Why do you choose cruising over a land based vacation or all inlusive?

[SSVacation]

I am always asked by friends and family why we cruise so much, and even why with Royal all the time? For us it's the love of the seas, and the excitement of being on the ships, being able to visit many places.

And why with Royal? When you find a good thing why mess with it!

What makes you cruise over a land based vacation?

[bouhunter]

And why with Royal? When you find a good thing why mess with it!

 

That's why we've stuck with RCCL since our first cruise.

 

We don't choose cruising "over land vacations", we also take a couple of those each year.

 

Some reasons we like cruising:

 

- Our "hotel" is at a different city each day, and/or cruising the beautiful seas.

- We turn off all cell phones and internet. Don't miss them at all, enjoy being disconnected for a week.

- The service on RCCL ships has always been excellent and the ships themselves beautiful.

- We love the Caribbean and it's a reasonably priced way to vacation there.

[luvscruising2007]

We did many land vacations when our children were young. We did road trips, disney, camping, historic sites, beach. We enjoyed them all. Never did an all inclusive, not sure why.

We loved our 1st cruise on Royal and I was hooked. As a Navy man, DH loved the sea and I was on military ships as a child when my dad was changing assignments. The sea is in our blood. And where can you see multiple ports, great service, good shows, gambling, good food and pampering other than on a ship.

[pe4all]

We began with all-inclusives, then went to cruising. We decided we like waking up in a different port every day or two, rather than being "stuck" in one place all the time. Also, cruising became cheaper when my kids aged out of kid's prices for all-inclusives.

[overthehillcruiser]

We are starting to burn out somewhat of cruising and were considering a land based AI, but when I started looking at prices I could see the cruise is a much better deal for us as we do not have to fly.I would do an AI but the airfare nowdays! I can't believe how expensive it is..

[Clarea]

We like packing and unpacking once while we get to visit different places.

[tarajean1962]

We do both,but cruising is our preference for the reasons already stated above and also we just love being at sea!:D. There is something peaceful about it that you just can't find anywhere else!

 

Tara

 

P.S. Before we were "cruise freaks" we were Disney freaks!:D

[saurian]

the sea draws me in, not the beach. i actually do not like beaches very much, but i swear my blood pressure drops a good 20 points when i cannot see land anymore. seeing new wildlife is huge for me, as I am a biologist. My poor husband is dragged along many a nature trail everywhere we go, or i drag him on deck at 3am to look at glowing diatoms in the ships wake. or take him out of the WJ at lunch to watch a school of flying fish..... my husband loves the food, that's his big draw. service is wonderful. unpacking once. seeing new places. land based vacations get dull, same place running out of things to do. the price cant be beat. unplugging entirely.

 

on the flip side, our other vacation is usually camping. again- easy to keep moving, yummy food, cheap, unplugging... but all in the opposite way!! :p

[NorbertsNiece]

Love, love, love the sea..... beaches not so much at all. Love seeing the world. Unpack once. Travel solo and feel safe. Enjoy the RCCL experience but am thinking of shifting over to Celebrity for itinerary..... but then that's a ways off as the next 18 months are sewn up!! Lol. Prefer port intensive itineraries and having experienced a TA really don't like so many sea days.

 

Actually CC has lot to add here too..... I don't know if you get the excitement in the build up to a cruise that you get with any other kind of holiday as you do with a roll call....

[LovesCruising]

I am always asked by friends and family why we cruise so much, and even why with Royal all the time? For us it's the love of the seas, and the excitement of being on the ships, being able to visit many places.

And why with Royal? When you find a good thing why mess with it!

What makes you cruise over a land based vacation?

 

Have to agree - however we also do land and AI - so far our favorite land is Aruba - staying 2 weeks next year and our favorite AI is Riviera Maya - adults only resort.

[Kaboochi]

We like packing and unpacking once while we get to visit different places.

 

I agree with your post. Unpack once and you explore 4 or 5 islands in 7 days. When you cruise often and revisit ports you get to explore more of each island. I love my cruises.

[help04me]

I am always asked by friends and family why we cruise so much, and even why with Royal all the time? For us it's the love of the seas, and the excitement of being on the ships, being able to visit many places.

And why with Royal? When you find a good thing why mess with it!

What makes you cruise over a land based vacation?

it is the disconnect no internet no cell phones and by the time i get on the ship no important decisions to be made . what could be more relaxing

[1ParticularHbr]

We do cruises 2 to 1 over land vacations for all of the reasons everyone has mentioned plus a few more - unpack once & see 3-4 different places, unplug, great service, casino, & meeting new people. We did our first AI in February (Dreams Cancun) and were bored in 48 hours, didn't meet a soul, and were very disappointed with food and service.

[SamInWa]

The last few years I've been traveling solo a lot.

 

Eating alone in a restaurant gets really old after about 3 days. With traditional dining this is avoided... plus the shared tables at breakfast and lunch.

 

On a cruise I have the chance to meet new people and we all have at least one thing in common... we are on a cruise visiting the same places.

[maggieq]

Price and total package. We enjoy the entertainment and the food/drink options. Would live to find an ai that was top shelf but they are too expensive and I have visions of wishing we were on a cruise. We don't go ai but Aruba is a land based vacation we enjoy every once in a while.

[mistshar]

We cruise because we are able to drive to the port and it simplifies things for me since I have mobility issues. It is great just to get on the ship and not have to worry about driving somewhere for food or entertainment. We do get off at some ports that are easy to maneuver. Besides this we love to cruise.

[LucasLounger1]

I'm new-ish to cruising and love it. We did two AIs but just didn't feel the need to do it again. Cruising suits me for when I need to go south.

 

That said, we've " land vacationed" all over Europe and I prefer that even to cruising. We go independently and it costs a fraction of any European cruise, plus I can see the interior, and have magical European nights.

[OCruisers]

Our daughter's family now has one child in college and the other in high school who have different vacation times for the Holidays.

They had a problem finding a Christmas/New Year's cruise like they normally do that would work for them time wise so they are booked at an all inclusive in Cancun this year.

 

LuLu

~~~~

[Oh away I go!]

In my younger days, I traveled to Ireland, Italy, Spain, France, Greece, Turkey, Easter Island, Peru, Croatia, and Argentina on land-based tours.

 

These trips were exciting, but tiring and long. Generally, single country tours took me anywhere from two to three weeks. Spending the night in different hotels every night or two is exhausting!

 

At this point in my life, this is not something I really care to do...This form of travel was necessary to see these countries then, but with my work schedule at the present, I am not interested.

 

At this point in time, I rather go on vacation to relax

 

Yes, I do have plans to go to Costa Rico, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia one day...

 

Maybe I will change my mind after I retire, but at this point of time in my life- I want a easy and stress-free vacation

[TexCruise371]

We enjoy doing both. :D

 

We try to take at least a couple of cruises a year and then go to Cozumel a couple a times of year to spend a week diving. We also enjoy road trips.

 

Cruising is awesome but has starting to be very repetitive for us. Same, food, same shows, same ports, same dining room experience...same, same, same. We do love the sea though and meeting some of the most wonderful folks while on a ship. ;)

 

Cozumel is a fabulous, laid back place when the cruise ships are not in port. Totally different atmosphere! ;) We stay at an AI there but, still venture in to town for the fabulous food that we find there. Diving is never the same as there always seems to be something new every dive.

[Aldeya]

it is the disconnect no internet no cell phones and by the time i get on the ship no important decisions to be made . what could be more relaxing

 

This one is a big for us. Get away from it all.

 

Or and the sunrise/sunset on the balcony, and the sound of the waves...

[cruisesR4me]

Love, love, love, being on the ocean and feeling the motion of the ship under my feet.

[At Sea 4Ever]

Because anything else would not be like a cruise! Cruising is a mind set, you can't explain it you just live for it!

[txjess]

1) It's the cheapest vacation I can take for a week.

 

2) No major decisions are required. Trivia? Bingo? Nap by the pool?

 

3) No cell service and WiFi is still unreasonably priced. I can completely disconnect.

 

I love land vacay's too. Just hiked in Olympic National Park this fall, Florida for the 4th. But cruising is just plain relaxing. It just depends on what I'm in the mood for.

 

 

Work like a captain, play like a pirate.

[hazeleyez3]

We do both land trips and cruises. We have basically exhausted the Caribbean, so its usually European ones we are looking at.

 

For my husband, its because he only has to unpack once.

 

For me, its dependent on the ports.

 

I was fine with 6 hours in Estonia, Malta, Montenegro.

 

Conversely, I won't take a cruise to some places unless or until there are plans to visit it on land (Rome, Venice, Paris). Others I refuse to take a cruise to at all (Australia and Asia).