandals resort with golf as soon as things clear.. 

 

You might like it??

 

Thank you for your recommendation!

I know the Sandals Resorts (stayed at one on Barbados a long time ago).

Yes, they are high quality and luxurious - no doubt!

 

However, AI resorts are just not for us. First, we are not interested in the Caribbean (don´t cruise there either) but prefer culture, people, history... over beaches and palm trees. Frankly, they are all the same to me 🙂
Second, we prefer more private, individual  places.

Anyway, in regards of the current problems our preference of small more private hotels (they can be very luxurious or simple) comes in handy. We don´t want to be stuck to a hotels venues but like to see different places. As mentioned we just returned from a weekend in Venice. We chose restaurants on open piazzas (like Campo S. Stefano) with tables far apart, avoided crowds (if there were any) and had breakfast on our own balcony. 

 

When we cruise - which is still our favorite way of travel - we tend to do the same. No crowds, no cruise line bus tours, dinner at smaller BLU, self organized tours with 6 people max only, hardly ever go to meetings or the theater etc.

So we combine the luxury of cruise ships with our preference of individual travel. Who knows when we get to do that again... 😞

Edited July 9, 2020 by Miaminice

[hcat]

Many good points.

We may try this. A nice small hotels might be fun.

 

.From our winter base in Venice

( Florida not Italy) we have many weekend and day trip choices

 

Restaurants , ballet and other performances (for now outdoor) museums,  zoos, nature , gulf beaches , rivers ...etc.  even in pur Community we have bike and hiking trails, a great gym and beautiful pools...no crowds.

 

We prefer cruising but  perhaps not til things clear

[Doubt It]

I have targeted land tours for the future - high end companies as well as personally escorted tours - once countries have their borders open.

 

The tour group of 35 would be tested and as per normal, the group goes together to attractions with their guide. Get to eat real local food, see local treasures and landscapes.

If there is a health issue, you are on land and care available in the area.

 

The concept of being stuck on a cruise ship is not happening for us and our many former cruising friends. We are now planning our future group travel around land tours - no cruises.

[K.T.B.]

We'll, unfortunately, probably never be "post-Covid".  Unlike SARS, it appears this one may be here for the long haul.  So if we want to travel, we'll probably need to be vaccinated and masks are probably here to stay.

 

With that said, my wife and I alternate between cruising and AI resorts.  We love the Playa del Carmen/Riviera Maya area, plus we always will take the ferry to go to Cozumel for a day.  We have a friend who lives there who's a masseuse, so we get massages and go out to dinner with her later on.  So for us it's not doing the typical touristy thing.  At the resort, we'll just lounge by the pool and chill.  This past Christmas we stayed at Riu Lupita and loved it.  It's not on the beach, but they have other resorts "next door" that are on the beach and they had buses to transport people there if they wanted, which left the pool area mostly deserted!  IMO, the food was fine, though breakfast never changed.  It's a smaller resort, but we'd definitely go again.