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

[Tyler80]

I choose cruising over a land based all inclusive resort because when I "go" on vacation I like to actually "go to" many places while on vacation. Royal Caribbean feels like home when I get onboard. They take care of my needs and I feel it is a superior value over all inclusive resorts.

[cmason]

I like cruising for one simple reason: its a 'fire and forget' vacation. Let me explain:

 

We do both land vacations and cruises. Lets compare what I do on both type vacations. Recently we went to visit some sites and family in Texas:

 

1) Fly to Austin TX

2) Go get rental car

3) Drive 3 hrs to Houston, TX

4) Find Hotel

5) Find some place for dinner

6) Next morning, drive to NASA for tour

7) Find place for dinner

8) Drive back to Austin, TX

9) Find hotel

10) Figure out something to do for morning

11) Drive to family location

12) Drive to next spot, find meals, return car, etc

 

 

Now, for a cruise, here is what it looks like to me:

 

1) Fly to Port city

2) taxi to ship

3) hotel room

 

Thanks it. Don't have to find a place to eat, no changing hotels, no deciding on what to do...its all right there. We even go to different cities, and all I have to do to get there is SLEEP! That, my friends, is vacation!

Edited December 10, 2013 by cmason

[Tyler80]

I like cruising for one simple reason: its a 'fire and forget' vacation. Let me explain:

 

We do both land vacations and cruises. Lets compare what I do on both type vacations. Recently we went to visit some sites and family in Texas:

 

1) Fly to Austin TX

2) Go get rental car

3) Drive 3 hrs to Houston, TX

4) Find Hotel

5) Find some place for dinner

6) Next morning, drive to NASA for tour

7) Find place for dinner

8) Drive back to Austin, TX

9) Find hotel

10) Figure out something to do for morning

11) Drive to family location

12) Drive to next spot, find meals, return car, etc

 

 

Now, for a cruise, here is what it looks like to me:

 

1) Fly to Port city

2) taxi to ship

3) hotel room

 

Thanks it. Don't have to find a place to eat, no changing hotels, no deciding on what to do...its all right there. We even go to different cities, and all I have to do to get there is SLEEP! That, my friends, is vacation!

 

You hit the nail on the head. Simply put: You get on the ship and someone takes care of everything else for you!

[voyager89]

To us its the other way around. Cruising is way more expensive than a land based vacation, now go figure an AI. Before we discovered cruising, we did some AI hotels and really really enjoy them. I am not a huge drinker but since booze is included I cant say no to my margaritas LOL. We could go to an AI in riviera maya for maybe half the price we pay for a cruise, but it is well well worth it. We were actually doing a land pased vacation in Puerto Rico, and ended up somehow turning into a cruise :o

Edited December 10, 2013 by voyager89

[Toddcan]

We do both.

 

But.. don't limit yourself to an all-inclusive land vacation. Look for those fantastic deals on VRBO or HOMEAWAY where you can rent out a vacation home.

 

We did 2 weeks on St. Kitts and had a 4,000 sq ft home with infinity pool overlooking the beach. Sure, we had to make meals, or eat out - but we could really explore the island. Spending 5-6 hours in port is barely even scratching the surface on "seeing the island"

 

What we like about cruising is that is appeals to the vacation ADHD in us.. do something for a few hours, and then onto something else.

[K1200S]

I just plain love being on the ocean. I still do land vacations on my motorcycle with friends.

[cmason]

Oh I agree: Cruises can be expensive, but often they are really comparable to most land based vacations.

 

But I could never do just cruises. I don't really get into going to the same islands over and over, and even the ships get stale, and I have only been on 5 cruises.

 

If you cruise only, you miss out on our wonderful National Parks, historical sites, and other incredible things to do literally in your own backyard. And, going to another country, without the safety net of a cruise ship will change your worldview for the better.

[bouhunter]

I like cruising for one simple reason: its a 'fire and forget' vacation. Let me explain:

 

We do both land vacations and cruises. Lets compare what I do on both type vacations. Recently we went to visit some sites and family in Texas:

 

1) Fly to Austin TX

2) Go get rental car

3) Drive 3 hrs to Houston, TX

4) Find Hotel

5) Find some place for dinner

6) Next morning, drive to NASA for tour

7) Find place for dinner

8) Drive back to Austin, TX

9) Find hotel

10) Figure out something to do for morning

11) Drive to family location

12) Drive to next spot, find meals, return car, etc

 

 

Now, for a cruise, here is what it looks like to me:

 

1) Fly to Port city

2) taxi to ship

3) hotel room

 

Thanks it. Don't have to find a place to eat, no changing hotels, no deciding on what to do...its all right there. We even go to different cities, and all I have to do to get there is SLEEP! That, my friends, is vacation!

 

I agree for the most part, but you over-simplified the cruise vacation. After all there are decisions to make on what to do at all those ports:D

 

That said, I must say we're looking forward to our upcoming trip to Marco Island and Key West as much as we are the cruise in March:)

[mrobstad]

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.

 

As a solo traveler, I have not found land vacations/tours that are priced as well as a cruise with a low single supplement, or a ship like the a Epic, at 150% of the price....

[phillipdevoll]

With a group of people on different sleeping schedule and rating habits no one has to wait for other people

 

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Forums mobile app

[George C]

We love to cruise and also do AI resorts, we just returned from Sandals Whitehouse in Jamaica, next vacation is RCCL in April on Naviagtor, we do about 4 cruise then a good AI adult only resort.

Pros on resorts

All drinks included

All Tips included

Miles of beach

NO CHILDREN

But in general we prefer cruises, many more thing to do , love the entertainment on RCCL and other lines, food is about the same. Perfer dressing up more than we do at resorts. WE just love being on a ship in general.

[panthers_4890]

There is nothing like being on a big ship in the middle of the ocean. To have that feeling of literally escaping the world is excellent. You are disconnected from the problems back home, and watching the ocean glide by is incredibly relaxing. Wouldn't trade those moments for many land activities.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[B-52]

Because all we have to do is drive 45 minutes to port, check the bags, park the car, and that's it....what can be easier???

 

We do still take other vacations though, but we cruise at least once a year.

[LMaxwell]

One of the perk of moving to south Florida, for me, was being able to get back into cruising again as I have not been in a few years due to other priorities and other styles/types of trips taken.

 

Now that I am here and settled in I am going to take advantage of close proximity to the port; no need to fly. I can cruise 2X as frequently as most other people for the same cost just based on eliminating airfare. I've driven cross country and back. I went to LV and didn't gamble a cent. I've driven through mountains in TN and NC. I've camped in the Keys, I've rented beach bungalows, and flown to the desolate frozen white north (MD and NJ) to see family. I went from having never been to Disney to having been too many times in too short a period.

 

I'm ready to go back to Labadee.

 

You can't beat the value. Budgeting is much easier versus driving somewhere and taking your wallet out 10X a day. See new places, are entertained the whole time. It's a carefree getaway. Relatively speaking.