dancer67 Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 My husband and I are taking our family on a vacation next year. We have both been out of the country and have always stayed at an all inclusive resort. Pros-all drinks/meals/everything is included. Con-depending on what resort you stay at, there not be many off resort things to see and do(or even if it is safe to do so). And you are only visiting one island. Cruises. Not to bad for pricing. It is about the same cost EXCEPT no drinks/alcohol is included. But you would be able to visit 3 islands at least. And also have the fun of whatever the cruiseline offers. Airfare is cheaper as you are flying into Florida, rather then out of the country directly. But I do believe that the cost for the drinks, and any excursions(which I assume is extra) will end up costing more for the cruise. Is it worth the extra money to take the cruise? Or just stay at an all inclusive resort?(and it isn't a national chain like Sandals or anything like that) We have never cruised before, so looking to get some feedback, Any help/advice would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 My sister and her hubby love to cruise, while it is not my cuppa tea, it sounds like fun. Since you have not yet done a cruise, why not shake things up and give it a try. Just pick a reputable line, not Carnival. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink and Green Mom Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 We just got off a cruise yesterday, so I can answer some of your questions. The cruise lines do have drink packages available which are charged by the day. So, for example, I get a package that gives me unlimited beer (usually $5 per bottle), wine (cheapest is $7 per glass), mixed drinks ($10-$12 each), bottled water, and sodas (not sure of the cost) for $55/day. That includes the gratuity. My husband gets a beer and wine package only for $45/day, and my kids get unlimited soda for $5/day. You can opt to do excursions which could be as low as $20 for a bus tour around whatever city you are in, up to $200+ if you want to swim with dolphins, etc. Or you can just get out at the port and walk around. As an example, in Nassau, Bahamas there is a free beach you can walk to off of the ship. Many resorts in the port towns offer "day passes" so you can use their pools and beaches for the day you are there. Things are going on on the ship while it is in port so you don't have to get off if you don't want to. Cruises in FL leave out of Tampa, Port Canaveral, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami - most of these locations are serviced by more than one airport so you can shop around for better flights. I like taking a cruise because I like the fact that there are several places to go in one trip. I like being able to do as much or as little as we want in any particular location. I also like the cruise because each of us can do what we want. There are activities every minute of the day onboard a ship - trivia, name that tune, dance lessons, bingo, live music, Broadway-type shows, shuffleboard, ping pong, movies for the kids/tweens/teens, arcades, etc. Everyone comes off the ship feeling like they did what they wanted to do (whether that was lounging around or go-go-going every minute). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted October 27, 2015 Author Share Posted October 27, 2015 Can someone tell me why Carnival is not a good cruiseline? And thank you for your input to both of you so far. It really helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 DH and I are trying to plan a 30th anniversary trip. May I ask what all inclusive places you have liked? I was looking into cruises too but DH thinks he won't like it. I don't know why, he has never been on one! (Neither have I though..) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murmer Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 Can someone tell me why Carnival is not a good cruiseline? And thank you for your input to both of you so far. It really helps. It's a booze cruise basically...I took my family on Carnival as our first cruise and it was not a great experience. The food was basic but they couldn't feed my child with a milk allergy...she literally lived on bacon and hamburger meat without a bun and ketchup...this was after calling the cruise ahead of time. The pool was salt water and LOUD, full of drunk people so we felt like we couldn't take our kids out to the pool...we tried but it was awful. I am a do things person and almost every day I would look at all the offerings and only found 1 thing I wanted to do on the very last day a disney music trivia game...but I couldn't take my kids because it was right in the middle of the casino the only place smoking was allowed. Basically it was boring and mostly for people who wanted to get drunk and party WHICH is great if that is what you want (I highly recommend it for a Bachellorette party would be way fun) but as a family looking for family fun it was not a good cruise line...so I think its more about what you are looking for partying/drinks Carnival is great for that but for a family based cruise not really good for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted October 27, 2015 Author Share Posted October 27, 2015 The one we went to in the Dominican is Lifestyles Resort. This is the one we would like to bring the kids to. The one in Jamaica was Jewel Paradise Cove. This is adults only. Loved both of them. Both all inclusive. Lifestyles is a timeshare. They will try and sell you one, but there is no pressure. We didn't buy into it as we do not go there often enough. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SebastianCat Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 Carnival tends to have a reputation as a "party" cruise line, and they even advertise themselves as "the party boat" line. They tend to be the lowest priced of the major cruise lines, and they advertise to (and attract) many college students. It doesn't help that the legal drinking age in the Bahamas and other places is 18. If you are cruising anytime near spring break, over a holiday (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, President's Day, Easter, etc.) you will definitely experience that atmosphere. But if you are cruising during off-peak times, like September-October, it probably wouldn't be bad at all. We just cruised on Royal Caribbean for our first cruise at the end of September. It was a short 4-night cruise, went to a private island in the Bahamas and to Nassau, and it was fun. Our kids (13 & 11) enjoyed it, but there weren't a bunch of other kids on board so the activities were more limited than they would have been at peak times. One tip I'd highly recommend is that if you cruise with kids, look into two connecting cabins rather than cramming everyone into one. With sales, often you won't pay that much more, but you'll have your own space and the luxury of 2 bathrooms. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 There are all-inclusives at places other than islands so you're not necessarily stuck without other things to go see, though you are stuck in one place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 I would go for the all inclusive because I get seasick. And I hate the idea of being in the middle of the water should something happen. A little too much Poseidon Adventure when I was a kid (but what a cast, and gene hackman was amazing). So this is one area where I let my fears rule the decision. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted October 27, 2015 Author Share Posted October 27, 2015 That's interesting about Carnival. I guess I was under the assumption that it was geared for small kids. Our kids are older(23 and 17). Good tip about 2 rooms. I never thought about the bathroom issues. I might look into Royal Caribbean and Princess as well. We are not huge alcohol drinkers, but would be nice to have soft drinks and bottled water.I don't trust the water anywhere out of the country) We were thinking of going beginning of March. I guess some schools could be having their Spring Break then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 After all of these cruise ship reports of sick people, flu, other types of viruses, etc. rolling into port with hundreds ill, I have decided that I am not a huge fan of days at sea crammed onto a ship with these huge buffets and everyone sneezing and coughing all over the food. I'd rather go to a resort, order my food individually, eat quietly at my table not surrounded by coughing sputtering people. Of course being allergic to wheat is a huge issue as well. Buffets are just really bad options for me anyway. That said, I am just an inclusive resort kind of person because there is still more privacy and more flexibility. I am not a shuffleboard, exercise class, group tour kind of person. Dh and I like to get away, just us, and do our own thing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplejackmama Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 Disney cruises let you bring your own alcohol :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 Disney cruises let you bring your own alcohol :) Thought they have recently (September?) changed their regulations to be morre in-line with the rest of the industry. Alas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginadee12 Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 Cruises are a lot of fun if you don't mind crowded areas with a lot of entertainment. One of the most enjoyable parts for me on a cruise was being with the same group of people over an extended period of time, 5-7 days. It was nice to meet people from all over the world and set up dates to chill with them throughout the afternoon and night. There are a few different types of cruises I've been on but the best was a princess cruise. Norwegian is my second pick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 Carnival tends to have a reputation as a "party" cruise line, and they even advertise themselves as "the party boat" line. They tend to be the lowest priced of the major cruise lines, and they advertise to (and attract) many college students. It doesn't help that the legal drinking age in the Bahamas and other places is 18. If you are cruising anytime near spring break, over a holiday (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, President's Day, Easter, etc.) you will definitely experience that atmosphere. But if you are cruising during off-peak times, like September-October, it probably wouldn't be bad at all. We cruised with extended family over Christmas last year on Carnival. It wasn't a party atmosphere at all - there were tons of families on the cruise, many of them multi-generational, like ours. The difference may be that we were cruising on a major holiday, I don't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplejackmama Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 Thought they have recently (September?) changed their regulations to be morre in-line with the rest of the industry. Alas. Oh darn! We went for Spring break. It was a good time!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RKWAcademy Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 I think cruises are a really personal thing. In my experience, you either love them or hate them. I despise them. I went once and will NEVER go again. My husband loves cruises. I think it's all what activities you enjoy and how much you want to be confined on a boat. I will admit that the "private" island with the cruise was really nice. We did a jet ski excursion in the Bahamas. That part was nice but not enough to ever get me near a cruise ship again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 We LOVE cruising. Disney is outstanding, but extremely expensive. But totally outstanding. If you don't want to pay big bucks I'd recommend Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's Oasis or Quantum class. Both lines have a ton to do for all ages. Yes, they take on a lot of people, but keep in mind that some are up late at night and sleep all morning long -- and vice versa. So, while we got on w/ many, I never felt crowded and I don't like crowds. Alley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danestress Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 All inclusive for me. I can't imagine a cruise would be fun to me. Right or wrong, I just have no interest. I don't want to be entertained. Really, I would check out vrbo and in a place I wanted to go and be off resort/cruise area. We did that a couple of years ago and it was great. We rented a car, went where we wanted, ate where we wanted, visited the 'sites' when there were no cruises in port, used well recommended companies for various outings (fishing, trip to another island, etc). It takes more upfront planning, but then you are free. We spent most of our money on the outings and events, kept breakfast in the cottage but are out at all kinds of local places. That is my travel preference. But if I were picking between all include and a cruise, I would go for the resort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmtzc2009 Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 It depends a lot on your vacation preferenes. We've cruised several times and have stayed at all inclusives. We prefer all inclusives. Our take on cruising: ship destination ports are often crazy busy. The day your scheduled to have excursions in "Barbados" all the other cruises in the area will also be docking. Activities can be busy but this does depend some on the time of year you travel. The pools were often over crowded. Food was good & of course is included in the price. Rooms are tiny unless you can spring for two rooms or a big room. I'm talking around 220 sq. Feet. In the rooms we've had that sleep 4....2 beds fold out and are actually over the main bed. It's tight living quarters. If someone in your party gets sick & visits the on ship Dr, they can be quarantined to the room for the remainder of the trip. We love all inclusives. We've only done them in Mexico & Jamaica. We've found the quality & selection of food can vary. Definitely check reviews. We appreciate a nice size hotel room, spaces around the resort for quiet moments as well as some planned activities from the recreation staff. We always find plenty of excursions we enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne in CA Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 I once stayed at an all inclusive Doubletree in Costa Rica. My girlfriend and I rented a van and saw the whole country, and it was awesome! The only thing I would do differently is stay on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica next time. We fed wild monkeys, fed a croc named Monica Lewinsky, saw the bottom of a volcano, and much, much more. So, so fun. I could see the whole thing being family friendly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn- Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 I've cruised Disney, Carnival, and Norwegian. The Disney one was paid for by my MIL or we never could have afforded it. It was okay, but not break the bank to go again great (in their defense I was cruising with my MIL and kids for the first and will be only time). Carnival and Norwegian are the Walmart and Target of the cruising industry, but they are enough to keep my DH and I happy. We are the cruise lines worst guest though. We show up, eat their food, watch their shows, but we don't drink, we don't gamble, and we rarely take excursions (we explore the city). If you have someone with food allergies, I suggest you pick a line with assigned dining. Your waitstaff will learn your needs and you won't have to explain it over and over again. I like Carnival over Norwegian for this reason (my last Carnival waiter was awesome), but I can handle Norwegian as well because they flag my card and as I enter they fetch the crazy busy guy that handles special diets. I am a dairy free vegetarian and that often requires completely off menu meals because the meat free meals are typically cheese laden. I will choose cruising with my DH again and again. He is an IT person and any land based vacations always get interrupted by this crisis or that one. His work can't reach him on the boat. My kids cruise with their grandparents as those cruises are MY vacation days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted October 28, 2015 Author Share Posted October 28, 2015 I think I am going to be shopping around and looking at different cruise lines. I have a friend who went on Princess and loved it as well. Although that Costa Rican trip sounds pretty inviting. I may look into that as well. I know with having the internet these days, it should make things easier. But sometimes, it just makes my head spin all the way around. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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