Cruise vs. All Inclusive - Part II

So yesterday I talked about cruising. Today I'm talking about the all inclusive resort.

The All-Inclusive Resort

I have to tell you, there won't be as much to say about this one. You stay. You relax. You sunbathe. You drink. You eat.

Resorting is what you think about when you think of the term 'relax'!

You are at one resort and you have no timetables until you leave. Dinner (unless you make a reservation at a specialty restaurant) is at no particular time, you don't have porting and departure times, there are no urgent concerns that require your attention. At a resort, you can arrive and never look at a clock. Never know what day it is, what time it is. To me, that is so relaxing.

You can do absolutely nothing at all at a resort. Or you can jam-pack it with excursions. On a cruise, you feel more obligated to partake in excursions. You stop at a port and only have so long to enjoy it. You don't want to sit on the boat while it is docked in Jamaica do you? Well, at a resort - why leave?

We did take part in several activities: whale watching, a kayaking and snorkeling trip, and a Jeep adventure. But you certainly don't have to. In that sense - this trip was much more relaxing for us.

This might depend on the resort you stay at - but the food at our resort was not near as good as the food on the cruise. You could make reservations to the specialty restaurants. Food there was better than the buffet food. And it was free... but book your reservations early. They fill up quickly.

To make up for the average food - there was all you can drink anything you want. Other than the wine - which was horrific (and trust me, I'm definitely not a wine snob) - every drink I had was stellar! And you can have as much as you want.... anything you can imagine: Beer, Margarita, Piña Colada, Rum and Coke, shot, whatever.... all free.

Did I mention the wet bar in every room? We never even tapped the liquor in our room. Liquor dispensers with rum, vodka, whisky, and tequila... right in your very room. Refilled every day. Oh - and the fridge, with water, sodas, and all the XX beer you can drink.

Though the price of an all inclusive resort is a bit more, it is totally worth it to me. You can order a drink or pull a beer out of the fridge without thinking twice. No number crunching to figure out how much you've spent or how much money you should be spending a day on drinks. Just drink. For a cheap person like me - that is the ultimate in relaxation. I don't have to worry about how much it costs? Sign me up!! Now - don't go overboard or you'll end up puking in your cup (and - sorry for this image - overflowing onto yourself and your towel b/c the cups are so small) poolside like one gentleman. EEk!!

Of course, if drinking isn't your thing, I don't think an all-inclusive is completely necessary. But - then again - if drinking isn't your thing you should probably loosen up and have a margarita (or two) while on vacation. I'm just sayin'...

Also, nightlife on the resort was pretty much non-existent... and that was okay. There were shows that were just horrible. I don't want to tell you about the Broadway Review we saw. I heard there was a nightclub but we never made it that far. The resort was much more of a daytime place. We layed out and drank margaritas and piña coladas all day. The sun had wore us out before night had come. It was nice to just get into bed early and get lots of rest for the next day.

So... that's about it. I feel like I had so much more to say about the cruise. I guess the cruise was more exciting. There were more adventures. We visited Miami, Jamaica, and the Caymans in one trip. But I have to tell you: I think the resort beats the cruise in my mind.

Let's make a list:

CRUISE

Pros

• Visit multiple places
• Exciting excursions
• Great Food
• Good nightlife
• Can be done cheap(er)

Cons

• Drinks can be pricey
• Not so relaxing
• Lots of people on one boat

RESORT

Pros

• FREE Drinks!
• Relaxing or Adventurous - you choose
• No schedule
• Did I mention the free drinks?

Cons

• Can be pricey up front
• Food not great (at our resort)
  
• No nightlife (didn't bother us)
• You have to leave eventually

Remember - this is just our opinion. It could solely be based on the cruise line or resort we stayed at. I have, after all, heard some horror story about cruising - mostly through Carnival. We did Royal Caribbean and would definitely recommend using them. I've also heard some resort horror stories or reports of bad weather for an entire trip. Here is an interesting tip about Cabo - it is a desert and it only rains 8 days a year there. We went in the winter with temps in the 90s. Summer temps in the 120s. I say chances look pretty good that you'll have good weather. Bottom line: research the locale, the time of year and weather when you are traveling, and the company you are entrusting with your vacation.

Either way, I say reward yourself with a trip. Whatever fits in your budget or suits your lifestyle. It can be costly but so rewarding! And you deserve it!!