Cruises beat Cancun all inclusive anyday

[mlanz]

Finally a post where I can give some info instead of always asking questions....yeah!

 

DW and I have done several AI's in cancun/playa and this upcoming Feb cruise will be our first so nothing to compare to....but what I have learned from AI's in Mexico is you get what you pay for (mind you I love AI's)....and generally the price difference between mid range and high range is only $300-$400 dollars for the week. If budget allows stretch a bit and enjoy the amenities....they are several good companies down there but my hands down favorites are the Secrets Capri and Excellence....when we were there they were both owned by "Secrets Resorts"....in last year or so there was shuffling in ownership with "Excellence Resorts" taking over Puerto Morales location and parent retaining Capri....no change to service/standards etc....what I found was Capri was smaller and more low key....Excellence had fantastic Spa, larger pool and if desired little more of a party crowd (plenty of places in pool to retreat to to avoid). We loved both....this may be against rules but found best prices with tour company our to Lexington, KY "all-inclusive outlet.com". (I have no affiliation with them they just beat Apple, MLT, Funjet everytime....

 

Enjoy...when we get back from NOS I will write AI v. Cruise comparison....

[Debde]

I would love to know what other all-inclusive resorts people have enjoyed. I like cruising too but I would like to try an AI too considering sometimes the airfaire and cruise would equal a week AI vacation instead of a 4 night cruise vacation.

 

Thanks for all the personal experiences so far!

 

We were chatting about this not to long ago. Here's another thread for you that might give you more info.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=679846

[ruskatab]

We used to stay in Cancun a long time ago but then all the college kids invaded the place. We now stay in Playa del Carmen in the Playacar area. We love it! We do both cruises and AI. Were planning a trip in August to Playa.

[trvlcarib]

Dreams AI have really nice properties. Have been to Tulum and also Cabo. Sandos playacar is another fav that has a beautiful beach! Secrets in Playa is another top notch resort and is currently building a new one on Maroma beach, 0ne of the finest beaches in the world.

[bike1964]

Unless your 21 years old, you probably don't want to go to Cancun. Its like a town in the US on the beach during Spring break. You may as well go to Panama City. You need to go south way south like to Tulum or Akumal. Even Playa Del Carmen is getting over populted now. 5 years ago PDC was nice. Now they have Mcdonalds, Burger King... all over and its way too crowded. We love all inclusives and we love cruising, buts not fair to compare Cancun to a cruise. In October we stayed @ a wonderful AI resort called the Catalonia Royal Tulum. It was 1 1/2 hours south of Cancun and well worth the long commute. It was out in the jungle and it was like being on a deserted island. Beautiful beach, good food/good service and the best part was it was low season and there was hardly anyone there. We are booked on the Navigator next month, and after our last AI, I am not really even pumped up for this cruise, but DW wants to dive in Belize and that's the cheapest way to get there. We'll go fom about 25 people on a huge beach to over 3000 pax strong arming their way around the ship:D

[BobBeaSea]

Bike1964 I agree, especially about Playa del Carmen. What was once a great little spot has become a city. There are lots of places in quieter locations up and down the Riviera Maya to choose from.

[Little Elm]

With the AI's you have to do your homework. Not all AI's are created equal. I have been to Cancun 14 times. 13 of those have been in AI's over the years. I can tell you that the Palace Resorts are very good. RIU in Cabo San Lucas is wonderful, but the location of the RIU in Cancun is awful.

 

Palace has a lot of location in Mexico, so you should always be able to find one wherever you are wanting to go.

 

NOTE: The food at an AI will never measure up to the food on a cruise. But, since we stay there for 4 -7 days, we can always go out and enjoy a dinner and club outside of the resort.

[Little Elm]

Unless your 21 years old, you probably don't want to go to Cancun. Its like a town in the US on the beach during Spring break.

You just have to know when to go, and where to stay. If you do not have kids, try the Sun Palace. It is adults only. If you have kids and can travel at any time of the year, October-November is the best time for Cancun. Less people, and all the college kids are back in school.

 

I would never take my kids to Cancun March - April. Spring Break is crazy, but the Mexican Government is trying to get a handle on it.

[BobBeaSea]

Little Elm, the food at the AI's I stay at more than measures up to the food on mass market cruise ships, I find it superior. I agree with you about Palace Resorts, they are not bad and very moderately priced...pretty good value. I haven't stayed at one since 2000 (Moon Palace) but I hear they've been growing.

[Little Elm]

Little Elm, the food at the AI's I stay at more than measures up to the food on mass market cruise ships, I find it superior. I agree with you about Palace Resorts, they are not bad and very moderately priced...pretty good value. I haven't stayed at one since 2000 (Moon Palace) but I hear they've been growing.

 

We usually eat at the buffets, and most times they were a little lacking. We just stayed at the Cancun Palace DEC 07. The buffet was terrible, but that hotel did just open back up not to long ago. I expect they are still working out some problems.

 

Now the specialty restaurants we used were better.

 

Also let me add. We have only been on 1 cruise. Destiny back in 2001. The food was wonderful. I have been reading here that the food on RCL is much better, so I hope that it is when we are on Voyager April 13.

 

As always, your vacation is what you make of it.

[zqvol]

Both cruises and AIs have their pluses and minuses. They are different but for a longer vacation I much prefer any AI to a cruise, unless it is on one of the luxury lines that has a port of call every day. Sea days ruin any cruise.

[tiyana4]

We spent 8 days in Mexico last August. Four of them were spent at the AI Oasis in Cancun; another 4 were spent in Cozumel. I specifically picked this hotel brand BECAUSE of all the bad reviews from Spring Breakers on Trip Advisor...

1. Can't party and break things like idiots

2. Security wouldn't let them horseplay in the lobby and halls or disrupt other guests

3. They don't allow drunken belligerence (gee, neither does the U.S.)

4. Noise is kept at a minimum

5. Not recommended for anyone under 30, or with a pulse. (I'm 35 and my 12 yr old loved having the pool to herself)

We loved the resort for all of these reasons! Although the alcohol was included at the AI, I am not a big drinker and only had 2-3 mixed drinks during our stay. So for me, the free alcohol would not be a deciding factor on which way to go. Cancun is a very inexpensive place to vacation and bus transportation is 65 cents anywhere you want to go.

We have done several cruises and absolutely love the freedom to visit the different ports but it was nice to do an AI where there were no service charges or bar tabs at the end. We also had free transportation & access to the other 4 Oasis properties dotted along the strip and all their amenities. This gave us a good indication of what the other resorts had to offer.

I did find the AI much more relaxing than being on the ship with 3,000 other PAX and much quieter. I didn't have to wait for a lounge chair, (there were no towels or books holding someone's space). There were no herds of crowds as I anticipated at breakfast time - since not everyone was leaving at the same time (like shore excursion days on the ship). We had Filet Mignon two nights for dinner and always an abundant supply of fresh fruit and juices; just like on the ship. I found the selection at the restaurant similar to those of the specialty restaurants on the ship. However, this will vary by resort.

Now, if I could not leave the resort..this could be a problem (i.e. resorts in Jamaica discourage guests from venturing off the property for safety reasons & rightfully so; guests are often robbed in Montego Bay, Kingston and now parts of Ocho Rios).

We were only there for 4 days and one day was spent going to Chichen Itza; another to the Playa Del Carmen/Tulum area. Add Hurricane Dean to the mix and it made for a pretty exciting trip. Four days at one resort was plenty for us. I don't think we could do 7 days at one resort but have no problem doing 7 days on a cruise.

Don't discount AI's, just do a little research beforehand so that you know what to expect. We did and we had a great time. I would never give up my land vacations because of their economical prices but prefer cruising overall.

[CTCcruiserr]

As stated previously it depends on where you stay - we have cruised many times loved all cruises on all lines - we also have done several all-inclusive resorts. My family still talks about our vacation to the Moon Palace in Cancun. Many activities - great food, free massages, and several free excursions plus all you can drink. We like each but as services decline on cruiselines (was not impressed by my 30 Dec Voyager cruise) it seems to be stable at the all inclusives we have visited and cost is about the same for us at an all-inclusive as our cruises (suite plus airfare for 4) is 9-10 thousand for each 7 day cruise.

[Bunti]

Both cruises and AIs have their pluses and minuses. They are different but for a longer vacation I much prefer any AI to a cruise, unless it is on one of the luxury lines that has a port of call every day. Sea days ruin any cruise.

 

 

Just goes to show to each his own. We love sea days.