Cruise or AI?

[SusieV]

With all the upcoming changes, we're not sure what to do anymore.

 

We have a cabin booked on the Solstice transatlantic next spring. Given all the changes, not to mention that we're nervous about a ship with that many people, we're thinking of changing to another vacation type.

 

I found a 2 week 4 1/2 star AI in the Dominican Republic for less than the cost of the cruise/air... and we generally run up a pretty big onboard bill.

 

AI experts, please help! What would you pick and why? We'd do the AI in February if we go.

[soraya]

Hi, We do both cruises and land based holidays and love both. Looking at your signature, I'm not sure that the DR would be a holiday that would suit you. Have you looked at trip advisor?

 

When we do land excursions, we try and find somewhere that is similar in standard to the cruises and has those elements that we enjoy in the cruise, for us that's peace and quiet, nice food and interesting sight seeing or activities. Then we price compare it with a similar cruise if there is one.

 

But these certainly are uncertain times!

[SusieV]

What about our signature suggests that the Dominican Republic isn't a good fit?

 

I've looked at TripAdvisor before but I thought it could only help once I'd chosen a resort, not to help me pick what country to visit.

[soraya]

Hi, Nothing controversial! I read the travel blog on your site when I was looking at booking with Celebrity and I remembered them. We haven't really heard very good things about the quality of the hotels and food in DR from friends that have been. Reports back was that it didn't compare well with standards in other Carribean islands. I get the feeling that's why it's not an expensive destination from the UK.

 

I was wondering if we should have a website for cruisers doing land vacations that says if you're a Celebrity cruiser you might like X, if Princess Y etc with a range of hotels at the different places.

[Mary El]

We decided to do our first AI to Mexico. We will be leaving in a few weeks. I will say that with air and everything it is the same cost as a cruise. I did a lot of research and decided to take the leap.

 

I did a lot of research also on DR, but decided on Mexico. Seemed like there was more flights. I've heard both good and bad on DR. Good luck.

[Despegue]

We've been to Punta Cana in 2007 and loved it.

Mind you, we did spend our 2 weeks in one of the best, AI on the Island: Iberostar Bavaro.

I can recommend the Iberostar hotels in the Dominican Republic and Mexico.

 

Fantastic food, very friendly service and amazing gardens and beach.

 

It's not the Seychelles or Bora Bora, but for 5000 Euro, we spend a very nice forthweek in the tropics.

[lvtotrvl1]

Hi, Nothing controversial! I read the travel blog on your site when I was looking at booking with Celebrity and I remembered them. We haven't really heard very good things about the quality of the hotels and food in DR from friends that have been. Reports back was that it didn't compare well with standards in other Carribean islands. I get the feeling that's why it's not an expensive destination from the UK.

 

I was wondering if we should have a website for cruisers doing land vacations that says if you're a Celebrity cruiser you might like X, if Princess Y etc with a range of hotels at the different places.

 

The DR has many , many new more upscale resorts which definatly do compare with other Caribbean Islands. It has been very popular with Europeans for many years. They have been marketing to the US for about the last 7 years to increase that market share. The Riu Palace along with the sister properties are beautiful.

 

I think that some "not so good" reviews will come from somewhat novice travellers, that don't know what to expect from the island. Since many areas are being built up as vacation areas, you will find roads that are not the greatest (yet), and language barriers in certain places . I absolutley loved the Punta Cana area, and have been to every Caribbean Island . The beaches in the DR are some of the most beautiful that I have seen, and the people have treated us very nicely. Is it the same as visiting St Thomas?,,no, but that's what I like . It is truly an individual choice. For the price I think it is a great vacation!

 

I'm sorry, but I do have to say, that if you haven't experienced it yourself, I do not know how you can give advice. That just drives me crazy.

To the OP...do your homework and talk to people who have actually visited for their opinions. I'm sure you will get many different opinions, but ask questions...what are you looking for in the vacation...may be totally different from the person you are talking to. AS with any vacation, if you do some research and make an educated choice, you will have a good time...

[emcee207]

We also did Punta Cana in 07. We stayed at the "Excellence" resort. We enjoyed ourselves. We also always run up a large tab on ship so wanted to try this venue. Heard that "Excellence" was one of the better ones. It was nice but getting a little "tired" and "worn". Staff was fun, food was decent (but we are very picky), plenty of top shelf liquor. We met lots of fun friendly people.

If we do another AI I'd like to try the one they just opened last december in Playa Mujeres in Mexico

[JinxyB]

If I had to choose between a cruise and going to the DR, I would pick a cruise. I went to the DR in 2007, and while the beaches are beautiful, I can't say I would ever go back again. If you do go, make sure you stay in one of the high-rated resorts. I stayed at the Iberostar Dominicana and it was OK, but not without issues (poor A/C in room, rude staff, getting hustled by vendors and casino dealers, mediocre food, etc.) The worst part of the DR trip was the food-definitely not up to a cruise standard and many people got ill. Read the reviews on TripAdvisor for the resorts you are considering. Also, if you speak no Spanish, you will most likely have a difficult time communicating with the staff in DR. If you are big drinkers, I can see how doing an AI may save you money, but keep in mind most of the liquor is not top-shelf and they typically serve one type of draft beer (quite good IMO).

 

I have heard good things about AIs in Mexico and would love to try one. I have heard the customer service and food is better there. Good luck!

[lvtotrvl1]

If I had to choose between a cruise and going to the DR, I would pick a cruise. I went to the DR in 2007, and while the beaches are beautiful, I can't say I would ever go back again. If you do go, make sure you stay in one of the high-rated resorts. I stayed at the Iberostar Dominicana and it was OK, but not without issues (poor A/C in room, rude staff, getting hustled by vendors and casino dealers, mediocre food, etc.) The worst part of the DR trip was the food-definitely not up to a cruise standard and many people got ill. Read the reviews on TripAdvisor for the resorts you are considering. Also, if you speak no Spanish, you will most likely have a difficult time communicating with the staff in DR. If you are big drinkers, I can see how doing an AI may save you money, but keep in mind most of the liquor is not top-shelf and they typically serve one type of draft beer (quite good IMO).

 

I have heard good things about AIs in Mexico and would love to try one. I have heard the customer service and food is better there. Good luck!

The same goes for Mexico or any other Caribbean Island...if you are not staying at a 4 or 5 star, you will find the same things wrong. As the old saying goes...you get what you pay for. Whether it is a better value, that really is up to the individuals...for us, the AI are a much better value than the cruis..but everyone is different.

[SusieV]

We are definitely going to stay at a 4.5 star or better resort if we choose an AI.

 

For us, no bar bill is a big draw. On the other hand, we have always enjoyed the cruise experience and visiting different ports... not to mention formal night and the specialty restaurants. The MDR is no longer the highlight it used to be.

 

I'm really not sure what we would like better.

[usha]

SuzieV, if you're anything like me, and you go to an all-inclusive, you'll be having a nice time:o , all the while, thinking you'd be having a nicer time on a cruise!!!!!:eek:

I had a lovely time in an all-inclusive in Cancun a couple of years ago, but really, the whole time I was there, I was thinking that this would be sooooooooo much more pampering on Galaxy, or Infinity, or maybe Constellation....:p If you can get a grip on your thought processes, and shut them off to the "cruise mode", you might be okay at an AI. Otherwise, you'll just drive yourself nuts, wishing you were cruising instead.:(

[tjunmin]

We've done lots of AI at 4*+ resorts throughout the Caribbean, including DR, and a good number of cruises (Alaska, Caribbean, TA).

 

You really have to consider what you are looking for in a vacation, in order to make the right decision.

 

If you enjoy visiting different ports of call in a cruise, then do not stay at an AI. If you are just looking to relax, and do not care about staying at the same place for the entire length of your vacation, then AIs are an option.

 

We feel that the level of service provided on cruise lines is superior compared to AIs. Entertainment is also superior on cruise ships.

 

If you do decide to stay at an AI, read the reviews on tripadvisor, and if you read reports of people getting sick, avoid that resort. Once I got sick while staying at one of those resorts, and it ruined half of my vacation; it is not worth taking a risk.

 

Just my 2 cents. Happy planning!

 

Thom

[SusieV]

Usha, we've never done one, so I don't know... I figure Solstice will be a different experience from a typical Celebrity cruise, too. So I really don't know!

 

What did you find lacking at the AI?

[soraya]

Hi, just a thought, how about going to somewhere it would be difficult or rushed to get to on a cruise? I'm thinking of perhaps going to Macchu Picchu which has the Monasterio hotel there which has a reputation at being pretty good at pampering. Or going to Europe, and spending a few days in Florence soaking up the atmosphere.

 

We did a trip to Latin America in Jan this year and went to Guatamala & Honduras. In Honduras we stayed at Hacienda San Lucas in Copan, then had a few nights in the rain forest in a great hotel and on to Roatan. The only thing is that it cost the same as the cruise we have to 2009 round SA!

[Duanerice1]

Only a cruiser would say "and we generally run up a pretty big onboard bill" Others say "we drink a lot on vacation" :) Not that there is anything wrong with that as we have all been there. It's like when someone said the bathrooms look so big on the Solstice. Only a cruiser would say something crazy like that.

 

Someone posted a while back about a few good AI's that they have had experience with. I checked them out at the time and might opt to go that route in the future (next few years vacations are pretty planned out though). I remember Dreams Resorts was one of them, can't remember the other. From Miami the cost was less than $3000 for a fairly nice room, airfare included for a week. Might want to do a search of the boards.

 

We only do one cruise a year, always Celebrity (maybe a quick weekend one thrown in at the last minute). Otherwise most of our vacations are land based. Can't give up the land based vacations.

 

enjoy,

Duane

[Susan-M]

Hi Suzie,

We've been to Punta Cana (also Mexico and Cuba) on A-1's. We did them as a family with our two children, who were teens and young adults at the time. We iike to snorkel, swim in the ocean, walk on the beach, play tennis and sail (in Punta Cana we were able to golf as well). Even with all of these activities, I still found that a week started to drag a bit, with more time spent on a reclining lounge chair than I needed. In Punta Cana we didn't do any day trips to sightsee, but in Cuba we spent a day in Havana and on Cozumel we rented a car to explore the island for a day. While I've enjoyed the A-I's because it was a nice way to spend time together as a family, it doesn't appeal to me as a destination for just the two of us. As tjunmin says above, "you have to consider what you are looking for in a vacation" ... what would you do to fill your days for 2 weeks in Punta Cana, or do you need to fill your days?

 

I can't advise between the A-I and TA cruise as I haven't been on a TA cruise (perhaps when DH retires and we have more time to spare, but with limited vacation time, we like port-intensive cruises, or land vacations where we can spend a good deal of time exploring.)

 

I would like to throw out a third option if you haven't already been ... Hawaii (a land trip). We went this past April (Oahu and Kauai) and had a fantastic time. So much to do and see there....and so beautiful!

[bellagirl]

Hi-just to add my 2 cents worth. We did our first and last AI in Feb. in the Mayan Riviera. Supposedly a 5* resort and the whole time I'm thinking I'd rather be on a ship somewhere,anywhere:D. The food was mediocre,the a/c barely functioning(and nobody messes with my a/c!),staff just ok.

ON the other hand, my brother and family were at the same resort just a few yrs. before and loved it. So, it just goes to show different strokes for different folks. Me, I love waking up to a different place every day and even though our view was wonderful, it got tiring after awhile.

To each his/her own! Shelly

[Mary El]

Hi-just to add my 2 cents worth. We did our first and last AI in Feb. in the Mayan Riviera. Supposedly a 5* resort and the whole time I'm thinking I'd rather be on a ship somewhere,anywhere:D. The food was mediocre,the a/c barely functioning(and nobody messes with my a/c!),staff just ok.

ON the other hand, my brother and family were at the same resort just a few yrs. before and loved it. So, it just goes to show different strokes for different folks. Me, I love waking up to a different place every day and even though our view was wonderful, it got tiring after awhile.

To each his/her own! Shelly

 

We are staying at an AI on the Mayan Riviera. Hopefully it isn't yours! We are staying at the Royal Hideaway Playacar. While we are there we are planning on visiting Tulum (again), Chichen Itza, and maybe take a trip to Isla Mujeres, and go to Playa de Carmen. So there's lots to do at least for us rather than sitting around the pool all day. That was the reason why we decided on that area. We've been there before on cruises and it looked nice, so we decided to stay there for a week.

 

With air, for 7 days it will be the same for what we would normally spend on a 7-day cruise, Concierge Class cabin.

[Cruise Junky]

We are staying at an AI on the Mayan Riviera. Hopefully it isn't yours! We are staying at the Royal Hideaway Playacar. While we are there we are planning on visiting Tulum (again), Chichen Itza, and maybe take a trip to Isla Mujeres, and go to Playa de Carmen. So there's lots to do at least for us rather than sitting around the pool all day. That was the reason why we decided on that area. We've been there before on cruises and it looked nice, so we decided to stay there for a week.

 

With air, for 7 days it will be the same for what we would normally spend on a 7-day cruise, Concierge Class cabin.

 

We did a two week stay just down the road from you and loved it. We were one day on and one day off, we loved the days we spent reading by the pool or on the beach and then the next we'd be off to Cozumel or Tulum, there's tons to do in that area.

 

For the OP.... we don't cruise the Caribbean anymore, we mainly cruise to places that would be harder to do by land as someone else suggested. But I know you're really into dress codes etc. and you're not going to find that in an AI, it's pretty much resort casual. I'd at least give Solstice a chance.

[Mary El]

We did a two week stay just down the road from you and loved it. We were one day on and one day off, we loved the days we spent reading by the pool or on the beach and then the next we'd be off to Cozumel or Tulum, there's tons to do in that area.

 

For the OP.... we don't cruise the Caribbean anymore, we mainly cruise to places that would be harder to do by land as someone else suggested. But I know you're really into dress codes etc. and you're not going to find that in an AI, it's pretty much resort casual. I'd at least give Solstice a chance.

 

I'm glad to hear that we will love it. Where did you stay? Maybe Cruise Critic ought to start a board for AIs! I know we are off topic on this discussion, but what with the economy being what it is, many people will probably be doing land vacations or stayvacations.

 

We have 25+ cruises on Celebrity and I think it's about time we started doing a few land vacations to those areas we've visited and stay there for a while. Hence on our decision to the Mayan Riviera, been to Cozumel at least three times I can remember and really liked the area. Our next AI will probably be on the Pacific Coast of Mexico as we really liked that area when we did the Mexican Riviera cruises (2 times) on the Mercury. Too bad Celebrity doesn't do that cruise any more, we'd probably do it again.

[Cruise Junky]

I'm glad to hear that we will love it. Where did you stay? Maybe Cruise Critic ought to start a board for AIs! I know we are off topic on this discussion, but what with the economy being what it is, many people will probably be doing land vacations or stayvacations.

 

We have 25+ cruises on Celebrity and I think it's about time we started doing a few land vacations to those areas we've visited and stay there for a while. Hence on our decision to the Mayan Riviera, been to Cozumel at least three times I can remember and really liked the area. Our next AI will probably be on the Pacific Coast of Mexico as we really liked that area when we did the Mexican Riviera cruises (2 times) on the Mercury. Too bad Celebrity doesn't do that cruise any more, we'd probably do it again.

 

We stayed at the Bahia Principe Akumal in an ocean front room. Quite nice.

 

We were actually talking last night about just renting a place in BC's wine country for a week or so next year as flying anywhere is just turning into a great big PITA and expensive. We go for long weekends all the time and always say we should come for a week. Can rent a nice house with a pool and hot tub in the vineyards for about the $900.

[usha]

Usha, we've never done one, so I don't know... I figure Solstice will be a different experience from a typical Celebrity cruise, too. So I really don't know!

 

What did you find lacking at the AI?

The service at the AI wasn't quite up to the level of Celebrity.:(

We stayed in the same spot, instead of moving from port to port.:o

The food was nowhere near as good as Celebrity.:(

It was incredibly more casual than Celebrity.

It just wasn't a cruise...

[adbnva]

we have been on about 15 cruises & to all inclusives about 10 times. some much better than others.we've to to aruba, punta cana, & cancun. aruba was our favorite but is much more expensive than the others. the beach is about gone in cancun & we love to walk the beach.

we choose a place that has several a la carte resturants. we don't like buffets. of course i read the trip advisor reviews.

we stayed @ rui palace in punta cana (supposed to be 5 star). the resturants & bars were not air conditioned. the resort & beach were beautiful, but we spent a lot of time in the room because it was the only cool place. i won't go back except in winter.

the people in mexico were wonderful & food @ our resorts was very good, but not considering money, aruba would be my choice. ad

[Coreopsis]

We've stayed at AIs . . . when we do, we look for expansive sports activities included because this can cost a lot. Food and drink is just OK at them, IMHO. The best we've stayed at was a resort in Dunk Island, Australia off the Great Barrier Reef. We went did all the sports activites and the pool and beach were awesome . . . it was amazing setting and made sense here. It was an eco resort on an Island . . . no place else to go. An AI along a strip with loads of hotels, restaurants, nightlife . . . why limit yourself when you can walk across the street? When our kids were younger, we had terrific experiences at Club Med . . . but we tend to avoid places with loads of kiddos now . . . we also enjoyed them because they attract lots of European travelers, not just Americans.

 

If you are going to go away . . . we like the sights, sounds, smells - everything to feel like we are away - feels more exotic.

 

We do land-based vacations to fulfill what cruising cannot do . . . immersing into the culture, truly experienceing the food, people and sights without being rushed and seeing a country for more than a few hours.

 

We love Mexico, quick, relatively easy to get to - and inexpensive. I would not recomment an AI in Mexico - food and drink is so cheap there anyway and you could get out and explore - and sample many more things. Unless you need a week of R&R to stay in the same place . . . I would book a villa or amazing hotel and do food/drink on your own (use Frommers for restaurant recommendatons - resort dining is way overpriced). It will come out the same or maybe even less . . . and the quality of your experience will be much greater.

 

Maybe consider renting a villa rather than a hotel. Or staying in two different locations so that you can explore two areas. VRBO is excellent and many of the Mexcan villas come with a cook (you pay for the food) and housekeeper! (great idea to share cost with other couples if you get some of the larger villas)

 

We enjoy Puerto Vallarta . . . a real Mexican town (not one constructed for American tourists), it has cobblestone streets - quaint and adorable old fishing village with world class beaches. If you need hotel recommendations, let me know. We stayed at Pueblo Bonita resort last winter in Mazatlan - awesome (they had a midday happy hour - 2:1 drinks . .. real strawberries blended in a margarita. YUM!) Frommers is great for restaurant recommendations.

 

The beauty of a land vacation is also avoiding crowds and lines - and getting away from only the tourist spots. My niece got married at Dreams in PV - it was OK. You were isolated with a small narrow beach and everyone felt like they had to really booze it up and eat everything on site because it was included. And it was far away from town (although you could see it .. . but a hefty cab ride to get there) so everyone just stayed put. It didn't offer enough to keep us busy for the week - the sports equipment and activities were bare minimum. We switched to a regular hotel which was cheaper, much better location and we felt like we had our freedom back.

 

We prefer to do our own thing then we can go out to dinner, then head out to the dance club . . . so much more fun.

 

Take advantage of what land vacations are best for - if you try to replicate the cruise experience, I think you will be disappointed.

 

Take a peek at this . . . http://www.terranoble.com/ this spa is highly recommended, we haven't had the pleasure to enjoy yet. Very reasonable prices for the spa. I see they also have overnight hotel now ... but it isn't on the beach, fyi.

 

I don't have as much experience staying on Caribbean Islands (except for PR). . . some are pretty small so their offerings might be limited. We tend to look for vacations closer to this coast or big hubs to cut down on travel time . . . but if that isn't an issue - go for it. But I would still recommend doing some of both . . . stay 5 nights in AI and a few on your own in different area so you can explore several options.

 

You have to promise to report back what you discover. Good luck!