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Thanks to a bunch of Hilton points and free night certs from my Hilton Business Amex cards (that sadly is going away as a spend perk as of the end of June) I am still enjoying the glow from spending 9 days at the Hilton all-inclusive resort in Jamaica last month. We again had a very pleasant visit and enjoyed the upgraded lounge chairs for 2024 but were a bit disappointed that the food quality was a little lower than the year before.
But this trip, coming off the heels of two cruises over the winter, really got me contemplating just how much better a cruise vacation is than a land based all-inclusive vacation. My list is long but I am curious if you agree with me and my conclusions.
First there are some obvious things that are simpler on land vs. at sea but they don’t quite tip the scales for me like check-in is clearly simpler and quicker than getting on a ship that can take a while as well as a larger room and bathroom than most ships cabins and lastly the resort not moving when the weather is bad (for those who get sea sick). With those out of the way:
- Bugs! On a cruise ship at sea, or even when in port for that matter, it is rare to ever get a single bug bite. The ultra tiny mosquitoes in Jamaica had the worse poison I have ever encountered and I found myself constantly scratching day after day.
- Food – Restaurants! I already mentioned the food this year at the Hilton Rose Hall was not as good as the year before but even then it was simply no where near as good as just about any cruise ship I have been on (save one). From quality to choices a ship just is a delight compared to “well what are we going to eat tonight”. Most ships have not just two sit down main dining rooms plus pizza or burger or sandwich spots but any number of specialty restaurants (granted the latter at a fee).
- Food – Buffets! Since so many on ships (for whatever reason) tend to gravitate to the buffets ships put a lot of effort into making them the best they can. Now while some all inclusives equally do a good job of putting on a spread, I have simply found ships are better – fresher – more constant in quality.
- Entertainment! One night the Hilton put on a Michael Jackson show and it was great and very entertaining but the rest of the nights were just so-so. One night we had a steel drum band and other nights other music but nothing like all the many choices on a ship often including large production numbers. From comedy acts to you name it a ship just offers more.
- Drinks! Long time (well the past two years anyway) readers will know I am a bit of a wine snob and prefer wine over hard liquor and mixed drinks. Every cruise ship I have been on have a decent offering of wines included on the drink package and offer even more if you pay for an ultra premium drink package whereas all inclusives tend to have a VERY limited selection unless you are willing to pay retail-plus.
- The Views! Once again here ships win hands down. Not only is there no sail away almost every day to enjoy but no thrill of a new port and new views every day. Heck for those like me who simply love long crossings and sea days the view of the sea with nothing around you is simply striking and an amazing feeling you never get at a land based all-inclusive resort that never changes.
- Weather! Now you may be thinking ah-ha! here land wins but I don’t think so. A cruise ship can do its best to steer around weather. Plus, going port to port you are unlikely to be stuck with the same weather that could impact a land based vacation spot for a number of days in a row.
- Excursions! There is only so much you can do when you are stuck in one spot. Compare this to very different locations and things to see and do port after port. Not just the sights but the culture may be completely different (including languages and nations).
- Cost and value! Once again (as long you are not paying for a suite) the value of a basic cabin on a ship is enormous for your vacation dollars. Even if you have to pay a gratuity percentage (per person per day) to get the “free” drink package included with your cruise this plus your fare is often very reasonable compared to the price for a land based resort.
Bottom line while I do enjoy an all-inclusive resort experience, taking a cruise is just better hands down and much more fun for the money. Agree? – René
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You went to a mediocre all-inclusive twice (that somehow has the worst bugs I’ve heard of in the dozen AIs I’ve been to) and declare cruise ships universally better. Seems a bit of a bad comparison. Try going to a decent AI like Excellence Playa Mujeres or Hotel Xcaret and then you might have a different opinion. Some reasons I like AIs more in addition to what you have there:
1) I can leave whenever I want! I don’t have to wait for a port stop and when I do leave, it’s not with thousands of others all leaving and then coming back at the same time
2) I can show up whenever I want! Both for check in and returning from self-tours/excursions whenever, I have zero worry about a delayed flight or a delay returning from a non-ship excursion
3) No limits to BYO alcohol! We often bring a bottle of something very nice (e.g. $100-$200/bottle of cognac) and I don’t need to check on whether it is okay.
4) So many fewer fees! No separate alcohol package you need to buy, few upcharges at restaurants, can book excursions direct without worrying about getting back in time.
5) Nowhere near as destructive to the marine environment! This one pretty much stands on its own, although for general air / climate change I’ll grant neither is exactly good for it
6) So much greenery! I love greenery and even ships with “it” have very little of it.
7) So much more spread out! Cruise ship pools are chair after chair after chair, with completely full pools in mid-afternoon. I’ve never been to an all-inclusive (including over the Christmas holidays) where I can’t escape to a quiet pool without a ton of people there, and there is almost always plenty of locations to have decent space between you and the next lounger. Worst comes to worst, you can escape to your balcony, which brings me to…
8) Real base rooms with king beds! I know you tried to brush this off, but it’s huge. Cruise ships base rooms are essentially a windowless closet with bathroom. Many upscale all-inclusive rooms start at 500 sq ft with a full sitting area, large tub with separate shower, and almost every single one has a real balcony.
9) A beach! While I’m not a huge beach person, I absolutely love lounging on the beach at sunrise or just relaxing on it after dinner at night with almost nobody around except resort security, something you very much cannot do on a cruise
I just enjoy an all-inclusive more and generally find that the price isn’t that different once factoring in a drink package and port expenses for a similar level cruise/all inclusive, and that’s just the base room (e.g. a 500 sq ft room with decent balcony vs 160 sq ft room with no window).
I would definitely pick a cruise over an AI every time, though we enjoy both. A few other items that can go either way depending on your priorities:
1) Pools – 99.9% of AI’s beat cruise ships in this category. Even the best cruise pools are poor compared to a standard AI pool.
2) Excursions – Cruises almost always win in this category. In our experience some AI’s actively try to prevent you from leaving the resort unless it’s through one of their booked excursions. Getting Ubers and Taxis can be extremely difficult, particularly with more remote resorts. Moving around to a different port generally provides for a better variety of excursions when compared to what’s a 1-2 hour radius of your AI.
3) Service – I’ve never had the same level of service at an AI as I’ve had on an equivalent level cruise (based on price per night). This includes staff getting to know your name, your personal preferences, etc. Cruise service is just better.
4) Casinos – We like the option to play a bit. Not every day, but a couple hours over the course of a 5-7 day trip. Unless I’m booking an AI with a Casino (this greatly limits your options) visiting a casino is challenging at best, while on most cruise ships there are casinos.