Usually, people find it difficult to choose between the cruise vacation and an all-inclusive resort one. There are some pros and cons for both, for example cruise vacation is not so much “all-inclusive”, since with the paid fee you only get a few free meals, nonalcoholic beverages and a few fun activities; and resorts seem to be more “all-inclusive” because the fee seems to cover all the meals and beverages, lots of different activities and many other things. However, even if the difference may be obvious, it is not all that black and white.
Accommodation
As far as accommodation is concerned, the favor may go to the resorts. Cruise ships usually have limited space, which sometimes means very small rooms which are mostly perfect for solo travelers. Resorts, on the other hand, have much larger rooms with spacious bathrooms, and generally have more features and various room services. But then again, cruise ships have better variety of rooms for choosing, and they can offer you fancy and spacious suits that may be even more comfortable than those on land. So, if you like room service and would like to spend some time in bed on your vacation, then you may go with resorts.
Food
Basically, with food you get what you pay for. The advantage of resorts may be that the meals are cheaper or even free since they are included in the fee, but sometimes that does not mean a top notch quality. On cruises the price may be higher, but the quality is guaranteed because bigger cruise companies bring some famous chefs to satisfy the travelers. Also, cruise vacations do not tie you to only one place, which means wider variety of different exotic local cuisines in places you can visit when on the land.
Beaches
If you like spending hours lying on the beach, sipping cocktails doing nothing, then you should choose a resort vacation. Cruises do offer breathtaking views, but if you are a beach lover, that limited time in port could be frustrating. Depending on the location, sometimes it can be better to simply stay on ship or to explore beautiful and historic ports, but if you choose something like a trip to French Polynesia or the Caribbean, it would be a shame to miss those wonderful beaches.
Fun Activities
Cruise ships may win this round of fun activities, since they really offer something for everyone. They offer wide range of activities through the day and night, and no matter what your tastes are there will be something for you. If you are an adrenalin junky you can sail on ships, climb rock walls, use ziplines or simply play some basketball and other sports; and if you are a book worm or you enjoy more relaxing activities, you can sit down and read practically anywhere, or join some cooking or some other fun classes. Even though resorts may offer numerous activities, sometimes they cannot top the diversity of cruise ships with their fun water parks, classes and different ports for exploring.
Family Friendly
Even if it does not look so, cruises are tailor made for family vacations. Not only do they offer various services and activities for families, but they can even guarantee Mom and Dad some alone time. You can easily hire a nanny for your kids, or join them in well-organized day care, and spend a romantic day alone. Also, there are lots of family activities on every ship, and various costume parities featuring famous cartoon characters like Shrek, Mickey or SpongeBob. In resorts you may have more room space, but sometimes slow days on beach and in shopping can be tiring and boring for your kids, and finding a fun thing for them to do in a foreign city can be challenging.
As you can see, both cruises and resorts have their good and bad sides. But before deciding on the type of vacation, consider everything you would like to do there, and what are your needs, and then the choice will be easy.
